Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs Discover it Cash Back: Which Card Wins for Your Spending?

Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card ($95/yr) and the Discover it Cash Back (no annual fee) comes down to where you spend most. Both cards can deliver real value — let’s break it down, then run your numbers to find the winner.

Meet the Contenders

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Strongest in travel at 5% via portal. 5x points on travel through Chase Travel, 3x on dining and online groceries, 2x on other travel.

Annual fee: $95 Sign-up bonus: 75,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You're comfortable booking through the issuer's portal for the best rate.

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Discover it Cash Back

5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year.

Annual fee: None Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You want solid rewards without paying an annual fee.

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Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Discover it Cash Back
Annual Fee $95 $0
Sign-Up Bonus 75,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months None
Foreign Transaction Fee 0% 0%
Base Reward Rate <strong>1.0%</strong> <strong>1.0%</strong>
Travel Rewards <strong>5%</strong> 1%
Dining Rewards <strong>3%</strong> 1%
Groceries Rewards <strong>3%</strong> 1%
Key Benefits 5x points on travel through Chase Travel, 3x on dining and online groceries, 2x on other travel. 5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year.

The Verdict

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card pulls ahead for travel, dining, groceries spending.

The $95/year fee difference means Chase Sapphire Preferred Card needs to earn at least that much more in rewards to justify its cost.

Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math.

See Which Card Wins for YOU

Enter your typical monthly spending and we’ll show you exactly which card earns more — including fees and bonuses.