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![Capital One Venture Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card [Detailed Comparison]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Capital-One-Venture-Citi-Double-Cash.png?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
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No matter how many rewards-earning credit cards you have in your wallet, having a go-to card that earns double rewards on every purchase you make can deliver tremendous value.
Knowing you’re earning 2x rewards or cash-back every time you use your card also simplifies the process. No need to keep track of bonus categories or complicated rewards-earning structures, just pay and reap the resulting rewards.
Today we’ve chosen 2 popular fixed-rate reward cards that fall perfectly into the category of simplified earning. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Citi Double Cash® Card are examples of everyday spending cards with unlimited earnings that you’ll want to have in your wallet.
We’ll look at how the cards earn rewards, your redemption options, and talk about any benefits that come complimentary on the cards.
If you’re looking for an everyday spending card, you’ll want to read on.
Comparing cards by individual category provides useful information, but a side-by-side comparison can help bring it all together.
Here’s how our featured cards stack up when we look at the cumulation of features and benefits:
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Citi Double Cash® Card | |
| Welcome Offer | Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. | N/A |
| Earning Rewards |
| 2% cash-back on all purchases; 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay the bill (earned as ThankYou Points) |
| Redeeming Rewards |
|
|
| Travel Benefits and Protections |
| N/A |
| Shopping Benefits and Protections |
|
|
| Introductory 0% APR on Balance Transfers | N/A | 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24% |
| Annual Fee | $95 (rates & fees) | $0 |
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesGet 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!
As a frequent traveler with excellent credit, you’re always on the lookout for a credit card that comes with all the bells and whistles. And the easier it is to understand, the better!
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 sign-up bonus, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.
Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!
The Citi Double Cash® Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!
This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.
Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.
Most rewards cards offer a welcome bonus you can earn, normally in the first months of card ownership. You must meet minimum spending requirements during this stated period of time but then reap the rewards of jumpstarting your rewards stash.
The Capital One Venture card offers a generous welcome bonus for meeting spending requirements within the first 3 months after card approval. Though we value Capital One miles at around 1.8 cents each, they can be worth much more when transferred to travel partners.
The Double Cash card usually offers a small welcome bonus.
We mentioned earlier that you’ll be earning double rewards on every purchase you make with our featured cards. If you prefer a card with a simple earning structure, either of these cards could fit that requirement.
And, while earning levels may seem similar, how you redeem your rewards will ultimately determine which option delivers better value for you. We’ll talk more about redemption options shortly that might help you decide whether earning miles or cash-back is the better option for you.
Here’s how you can expect to earn unlimited rewards on either of our 2 featured cards:
| Capital One Venture Card | Double Cash Card |
| 2 Capital One miles per dollar spent on every purchase | 2% cash-back on every purchase: 1% when you make a purchase, plus 1% when you pay (earned as ThankYou Points) |
Bottom Line: You’ll enjoy simplified earnings of either 2x Capital One miles per dollar spent or 2% cash-back per $1 spent on the Double Cash card. Both cards offer unlimited rewards earning with no cap. The better card for you, however, will depend on whether you prefer miles to cash and how you choose to redeem your rewards.
We’ve learned how you’ll earn rewards on the Capital One Venture card and the Double Cash card, but the real excitement starts when you redeem your rewards.
Let’s look at the options you’ll have at redemption time:
| Capital One Venture Card | Double Cash Card |
|
|
Bottom Line: Both of our featured cards earn rewards that can be redeemed for travel or statement credits. However, the rewards from the Double Cash card can also be converted to cash-back.
While the Double Cash card doesn’t offer travel benefits or protections, the Capital One Venture card offers several useful benefits and coverages.
Here’s a summary of what you can expect on the Capital One Venture card:
Bottom Line: When we look at travel benefits and protections, the Capital One Venture card comes out far ahead of the Double Cash card which offers none of these benefits.
Some card issuers have removed key shopping benefits and protections, but you’ll still find select coverages for eligible items purchased with your Capital One Venture card.
Here’s how our featured cards compare:
| Benefit or Protection | Capital One Venture Card | Double Cash Card |
| Purchase Protection | For eligible items purchased with your card, you could receive up to $500 per item for damage or theft for up to 90 days from the purchase date | N/A |
| Extended Warranty | For manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less, the warranty will be doubled up to an additional year | N/A |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | None (rates & fees) | 3% of the total transaction |
| Shopping Benefits/Discounts | Capital One Offers | N/A |
| Entertainment Benefits | Access to events, streaming, and ticket presales | |
Bottom Line: While the Double Cash card offers little in the form of shopping benefits and no product protection coverages, the Capital One Venture card charges no foreign transaction fees and offers extended warranty and purchase protection on eligible items purchased with the card.
If you have high-interest credit card balances, the Double Cash card could save you money with its introductory 0% APR on balance transfers for an 18-month period after card approval.
Balances that are transferred within the first 4 months after account opening are eligible for an introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount transferred, whichever is greater. After that, the balance transfer fee is 5% or $5, whichever is greater.
There are no interest charges for the 18-month period; after that, regular APR, as shown in the table at the beginning of this article, will apply.
Capital One recommends an excellent credit score to qualify for the Capital One Venture card. While an excellent credit score is generally one that is 740 or more, Capital One clarifies the requirements further by stating that an applicant must “never have declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, not been 60 days late on a credit card, loan, or medical bill, and has had a loan or credit card for $5,000 or more in the past 3 years.” Meeting these criteria could enable you to be approved with a 700 or more credit score.
A minimum of a good credit score is recommended for the Double Cash card. One of the leading credit bureaus, Experian, defines a good credit score as one that is 700 or above.
Credit card issuers may look at other factors including debt-to-income ratios and the number of cards you have opened, so these numbers are only guidelines. The good news is that there is a way you can find out in advance if you have card offers waiting.
The CardMatch tool is a risk-free option to find existing card offers without having to complete an application and have your credit history accessed with a hard credit pull. Preapproved or prequalified offers will be displayed after submitting minimal information. These offers do not guarantee approval but help you zero in on the cards for which you’re most likely to be approved.
Learn more about how to find preapproved or prequalified offers in our article on the topic.
If you want to avoid a high annual fee but still earn well on everyday purchases, there are dozens of card options. Here are a few cards, similar to our featured cards, that offer earnings on every purchase you make plus provide introductory 0% APR periods that can save you money on interest charges:
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.
Interested in a travel rewards credit card without one of those pesky annual fees? Then say hello to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, the no-annual-fee version of the more popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
In addition to no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card offers no foreign transaction fees.
But is this card worth its salt, or is it merely a shell of the more popular Capital One Venture card?
The Capital One VentureOne card offers unlimited flat-rate rewards earning but without an annual fee (rates & fees).
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a stellar cash-back credit card for those looking to maximize every purchase they make.
With bonus categories like U.S. supermarkets, select streaming services, U.S. gas stations, and transit purchases, this card rewards you for the items you spend the most on in a big way! For those looking to earn up to 6% cash-back on their purchases, this could be the card for you!
Redeem cash-back through your American Express account
If your everyday spending includes purchases at grocery stores, gas stations, transit, and streaming services, you’ll earn well with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card.
This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.
When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.
We like the Freedom Unlimited card for everyday spending because it earns flexible, and therefore valuable, Ultimate Rewards points.
Points earned on the card have several redemption options but realize the true value when transferred to Chase premium cards. When transferring points to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® you can receive up to 50% more value when redeemed for travel via the Chase travel portal.
Hot Tip: If you have a large purchase or purchases coming up, selecting a card with an introductory 0% APR period on purchases can save you money on interest charges while you repay the purchase over time. In addition, some cards like the Double Cash card have introductory 0% APR periods for balance transfers that allow you to transfer high-interest credit card balances and repay over time without interest. Additional terms and fees can apply.
It’s clear that the Capital One Venture card offers a better overall package compared to the Double Cash card. However, you can’t dismiss the strong 2x earning on every purchase you make with the Double Cash card.
Paired with a travel rewards card offering travel and shopping benefits, the Double Cash card could still find a useful slot in your wallet to ensure you’re earning at least 2x points on all purchases, regardless of category.
If you’re a frequent traveler and must pick 1 card from our featured cards, however, the Capital One Venture card could be the better fit. You’ll enjoy strong earnings, good-value travel redemption options, and useful travel and shopping benefits and protections.
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.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
With strong 2x points earnings on every purchase (1x when you make the purchase, 1x when you pay) the card ensures you’ll receive double earnings without having to keep track of bonus categories or register for quarterly promotions.
In addition, the card does not charge an annual fee.
Yes, if you’re looking for a card that has simplified earnings, flexible redemption options, and plenty of travel and shopping benefits, the card is worth it.
The Capital One Venture card earns 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, allows you to transfer miles to travel partners for good-value travel redemption options, and comes with travel/shopping benefits that can save you money or provide protection when you need it.
The card also comes with a lower annual fee.
Every purchase you make with the Double Cash card earns 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you make at least the minimum required payment each statement period (earned as ThankYou Points).
Balance transfers do not earn cash-back.
You are recommended to have an excellent score to qualify for the Capital One Venture card. While generally considered 740 or above, Capital One states that a successful applicant must “never have declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, not been 60 days late on a credit card, loan, or medical bill, and has had a loan or credit card for $5,000 or more in the past 3 years.”
If you meet these general criteria, you may qualify with a lower score.
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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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