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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, deta...
Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to le...
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
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We’ve been conditioned to enjoy the simplicity of Capital One’s credit cards. We generally haven’t expected luxury travel benefits or complex earning structures, and it’s easy to understand the process at redemption time.
Predictable? Yes, but manageable, familiar, and ultimately rewarding.
Capital One surprised us all, however, with its entry into the premium travel rewards card market, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. With an enhanced earning structure and lots of benefits, the card bears little resemblance to the previous portfolio of Capital One cards.
And, while we like a lot about the card, some may prefer the simplicity of Capital One’s workhorse, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, the no-annual-fee alternative to the popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Earning and redeeming rewards on the Capital One VentureOne card certainly doesn’t get any simpler, but should you forget about that card and opt for the Capital One Venture X card instead?
Today we’re going to answer that question by looking at these 2 solid Capital One cards to sort out the differences and define how each card may play a role for the appropriate cardholder.
Capital One Venture X Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Card — Overview
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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.
The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
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
$1,350
$395
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
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)
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/TSA PreCheck credit
Add authorized users for no additional annual fee
No foreign transaction fees
Cons
$395 annual fee
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®
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 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.
The 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.
Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel.
20,000 miles
$360
$0
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
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)
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?
Pros
No annual fee
No foreign transaction fees
Ability to use transfer partners
Access to Capital One Dining
Cons
Weak earn rate at 1.25x miles per $1 spent on all purchases
No luxury travel or elite benefits
$0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
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
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months
Financial Snapshot
APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
Once you’re approved for your Capital One card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus by meeting minimum spending requirements in the immediate months after card approval.
Depending on the redemption option you select, we estimate the value of Capital One miles to be worth around 1.8 cents each. Welcome bonuses vary, as well as valuations, so be sure to check for the most current available information before you apply for any card.
Bottom Line: Both of our featured cards offer a welcome bonus that can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the initial specified period after card approval. The Capital One Venture X card’s welcome bonus is much higher than the Capital One VentureOne card, however, the minimum spending requirements are also higher.
Earning Potential
Rewards can be earned on travel purchases and also redeemed for travel. Image Credit: Maria Camila Castaño via Pexels
You will earn Capital One miles on every purchase you make with either the Capital One Venture X card or the Capital One VentureOne card. Maximizing bonus earnings, however, will ultimately depend on your spending mix.
The highest level of earnings will be for select travel purchased via Capital One Travel, but both cards offer flat-rate earnings on all other purchases, including travel purchased from other providers.
Here’s how our featured cards compare when it comes to earning rewards:
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Earning Category
Capital One Venture X Card
Capital One VentureOne Card
Travel
10x miles on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel
5x miles for flights booked via Capital One Travel
5x miles on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel
Additional Earnings
10,000-mile bonus at each card anniversary
N/A
All Other Purchases
2x miles
1.25x miles
Bottom Line: Both cards offer accelerated earnings on select travel purchases via Capital One Travel and flat rate earnings on all other purchases. While the Capital One Venture X card offers a minimum of 2x earnings on every purchase and the Capital One Venture card just 1.25x earnings, you will have to pay an annual fee on the Capital One Venture X card.
Redemption Options
Since you’re earning Capital One miles on both the Capital One Venture X card and Capital One VentureOne card, you’ll have the same flexible redemption options.
Redeem miles for 0.5 cents each for a general statement credit
Additional Redemption Options
Gift cards, shop with Amazon, PayPal
Bottom Line: The best option for redeeming miles earned on either of our featured cards is to transfer your miles to airline frequent flyer programs and redeem them for award flights. Additional travel redemption options include redeeming for travel via Capital One Travel at the rate of 1 cent per mile or redeeming for a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days), also at the rate of 1 cent per mile.
Travel Benefits and Protections
Both of our featured cards come with complimentary access to Capital One Lounges. Image Credit: Capital One
Travel benefits and protections add value to a card in the form of saving you money or providing needed protection should something go wrong during your travels. Here are some of the perks you’ll find on the Capital One Venture X card and the Capital One VentureOne card:
Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges — Enjoy complimentary access to current and future Capital One Lounges, as well as Plaza Premium Lounges. The Capital One Venture X card comes with unlimited visits for you and 2 guests while the Capital One VentureOne card comes with 2 free visits each calendar year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees — Neither card charges a fee for foreign transactions (Capital One Venture X card rates & fees; Capital One VentureOne card rates & fees)
Lost Luggage Insurance — Use your card to pay for your common carrier ticket, and if your luggage is lost, you are eligible for up to $3,000 in reimbursements per trip ($2,000 for New York residents)
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, each card offers its own additional travel benefits and protections.
Capital One Venture X Card
Priority Pass Select Membership — Receive worldwide access to over 1,300 airport lounges.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck— Pay for your application or renewal fee with your card and receive reimbursement, up to $100 as a statement credit.
$300 Travel Credit — Receive for travel purchased via Capital One Travel.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Elite Status — Receive complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status as long as you have the card.
Primary Rental Car Insurance — This credit card offers primary rental car insurance as long as you use your card to pay for your car rental reservation and decline the collision damage waiver/loss damage waiver (CDW/LDW) offered by the rental agency
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption — Receive up to $2,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or interrupted due to a covered reason.
Trip Delay — Use your card to pay for at least a portion of your trip and if your trip is delayed for a covered reason for more than 6 hours, you could receive up to $500.
Roadside Assistance — For 1 flat fee, receive towing (up to 5 miles), lockout service, tire changing, emergency fuel delivery (cost of fuel not included), standard winching, or jump-starting.
Travel Accident Insurance — Should an eligible tragedy or accident occur while traveling, this card offers up to $1 million in travel accident insurance when you pay for your common carrier ticket using your card.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance — Pay for your car rental reservation using your card while declining the CDW/LDW from the rental agency, and you’ll receive secondary rental car insurance (not primary rental car coverage like the Capital One Venture X card)
Roadside Dispatch — If you’re stranded on the side of the road, you can receive 24/7 assistance with just 1 call. The cardholder is responsible for the services received.
Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture X card benefits include worldwide lounge access, a $300 Capital One Travel credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement, and a 10,000-mile bonus at card renewal. If you travel, these benefits could provide true economic value and help offset the annual fee.
Shopping Benefits and Protections
Save money and have added protection for eligible items with Capital One shopping benefits and protections. Image Credit: Capital One
Shopping benefits and protections are not reason alone to select a specific rewards card, but both can come in handy for saving money on your purchase or providing protection should something go wrong after the purchase.
Here are the shopping benefits and protections you can expect on both the Capital One Venture X card and the Capital One VentureOne card:
Purchase Security — Receive up to $500 per item (Capital One VentureOne card) or $10,000 per item (Capital One Venture X card) if that eligible item, purchased with your card, is damaged or stolen within 90 days (Capital One VentureOne card) or 120 days (Capital One Venture X card) from the date of purchase.
Extended Warranty — On eligible items with manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less, receive up to an additional 1 year of warranty coverage.
Capital One Offers — Sign in to your online card account and select offers that can earn statement credits for select purchases.
In addition to these benefits and protections, our featured cards have additional perks:
Capital One Venture X Card
Cell Phone Protection — Pay for your monthly cell phone bill with your card and receive up to $800 if your phone is stolen or damaged. There is a limit of 2 claims per 12-month period and a $50 deductible per claim.
Return Protection — If you purchase an eligible item with your card and the merchant will not accept it as a return within 90 days of the purchase date, you could receive up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 maximum per calendar year.
Capital One VentureOne Card
Introductory 0% APR — Make an eligible purchase(s) with your card and enjoy up to 15 months from card approval to repay the balance without interest charges. After that, normal interest rates apply (as specified in the card table at the beginning of this article). The introductory 0% APR offer also applies to balance transfers. Terms and conditions apply (rates & fees).
Note that we have abbreviated the cards’ benefit and protection descriptions and only listed key benefits for comparison purposes. You’ll want to access each card’s guide to benefits for full descriptions and the terms and conditions.
Annual Fees and Authorized Users
The bottom line value you receive from a card may depend on whether the value of the benefits you actually use exceed the annual fee you’ll be paying. Any charges you may incur to add authorized users will also come into play.
Here’s how the Capital One Venture X card and Capital One VentureOne card compare regarding annual fees and adding authorized card users:
Annual Fees — The Capital One Venture X card charges an annual fee of $395 (rates & fees) while the Capital One VentureOne card does not charge an annual fee (rates & fees).
Authorized Users — You can add up to 4 authorized users to the Capital One Venture X card for no additional annual fees (rates & fees). The Capital One VentureOne card does not charge for adding authorized users (rates & fees).
Hot Tip: Authorized users on the Capital One Venture X card enjoy the unique privilege of having complimentary Priority Pass Select membership and access to Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges. Plus, authorized users may bring 2 additional guests. There is no fee for adding up to 4 authorized users to the card (rates & fees).
Value Comparison
If you’re considering the Capital One VentureOne card because it doesn’t have an annual fee (while the Capital One Venture X card charges $395), don’t let that annual fee deter you from considering the latter.
Here’s why.
If you book travel via Capital One Travel, the $300 travel credit on the Capital One Venture X card goes a long way to negating the annual fee.
Priority Pass Select membership costs $469 per year and doesn’t include guest access. If you value this benefit, you’ll receive more value than the cost of the Capital One Venture X card’s annual fee.
You’ll be earning 2x miles on non-bonus category purchases with the Capital One Venture X card versus 1.25 miles on the Capital One VentureOne card. So if you were to spend $20,000, you’d earn 40,000 miles on the Capital One Venture X card and 25,000 miles on the Capital One VentureOne card.
Cell phone protection is another benefit through which you’ll find additional value with the Capital One Venture X card.
And finally, the 10,000 bonus Capital One miles earned at card renewal can be worth around $180 by our valuations.
Bottom Line: Don’t let the annual fee deter you from considering the Capital One Venture X card. With a $300 travel credit, Priority Pass Select membership, 2x earnings on every purchase, cell phone protection, and more, the benefits you receive could more than offset the annual fee.
Final Thoughts
If your spending level is low and you’re not a frequent traveler, you may find the Capital One VentureOne card more than adequate for your needs. You’ll still earn rewards on every purchase and elevated earnings on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel. You’ll also have the same flexible options at redemption time as the Capital One Venture X card.
If you’re a frequent traveler, and your spending levels are higher, you’ll fare better with the Capital One Venture X card for many of the reasons mentioned above.
If you’re looking for additional cards with no annual fees, we’ve put together a nice collection of options. If you’re a frequent traveler, you might consider a travel rewards card. Here’s a list of some of the best travel rewards cards available.
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.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card is better, the Capital One Venture X card or the Capital One VentureOne card?
The better card will depend on whether you want to pay an annual fee, if you spend a lot on travel, and if you value travel benefits.
The Capital One Venture X card offers higher earnings and a long list of travel benefits and protections, but it does charge an annual fee (rates & fees).
How do Capital One miles work?
Capital One miles are earned based on the specific purchases you make. When your card statement closes each month, the miles will be available for redemption.
Capital One miles are not frequent flyer miles. The miles function more like points that you can redeem for travel or a statement credit for prior travel purchases.
Additionally, the miles can be transferred to hotel or airline loyalty programs where you can purchase free hotel nights or flight award tickets. Transferring miles to frequent flyer programs can result in the greatest potential value.
Is VentureOne the same as Venture X?
No, they are 2 different credit cards that appeal to different groups. The Capital One VentureOne card is a no-annual-fee card with reduced rewards and benefits, while the Capital One Venture X card is an ultra-premium credit card with some of the best rewards and benefits in the entire industry.
Can I upgrade VentureOne to Venture X?
In general, if you have had your Capital One VentureOne card open for several months and the account is in good standing, you should be able to upgrade to the Capital One Venture X card.
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.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.