Capital One Venture Card vs. Capital One Venture X Card [2024]

Capital One is traditionally known for issuing credit cards that focus on simplicity. While the issuer has consistently offered a respectable collection of cards, you historically wouldn’t find the bells and whistles of lounge access, complicated bonus-category earning structures, or a long list of statement credits for specific purchases.

But fast forward to today and you’ll find Capital One’s products refreshing, exciting, and much more robust. But will the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card dethrone the popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

Read along as we find out. We’ll need to look closely at the earning potential of each card, your options at redemption time, and any features or benefits that may add additional value for a cardholder.

Let’s jump right in and look at how the 2 cards compare in all the key categories.

Capital One Venture Card vs. Capital One Venture X Card — Overview

While you’ll find some similarities when comparing the Capital One Venture card to the Capital One Venture X card, there are some distinct and valuable differences.

Here’s how our featured cards compare side-by-side in all the key categories:

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Benefit	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning Potential	5x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased via Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other purchases	10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased via Capital One Travel 5x miles for flights purchased via Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other purchases 10,000 bonus miles after each card anniversary
Redemption Options	Redeem miles for 1 cent each via Capital One Travel Transfer to airline or hotel partners to purchase award flights or free hotel nights Redeem miles for 1 cent each as a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days) General statement credits, cash, gift cards, Amazon, PayPal	Redeem miles for 1 cent each via Capital One Travel Transfer to airline or hotel partners to purchase award flights or reward hotel nights Redeem miles for 1 cent each as a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days) General statement credits, cash, gift cards, Amazon, PayPal
Travel Benefits and Protections	No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees) Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement Rental car insurance, reimbursement for lost or damaged luggage	No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees) Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement Capital One Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge access and Priority Pass Select $300 Capital One Travel credit Trip cancellation/trip interruption, trip delay, Lost luggage reimbursement
Shopping Benefits and Protections	Purchase assurance, extended warranty	Purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection Cell phone protection
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	$95 annual fee (rates & fees), no additional fee to add authorized users (rates & fees)	$395 annual fee (rates & fees), no additional fee to add up to 4 authorized users (rates & fees)

The Value of a Welcome Bonus

Welcome bonuses can add a lot of value in a short amount of time. Welcome bonuses are typically awarded after meeting minimum spending requirements within the first few months of opening up a credit card. Both cards consistently offer welcome bonuses.

We value Capital One miles around 1.8 cents each, which means a 75,000-mile welcome bonus is worth around $1,350. Welcome bonuses and minimum spending requirements do vary, however, so you’ll want to confirm the amount and terms of the offer before applying for any card.

Here’s a snapshot of the current welcome bonuses on each of our featured cards.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome OfferEnjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros

5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)
Access to Capital One transfer partners

Cons

$95 annual fee (rates & fees)
Limited elite benefits

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

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

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

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 OfferEarn 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% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Excellent (740-840)

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

10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
$300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel
Unlimited complimentary access for cardholder and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
10,000 bonus miles awarded on your account anniversary each year
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
Add authorized users for no additional annual fee (rates & fees)
No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)

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

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 booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges 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
Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Bottom Line: Meet minimum spending requirements within the required period after card approval to qualify for a generous welcome bonus on either of our featured cards.

Earning Potential

Customer Checking Out at Pharmacy — Every purchase you make with your card will earn at least 2x Capital One miles per dollar spent. Image Credit: Gorodenkoff via Adobe Stock

No need to keep track of complicated earning structures when you have a Capital One card. The Capital One Venture card and the Capital One Venture X card both follow a simple earning format with flat-rate rewards on every purchase you make.

However, there is an exception. If you’re using your Capital One Venture card or Capital One Venture X card for travel purchases, you’ll want to use Capital One Travel, as the earnings can be exceptional.

Here’s how the 2 cards compare when we look at earning potential:

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Earning Category	Capital One Venture Card	Capital One Venture X Card
Travel	5x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased via Capital One Travel 2x miles per dollar spent on all other travel	10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased via Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights purchased via Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other travel
All Other Purchases	2x miles per dollar spent
Additional Earnings	N/A	10,000 bonus miles each card anniversary

When we look at just the earning potential of both cards, the key difference is the 10x earnings on hotels and rental cars and 5x earnings on flights via Capital One Travel on the Capital One Venture X card. The anniversary bonus on the card is also an edge over the Capital One Venture card.

But earning potential is just 1 factor to consider. Let’s look at how redemption options and other tangible benefits play a role in determining the ultimate value of each card.

Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture X card demonstrates its true advantage as a travel rewards card by offering elevated earnings of up to 10x on travel purchased via Capital One Travel. Both the Capital One Venture card and Capital One Venture X card, however, earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases. If you won’t be using Capital One Travel, the Capital One Venture X card’s 10,000-mile anniversary bonus would be the only key earning edge.

Redemption Options

Capital One book travel — You’ll have several flexible options for redeeming your Capital One miles. Image Credit: Capital One

The Capital One Venture card and Capital One Venture X card both earn Capital One miles that function more like rewards “points” rather than frequent flyer miles. Fortunately, you’ll have the same flexible redemption options with either card.

Here are the redemption options for the miles earned on either card:

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Redemption Option	Capital One Venture Card	Capital One Venture X Card
Travel	Redeem for travel via Capital One Travel at a value of 1 cent per mile Transfer to airline or hotel partners to redeem for award flights or free hotel nights Redeem miles for 1 cent each as a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days)
Additional Redemption Options	Statement credits, cash, gift cards, Amazon, and PayPal

One of the best redemption options is to transfer miles to airline partners and purchase award flights. This method can result in the greatest potential value for your miles.

Some additional redemption options result in receiving a value of less than 1 cent per mile and are not recommended.

Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture card and Capital One Venture X card have the same flexible redemption options, of which transferring miles to airline partners can result in the best potential value for your miles.

Travel Benefits and Protections

Capital One Lounge Dallas check in — Both of our featured cards offer Capital One Lounge access, including the new Capital One Lounge at DFW. Image Credit: Capital One

The Capital One Venture card and Capital One Venture X card offer several useful travel benefits and protections.

Here are the key offerings that come on both of our featured cards:

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Reimbursement — Pay for your application or renewal fee with your card and receive reimbursement, up to $100 every 4 years.
Hertz Car Rental Perks — The Capital One Venture X card comes with Hertz Gold Plus President’s Club Elite status while the Capital One Venture card offers Five Star status.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement (Venture X) — Pay for your entire common carrier ticket with your card and receive up to $3,000 if your luggage is lost or stolen.
Lost or Damaged Luggage (Venture Rewards): Reimbursement for the actual cost of repairing or replacing your checked or carry-on luggage and personal property contained therein that is lost or damaged.

Additional Travel Benefits and Protections — Capital One Venture X Card

The Capital One Venture X card, as a premium travel rewards card, offers several additional travel benefits/protections you won’t find on the Capital One Venture card.

Capital One Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge Access — The Capital One Venture X card offers unlimited free access for the cardholder and up to 2 guests.
Priority Pass Select Membership — Enjoy access for the cardholder and up to 2 guests to over 1,400 properties worldwide with a complimentary membership.
$300 Capital One Travel Credit — Use your card to purchase travel via Capital One Travel and receive a $300 credit each cardmember year.
Trip Delay Coverage — If your trip is delayed for a covered reason for 6 hours or more, or overnight, you could receive up to $500 per purchased ticket.

Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture card and the Capital One Venture X card both offer several travel benefits and protections. However, the Capital One Venture X has the edge with the additional benefits of complimentary worldwide lounge access, hundreds of dollars in travel credits, and trip cancellation/interruption/delay coverage.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

When you shop, you’ll be earning 2x Capital One miles on every purchase you make with the Capital One Venture card and the Capital One Venture X card. You’ll also enjoy shopping benefits that can save you money, and protection for your purchase if something should go wrong.

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

Capital One Offers — Similar to a shopping portal, search through available offers to earn a fixed amount or percentage of your online shopping trip back in the form of a statement credit.

Additional Shopping Benefits and Protections — Capital One Venture X Card

Cell Phone Protection — Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card and receive protection if your phone is stolen or damaged.
Return Protection — Return of an eligible item purchased with your card within 90 days after the purchase date.

Bottom Line: While both of our featured cards come with purchase security or purchase assurance (for the Venture Rewards card) and extended warranty, the Capital One Venture X card also offers cell phone protection and return protection.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

It’s always prudent to consider any annual fee charged on a rewards card to determine if you’re receiving bottom-line value. The same is true for any fees associated with adding additional users to your card.

Here’s how the Capital One Venture card and Capital One Venture X card compare in this area:

Annual Fees — The Capital One Venture card charges an annual fee of $95 (rates & fees) while the Capital One Venture X card charges $395 (rates & fees). This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, however, as the Capital One Venture X card has additional benefits, that if you can utilize, could add significant value.
Additional Authorized Users — There is no charge to add additional users to the Capital One Venture card (rates & fees) — however, the Capital One Venture X card allows you to add up to 4 authorized users with no additional annual fees (rates & fees).

Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture X card has a much higher annual fee than the Capital One Venture card but offers a lot more tangible benefits. Neither card charges a fee to add authorized users.

Finding Your Capital One Offers

It’s possible to access credit card offers that may already be available to you, risk-free. Here are a couple of options to see if you have preapproved card offers, including those from Capital One.

Capital One and the CardMatch Tool

If you want to find out if you have card offers available to you without submitting an application, the CardMatch tool can offer a risk-free way to help you do just that. Capital One participates in CardMatch (as do several other card issuers), making it easy to find out if you have pending offers without having to incur a hard inquiry on your credit report.

Best of all, you only need to submit minimal information, including your basic personal information and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, to receive results.

Capital One Preapproved Offers

An additional tool to help you find any preapproved card offers you might have is the Capital One preapproval tool. You’ll need to submit more information (including your full Social Security number) than with the CardMatch tool, but you will also not incur a hard inquiry on your credit report.

If you’re considering a Capital One card, you’ll want to utilize these tools to see if you’re prequalified. Keep in mind that being prequalified does not mean you’ll be approved, just that you are more likely to be approved for a particular card. You’ll still need to complete the credit card application.

For more information on preapproval tools for Capital One and other card issuers, check out our article on the topic.

Bottom Line: Before applying for a Capital One card, you can see if you have offers pending by utilizing the CardMatch tool or accessing the Capital One preapproval option. These tools are risk-free and do not involve a hard inquiry on your credit report.

Final Thoughts

If you can utilize Capital One Travel to make most of your travel purchases, you’ll come out ahead with the Capital One Venture X card. The $300 in travel credits add additional value. If you value lounge access at all, the total value you’ll receive from the card could far offset the annual fee (rates & fees).

If you won’t utilize Capital One Travel and don’t value having airport lounge access, you may find better value with the Capital One Venture card that offers 2x earnings on every purchase and a lower fee (rates & fees).

Finally, we like that Capital One has entered the premium travel card space and is offering the Capital One Venture X card with lounge access, travel credits, and bonus earnings for travel purchases.

Frequent travelers who value luxury travel rewards cards should also consider cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

While these cards charge higher annual fees, you may find significant value if you’re looking for a luxury credit card with premium travel benefits.

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.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. 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.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card is better, the Capital One Venture card or the Capital One Venture X card?

If you will utilize Capital One Travel to make your travel purchases, the Capital One Venture X card would be the better card. With up to 10x earnings and a $300 Capital One Travel credit each year, the card has an advantage over the Capital One Venture card.

The Capital One Venture X card does have a higher annual fee, but if you qualify for the welcome bonus, utilize Capital One Travel, want cell phone coverage, and value lounge access, the benefits far outweigh the fee (rates & fees).

If none of these benefits add enough value for you, the Capital One Venture card, with its 2x earnings on every purchase and a lower annual fee (rates & fees) would be a better choice.

Can I use Capital One miles for flights?

Capital One miles are not frequent flyer miles and cannot be redeemed directly with airlines for flights. However, it is possible to receive good value for your Capital One miles by transferring miles to participating airlines and then redeeming those airline frequent flyer miles for award flights.

You can also use your Capital One miles to purchase flights via Capital One Travel.

How much are Capital One miles worth?

We estimate that Capital One miles are worth approximately 1.8 cents apiece but the actual value you receive will be based on how you redeem your miles. Note that valuations can change periodically.

Many redemption options result in a value of 1 cent per mile (or less), however, miles can be transferred to airline and hotel partners where you can receive potentially greater value for your miles that could exceed 1.8 cents each.

Can I have both Venture and Venture X?

Yes, you can apply for both cards or have one card and apply for the other.

Can you downgrade from Venture X to Venture?

Yes, you can downgrade from the Capital One Venture X card to the Capital One Venture card, typically after the first year.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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