Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom

John Kiernan, Personal Finance Editor

on June 04, 2021

This content is not provided or commissioned by any issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of an issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by an issuer.

Please note: Chase Freedom® may no longer be available to new applicants.

The Verdict: This is something of an apples-to-oranges comparison, despite both offers requiring good-to-excellent credit for approval, as Chase’s Sapphire Preferred and Freedom cards serve somewhat different needs. Sapphire Preferred offers rewards in the form of points and is geared toward travel, whereas Freedom positions itself as a cash-back card for everyday expenses. Sapphire Preferred isn’t built for carrying a balance from month to month, but Freedom’s 15-month 0% intro term gives it some financing functionality. And Freedom has no annual fee, whereas Sapphire Preferred charges $95.

In fact, those complementary differences are why some people use Chase Freedom and Sapphire Preferred in combination. But if you want to pick just one, the decision figures to center on the cards’ respective initial bonuses and your tolerance for rotating rewards categories. Sapphire Preferred’s 100,000 points for spending $4,000 within 3 months of account opening are redeemable for $1,250 in travel expenses, which dwarfs Freedom’s $200 for spending $500 in the same timeframe. And while Freedom’s maximum earning rate (5% back) is higher than Sapphire Preferred’s (2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining), that Freedom rate applies to only the first $1,500 spent in bonus categories that change on a quarterly basis (and require you to sign up just as frequently).

You can take a closer look at the tradeoffs between these Chase credit cards below.

SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON

Ad Disclosure

	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Sponsored Card (3,402) Apply Now	Chase Freedom® (2,537)
General
Network	VISA	VISA
Credit Card Company	Chase	Chase
Min Credit Required	Excellent or Good	Excellent or Good
Annual Fee	$95	$0
Purchases
Intro APR	N/A	0%
Intro APR Period	N/A	15 months
Regular APR	15.99% - 22.99% (V)	14.99% - 23.74% (V)
Transfers
Intro APR	N/A	N/A
Intro APR Period	N/A	N/A
Regular APR	15.99% - 22.99% (V)	14.99% - 23.74% (V)
Transfer Fee	Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.	5% (min $5)
Rewards
Reward Type	Points	Cash Back
Reward Bonus	100,000 points	$200
Reward Details	Our best offer ever! Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,250 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 100,000 points are worth $1,250 toward travel. With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.	Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening Earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - it's automatic Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back.
Penalties
Max Late Fee	See Terms	See Terms
Max Overlimit Fee	See Terms	See Terms
Max Default APR	29.99% (V)	None
Cash
Cash APR	24.99% (V)	24.99% (V)
Cash Advance Fee	Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.	Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
Other
Additional Info		0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 14.99% - 23.74% Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠ No annual fee
One-time Setup Fees	None	None
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Grace Period	See Terms	See Terms

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Before you apply for a credit card we recommend that you review and verify the credit card terms and conditions on the credit card company's web site. Please let us know if you find any differences.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom: Initial Bonus

This one’s no contest. Sapphire Preferred’s bonus worth $1,250 in travel through Chase dominates Freedom’s $200 in cash. The one saving grace for Freedom’s bonus, however, is that it gives you 5% cash back on groceries, up to $12,000 spent the first year. Plus, you will get much more value per dollar spent: $0.40 versus Sapphire Preferred’s $0.31.

Category Winner: Sapphire Preferred

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom: Ongoing Rewards

Fees and initial bonuses aside, the average person (who spends $32,010 annually) would earn roughly $45 more with Freedom ($960) than Sapphire Preferred ($915) over the first two years of use. But that assumes Freedom’s bonus categories perfectly match the user’s spending habits, which is far from guaranteed — perhaps even unlikely.

With that in mind, we’ll call this category a draw. Freedom has the edge in terms of pure dollars and cents, but Sapphire Preferred isn’t far behind and has a big advantage when it comes to convenience. You have to register for Freedom’s new bonus categories each quarter, after all.

Category Winner: Tie

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom: Interest Rates

Another area where the call is far from close, Chase Freedom’s financing capabilities dominate those of its sibling Sapphire Preferred. Freedom offers 0% for 15 months on purchases, whereas Sapphire Preferred has no low-rate intro financing option. When it comes to regular rates, Freedom is again preferable, for context, the average credit card requiring good credit for approval has a 19.4% regular APR, according to our latest Credit Card Landscape Report.

Category Winner: Freedom

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom: Fees

Nobody likes credit-card fees, particularly annual and foreign-transaction fees. They’re pretty much sunk costs that are only worthwhile if the card’s rewards structure will be able to outweigh the cost, based on your spending habits.

The Chase Freedom Card doesn’t assess an annual fee, whereas Sapphire Preferred charges $95. But it’s worth noting that Sapphire Preferred’s best feature — its hefty initial bonus — is attainable in just three months and can offset years of annual fees.

And the differences do not stop here, Chase Freedom imposes a foreign-transaction fee of 3% and charges a balance-transfer fee of 5%, while Chase Sapphire Preferred does not charge a foreign-transaction fee and charges a 5% balance-transfer fee.

As a result, both of these cards have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to fees. Sapphire Preferred is best for high-spending travelers who don’t plan to keep the card for more than a few years, with Freedom being more appropriate for everyone else — fee-wise, at least. But we have to give the tiebreaker to Freedom given its lack of fixed annual costs.

Category Winner: Freedom

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom: Consumer Reviews

Our editors have a far higher opinion of Chase Sapphire Preferred than Chase Freedom, giving the former 4.5 out of 5 stars while the latter received 3.3 stars.

WalletHub users appear to feel the same way, giving Sapphire Preferred an average rating of 4.0 out of 5, compared to 3.8 for Freedom.

Category Winner: Sapphire Preferred

Still Not Sure?

Sure, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom are two of the most popular credit cards on the market. But that doesn't mean there's no competition. Below, you can see how these two Chase titans compare to other top offers.