Capital One Venture X Business Card vs. the Amex Business Platinum Card [Detailed Comparison]

Having the right business card for your operation can add value to your business’s bottom line. And while earning rewards on every purchase your business makes is a key benefit, there are other benefits to having a business credit card that is not as obvious.

The right business card can provide tools for managing expenses, offer benefits that can save business revenue, and deliver perks that can result in your travel being more comfortable.

Today, we’re excited to talk about 2 premium business cards that are prime examples of cards that deliver value. The Capital One Venture X Business Card and The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, are both worth considering for your business, but after review, you’ll find that one card may be a better fit over the other.

(The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer)

Capital One Venture X Business Card vs. Amex Business Platinum Card — Overview

Here’s how the 2 cards compare in all the key attributes:

Feature or Benefit	Capital One Venture X Business Card	The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Welcome Offer	Earn 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn 150,000 points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months.
Earning	10x miles on rental cars and hotels via Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights via Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other purchases 10,000 bonus miles at the card anniversary (starting with the first renewal)	5x points for flights purchased directly from the airlines or flights and prepaid hotels via AmexTravel.com 2x points on cruises via AmexTravel.com 1.5x points on qualifying purchases $5,000 and greater 1x points for all other purchases
Top Redemption Options	Redeem miles via Capital One Travel Transfer miles to airline and hotel partners Redeem for a statement credit for previous travel purchases	Redeem points for flights via AmexTravel.com Receive a 35% rebate in points for select flights via AmexTravel.com Transfer Membership Rewards to airline and hotel partners
Top Travel Protections and Benefits	Worldwide lounge access to more than 1,400 lounge and lounge alternative properties Up to $300 travel credit via Capital One Travel Auto rental insurance	Worldwide lounge access to over 1,400 properties, including exclusive Centurion Lounges Secondary car rental protection with the option to purchase Premium Protection Up to $200 reimbursement for airline incidental fees
Top Shopping Protections and Benefits	Fraud coverage Extended warranty, purchase security	Cell phone protection Purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	Annual fee of $395 No additional fee to add employee cards	Annual fee of $695 (rates & fees) $350 for each authorized user; $45 for each American Express® Business Gold Card and no charge for each Business Green Rewards Card from American Express (rates & fees)

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Newly approved cardholders of the Capital One Venture X Business card or the Amex Business Platinum card will have the opportunity to jumpstart their rewards earning by qualifying for a welcome bonus.

A welcome bonus is earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within a specified period after card approval.

Welcome offers vary, so you’ll want to review the most current offer before applying for any card.

Here are snapshots of our featured cards, which include the welcome offers:

Bottom Line:

Both the Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Platinum card come with generous welcome offers that can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period immediately following card approval.

Earning Potential

In addition to qualifying for the welcome offer on the Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Platinum card, you’ll be able to earn rewards in several additional ways.

Here’s how you can earn ongoing rewards with our featured cards.

Referral Opportunities

There are certain rules you need to be aware of before referring friends and family for a Capital One card. The person cannot currently have that Capital One card in order for you to receive a bonus. Also, at the time of writing this article, the Capital One Venture X Business card does not yet have a referral bonus.

Once you’re approved for a Capital One Venture X Business card, be sure to check your online account for referral bonus opportunities that could be added in the future.

American Express offers a generally more robust referral program.

One positive aspect of referring friends or family with American Express is that they can select any American Express card, and you will still receive the referral bonus once they’re approved.

Referral offers and limits do change, so you’ll want to log into your online card account and check the most recent offer before referring.

Spending on the Card

Spending on the Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Platinum card may be your primary source of earning rewards.

The Capital One Venture X Business card earns rewards in the form of Capital One miles, and the Amex Business Platinum card earns Membership Rewards points. Don’t let the terms miles and points confuse you as both are flexible rewards that are similarly earned and redeemed.

Let’s start with how you’ll be earning rewards when spending on either of our featured cards:

Earning Category	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Platinum Card
Travel	10x miles on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights via Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other travel purchases	5x points on flights and prepaid hotels via AmexTravel.com 2x points on cruises via AmexTravel.com 1x points on all other travel
Business Expenses	2x miles	1.5x points on key business categories and business purchases of $5,000 or more
All Other Purchases	2x miles	1x points

Both the Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Platinum card receive elevated earnings when purchasing select travel via their respective travel portals. If your business has large travel expenses outside of the portal, the Capital One Venture X Business card may offer greater value with 2x earnings versus 1x earnings on the Amex Business Platinum card.

We estimate Capital One miles are worth approximately 1.8 cents each and Membership Rewards points 2.2 cents each. With these valuations, you’d be earning about 3.6 cents per dollar spent with the Capital One Venture X Business card on general travel purchases and 2.2 cents per dollar spent with the Amex Business Platinum card.

The Amex Business Platinum card earns 1.5x points on key business categories. These categories include electronic goods retailers, U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers.

You’ll receive similar overall value with either card on all purchases of $5,000 or more (a total of 3.6 cents per dollar spent on the Capital One Venture X Business card with 2x earnings and 3.3 cents on the Amex Business Platinum card with 1.5x earnings).

Renewal Bonus

The Capital One Venture X Business card comes with a 10,000-mile bonus at each card renewal, starting with the first renewal.

The Amex Business Platinum card does not have a renewal bonus.

While earning potential is important and a key element to consider when selecting a business card, there are other attributes of a business credit card that may add significant value to your business operation. We’ll look at redemption options and additional card benefits next.

Bottom Line:

You will earn rewards on every purchase you make with either the Capital One Venture X Business card or the Amex Business Platinum card. With 2x earnings on general purchases, the Capital One Venture X Business card has the earning edge. In addition to spending on either card, you can earn referral bonuses with the Amex Business Platinum card and bonus miles on the Capital One Venture X Business card at each card renewal.

Redemption Options

Earning rewards on business purchases can add up quickly. Soon, you’ll be faced with the exciting task of redeeming those rewards. While the Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Platinum card have similar redemption options, there are key differences.

Here are your options when it’s time to redeem the rewards earned on either card:

Redemption Option	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Platinum Card
Travel	Redeem miles for 1 cent each via Capital One Travel Transfer miles to Capital One airline and hotel partners and redeem for award flights or free hotel nights Redeem miles for 1 cent each for a statement credit toward previous travel purchases made in the last 90 days	Redeem points for 1 cent each via AmexTravel.com Transfer points to Amex airline and hotel partners and redeem them for award flights or free hotel nights Redeem points for eligible flights through Pay With Points with a 35% rebate
Statement Credits	Redeem miles for 0.5 cents each for a general statement credit	Redeem points for 0.6 cents each for a general statement credit
Additional Redemption Options	Gift cards, Amazon, checkout with PayPal, experiences	Gift cards, Amazon, Uber, Ticketmaster

The best potential value at redemption time for either card is to transfer rewards to airline or hotel partners. You can review a list of transfer partners and inspirational ideas for the best redemptions via Capital One transfer partners and American Express transfer partners in these related links.

As we mentioned earlier, Capital One miles can be worth approximately 1.8 cents each when redeemed via transfer partners, and Membership Rewards 2.2 cents each. The actual value you receive will depend on the specific airline ticket or hotel night redemption you select.

One key benefit of the Amex Business Platinum card is that when you use points to pay for flights via AmexTravel.com, you can receive a 35% points rebate for premium flights purchased with any airline and any flight purchased with your pre-selected airline.

Using rewards earned on either card for a general statement credit results in generally poor value.

Bottom Line:

The best value for rewards earned on the Capital One Venture X Business card or the Amex Business Platinum card is to transfer rewards to an airline or hotel partner and redeem them for award flights or free hotel nights. You can also redeem rewards earned on either card via the cards’ respective portal for travel at a value of 1 cent each.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Travel protections and benefits can add tremendous value for cardholders. The Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Platinum Business card have several travel protections and benefits in common and additional benefits that are unique to each card.

First, let’s look at a summary of the travel-related attributes of both of our featured cards.

Travel Protection or Benefit	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Platinum Card
Car Rental Insurance	Auto rental insurance	Secondary coverage with access to Premium Protection for 1 low fee that covers the entire rental period
Hotel Program Benefits	Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection hotel benefits	Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors Program Gold Elite status (registration required) The Hotel Collection and Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits
Additional Travel Protections and Benefits	Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement, up to $100 No foreign transaction fees

Airport Lounge Benefits

While the Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Platinum card each come with worldwide lounge access, lounge property access does differ. Since this can be a valuable benefit, it’s worth noting the details of the lounge benefits that come with each card:

Capital One Venture X Business Card

Amex Business Platinum Card

Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with unlimited access to over 1,400 lounges worldwide for primary cardholders and 2 additional guests, including non-lounge experiences and restaurants   Complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and Premium Plaza Lounges with 2 complimentary guests per visit

Access to Centurion Lounges in the U.S. and worldwide for cardholders; complimentary guest access after spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year, otherwise $50 for each adult guest per visit Unlimited access to Priority Pass airport lounges for cardholders and 2 additional guests, excluding lounge-alternative experiences and restaurant properties Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta same-day) Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner Select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying Lufthansa same-day) Plaza Premium Lounges Select Virgin Clubhouses

The Amex Business Platinum card clearly has greater potential for worldwide lounge access. The card also offers the same lounge access benefits as the primary cardholder to authorized users. Learn more about Amex Business Platinum card authorized user benefits in our detailed guide.

The Capital One Venture X Business card only extends lounge access to primary cardholders. However, the Priority Pass benefit extends to non-lounge experiences and restaurants.

Here are the additional benefits unique to each card and additional details for some of the common benefits listed above:

Capital One Venture X Business Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Annual Capital One Travel Credit — Each year, receive a credit of up to $300 to use toward travel purchases via Capital One Travel.
• Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection Hotel Benefits — Book your stay via Capital One Travel and receive a room upgrade (when available), daily breakfast for 2, complimentary Wi-Fi, early check-in/late checkout, and up to $100 in credit for an on-site experience.

Amex Business Platinum Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption — Receive up to $10,000 per eligible trip, up to $20,000 per eligible card per consecutive 12-month period if your trip is canceled or interrupted for an eligible reason.
• Trip Delay — For delays of 6 hours or more, receive up to $500 per covered trip, up to 2 claims per eligible card each consecutive 12-month period.
• Baggage Insurance — Receive up to $3,000 if your luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged.
• Car Rental Program Benefits — Enroll to receive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle discounts and perks, Avis Preferred Plus car upgrades and discounts, and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.
• CLEAR Plus Statement Credit — Pay for your CLEAR Plus expedited security membership with your card and receive up to $189 as a statement credit each year. You could also pay for a friend or family member’s membership.
• Airline Incidental Fee Credit — Select your preferred airline via your online card account, use your card to make a qualifying purchase with the airline, and receive a statement credit for up to $200 total each year.
• The Hotel Collection Benefits — Use your card to book a stay for a minimum of 2 nights and receive an upgraded room, when available, and a $100 experience credit to use on-site for dining, spa, and resort activities.
• Fine Hotels + Resorts Benefits — Receive elite-style perks, including an upgraded room (when available), complimentary breakfast for 2, $100 on-site amenity or experience, and early check-in/late checkout when available.

Please note that we have not included every available travel protection or benefit, only key ones for comparison purposes. We have also abbreviated descriptions and not included the terms and conditions. You’ll want to access the Guide to Benefits for each card for complete information.

Bottom Line:

Both the Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Platinum card are loaded with travel protections and benefits, save you money on select travel-related purchases, and can make your trip more comfortable. The better card for your business will be the one with the most usable benefits for your situation.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

You’ll be using your business credit card for a large number of purchases. Fortunately, the Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Platinum card come with several shopping protections and benefits that can protect your purchases or save you money.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits you’ll find on both cards:

Shopping Protection or Benefit	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Platinum Card
Purchase Security/Purchase Protection	Eligible purchases are covered for the first 90 days of purchase in the event of theft or damage	Coverage for damage or theft of eligible items, purchased with the card, for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per item, up to $50,000 per cardholder
Extended Warranty Protection	Extends the factory warranties of eligible items purchased with your card	Items with manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less will have 1 additional year added, up to $10,000 per item, $50,000
Shopping Rewards	Capital One Offers	Amex Offers

Amex Business Platinum Card — Additional Shopping Protections and Benefits

• Cell Phone Protection — Receive up to $800 per claim, for a maximum of 2 claims per year, up to $1,600 in total coverage each year.
• Return Protection — Purchase an eligible item with your card, and if the merchant will not accept a return within 90 days, you could receive up to $300 per item, a maximum of $1,000 per year.
• Dell Statement Credit — Receive a statement credit of up to $200 from January through June, and an additional statement credit of up to $200 from July through December, for Dell Technologies purchases. That’s a total of $400 in annual statement credits.
• Wireless Phone Service Credit — Use your card to make a payment to your monthly wireless phone bill with your card and receive up to $10 in statement credits each month, up to $120 each year.
• Adobe Statement Credit — Receive up to $150 back each year on purchases made with the card for prepaid Adobe subscriptions, Creative Cloud, and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams.
• Indeed Statement Credit — Make an eligible purchase with your card, directly with Indeed, and qualify for up to $90 in statement credits each quarter, for up to $360 in credits each year.

Bottom Line:

The Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Platinum card each come with several useful shopping protections and benefits. The Amex Business Platinum card offers additional protections and benefits, including return protection and hundreds of dollars in statement credits for select purchases.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

The Capital One Venture X Business card charges an annual fee of $395. The Amex Business Platinum card charges an annual fee of $695.

The Capital One Venture X Business card fee is lower, but the Amex Business Platinum card may provide greater economic value depending on the number of the card’s benefits you can actually use.

Additional users can be valuable assets when it comes to managing your business expenses. Authorizing a key member of your organization to make business purchases can free up an owner for more important actions while still exercising control.

There is no additional fee to add authorized user employee cards to the Capital One Venture X Business card.

There is a fee of $350 a year to add each additional Amex Business Platinum card authorized user. You can add Amex Business Gold card members for $45 each annually, and there is no charge to add Amex Business Green card members. You can add up to 99 additional card users.

Hot Tip:

Authorized users on the Amex Business Platinum card receive worldwide lounge access with the same privileges as primary cardholders.

Final Thoughts

The Capital One Venture X Business card has plenty of value for the business owner. And, with a lower annual fee, the card offers elevated earnings, flexible redemption options, and premium benefits. The $300 Capital One Travel purchase credit, worldwide lounge access, and cell phone protection make this card a contender for a primary business card.

One caveat is that the initial minimum spending threshold to earn the card’s generous welcome offer can be much higher than the Amex Business Platinum card. You’ll want to check the current requirements before applying to be sure you’re able to meet the spend and qualify for this potentially valuable bonus.

The Amex Business Platinum card, even with its higher annual fee, could provide even more value for the right business owner. If you can use just a fraction of its benefits, you may realize more value than the outlay of the annual fee, especially if you’re a frequent traveler. You won’t find a business card with more premium travel benefits and potential overall value.

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For the secondary rental car coverage benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. 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 the baggage insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the extended warranty benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the Return Protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12-month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.