The Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and charges) is a pure start line for anybody new to journey rewards, because of its robust bonus classes, versatile Final Rewards factors and strong journey protections at an affordable annual price.
However after you’ve used it for some time, a well-known 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 a number of months in the past, it rapidly grew to become clear why so many individuals pair these two playing cards collectively.
Somewhat than overlapping, they complement one another in a approach that makes incomes and redeeming rewards simpler, no more sophisticated — welcome information for these simply getting began with factors and miles.
When you’re occupied with what card to pair along with your Sapphire Most popular, this is why the Enterprise X is sensible as a subsequent step.
Associated: 5 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 change it
The important thing to why this pairing works is that the 2 playing cards are designed to play very completely 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 finest journey protections obtainable on a mid-tier card.
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The Enterprise X, then again, is constructed for simplicity and consistency. It’s the cardboard to succeed in 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 interchange the opposite. As an alternative, including the Enterprise X means that you can maintain the whole lot that already works in regards to 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
When you carry the Sapphire Most popular, you’re doubtless conversant in its robust bonus classes, together with eating, journey and on-line groceries. The place the cardboard can fall quick, 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.
Because of this, 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 the whole lot else. Over time, that constant 2 miles per greenback spent provides up rapidly — 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 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 barely 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 really 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 completely different to the desk. Capital One provides entry to greater than 15 airline and resort loyalty companions, whereas Chase offers transfers to 11 airline and three resort packages.
Chase stands out for companions like World of Hyatt, which regularly provides outsize worth for resort stays, in addition to airline packages similar to United MileagePlus and Southwest Speedy Rewards.
Capital One, then again, shines with worldwide airline companions like Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles and Etihad Visitor, which might 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 restricted or pricing is lower than best. As an alternative of being locked right into a single set of companions, you may search throughout each Chase and Capital One switch packages to search out the most effective redemption for a selected journey.
Switch bonuses add one other layer of flexibility. Chase often provides 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 might considerably scale 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 charges. Due to a Chase 25% switch bonus to Flying Blue, I solely wanted to switch 15,000 Chase Final Rewards factors to e book the flight.
Since I now have entry to each Chase and Capital One, it’s simpler to check switch companions earlier than shifting 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 packages enable transfers beginning at 1,000 factors or miles, Capital One helps you to improve transfers in increments of simply 100 miles. This degree of precision is one thing Chase Final Rewards doesn’t provide, as Chase requires transfers in increments of 1,000 factors.
That smaller increment may be particularly helpful once you simply must high off an airline or resort account to finish a reserving, although it’s nonetheless essential 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 will help stretch rewards additional, significantly when award area 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 price
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 all the time 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 might successfully scale back the cardboard’s $395 annual price to $95 when totally 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 price has remained unchanged since its debut in 2021, at the same time as annual charges throughout the premium card area have continued to rise. Between the annual journey credit score and anniversary bonus miles, it’s attainable to offset the cardboard’s annual price totally by means of ongoing advantages.
The Sapphire Most popular, in the meantime, helps maintain general prices grounded. With its $95 annual price, the cardboard provides:
- A $50 annual resort credit score on eligible Chase Journey℠ bookings, successfully decreasing the cardboard’s annual price to $45 when totally 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 monthly (or $96 yearly), this profit covers the cardboard’s $95 annual price 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 below $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 Specific 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 provides a compelling steadiness of worth, flexibility and price.
Associated: Are premium bank cards definitely worth the annual price?
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 with 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 price
- Want easy, predictable earnings on on a regular basis purchases alongside robust bonus classes
- Worth flexibility over committing totally to at least one airline or resort 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 consequence was a setup that stayed straightforward to handle however grew to become noticeably extra rewarding when it got here time to e book 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 degree up your journey technique.
The 2 playing cards complement one another effectively, overlaying on a regular basis spending and key bonus classes whereas unlocking premium journey advantages at an affordable mixed annual price.
Collectively, they kind a flexible, low-friction setup that’s straightforward to take care of and versatile sufficient for the whole lot from routine purchases to your subsequent large 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 should range by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
