The Capital One Venture Card vs. VentureOne Card [Detailed Comparison]

BY 

Christine Krzyszton

- UPDATED: August 6, 2020

1. Credit Cards  / 
2. Strategies & Guides

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Capital One has done a tremendous job of advertising its credit card products. You’re all familiar with those commercials where you’re promised that you will earn “unlimited double miles on every purchase, everywhere, every day.”

Your Capital One miles are not like airline miles, that you’ll be able to redeem for “any flight, on any airline, at any time, with no blackout periods.” Then, in closing, you hear the popular Capital One slogan of “What’s in your wallet?” just before you question yourself, in a pause of thought, and ask, “Why don’t you have a Capital One card in you wallet?”

These advertising statements aren’t just hype either as Capital One is known for keeping things simple yet living up to these advertising claims.

Sure, you won’t find all the bells and whistles of airport lounge access, elite status, or shopping statement credits, but you will find a solid, straight-forward collection of rewards earning cards you can use every day.

Let’s look at 2 of the issuer’s most popular rewards earning cards, the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Card and the Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Card.

Don’t be fooled by their similar names as these 2 cards have different personalities. We’ll explain how each card earns rewards, look at redemption options available, and check out any benefits that come complimentary with the cards.

So, hold on, as we’re about to find out if either of these Capital One cards should be in your wallet.

Welcome Bonuses

Welcome bonuses vary but you can expect to receive a bonus worth at least $500 towards travel purchases for the Venture card and at least $200 towards travel on the VentureOne card. It is possible to receive even greater value for your welcome bonus miles by transferring to travel partners.

Bonuses are earned after completing minimum spending requirements within the first 3 months after card approval.

Here is a snapshot of current welcome bonuses:

Venture Card

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 miles if you spend $3000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $95

VentureOne Card

Earning Rewards

Although Capital One miles are referred to as “miles,” they are not airline frequent flyer miles, but rather redeemable rewards points.

We mentioned earlier that Capital One cards are known for their simplicity. This statement holds true when it comes to earning rewards on our 2 featured cards — you’ll purely be earning a fixed number of miles for every dollar you spend on either card.

With this simple earning structure, there’s no reason to remember specific bonus earning categories, register for quarterly promotions, or select your spending category preferences in advance — just use your card and earn rewards.

Here’s how earnings compare between the 2 cards:

Bottom Line: Earning rewards on our featured cards is straight forward. The Venture card earns 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase and the VentureOne card, 1.25 miles per dollar spent. 

Redeeming Rewards

You’ll have several options for redeeming the Capital One miles earned on either card.

Transfer to Travel Partners

One of the best potential redemption options is to transfer your Capital One miles to one of their many travel partner loyalty programs. Once your Capital One miles are turned into frequent flyer miles or hotel loyalty points you can then use those miles and points to purchase flights or hotel nights.

For tips on how to maximize your miles using travel partners, check out our guide that includes instructions and creative redemption suggestions.

Purchase Eraser

Book your travel with your preferred travel provider and use your Venture card or VentureOne card to pay for the purchase. You can then redeem your miles for 1 cent per mile in value with Purchase Eraser to receive a statement credit towards those eligible previous travel purchases made within the past 90 days.

Purchase Travel via Capital One Travel

Another redemption option that yields 1 cent in value for each Capital One mile is purchasing travel through the Capital One Travel booking portal in your online account. However, be sure to check prices elsewhere.

If you find travel for less, you can use your card to purchase and use Purchase Eraser later.

Additional Redemption Options

• Redeem for Gift Cards — redeem for gift cards for up to 1 cent in value per mile
• Shop at Amazon — using your miles to shop at Amazon is generally not good value at 0.8 cents per mile
• Redeem for Statement Credits — also not good value at 0.5 cents per mile

Hot Tip: The best potential value for your Capital One miles may be to transfer those miles to airline frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programs. 

Annual Fees and Adding Additional Users

The annual fee on the Venture card is normally $95 per year; however, this fee is waived in the first year. This fee-free year creates an opportunity to try out the card and see if it’s a match for your situation.

The VentureOne card does not charge an annual fee.

Neither card charges a fee to add additional authorized users.

Travel Benefits and Protections

Both the Venture card and VentureOne card are issued as either Visa Signature or Visa Platinum cards and therefore come with several associated benefits. Which version you receive will depend on Capital One’s determination of your creditworthiness.

Here’s a sample of travel benefits and protections you can expect on both cards whether Visa Signature or Visa Platinum.

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — Pay for your entire rental car agreement with your card, decline the rental car agency’s CDW/LDW coverage and receive secondary protection for damage and theft. Secondary coverage means that you must file a claim with your own insurance first.
• Travel Accident Insurance — Pay your common carrier fare with your card and receive up to $250,000 should there be a covered serious accident or death.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance — Receive help 24/7 when you’re traveling with medical and legal referrals, assistance with emergency transportation, lost passport services, and more. Referral services are complimentary, cardholders are responsible for the actual services received.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees — Take your card with you everywhere as you’ll not incur any fees on foreign purchases.

Additional Visa Signature Benefits

• The Luxury Hotel Collection — Book your hotel room directly through the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection and receive benefits such as complimentary breakfast for 2, room upgrades, a $25 food/beverage credit, late checkout, free Wi-Fi, and a best available rate guarantee.
• Lost Luggage Benefit — Pay for your trip with your eligible card and receive up to $3,000 per trip ($2,000 for New York residents).
• Roadside Assistance — Make just 1 call if you’re stranded on the side of the road and receive assistance 24/7. The cardholder is responsible for actual services.

The following benefit is only available on the Venture card:

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit — Receive up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

Benefits vary depending on whether your card is issued as a Visa Signature or Visa Platinum. However, here are a few select shopping benefits and protections that could come with your card.

• Extended Warranty Protection — This Visa Signature benefit extends the manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or less for an eligible item you purchased with your card. The warranty period will be doubled up to a maximum of 1 additional year.
• Purchase Security — Purchase an eligible item with your card and receive up to $500 per item for damage or theft within the first 90 days after the purchase date.
• Premier Access — Receive Visa Signature privileged access, discounts, and on-site perks for culinary, sporting, and musical events.

The following benefit is only available on the VentureOne card:

• Introductory 0% APR period for purchases — Purchase an eligible item with your VentureOne card and receive up to 12 months with no interest charges. The 12-month period begins at card approval. After the 0% APR period expires, normal variable interest rates apply, which are mentioned in the table at the beginning of the article.

Bottom Line: When you apply for a Capital One Venture card or VentureOne card, you will receive either a Visa Signature or Visa Platinum card depending on your creditworthiness as determined by Capital One. A Visa Signature card is generally issued for credit limits above $5,000 and a Visa Platinum card for lower credit limits. Corresponding benefits will differ depending on the card you receive. 

Venture Card vs. VentureOne Card — Summary

While these 2 cards are similar overall, they do have distinct differences when it comes to earning, travel benefits, and the annual fee.

Let’s take a side-by-side look at what the 2 cards have to offer.

So which card is the better card for you? The answer will depend on your spending level. If you spend an average of $1,056 or more each month, you’ll fare better with the Venture card. If your overall spending is less, or you have a large purchase you want to repay using the introductory 0% APR period, you may do better with the VentureOne card.

Here’s a breakdown of the math:

• Venture Card — $1,056 x 12 = $12,672 x 2 miles per dollar = $253.44 – the $95 annual fee = $158.44
• VentureOne Card — $1,056 x 12 = $12,672 miles x 1.25 miles per dollar = $158.40

For even more about these cards, explore the Venture Card’s benefits, Venture Card’s FAQs, and VentureOne’s benefits.

Risk-Free Capital One Card Offers

Capital One offers a way to find out if you have an offer for a Capital One credit card available to you before you apply for a card. Its pre-qualification inquiry tool is not a credit card application so there is no hard pull on your credit report.

The tool is not a guarantee that you will be approved for a card but it does give you an idea of which cards you’re most likely to be approved.

You can also use the Card Match Tool without any inquiry on your credit report for a risk-free way to find out if you have any pending Capital One credit card offers.

You can learn more about finding pre-qualified and pre-approved card offers in our article on this specific topic.

Final Thoughts

The Venture card and VentureOne card both make earning rewards simple, plus the cards offer flexible redemption options that allow you to leverage your miles with travel partners for much greater value.

Which card is best for you will depend on your spending level. If your spending exceeds $12,672 a year, the Venture card will suit you well, even with the annual fee.

If you’re a frequent traveler, you may also benefit from a travel rewards credit card. You can learn more about the best travel rewards cards and our recommendations in our comprehensive article.