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 is 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 2X miles on all purchases, rewards for hotel and car rentals purchased through Capital One Travel 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 welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles (earned after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months), the Venture X stacks up well against the competition in the premier travel card marketplace.

But which one of these Capital One travel 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 3 months of account opening (worth $750 in travel)
Rewards rate
  • 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2X miles on all other purchases
  • 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2X miles on all other purchases
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: Tie

Right now, both the Capital One Venture X and the Capital One Venture have the same sign-up bonus — you can earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in your first three months. That equals $750 in travel purchases, and you’ll need to spend roughly $1,333 per month to earn the bonus miles.

Rewards rate winner: Capital One Venture X

The Capital One Venture X offers 2X miles on all purchases, plus 10X miles when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. The Capital One Venture Card also earns an unlimited 2X miles on all purchases, as well as 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

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.

Annual fee winner: Capital One Venture

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. Note, though, that 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.

Foreign transaction fee winner: Tie

Neither the Venture nor the Venture X charges foreign transaction fees for purchases made outside of the United States.

Which card earns the most?

Choosing between these two travel rewards credit cards comes 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.

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 cut into 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 that 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 $800 on round-trip airfare, $1,000 on a six-night hotel stay and $400 on a car rental — a total of $2,200.

In this case, the Capital One Venture Card will award you 5X miles on your hotel and car rental purchases and 2X miles for your flight purchases. That means you’ll earn 7,000 miles for your hotel and car rental charges and 1,600 miles for the flight charges. In total, you’ll earn 8,600 miles, worth $86 in travel value.

In contrast, the Venture X earns stellar rewards when you book your travel through Capital One Travel. You’ll earn 5X miles on your $800 airline tickets (4,000 miles) and 10X miles on both your $1,000 hotel stay (10,000 miles) and $400 car rental (4,000 miles). In this scenario, you’ll earn a total of 18,000 miles, which equals $180 in travel value.

Why should you get the Capital One Venture X?

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, plus two complimentary guest passes per year. Plus, the card comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which offers airport lounge access to more than 1,300 lounges around the world. 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.

Lastly, the Venture X comes with cellphone protection and Visa Infinite benefits, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel accident insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver coverage 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?

Additional benefits

As a Capital One Venture cardholder, you’ll receive up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees (every four years). You’ll also get two free visits per year to the Capital One Lounge, plus special entry rates.

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.

Redemption options

The redemption options for the Capital One Venture Card and Venture X are very similar. 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 each dollar you spend. Both cards also offer rewards 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 the 75,000-mile welcome bonus (earned after spending $4,000 in the first three months), numerous travel-related statement credits and the 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary, the Venture X Card packs a bigger value punch. However, if you’re averse to paying a higher annual fee, the Venture Card may be a better choice for you.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.