Amex Green Card vs. Capital One Venture X Card [Detailed Comparison]

Trying to decide which credit card is best for you can be challenging. Different bonus categories, reward ecosystems, perks, and fees … there can be quite a bit to dissect in order to determine which card is the best match for your lifestyle.

In this guide, we will provide a detailed comparison of the American Express^® Green Card* and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to help you decide which card you should add to your wallet next.

*The information regarding the American Express^® Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Overview

Before we do a deep dive into everything you need to know about each card, here is a quick head-to-head comparison.

Welcome Offer Comparison

A great welcome offer is one of the best ways to kickstart your rewards balance and get you one step closer to booking your next trip. Take a look at the welcome offers from each card below.

Amex Green Card

American Express^® Green Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

All information about American Express^® Green Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

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American Express^® Green Card

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

Welcome Offer

Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express^® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

40,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$880

Annual Fee

$150

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Green Card is an excellent all-around travel rewards card thanks to earning 3x Membership Rewards^® points on eligible travel and transit purchases and at restaurants, access to American Express transfer partners, and a reasonable annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and transit purchases
• Up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits after you pay for a CLEAR^® Plus membership with the Card.
• Up to $100 in statement credits annually when you purchase airport lounge access through LoungeBuddy with the Card.

Cons

• $150 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express^® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® Points on transit purchases, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
• $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express^® Green Card.
• $100 LoungeBuddy: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express^® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
• Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It^® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit – you’ll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
• Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you’re traveling, when you use your American Express^® Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
• $150 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Capital One Venture X Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Earning Potential Analysis

One of the best ways to determine if a card is a good fit for you is if its bonus categories match your spending habits, which will help you rack up significantly more points.

Once again, you’ll want to examine the bonus categories closely to determine which card will help you earn more points. If you spend more on travel, dining, and transit purchases, then there is a good chance that the Amex Green card will earn you more rewards overall.

However, if your purchase habits don’t regularly fall into certain categories, you prefer to not have to worry about bonus categories at all, and/or you travel often and don’t mind booking your travel through Capital One, then the Capital One Venture X card is a stellar option.

Redemption Options

Amex Green Card

The Amex Green card earns American Express Membership Rewards points, which gives you multiple redemption options. With these points, you’ll have the ability to use Amex’s transfer partners, book through the AmexTravel.com portal, redeem for cash-back via a statement credit, redeem for gift cards, or shop with select merchants.

When it comes to getting as much value as possible out of your points, our favorite way to redeem Amex points is with Amex’s hotel and airline transfer partners. Thanks to these partnerships you can use your points for luxury travel experiences for a fraction of what it would normally cost.

For example, when transferring your points to ANA Mileage Club, you can book round-trip business class awards between the U.S. and Europe on Star Alliance carriers like United, Lufthansa, and Swiss for just 88,000 Amex points. If you were to pay cash for the same ticket, you could easily shell out $3,000 or more.

Capital One Venture X Card

Similarly, Capital One miles are also a flexible rewards currency that gives cardholders multiple redemption options. These options include Capital One transfer partners, travel purchases through Capital One Travel, cash-back via a statement credit, gift cards, and shopping with select retailers.

Like with other transferable currencies, our favorite way to redeem our Capital One miles is through the Capital One transfer partners. For instance, you could transfer your miles to the Air Canada Aeroplan program and book a one-way business class flight between New York and Los Angeles in United Polaris business class for 25,000 miles.

Comparing Travel Credits

Amex Green Card — CLEAR Plus and LoungeBuddy

When you hold the Amex Green card, you’ll receive an annual CLEAR Plus credit of up to $199.

If you’re not familiar with CLEAR, the service provides an expedited security experience at select airports and stadiums nationwide using your biometrics like your fingerprint or eye. This allows you to go right to the front of the ID check line. If you’re someone who would purchase a CLEAR Plus membership otherwise, then this single perk can negate the Amex Green card’s $150 annual fee for you.

Amex Green cardholders also receive an annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100. This credit can be used toward any of the 300+ LoungeBuddy airport lounges worldwide. The cost to enter an eligible lounge can vary, but at the very least the credit should get you at least 2 to 3 visits per year.

Capital One Venture X Card — Annual Travel Credit and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

With your Capital One Venture X card, you’ll receive an annual travel credit of $300 that can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal.

If you were planning to spend at least $300 on travel throughout the year anyway, this annual credit makes the $395 annual fee (rates & fees) of the Capital One Venture X card an effective $95.

Additionally, your Capital One Venture X card comes with a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit. Keep in mind that applying for Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, but applying for TSA PreCheck does not include Global Entry, so we recommend you use your statement credit to apply for Global Entry to get access to 2 great timesavers for the same credit.

Travel Benefits and Protection Comparison

Unsurprisingly, the Capital One Venture X card offers far more travel benefits and protections than the Amex Green card, which is to be expected given the difference in the annual fees of each card. Given that, if having a full airport lounge membership and excellent travel protections are a must-have for you, then the Capital One Venture X card would be the better option by far. 

Comparing Shopping Protection and Benefits

Here is how each product keeps you covered when purchasing items with your card.

Amex Green Card

• Amex Offers — Discounts and opportunities to earn more points and statement credits with 100 merchants each month
• Purchase Protection — Coverage of up to 90 days from the date of purchase toward stolen or damaged items
• Extended Warranty — Adds up to 1 year of additional warranty to extended warranties of 5 years or less
• American Express Experiences — Exclusive access to ticket presales

Capital One Venture X Card

• Capital One Offers — Discounts with select merchants
• Cell Phone Protection — Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card and receive coverage for theft or damage, with a $50 deductible per claim, and up to 2 claims per 12-month period
• Return Protection — Eligible returns that merchants won’t accept within 90 days of purchase can receive reimbursement
• Purchase Protection — Coverage up to 90 days from the date of purchase towards stolen or damaged items
• Extended Warranty — Up to 1 year of additional warranty protection on items with eligible warranties of 3 years or less purchased with your card
• Capital One Entertainment — Exclusive access to ticket presales

Annual Fees and Adding Authorized Users

Annual Fees

The annual fee of the Amex Green card is $150 while the annual fee of the Capital One Venture X card is $395 (rates & fees). Given there is a big difference in fees, you’ll want to ensure that you value the benefits you’d receive from the Capital One Venture X card outweigh the additional cost you’ll need to pay.  

Authorized Users

Amex Green cardholders can add up to 5 cards for no additional cost, and any additional cards beyond that are $35 each (rates & fees). With the Capital One Venture X card, you can add cardholders to your account for no authorized user fee (rates & fees).

Final Thoughts

Both the Amex Green card and Capital One Venture X card are great options to add to your wallet thanks to their unique combinations of strong rewards-earning on spending and travel benefits. 

Those who want a premium travel rewards card with well-rounded points-earning categories and thorough travel benefits would be better off with the Capital One Venture X card. However, if you don’t travel often enough to justify the annual fee on the Capital One Venture X card, then the Amex Green card might make more sense for you. 

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the American Express^® Green Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

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

Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.