SwitchWize decision guide
Each card earns points in a different way and charges a different fee. The calculator adds up your points, values them at your own figure and adds the credits you will use. Then it takes away the fee.
What you can expect
Quick answer
Enter what you spend in a year on dining, flights, hotels and everything else. Add what a point is worth to you and the credits you will really use. The calculator shows what each card gives back after its annual fee. A card that earns less than its fee costs you money.
Compare travel credit cardsIf sapphire Reserve
Can win when you spend a lot on dining and book flights and hotels directly.
If amex Platinum
Can win when you book many flights and use most of its credits.
If venture X
Often wins when your spending is spread out. It has the lowest fee and earns 2 miles per dollar on almost everything.
Key number to watch
The Amex Platinum matches the Venture X once you use about $1,040 of its credits a year. Count only credits for things you would buy anyway.
Test your situation
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Restaurants, takeout and delivery. Add up a few months of statements and multiply to a full year.
Tickets you buy on the airline’s own website or app.
Rooms you book on the hotel’s own website or app.
Each card has its own travel site: Chase Travel, Amex Travel or Capital One Travel. The higher rates count only for trips booked there. Enter 0 if you book direct.
Only rooms booked on that card’s own travel site. The Amex Platinum gives extra points only on prepaid hotels.
Groceries, gas, bills, shopping and anything not listed above.
It counts at full value only if you answer yes. Say no if you would not travel enough to use it.
This credit is for bookings through Capital One Travel. It counts at full value only if you answer yes.
The Platinum has several credits, each with its own rules. Count only credits for things you would buy anyway.
Your answer so far
The Venture X is worth about $490 a year more than the Sapphire Reserve on your numbers. After fees, you get $525 from the Venture X, you get $35 from the Sapphire Reserve and you lose $515 on the Amex Platinum.
See the full breakdownThe Venture X is worth about $490 a year more than the Sapphire Reserve on your numbers. After fees, you get $525 from the Venture X, you get $35 from the Sapphire Reserve and you lose $515 on the Amex Platinum.
Sapphire Reserve
$35
value a year, after the annual fee
-$490 vs. baseline
Amex Platinum
-$515
value a year, after the annual fee
-$1,040 vs. baseline
Venture X
$525
value a year, after the annual fee
Try a scenario
What could change this
The Amex Platinum matches the Venture X once you use about $1,040 of its credits a year. Count only credits for things you would buy anyway.
How certain: scenario dependent
The Sapphire Reserve matches it if its points are worth about 1.92 cents each. The Venture X stays ahead while its points are worth at least 0.21 cents.
How certain: scenario dependent
Check these assumptions
The Venture X is worth about $490 a year more than the Sapphire Reserve on your numbers. After fees, you get $525 from the Venture X, you get $35 from the Sapphire Reserve and you lose $515 on the Amex Platinum.
With no credits counted: Sapphire Reserve minus $265, Amex Platinum minus $515, Venture X $225.
Annual fees: Sapphire Reserve $795, Amex Platinum $895, Venture X $395.
Each card pays these rates only on its own travel site.
Look at the result with the credits you use. Then look at it with no credits at all.
Educational illustration only. The right amount depends on your needs and timing.
Question 1
Yes: A card that earns 2 miles per dollar on almost everything is worth a close look.
No: Check the cards that pay more on dining and travel.
Question 2
Yes: Enter those amounts so the higher rates count.
No: Leave the travel site amounts at 0.
Question 3
Yes: Enter only credits for things you would buy anyway.
No: Leave that amount at 0 and see if the Platinum still pays for itself.
Each card earns points on your yearly spending by its own rules. The calculator values the points at your point value. It adds the credits you will use and, for the Venture X, the miles you get each year. Then it takes away the annual fee.
Annual fees, earn rates, credits and limits come from each card’s own page, read on the date shown. If any of them is missing or out of date, the calculator does not name a card.
Card terms are read again each month. After 30 days without a new read, the calculator stops naming a card. Editorial conclusions do not depend on affiliate availability.
Annual fee, earn rates and the yearly travel credit.
Annual fee, earn rates and the yearly limit on flight spending.
Annual fee, earn rates, the yearly travel credit and the miles you get each year.
It adds up the points each card earns on your spending and values them at your point value. It adds the credits you will use. Then it takes away each annual fee. The card with the most left is worth the most to you.
It is what one point is worth to you when you use it, in cents. One cent is a common starting figure. You can enter a different value for each card.
Each card pays its highest rates only on trips booked through its own travel site. That is Chase Travel, Amex Travel or Capital One Travel. Book the same trip directly and a lower rate applies.
Enter only the dollars you would spend anyway on what the credits cover. The Platinum has several credits, each with its own rules. A credit you do not use is worth nothing to you.
No. Welcome offers change often and are paid only once. The calculator looks at what each card gives back in a normal year.
No. The card terms we checked do not give lounge access a dollar value. If lounges matter to you, weigh them on your own after reading the result.
No. The calculator only compares value on your numbers. Each issuer decides who it approves.