Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card better than the Chase Freedom Flex℠?

Each card is very different in what they offer. The Freedom Flex may win over Sapphire Preferred, mainly for having no annual fee and 5% earnings on rotating categories throughout the year. However, Sapphire Preferred is likely the best option for travelers, as it boosts the value of your points by 25%. It also allows you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners with a 1:1 point value.

Can you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if you have the Chase Freedom Flex℠?

Chase does not limit cardmembers to having just one of their products. You can have both the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Can you transfer points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to the Chase Freedom Flex℠?

Both earn points in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards. A point earned is worth $0.01 when redeemed as cash back. To maximize your earning potential, you can earn points through your cash back credit card, the Chase Freedom Flex℠, and transfer these points to your travel credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which has more value when used on travel.

Can you switch from the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to the Chase Freedom Flex℠?

Yes. If you choose to switch from Sapphire Preferred to Freedom Flex, you will be able to keep your earned points.

What’s harder to get, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Freedom Flex℠?

Both cards require a good to excellent credit score.

How much do you have to spend for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to get the welcome bonus?

You need to spend at least $4,000 in the first three months on your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to earn 60,000 bonus points. To earn the Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus of $200, you need to spend at least $500 in your first three months from account opening.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠: Which Is Best for You?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Freedom Flex℠ are distinctly different credit cards that serve different purposes. The Sapphire Preferred is best for travelers, whereas the Freedom Flex is for those who want to maximize their cash back.

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The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

MoneyGeek compares Sapphire Preferred and Freedom Flex to help you decide which of these Chase products best suits what you’re looking for in a credit card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has excellent travel perks, anniversary bonuses and a reward-earning structure that puts more value on travel purchases and lucrative welcome offers for its cardmembers. On the other hand, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has the same reward-earning structure but with lower interest rates and no annual fee.

It can be difficult to choose between the Sapphire Preferred and Freedom Flex as they both have exciting offers. If you qualify for both cards, pairing them together could help you reap the most value.

OUR COMPARISON AT A GLANCE

Comparison Overview
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card at a Glance
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a Glance
Comparison Summary
Which Card Should You Get?

Comparison Overview: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Has Annual Fee
Has Balance Transfer Offer
Has APR Offer
Cash Back Rewards
Travel Rewards
Hotel Benefits
Airline Benefits
Has Rewarding Welcome Offer
Has Foreign Transaction Fee
Recommended Credit
Excellent
Good–Excellent

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card At a Glance

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best existing travel rewards credit cards on the market. The $95 annual fee is easily offset through its solid rewards, welcome bonus and loyalty program. For example, spending $4,000 in your first three months earns you 60,000 bonus points, equivalent to $750 on travel purchases through the Chase travel portal.

Points can also be redeemed in several ways, such as through statement credits, booking a trip through Chase's travel portal or by transferring points to its partner programs at a ratio of 1:1 point value. Since it is essentially a travel credit card, your earned points get 25% more value when you redeem them on travel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
A very good rewards card with no foreign transaction fees and comprehensive travel cover
- ExcellentRecommended Credit
- $95Annual Fee
- 1–2 Points per $1Rewards Rate
- 2xRewards Rate on Air Travel
- 2xRewards Rate on Dining
Pros
Stand to earn 60,000 bonus points by spending $4,000 in the first three months
Earn up to 5X points per dollar
Ways to redeem points include cash back, 1:1 points transfer, gift cards and more
Use the My Chase Plan to break up purchases of $100 or more into fixed monthly payments and pay just a monthly fee, no interest
Pay no foreign transaction fees
Extensive travel and purchase coverage can help provide extra peace of mind

Cons
The card comes with an annual fee
There are balance transfer and cash advance fees
Penalty APR might apply in case of returned or late payments
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months
Earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Earn 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services
Earn 2X points on other travel purchases
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Use points to pay for products or services made available through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program or directly from other merchants
Earn 25% more value for your points when you redeem them through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Some of the 1:1 points transfer members include AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt
Complimentary travel protection comes in the form of trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement as well as travel and emergency assistance services
Safeguard your purchases through purchase protection and extended warranty protection
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other cards with lower interest rates.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ At a Glance

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is one of the best cash back credit cards with no annual fee and robust earning opportunities. For example, you can earn 1% cash back for every dollar spent and 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases. Book your travel through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Program and you automatically get 5% cash back with this credit card.

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ also offers additional rewards on rotating bonus categories. That is an additional 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases when you use the card on select categories that change every quarter. In addition to having a low APR, its Doordash, Lyft and other Mastercard World Elite Benefits surely make this card an attractive option.

Chase Freedom Flex℠
An easy-to-use cash back card with quarterly rotating bonus categories
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
- $0Annual Fee
- 1–5% Cash Back*Rewards Rate
- 5xRewards Rate on Air Travel
- 3xRewards Rate on Dining
Pros
Generous welcome offer
Rotating cash back bonus categories
No annual fee
Excellent customer-facing features
Grocery store perks
DoorDash and Lyft benefits

Cons
Modest base cash back rate
Your interests might not align with quarterly rotating bonus categories
Foreign transaction fees
Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
5% cash back on quarterly rotating bonus categories
5% cash back on Chase Ultimate Rewards travel purchases
3% cash back on dining, takeout, delivery and drug store purchases
1% cash back on all other purchases
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Comparison Summary

MoneyGeek offers a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠ comparison to more easily see the features of each card.

Card Detail
Comparison Summary
Travel Coverage and Purchase Protection
For a cash back card, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers excellent travel benefits, including car rental insurance, trip cancellation reimbursement and assistance services for travel emergencies.
The travel and purchase protection with Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is slightly more extensive. It also has more impressive travel perks and carries no foreign transaction fees.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Welcome Bonus
You can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — equivalent to $750 toward travel with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
With the Chase Freedom Flex℠, you can earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns at least 1X point on all purchases, with more points earned on specific spending categories. For example, you can earn 5X points on travel purchases made through Chase, 2X points on all other travel purchases and 3X points on dining out, takeout, delivery, grocery and select streaming purchases. Redeeming points towards travel make them more valuable by 25%.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5% on travel, 3% on eligible dining and 1% on all other purchases — in the form of cash back. On top of this, Freedom Flex provides an additional 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories selected every quarter.
Winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠
Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges a $95 annual fee. Chase Freedom Flex℠ has no annual fee.
Winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠
APR
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges an interest rate ranging from 15.99% to 22.99% based on creditworthiness and prime rates.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ has a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. After the intro period, a variable APR of 14.99% to 23.74% takes effect.
Winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠
Loyalty Programs
Chase Freedom Flex℠ doesn’t have a loyalty program.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card gives anniversary bonus points of up to 10% on total annual purchases. There’s also an additional $50 statement credit for hotel stays gifted every year on your account anniversary.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Which Card Should You Get?

MoneyGeek takes a closer look at both Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Freedom Flex℠ — specifically, which kind of cardholder best matches each card.

Who Should Consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a flexible travel rewards card that puts more value on your points when you redeem them for travel.

People willing to pay its annual fee and have matching spending habits to offset the amount.
Jetsetters who would benefit from earning points for travel. Aside from elevated point value when used on travel, there are impressive travel perks and bonuses to get from this card, including no foreign transaction fees.
People who like Doordash, Peloton and Lyft and want to earn additional points when they use their card with these partners.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

Who Should Consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠?

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a solid cash back credit card that lets you earn significant rewards for your spending.

People looking for a card with no annual fee, low interest rates and excellent rewards-earning opportunities.
People who want to maximize their earning potential just by using the card on their usual purchases like groceries, dining and streaming services.
People who plan to redeem points through cash back or gift cards.
People who would enjoy World Elite Mastercard Benefits like Lyft, Fandango, Shoprunner and Hello Fresh.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

EXPERT OPINION

These cards are quite different in their rewards structure. If you’re looking for the most ‘valuable’ card based on average consumer spending, it’s no doubt the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. However, not all consumers can find value in a travel rewards credit card. If that’s the case, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a solid option to earn cash back on your purchases.

Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs

MoneyGeek answers questions you may have when choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options

With so many choices out there, picking the best credit card for you can be overwhelming. That’s why MoneyGeek compiled a list of different credit cards for specific purposes.

There are travel credit cards for those looking for as many travel benefits and perks as they can get. There are also other cash back or rewards credit cards if earning cash, statement credits or points on your usual purchases is more your style.

View All Credit Cards

Learn more about credit cards in general

sources

Chase. "Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Credit Card." Accessed January 8, 2022.
Chase. "Chase Freedom Flex℠." Accessed January 8, 2022.
Chase. "Chase Freedom Flex℠ with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement." Accessed January 10, 2022.

*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
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