Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The main difference between these two Chase credit cards is that Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a cashback card for everyday spending, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a travel card.

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns extra rewards on categories that rotate every quarter, as well as permanent rewards categories on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, restaurants, drugstores and Lyft. On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns accelerated points on travel and dining purchases.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also lets you transfer your points to other loyalty programs or redeem them for a 25% higher value through the Chase travel portal. But it also comes with an annual fee.

Check out which card is better in our credit card breakdown below.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Card breakdown

Despite being part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, these two cards have many differences. Let’s see which one is better.

Rewards. Winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Freedom Flex℠ lets you earn 5% cash back on rotating categories each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined purchases, and 1% back after that. The same 5% rate applies to Lyft purchases until March 2022 and at grocery stores on up to $12,000 during your first year. In addition, you earn 5% on travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3% at restaurants, which includes delivery, and 3% at drugstores.

This is a massive rewards rate on a variety of categories and it’s unmatched by any other card currently on the market.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card on the other hand comes with 2x points on travel and dining purchases, 5x points on Lyft purchases until March 2022 and 1x points on everything else. Compared to similar travel cards, the rewards rate isn’t anything spectacular.

Because of this clear disparity between the two cards, you would need to spend twice as much with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to earn the same value in rewards that you would otherwise earn with the Chase Freedom Flex℠. This makes the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card a clear winner in this category.

Note: Even though the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is marketed as a cashback card, it actually earns Chase Ultimate Points, which you can redeem for cash or other rewards.

Signup bonus. Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

With Chase Freedom Flex℠, you can earn $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 in the first 3 months when you open your account. The 5% cash back on purchases at grocery stores on up to $12,000 during your first year is also considered as part of the signup bonus and bumps the max value of this signup bonus to $800.

On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card lets you earn 80,000 bonus points once you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. This is worth around $1,000 if you redeem via the Chase Ultimate Rewards program or the new Pay Yourself Back feature. This is probably the maximum value you can get with this perk.

In the end, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card squeezes out the win thanks to the recent point boost. For the price of the card and the spending requirements of the signup bonus, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more valuable signup bonus.

Intro APR period. Winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠

Travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card aren’t known for offering a 0% intro APR period on purchases, balance transfers or both. This is where cashback cards shine. With the Chase Freedom Flex℠, you get to save money on purchases with a 0% intro APR period for the first 15 months when you open your account. After that, a variable APR of 14.99% to 23.74% applies.

Consider this perk a 0%-interest loan to buy your new iPhone, laptop, or to renovate at home.

The winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠

While both are rewards cards and they aim to occupy a different spot in your wallet, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is the clear winner. With a higher rewards rate on everyday purchases, a 0% intro APR period on purchases and no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ not only beats the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card but it beats many other competitor cashback cards.

However, because you can transfer rewards between these two cards, many consumers choose to pick up both.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card combo

These two cards are extremely powerful reward-earning machines when paired together; This way you can earn accelerated rewards on a variety of categories. And the best part? You can transfer your Chase Freedom Flex℠ points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card and enjoy a 25% higher redemption value via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. This will turn your 5% cash back to a 6.25% value toward travel redemption.

And if you want to go even further, consider adding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card. This combination of three cards is known as the Chase trifecta.

Compare rewards credit cards

Still looking for the right rewards card? Take a look at the table below to compare cards and find one that fits your needs.