Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
Annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on travel, PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card on gas stations.
Card data as of October 11, 2026.
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase · $95/yr
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
PenFed · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card75,000 pointsPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card15,000 points
- Rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Ultimate RewardsPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardPenFed Points
- Foreign transaction fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardNonePenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardNone
- Network
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardVisa SignaturePenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Gas Stations
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card5xHighest
- Dining
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3x
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Grocery Stores
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3x
- Streaming
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3x
- Vacation Rentals
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card2xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Everything else
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card1xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit · $120 every 4 years
- $100 hotel credit
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Entertainment & streaming
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- A year of Apple TV, valued at $180 · $180 one-time
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Complimentary DashPass after activation
- Up to $10 monthly on a non-restaurant DoorDash order
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel Accident Insurance up to $500,000
- $10,000 Trip Cancellation Insurance per person
- $500 Trip Delay Reimbursement per traveler
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card- Travel Accident Insurance ($250,000)
- Baggage
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $500 Baggage Delay Insurance ($100 per day)
- $3,000 Lost Luggage Reimbursement per traveler
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Rental car
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Auto Rental Coverage
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Purchase & returns
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- 120-day Purchase Protection up to $500 per item
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Extended warranty
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Extended Warranty Protection adds 1 extra year
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Cell phone
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card—PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Cell Phone Protection ($500/claim)
- Other protections
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- 75,000 point welcome bonus after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee partly offset by a $100 Chase Travel hotel credit each account anniversary year
- 1:1 transfer to 14 airline and hotel partners including Hyatt
- 5X on Chase Travel, 3X dining, streaming, online groceries
- Trip cancellation, delay, and lost luggage insurance included
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Cons
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $95 annual fee vs $0 Freedom cards
- No lounge access included
- 5/24 rule restricts applicants with 5+ cards in 24 months
- No 0% intro APR offer
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
Category-by-Category Winner
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in 3 of 4 categories. The PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card leads in 1.
Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Chase Travel portal
Gas Stations
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 3X
Electric Vehicle Charging
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Vacation Rentals
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $326 Year one: $1,784 | Rewards: $240 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $240 Year one: $240 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,362 Year one: $2,820 | Rewards: $960 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $960 Year one: $960 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and dining and everyday spend.
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card have that the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card doesn't?
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card focuses on earn rates, while the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers cell phone protection.
- Should I get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 11, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.