The Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and charges) is a pure place to begin for anybody new to journey rewards, due to its robust bonus classes, versatile Final Rewards factors and strong 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 smart 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 a number of months in the past, it shortly grew to become clear why so many individuals pair these two playing cards collectively.
Fairly than overlapping, they complement one another in a means that makes incomes and redeeming rewards simpler, no more difficult — welcome information for these simply getting began with factors and miles.
If you happen to’re fascinated by what card to pair along with your Sapphire Most popular, this is why the Enterprise X is smart as a subsequent step.
Associated: 5 the explanation 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 number 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 charge 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 an alternative, including the Enterprise X means that you can hold every thing that already works concerning the Sapphire Most popular, whereas strengthening your total 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
If you happen to carry the Sapphire Most popular, you’re probably conversant in its robust bonus classes, together with eating, journey and on-line groceries. The place the cardboard can fall quick, nonetheless, 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 way of Capital One Journey.
With a flat-rate construction like this, there’s no want to trace rotating classes or wonder if a purchase order qualifies for bonus rewards.
Consequently, the Enterprise X turns into a simple default for on a regular basis spending, equivalent 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 follow, 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 way of Chase, then use the Enterprise X for practically 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 increase earnings with out including complexity, utilizing the Enterprise X as a catch-all card is an environment friendly solution 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 actual 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 affords 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 frequently affords outsize worth for lodge stays, in addition to airline applications equivalent 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 glorious 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 restricted or pricing is lower than supreme. As an alternative of being locked right into a single set of companions, you may search throughout each Chase and Capital One switch applications to seek out the most effective redemption for a selected journey.
Switch bonuses add one other layer of flexibility. Chase incessantly affords limited-time bonuses — typically as excessive as 50% — when transferring factors to pick out companions. Capital One additionally runs periodic switch bonuses, typically within the 30% to 40% vary, which may considerably scale back the variety of miles wanted for a redemption.
I not too long ago 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 charges. Due to a Chase 25% switch bonus to Flying Blue, I solely wanted to switch 15,000 Chase Final Rewards factors to ebook 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 frequently leads to higher award availability or fewer rewards required total.
Capital One additionally stands out for its switch flexibility. Whereas each applications enable transfers beginning at 1,000 factors or miles, Capital One helps you to enhance 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 might be particularly helpful once you simply must 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 after they redeem rewards, entry to 2 transferable rewards ecosystems may help stretch rewards additional, significantly when award house is restricted 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 largest 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 way of Capital One Journey, which may successfully scale 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 strong suite of journey protections
Notably, the Enterprise X’s annual payment has remained unchanged since its debut in 2021, at the same time as annual charges throughout the premium card house have continued to rise. Between the annual journey credit score and anniversary bonus miles, it’s doable to offset the cardboard’s annual payment totally by way of ongoing advantages.
The Sapphire Most popular, in the meantime, helps hold total prices grounded. With its $95 annual payment, the cardboard affords:
- A $50 annual lodge credit score on eligible Chase Journey℠ bookings, successfully lowering the cardboard’s annual payment to $45 when absolutely used
- Robust 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 charges) or the American Categorical Platinum Card® (see charges and charges), 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 affords a compelling stability of worth, flexibility and value.
Associated: Are premium bank cards definitely worth the annual payment?
Who ought to pair the Chase Sapphire Most popular and Enterprise X?
This card pairing makes essentially the most sense for vacationers who already perceive the fundamentals of incomes and redeeming factors and are prepared for extra flexibility, however aren’t concerned about juggling a number of premium playing cards or navigating overly complicated profit buildings.
It’s a powerful match in case you:
- Need higher airport and journey perks with out leaping straight to a card with a $700-plus annual payment
- Choose easy, predictable earnings on on a regular basis purchases alongside robust bonus classes
- Worth flexibility over committing absolutely to at least one airline or lodge program
From my very own expertise, this pairing felt like a pure development. I didn’t should 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 straightforward to handle however grew to become noticeably extra rewarding when it got here time to ebook journey.
Associated: Why the Enterprise X needs to 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 solution to stage up your journey technique.
The 2 playing cards complement one another effectively, masking on a regular basis spending and key bonus classes whereas unlocking premium journey advantages at an inexpensive mixed annual price.
Collectively, they type a flexible, low-friction setup that’s straightforward to take care of and versatile sufficient for every thing from routine purchases to your subsequent massive journey.
To be taught extra, try our full critiques 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 number of the advantages could also be offered by Visa® or Mastercard® and will differ by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
