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

In the world of premium travel rewards cards, The Platinum Card^® from American Express stands tall above the rest. If you’re a frequent traveler, you may already have the card or at least have considered applying for it.

The Amex Platinum card, while an exceptional travel rewards card, is not for everyone. And, with the introduction of a new travel rewards card, Capital One throws its hat in the ring with an alternative.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers key premium benefits a frequent traveler can certainly value, but is the card a true competitor to the Amex Platinum card?

We’ll find out today as we take a look at each card’s earning potential and the value of your rewards at redemption time. We’ll also talk about travel and shopping benefits that can save you money, elevate your travel experience, or provide protection when you need it.

There’s no doubt a travel rewards card can benefit the frequent traveler, but which card will be a better match for you?

Let’s explore these 2 excellent options.

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

Both the Capital One Venture X card and the Amex Platinum card could potentially add value to any frequent traveler’s lifestyle. Each card offers an impressive list of earning and redemption options, plus plenty of travel/shopping benefits.

In an effort to determine the overall value for your specific situation, however, it’s helpful to look at the overall attributes of each card in a side-by-side comparison.

Here’s how the cards stack up in all the key benefit areas:

Benefit	Capital One Venture X Card	Amex Platinum Card
Earning	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 purchases 10,000 bonus miles at card anniversary	5x points for flights booked with the airline or Amex Travel (up to $500,000 each calendar year) and for prepaid hotels via Amex Travel 1x points on all other purchases
Top Redemption Options	Redeem miles via Capital One Travel Transfer to airline or hotel partners Redeem miles for a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days) General statement credits, cash, gift cards, Amazon, or PayPal	Flights via Amex Travel Request an upgrade for flights on your preselected airline Transfer points to airline and hotel partners Travel via Amex Travel, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, shop with Amazon
Travel Benefits and Protections	Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement Capital One Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge access Priority Pass Select membership for cardholder and authorized users, including participating restaurants $300 annual credit for Capital One Travel Car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption/delay, baggage insurance Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle status	Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement Access to over 1,400 participating lounges and Priority Pass Select membership for cardholder and authorized users (upon enrollment) does not include restaurants Trip cancellation/interruption/delay, baggage insurance Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors Gold elite status (upon enrollment) Car rental elite status (upon enrollment) Annual credits: up to $200 in Uber Cash, up to $200 airline incidentals, up to $189 CLEAR PLUS, and more
Shopping Benefits and Protections	Capital One Offers Cell phone protection, purchase security, extended warranty, return protection	Amex Offers (upon enrollment) Cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection Annual statement credits: Up to $240 digital entertainment, up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit, and more
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	$395 annual fee, add up to 4 additional users at no cost	$695 annual fee (rates and fees)  $195 per authorized user (rates and fees)

The Value of a Welcome Bonus

Premium travel rewards cards generally offer an initial welcome bonus that allows you to earn a large number of rewards by meeting minimum spending requirements within a period immediately following your card approval. The Capital One Venture X card and the Amex Platinum card both offer this opportunity.

The Capital One Venture X card earns Capital One miles, which we currently value at approximately 1.8 cents each. The Amex Platinum card earns Membership Rewards points that we value at 2.2 cents each.

Welcome bonuses change, as well as rewards valuations, so it’s important to review the current information before applying for any card.

Here are the present overviews of our featured cards with current welcome bonus information.

Capital One Venture X Card

Amex Platinum Card

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Bottom Line: Both the Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card offer welcome bonuses that can be worth thousands of dollars. Jumpstart your earnings by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period that begins immediately after you are approved for the card. 

Capital One Miles vs. Amex Membership Rewards Points

The Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card each earn distinctly different rewards currencies. Capital One miles, (not the same as frequent flyer miles) are earned on the Capital One Venture X card, and the Amex Platinum card earns Membership Rewards points.

Let’s look at the bonus categories for each card and how you earn rewards.

Earning Potential

Earning Category	Capital One Venture X Card	Amex Platinum Card
Travel	10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased via Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights purchased via Capital One Travel 2x miles per dollar spent on all other travel	5x Membership Rewards points for flights booked directly with the airline or via Amex Travel (up to $500,000 each calendar year) and for prepaid hotels booked via Amex Travel
Additional Earnings	10,000 bonus miles each card anniversary
All Other Purchases	2 miles per dollar spent	1 point per dollar spent

You’ll find the greatest earnings on our featured cards are for travel purchased via the cards’ associated travel portals. For non-bonus category purchases, the Capital One Venture X card has the edge, earning 2x miles per dollar spent (approximate total value of 3.6 cents) versus the Amex Platinum card at 1 point per dollar spent (approximate total value of 2.2 cents).

Bottom Line: Both cards offer accelerated earnings on travel. The Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card offer the greatest earning potential for travel purchases via each card’s associated travel portal, whether Capital One Travel or Amex Travel. 

Redemption Options

Once you’ve accumulated a stash of rewards, you’ll want to make wise choices at redemption time to receive the best value. As we learned previously, the best earning potential for either the Capital One Venture X card or the Amex Platinum card is in the travel category. The same holds true for receiving the best value when redeeming rewards — travel is your best redemption option.

Here are the choices you will have when it’s time to redeem your rewards.

Redemption Options	Capital One Venture X Card	Amex Platinum 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 for a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days)	Redeem Membership Rewards for flights via Amex Travel Use Membership Rewards points to request an upgrade for flights on your preselected airline Amex transfer partners for award flights or free hotel nights
Additional Redemption Options	Redeem for statement credits, cash, gift cards, Amazon, or PayPal	Redeem for travel via Amex Travel, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, shopping with Amazon, Ticketmaster, or donate points

Note that some redemption options, such as shopping with affiliated retailers, gift cards, and even some statement credit options, can result in a value of less than 1 cent per mile or point. These are not a good value for your rewards.

Bottom Line: The best potential value redemption for rewards earned on either the Capital One Venture X card or Amex Platinum card is transferring to travel partners. 

Travel Benefits and Protections

As premium travel rewards cards, the Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card are loaded with travel benefits and protections. You can save money, enjoy greater comfort during your travels, and receive valuable travel insurance benefits, all complimentary on either of our featured cards.

Here are the key common benefits you’ll find on both the Capital One Venture X card and the Amex Platinum card:

• No Foreign Transaction Fees — Never experience added fees when making purchases abroad using either of our featured cards. For the Amex Platinum card, see rates and fees.
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Fee Reimbursement — Pay for your application or renewal fee with your card and receive reimbursement up to $100 once every 4 or 4.5 years, depending on which program you apply for.
• Priority Pass Select Membership — Both of our featured cards come with complimentary Priority Pass Select membership for the primary cardholder and authorized users. The Amex Priority Pass Select membership, which requires enrollment through your Amex account, does not include airport restaurant properties, while the Capital One Venture X card does. Participating restaurants provide up to a $28 food credit per person.
• Plaza Premium Lounges — Both cards offer access for the cardholder and 2 guests to participating Plaza Premium Lounge locations.
• Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver Coverage — The Capital One Venture X card comes with primary coverage. The Amex Platinum card comes with secondary coverage with the option to purchase Premium Protection for one low price that covers the entire rental period.
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption — Receive up to $2,000 if your trip is canceled or interrupted due to a covered reason on the Capital One Venture X card, and $10,000 per trip ($20,000 maximum per 12-month period) on the Amex Platinum card.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement — If your trip is delayed for more than 6 hours, or overnight, you could receive up to $500 reimbursement for covered expenses.
• Baggage Insurance — Receive up to $3,000 for lost or damage baggage, per person, per covered trip. The Amex Platinum card limits checked baggage to $2,000.

In addition to the benefits above, each of our featured cards offers unique savings, statement credits, and perks.

Capital One Venture X Card

• Capital One Lounges — As the footprint of the Capital One Lounge network grows, you’ll enjoy complimentary access (plus up to 2 guests) at current and future properties.
• $300 Travel Credit — Receive $300 for travel purchased via Capital One Travel.
• Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Benefits — Receive elite-style perks such as VIP guest status, an upgraded room (when available), daily breakfast for 2, onsite amenity, and late checkout (on availability). Use your card to book via the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection link in your online card account.
• Hertz Car Rental Perks — Receive complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle elite status.
• Gravity Haus Benefits — Cardholders receive a $300 discount toward a membership. This entitles you to discounted hotel stays near top ski resorts, exclusive events, and discounts on your ski or snowboarding gear. This partnership will last through January 19, 2024.

For more information, check out our guide to all of the Capital One Venture X card’s benefits.

Amex Platinum Card

• American Express Global Lounge Collection — Enjoy complimentary access to over 1,300 properties, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta, and more.
• Up to $200 Hotel Credit — Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel when you pay with your card. Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• Up to $200 Airline Incidentals Statement Credit — Receive up to $200 in statement credits for qualifying purchases made with your preselected airline.
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash — Add your card to your Uber account and receive VIP status plus $15 in Uber Cash deposited into that account each month January through November. In December you’ll receive $35 for a total of up to $200 each calendar year. Uber Cash can be used for rides or Uber Eats in the U.S.
• Hotel Program Elite Status — Enjoy room upgrades, late checkout, and the additional perks of Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. Enrollment is required.
• Additional Elite-style Hotel Benefits — Book your prepaid stay with The Hotel Collection or Fine Hotel & Resorts via Amex Travel and receive room upgrades, breakfast, onsite amenities, and more during your stay. May be used in conjunction with the $200 hotel credit.
• Car Rental Benefits — Receive upgrades, discounts, and priority services with Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, and National Car Rental Emerald Club.
• CLEAR Plus Membership Credit — Speed through security and have your CLEAR Plus membership fee reimbursed, up to $189 each year, when paying with your card.
• Emergency Evacuation — Enjoy peace of mind knowing you have emergency evacuation and transportation coverage during your travels.

Check out our comprehensive guide to the full list of travel insurance benefits for the Amex Platinum card.

Bottom Line: With so many travel benefits and protections found on both the Capital One Venture X card and the Amex Platinum card, the better card for you in this category will be the one with the collection of benefits you will actually use and that will provide the most economic bottom-line value. 

Shopping Benefits and Protections

Purchases made with either the Capital One Venture X card or Amex Platinum card may be eligible for discounts, elevated earnings, or protection if something should go wrong with your purchase.

Let’s start with the benefits you’ll find on both of our featured cards:

• Cell Phone Protection — Pay your monthly bill with your card and receive up to $800 for damage or theft ($50 deductible), with a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period.
• Purchase Security/Purchase Protection — Purchase an eligible item and receive coverage for theft or damage for 90 days from the date of purchase. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim/item, $50,000 per account.
• Extended Warranty — Eligible items purchased with the Capital One Venture X card that have a manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or less will have the warranty doubled, up to a maximum of 1 additional year. The Amex Platinum card extends an eligible item’s manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less by 1 additional year. Both cards have limits of $10,000 per claim/$50,000 per account.
• Return Protection — If a merchant will not accept the return of an eligible item purchased with your card within 90 days of purchase, you could receive up to $300 per item, up to $1,000 per calendar year.

You’ll also find that each card offers its own unique shopping benefits.

Capital One Venture X Card

• Capital One Offers — Sign in to your account to see special discounts with select retailers.

Amex Platinum Card

• Amex Offers — Login to your online card account and select from up to 100 offers that can save you money when shopping with select retailers or offer you additional bonus earnings when you make a qualifying purchase.
• Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Statement Credit — Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your card on one or more of the following: Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Up to $300 Equinox Credit — Get up to $300 back each year on eligible Equinox memberships when you pay with your card. Enrollment required.
• Monthly Walmart+ Credit — Add your card to your Walmart+ account as the default payment and receive up to $12.95 each month in credit for membership fees.
• Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit — Receive a statement credit for up to $50 January through June, and another $50 July through December for your purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bottom Line: Both the Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card offer valuable protection for eligible items purchased with your card. The Amex Platinum card does have the edge in the shopping benefits category with the statement credits. 

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

While premium travel rewards cards offer a lot of useable benefits, most come with a high annual fee. It’s prudent to consider annual fees, as well as fees charged to add authorized users when determining if a card provides bottom-line value.

Here’s how the Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card compare when we look at annual fees and adding authorized users.

Annual Fees

The Capital One Venture X card charges an annual fee of $395, while the Amex Platinum card charges an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees).

Authorized Users

You can add up to 4 authorized users to your Capital One Venture X card for no additional cost. You can add additional users to your Amex Platinum card for $195 per card (see rates and fees). You may also add fee-free authorized user American Express^® Gold Cards that do not come with any added benefits (see rates and fees).

Keep in mind that the primary cardholder is responsible for any charges made by authorized users.

Hot Tip: Authorized users on both the Capital One Venture X card and Amex Platinum card enjoy their own Priority Pass Select membership. This membership allows access to more than 1,300 properties worldwide. Authorized users are also allowed to bring up to 2 additional guests. 

Final Thoughts

Capital One has made a triumphant leap by introducing the Capital One Venture X card to the travel rewards card market. In fact, those who will not fully utilize the massive list of benefits offered by the Amex Platinum card may find plenty of value with the Capital One Venture X card, especially with the lower annual fee.

Those who want to ensure authorized users receive lounge access opportunities via Priority Pass Select membership may also prefer the Capital One Venture X card, as there is no additional fee involved.

The frequent traveler, however, will want to look closer and review the list of travel transfer partners associated with each card to determine if their preferred airline or hotel partner is an option.

If Centurion Lounge is your lounge brand of choice, you value mid-level hotel status, and you can utilize enough of the travel/shopping statement credits offered by the Amex Platinum card, it could also be a better option.

Bottom line, there’s not a bad choice to be made here, only one that may be a better fit.

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.