Which card has a lower annual fee, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or REI Co-op Mastercard?

The REI Co-op Mastercard has no annual fee, compared to $95 for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Which card earns more cash back, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or REI Co-op Mastercard?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 1.0% base cash back, while the REI Co-op Mastercard earns 1.5%. The best choice depends on your spending habits. Use the calculator to see which card earns you more.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card better than the REI Co-op Mastercard?

It depends on your spending. If you spend more on categories where the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers higher rewards, it may be better. Use our calculator to compare based on your actual monthly spending.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card vs REI Co-op® Mastercard®: Which Card Wins for Your Spending?

Which earns more for you?

Travel ($)

Dining ($)

Groceries ($)

Gas ($)

Special ($)

Other ($)

Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.

Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card ($95/yr) and the REI Co-op® Mastercard® (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.

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Meet the Contenders

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

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

Annual fee: $95 Sign-up bonus: 100,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.

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REI Co-op Mastercard

5% back at REI and rei.com, 1.5% on everything else, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Earns a solid 1.5% on everything else.

Annual fee: None Sign-up bonus: $100 after $1 spend in 2 months 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	REI Co-op Mastercard
Annual Fee	$95	$0
Sign-Up Bonus	100,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months	$100 after $1 spend in 2 months
Foreign Transaction Fee	0%	0%
Base Reward Rate	1.0%	1.5%
Travel Rewards	2%	1.5%
Dining Rewards	3%	1.5%
Groceries Rewards	3%	1.5%
Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above	5% through Chase Travel Earns 5% only on travel booked through Chase Travel, Chase's own booking site. Booking direct with an airline or hotel earns 2%.	None
Key Benefits	5x points on travel through Chase Travel, 3x on dining and online groceries, 2x on other travel.	5% back at REI and rei.com, 1.5% on everything else, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

The Verdict

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

REI Co-op Mastercard wins on gas.

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

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card carries $100/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.

Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.