Card comparison
Which card is better between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the better overall pick over Spark Cash Plus because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (52 vs 48) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Annual fee Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Welcome bonus Spark Cash Plus
Benefits value Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger overall pick between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (52 vs 48) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card (3% top effective rate) vs Spark Cash Plus (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Spark Cash Plus when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus trade wins row by row. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card peaks at 3% effective; Spark Cash Plus peaks at 2%. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card | Spark Cash Plus | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 3x points (3%) | 2% back (2%) | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card · 1 pts |
| Grocery | 1x points (1%) | 2% back (2%) | Spark Cash Plus · 1 pts |
| Gas | 3x points (3%) | 2% back (2%) | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card · 1 pts |
| Travel | 1x points (1%) | 2% back (2%) | Spark Cash Plus · 1 pts |
| Other | 3x points (3%) | 2% back (2%) | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card · 1 pts |
| Welcome bonus | ~$1000 estimated | $2000 | Spark Cash Plus |
| Est. annual benefits | $814/yr | $620/yr | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card |
| Annual fee | $95 | $150 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card |
| Holistic overall | 52 pts (cat 22, bonus 7, benefits 14, fee 9) | 48 pts (cat 18, bonus 13, benefits 11, fee 6) | Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card (3% top effective rate) vs Spark Cash Plus (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Use Spark Cash Plus when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet.
Hold both?
Some users carry both cards when one wins dining and the other wins groceries — but only if you will actually use each card for its winning category.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus?
Madeen estimates $814 annual benefit value on Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card versus $620 on Spark Cash Plus. Credits only matter if you will use them.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Total est. value: $814/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Sofar Sounds $240/yr
- Visa Signature Concierge $150/yr
- OpenTable $120/yr
- Priority Pass airport lounge access $99/yr
- Roadside Assistance $50/yr
Spark Cash Plus
Total est. value: $620/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Sofar Sounds $240/yr
- Visa Signature Concierge $150/yr
- OpenTable $120/yr
- Roadside Assistance $50/yr
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver $10/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card lists 100k Chase Ultimate Rewards; Spark Cash Plus lists $2,000.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
100k Chase Ultimate Rewards
Spark Cash Plus
$2,000
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card has catalog caps that can change the winner on heavy category spend, while Spark Cash Plus looks cleaner on cap structure in this snapshot.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
- Earn 3x points on dining
- Earn 3x points on gas stations and EV charging
- Earn 3x points on top streaming services
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Spark Cash Plus
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick Spark Cash Plus
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (52 vs 48) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card (3% top effective rate) vs Spark Cash Plus (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card over Spark Cash Plus?
Choose Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $95 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3% effective (3x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $95 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
When should you pick Spark Cash Plus over Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card?
Choose Spark Cash Plus if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Worth a look for dining spend if you need a business card and can use cash back the way you redeem today.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2% effective (2% back).
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
- Welcome bonus may add value if you can meet spend requirements.
Tradeoffs
- $150 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Business card — rewards and liability rules differ from consumer cards.
Common questions about Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card vs Spark Cash Plus
Which card is better between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (52 vs 48) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card leads dining at 3% effective versus 2%.
Which card is better for cashback users: Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the better cashback-style pick between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card has the simpler fee story in this pair ($95 vs $150). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card or Spark Cash Plus better for travel spend?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the stronger travel-style pick between Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and Spark Cash Plus in this snapshot.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-07-18
Content tier Premium depth
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