Key takeaways
- The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel credit card with a $395 annual fee. However, you can recoup the annual fee if you take advantage of card benefits — like the up to $300 in statement credits for booking travel through Capital One Travel and the 10,000 bonus miles earned each account anniversary, which carries a $100 value.
- If you don’t want to pay a high annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card would be the better option. It comes with a lower $95 annual fee, plus travel rewards on eligible spending.
- Both cards offer boosted rewards for hotel and car rentals purchased through Capital One Travel, 2X miles on all other purchases and up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees (every four years).
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a long-time favorite for consumers who value easy-to-manage travel rewards. At its heart, the Capital One Venture provides the best of two worlds: simplicity and value. The card offers simple earning and redemption options along with flexible transfer opportunities.
However, the Capital One Venture faces stiff competition from Capital One’s premium travel card: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. With strong rewards rates and a relatively affordable annual fee, the Venture X stacks up well against the competition in the premier travel card marketplace.
But which one of these Capital One credit cards should you apply for? Here are the main details you should consider to determine which option is better for you.
Main details
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening (worth $750 in travel) | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year (worth $1,000 in travel) |
| Rewards rate |
|
|
| Intro APR | N/A | N/A |
| Annual fee | $395 | $95 |
Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture highlights
While both the Capital One Venture and Capital One Venture X offer valuable travel perks and unlimited 2X miles on all purchases, they are not equal in value. The best card for you will depend on your spending habits and financial goals. To help you decide between the two, we’ve reviewed each card’s benefits, bonuses, fees and more.
Welcome bonus winner
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Right now, both the Capital One Venture X and the Capital One Venture have the same base sign-up bonus — you can earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in your first three months. Those points are worth $750 in travel purchases, and you’ll need to spend roughly $1,333 per month to earn the bonus miles. However, for a limited time, the Venture card also provides a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first year, bumping the card’s welcome offer value to $1,000 worth of travel.
Rewards rate winner
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The Capital One Venture X earns:
- 10X miles when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
The Capital One Venture Card has a similar rewards rate, but it’s not quite as lucrative as the Venture X. The Venture Card earns:
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
In this category, the Capital One Venture X beats out the Capital One Venture since it offers a higher rewards rate on travel purchases, including flights.
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The Venture Card has a $95 annual fee, while the Venture X has a $395 annual fee. This makes the Capital One Venture the obvious winner. However, the Venture X provides cardholders with a number of benefits that can significantly offset the yearly fee — including up to $300 in annual statement credits for Capital One Travel purchases.
In fact, Venture X’s $300 in annual statement credit plus the 10,000 annual points bonus are worth $400 and, by themselves, completely offset the annual fee. Therefore, if you’re able to put both of these benefits to use, you could consider that Venture X essentially offers you airport lounge access and other benefits for free.
Foreign transaction fee winner
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Neither the Venture nor the Venture X charges foreign transaction fees for purchases made in foreign currency.
Which card earns the most?
Deciding which travel card is worth it for you may come down to your spending habits. Both cards offer 2X miles for every dollar you spend, but the Venture X ups the ante when it comes to travel earnings.
Keep in mind, however, that the Venture Card’s annual fee is only $95 — which most consumers can recover with relative ease through rewards earnings. Because of this, the annual fee shouldn’t overwhelm your earnings.
Meanwhile, the Venture X’s $395 yearly fee is harder to recoup with rewards — unless you utilize the up to $300 in statement credits to book travel through Capital One Travel, as well as receive the account anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles (a $100 value).
If you want a travel card with no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card fits the bill, albeit with a lower rewards rate of 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture spending example
Let’s say you charge $1,000 a month in everyday spending, and this spending includes groceries, gas, dining and your cellphone bill. Since both cards award 2X miles for all purchases, your rewards value would be the same whether you use the Venture or the Venture X. With both cards, you would earn 2,000 miles, which is worth $20 in travel rewards, each month.
But what if you use your card to book a vacation for two through the Capital One Travel portal? Say you spend $1,000 on round-trip airfare, $1,500 on a six-night hotel stay and $600 on a car rental — a total of $3,100. Here’s what you’d earn:
| Vacation spending categories | Amount spent | Capital One miles earned by the Venture Card | Capital One miles earned by the Venture X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airfare | $1,000 | 2,000 miles | 5,000 miles |
| Hotel stays | $1,500 | 7,500 miles | 15,000 miles |
| Car rental | $600 | 3,000 miles | 6,000 miles |
| Total | $3,100 | 12,500 miles | 26,000 miles |
The Capital One Venture Card would award you 5X miles on your hotel and car rental purchases and 2X miles for your flight purchases. That means you’d earn 10,500 miles for your hotel and car rental charges and 2,000 miles for the flight charges. In total, you’d earn 12,500 miles, worth $125 in travel value though Capital One Travel.
With the Venture X, you’d earn 5X miles on your $1,000 airline tickets for a total of 5,000 miles and 10X miles on both your $1,500 hotel stay and $600 car rental for a total of 21,000 miles. In this scenario, you’d earn a total of 26,000 miles, which equals $260 in travel value though Capital One Travel.
Why should you get the Capital One Venture X?
The Capital One Venture X is easily one of the best travel credit cards on the market. Although it comes with a higher annual fee than the Venture card, the added benefits could easily make this card worth it for you — especially if you are a frequent traveler.
Additional benefits
There’s a wide range of valuable Venture X travel benefits, starting with up to $300 back each year in statement credits when you make travel arrangements through Capital One Travel. It also provides you with 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel purchases) every year on your account anniversary.
The Venture X Card also aims to improve your experience at the airport by giving you unlimited, complimentary access to Capital One Lounges for the cardholder and two complimentary guests. Plus, the card comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which offers airport lounge access to more than 1,300 lounges around the world, this time for the cardholder and an unlimited number of guests. Finally, you’ll receive up to $100 in statement credits to cover your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years. These privileges can speed up the security check process significantly.
The Venture X also comes with cellphone protection, important travel protections, access to Capital One Entertainment and more.
Redemption options
You can redeem your Capital One miles in several ways, including:
- Booking new travel reservations through Capital One Travel
- Transferring your miles to any of Capital One’s airline and hotel transfer partners
- Redeeming miles for a statement credit for travel purchases made within the past 90 days
- Redeeming miles for gift cards, cash back or Amazon and PayPal purchases
Recommended credit score
Like many premier travel credit cards, Capital One recommends having a credit score in the excellent range to qualify for the Venture X.
Why should you get the Capital One Venture?
If you’re searching for a travel card with a solid earnings structure and a manageable annual fee, the Capital One Venture card might fit the bill. Plus, the card’s current welcome offer can yield up to $1,000 in first-year value — so it’s a good time to apply.
Here are some reasons to consider adding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to your wallet.
Additional benefits
As a Capital One Venture Card holder, you’ll receive up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees (every four years). Additionally, the Venture Card provides a number of typical travel benefits, including 24-hour travel assistance, travel accident insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver coverage and extended warranty protection on eligible items.
The Venture Card does not offer unlimited complimentary lounge access like the Venture X does. However, Venture Card holders can access Capital One Lounges at a rate of $45 per person — a discount from the standard $65 rate for non-cardholders.
Redemption options
The redemption options for the Capital One Venture Card and Venture X are the same. You can book travel through Capital One Travel, receive a statement credit for travel purchases you’ve made within the last 90 days or transfer miles to an airline or hotel transfer partner.
Other redemption options include cash back (in the form of a check or account credit), gift cards and eligible PayPal and Amazon purchases.
Recommended credit score
You’ll need good to excellent credit to have the best odds of qualifying for the Capital One Venture. Keep in mind that applicants with higher credit scores usually have better odds of approval (although approval is never guaranteed).
The bottom line
When you compare the Capital One Venture and the Capital One Venture X, you’ll see that both travel rewards cards feature an unlimited 2X miles for everyday purchases. Both cards also offer a boosted rewards rate for hotel and car rentals purchased through Capital One Travel, but the Venture X provides 10X miles on these purchases while the Venture provides 5X miles. Plus, the Venture X offers 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, which the Venture doesn’t offer.
When you factor in numerous travel-related statement credits and the 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary, the Venture X Card packs a bigger long-term value punch.
However, if you’re averse to paying a higher annual fee and don’t travel enough to take advantage of those perks, the Venture Card may be a better choice for you. If you’re considering this card, make sure to apply soon to take advantage of the generous limited-time welcome offer.
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