Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

This device is too small

If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.

Skip to main content
Advertiser Disclosure Many of the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which The Motley Fool receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear), but our reviews and ratings are not influenced by compensation. We do not include all companies or all offers available in the marketplace.
    |    Accessibility Options

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Sapphire Steals the Show

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
By: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

See Full Bio

Our Credit Cards Expert

Ashley Maready
Check IconFact Checked Ashley Maready
Ashley Maready
Ashley Maready
Writer and Editor

Ashley Maready is a former history museum professional who made the leap to digital content writing and editing in 2021. She has a BA in History and Philosophy from Hood College and an MA in Applied History from Shippensburg University. Ashley loves creating content for the public and learning new things so she can teach others, whether it's information about salt mining, canal mules, or personal finance.

See Full Bio

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Apple may be known for its amazing tech products, but it also has a highly popular credit card. The Apple Card, available exclusively for iPhone users, earns cash back and has some unique benefits you don't find in most credit cards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a more traditional credit card option. That's a good thing, because for most people, it offers far more value. It has useful travel perks and a top-notch rewards program. Here's why Chase comes out ahead in this showdown, and when you're better off with each card.

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred overview

As of Jun. 18, 2024
Image for
Image for
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apple Card
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 3.00 out of 5 stars.
3.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Read Review

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

60,000 bonus points

Welcome Offer:

N/A

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. 3% cash back at Apple and for Apple Pay purchases with select merchants, 2% cash back on all other Apple Pay purchases, 1% back on other purchases

1% - 3% cash back

Intro APR: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Intro APR:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR:

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Regular APR:

10.99% - 21.99%, variable

Annual Fee: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$95

Annual Fee:

$0

Highlights:

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
  • Member FDIC

Highlights:

  • Earn 3% cash back on purchases made through Apple, as well as purchases made using Apple Pay with select merchants that have partnered with Apple.
  • Earn 2% cash back on other eligible Apple Pay purchases.
  • Top notch security features
  • Color coded transactions based on the type of purchase.
  • No fees.
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Show More Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content Show Less Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content

Why the Apple Card might be the ideal choice

If you're trying to avoid credit card fees, the Apple Card is the way to go. Apple made waves by not charging any of the typical fees credit cards are known for, including annual fees and late fees.

The Apple Card is also a good fit for those who are new to credit. You don't need a good credit score to get it, like you do with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It even encourages responsible payment habits. When you're paying your bill, Apple shows you an estimate of how much interest you'll end up paying, based on the amount you enter.

When the Chase Sapphire Preferred could be the better option

For earning rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the clear winner. It has a valuable welcome offer, and the Apple Card doesn't. It earns bonus points in far more categories than the Apple Card, including dining, travel, and online groceries.

This Chase credit card is also a much better pick if you like to travel. It has a great travel rewards program, and it's easy to use your points for airfare, hotels, and other travel expenses. The Apple Card is a cash back card, so it's not well-suited for travelers.

Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
20,000 ThankYou® Points Circle with letter I in it. Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. Up to 2% cash back Circle with letter I in it. 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months

Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Citi Double Cash® Card

On Citi's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back 		Up to $300 cash back Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 1.5% - 5% cash back Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred comparison

Now, we'll go over how the Apple Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card compare in a few areas.

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Annual fee

The Apple Card doesn't charge any fees at all. There's no annual fee, no late fees, and no foreign transaction fees. You are charged interest if you don't pay your card's statement balance. Apple provides a helpful estimate so you know how much credit card interest could cost you.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card charges an annual fee of $95. You can get some of that back, though. This card offers up to $50 in statement credits every account year for hotel stays you book through the Chase Travel portal. It's easy enough to use, and if you do so, it brings the real cost of the card down to just $45.

Winner: Apple Card

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Welcome offer

One of the big flaws of the Apple Card is that it doesn't have a welcome offer. There's no special bonus available to new cardholders.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, on the other hand, has a fantastic welcome offer. You earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. When you book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, points are worth $0.0125 a piece. That makes the bonus worth $750 in travel. You can also transfer points to Chase's travel partners, which is what I recommend -- I've gotten amazing travel deals this way.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Intro APR

Neither of these cards has an intro APR. That's more of a downside for the Apple Card, as cash back cards often include this perk. Travel cards normally don't, so the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card isn't missing anything too important.

To its credit, the Apple Card offers interest-free payment plans on many of the most popular Apple products. Depending on what you buy, you can get a 0% APR offer for six to 24 months. That's enough to give it the edge in this category.

Winner: Apple Card

Apple Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Rewards

With the Apple Card, you earn bonus rewards for using Apple Pay, as well as shopping with Apple and its partners. It earns:

  • 3% at Apple
  • 3% at select merchants that have partnered with Apple, when you use Apple Pay
  • 2% on other Apple Pay purchases
  • 1% on other purchases

Unlike most cash back credit cards, the Apple Card earns daily cash back. Your cash back is deposited daily, not at the end of the month. You can have it deposited in your Wallet app, or you can open a Savings account with the Apple Card and have it deposited there.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card tops that with bonuses across several popular spending categories. You may need to wait longer for your rewards, but you'll likely earn a lot more. This Chase card earns:

  • 5X points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit)
  • 5X points per $1 on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025
  • 2X points per $1 on other travel purchases
  • 3X points per $1 on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out
  • 3X points per $1 on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
  • 3X points per $1 on select streaming services
  • 1X point per $1 on other purchases

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Final take

If you're trying to get value from a credit card, you're probably going to want the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. There's a huge difference in rewards between these two options. The welcome offer alone on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth at least $750 in travel. With its bonus categories, you can also continue earning plenty of points year after year.

Overall, I'd consider it one of the top credit cards. Even though I love Apple products, I wouldn't say the same about the Apple Card.

The Apple Card could be worth it if you don't want to pay any fees, and if you're looking for a straightforward cash back card. Only apply for it if you use Apple Pay often. The standard cash back rate of 1% is pedestrian. To get the most out of this card, you need to use Apple Pay so you earn 2% back as often as possible.

Ratings Methodology

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$95

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

60,000 bonus points

  • The enormous welcome bonus (worth $750), bonus points for travel and dining, and $50 annual hotel credit alone make this card well worth the $95 annual fee. What really stands out are the rare travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. It’s one of the only low annual fee cards we’ve seen offer those protections.

    • Big sign-up bonus
    • Travel rewards
    • Dining rewards
    • Flexible travel points
    • Consumer and travel protections
    • Annual fee
    • Limited-time perks
    • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
    • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
    • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
    • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
    • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
    • Member FDIC