The Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs) is a pure start line for anybody new to journey rewards, because of its robust bonus classes, versatile Final Rewards factors and stable journey protections at an inexpensive annual payment.
However after you’ve used it for some time, a well-recognized query tends to pop up: What card is sensible so as to add subsequent?
For me (and plenty of others), the reply was the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card. After including it to my pockets just a few months in the past, it shortly grew to become clear why so many individuals pair these two playing cards collectively.
Quite than overlapping, they complement one another in a approach that makes incomes and redeeming rewards simpler, no more difficult — welcome information for these simply getting began with factors and miles.
In case you’re fascinated by what card to pair along with your Sapphire Most popular, this is why the Enterprise X is sensible as a subsequent step.
Associated: 5 the reason why I’m making use of for the Capital One Enterprise X
The Enterprise X enhances the Chase Sapphire Most popular — it doesn’t substitute it
The important thing to why this pairing works is that the 2 playing cards are designed to play very totally different roles.
The Sapphire Most popular shines as a category-focused journey card, rewarding eating, choose journey purchases and on a regular basis spending like streaming and on-line groceries.
It additionally unlocks entry to Chase’s highly effective Final Rewards ecosystem, together with a few of the greatest journey protections obtainable on a mid-tier card.
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The Enterprise X, alternatively, is constructed for simplicity and consistency. It’s the cardboard to achieve for when a purchase order doesn’t fall right into a bonus class, incomes a flat fee on on a regular basis spending whereas nonetheless delivering premium-style perks that elevate the journey expertise.
Due to that, there’s little or no redundancy. One card isn’t making an attempt to exchange the opposite. As a substitute, including the Enterprise X permits you to hold every thing that already works concerning the Sapphire Most popular, whereas strengthening your general incomes and journey technique.
Associated: How Enterprise X perfects premium journey advantages
The Enterprise X fills within the Sapphire Most popular’s on a regular basis incomes gaps
In case you carry the Sapphire Most popular, you’re possible accustomed to its robust bonus classes, together with eating, journey and on-line groceries. The place the cardboard can fall brief, nevertheless, is on nonbonus spending, that are purchases that don’t neatly match into these classes and earn simply 1 level per greenback spent.
That’s the place the Enterprise X matches in as a pure complement. The cardboard earns 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, together with elevated earnings when reserving by means of Capital One Journey.
With a flat-rate construction like this, there’s no want to trace rotating classes or ponder whether a purchase order qualifies for bonus rewards.
Consequently, the Enterprise X turns into a simple default for on a regular basis spending, similar to:
- Grocery shops that don’t code as on-line groceries
- Retail purchases
- Utilities and subscriptions
- Miscellaneous bills that don’t fall right into a bonus class
In apply, this strategy simplifies day-to-day card use. I depend on my Sapphire Most popular for eating, on-line grocery orders and journey booked by means of Chase, then use the Enterprise X for almost every thing else. Over time, that constant 2 miles per greenback spent provides up shortly — particularly on unavoidable on a regular basis purchases which may in any other case earn simply 1 level per greenback.
For Sapphire Most popular cardholders seeking to enhance earnings with out including complexity, utilizing the Enterprise X as a catch-all card is an environment friendly method to spherical out a two-card setup.
Associated: Why the Chase Sapphire Most popular stays the highest journey rewards bank card
2 rewards ecosystems provide extra flexibility when reserving journey
Maximizing rewards is simply half the equation — the true worth comes when it’s time to redeem them. That is one other space the place pairing the Sapphire Most popular with the Enterprise X actually shines.
Holding each playing cards offers you entry to 2 transferable rewards currencies. The Sapphire Most popular earns Chase Final Rewards factors, whereas the Enterprise X earns Capital One miles.
Every program brings one thing totally different to the desk. Capital One gives entry to greater than 15 airline and lodge loyalty companions, whereas Chase offers transfers to 11 airline and three lodge applications.
Chase stands out for companions like World of Hyatt, which regularly gives outsize worth for lodge stays, in addition to airline applications similar to United MileagePlus and Southwest Speedy Rewards.
Capital One, alternatively, shines with worldwide airline companions like Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles and Etihad Visitor, which may unlock wonderful worth on long-haul and premium-cabin flights.
As a result of there’s comparatively little overlap between the 2 ecosystems, having each playing cards expands your choices when award availability is proscribed or pricing is lower than supreme. As a substitute of being locked right into a single set of companions, you may search throughout each Chase and Capital One switch applications to search out the very best redemption for a selected journey.
Switch bonuses add one other layer of flexibility. Chase steadily gives limited-time bonuses — generally as excessive as 50% — when transferring factors to pick out companions. Capital One additionally runs periodic switch bonuses, usually within the 30% to 40% vary, which may considerably cut back the variety of miles wanted for a redemption.
I just lately took benefit of a Chase switch bonus for an Air France-KLM Flying Blue award to Paris for simply 18,750 Flying Blue miles plus taxes and costs. Due to a Chase 25% switch bonus to Flying Blue, I solely wanted to switch 15,000 Chase Final Rewards factors to guide the flight.
Since I now have entry to each Chase and Capital One, it’s simpler to check switch companions earlier than transferring factors or miles, which regularly leads to higher award availability or fewer rewards required general.
Capital One additionally stands out for its switch flexibility. Whereas each applications permit transfers beginning at 1,000 factors or miles, Capital One permits you to improve transfers in increments of simply 100 miles. This stage of precision is one thing Chase Final Rewards doesn’t provide, as Chase requires transfers in increments of 1,000 factors.
That smaller increment could be particularly helpful once you simply have to high off an airline or lodge account to finish a reserving, although it’s nonetheless necessary to concentrate to switch ratios to maximise your redemption.
For vacationers who need extra management over how and once they redeem rewards, entry to 2 transferable rewards ecosystems will help stretch rewards additional, significantly when award house is proscribed or costs spike.
Associated: Why all vacationers ought to earn transferable bank card factors
You get premium journey perks with out paying a premium annual payment
One of many greatest methods the Enterprise X elevates the Sapphire Most popular is by including premium journey perks the Sapphire Most popular doesn’t provide by itself — most notably airport lounge entry.
As a frequent traveler, lounge entry at all times felt barely out of attain to me, reserved for playing cards with eye-popping annual charges. The Enterprise X was the primary premium card that made these advantages really feel attainable.
With the Enterprise X, cardholders obtain:
- A $300 annual assertion credit score for bookings made by means of Capital One Journey, which may successfully cut back the cardboard’s $395 annual payment to $95 when absolutely used
- 10,000 bonus miles each account anniversary, which TPG’s December 2025 valuations peg at $185 in worth
- Airport lounge entry with out stepping as much as an ultrapremium card
- A sturdy suite of journey protections
Notably, the Enterprise X’s annual payment has remained unchanged since its debut in 2021, whilst annual charges throughout the premium card house have continued to rise. Between the annual journey credit score and anniversary bonus miles, it’s potential to offset the cardboard’s annual payment totally by means of ongoing advantages.
The Sapphire Most popular, in the meantime, helps hold general prices grounded. With its $95 annual payment, the cardboard gives:
- A $50 annual lodge credit score on eligible Chase Journey℠ bookings, successfully lowering the cardboard’s annual payment to $45 when absolutely used
- Sturdy earnings on journey and bonus classes
- Chase’s well-regarded journey protections
- Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership to assist cowl meals bills whereas touring — since DashPass usually prices $9.99 per thirty days (or $96 yearly), this profit covers the cardboard’s $95 annual payment by itself*
*Membership is legitimate till Dec. 31, 2027.
Taken collectively, this two-card setup delivers a premium-feeling journey expertise, robust earnings throughout each on a regular basis and bonus spending, and entry to 2 versatile transferable currencies.
All of that comes for underneath $500 in mixed annual charges. That is considerably lower than the price of some single premium playing cards, such because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) or the American Categorical Platinum Card® (see charges and costs), which carry annual charges of $795 and $895, respectively.
For vacationers who need entry to premium perks with out committing to a single high-fee card, pairing the Enterprise X with the Chase Sapphire Most popular gives a compelling stability of worth, flexibility and price.
Associated: Are premium bank cards well worth the annual payment?
Who ought to pair the Chase Sapphire Most popular and Enterprise X?
This card pairing makes probably the most sense for vacationers who already perceive the fundamentals of incomes and redeeming factors and are prepared for extra flexibility, however aren’t fascinated by juggling a number of premium playing cards or navigating overly complicated profit constructions.
It’s a robust match in case you:
- Need higher airport and journey perks with out leaping straight to a card with a $700-plus annual payment
- Desire easy, predictable earnings on on a regular basis purchases alongside robust bonus classes
- Worth flexibility over committing absolutely to 1 airline or lodge program
From my very own expertise, this pairing felt like a pure development. I didn’t need to relearn how I used my Sapphire Most popular — I simply added the Enterprise X the place it made sense. The outcome was a setup that stayed simple to handle however grew to become noticeably extra rewarding when it got here time to guide journey.
Associated: Why the Enterprise X must be your first premium card
Backside line
If you have already got the Chase Sapphire Most popular, pairing it with the Enterprise X is a great method to stage up your journey technique.
The 2 playing cards complement one another nicely, protecting on a regular basis spending and key bonus classes whereas unlocking premium journey advantages at an inexpensive mixed annual value.
Collectively, they kind a flexible, low-friction setup that’s simple to keep up and versatile sufficient for every thing from routine purchases to your subsequent massive journey.
To be taught extra, try our full evaluations of the Capital One Enterprise X and Chase Sapphire Most popular.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular
For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, a few of the advantages could also be supplied by Visa® or Mastercard® and should fluctuate by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
