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Capital One has been popping up more and more in ads, and you may be curious about the top cards from the issuer. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are consistently voted as some of the best cards for travel. While these cards share several features, a side-by-side comparison can help determine which one is the optimal fit for your travel aspirations.
75,000 bonus miles (after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months); premium perks: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
75,000 bonus miles (after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months): Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X vs Venture Rewards Credit Card Review
In this Capital One Venture X vs Venture Rewards Credit Card review, we will compare both travel rewards cards. While both cards are made for travel, they also earn rewards on everyday purchases.
Earning Venture Miles
Both cards can earn bonus miles on qualifying travel purchases through the Capital One Travel booking portal. The Venture X Rewards can earn up to 10x miles while the Venture Rewards earns up to 5x.
Both are high-earning travel credit cards, as you earn at least 2x miles on purchases.
Venture X Rewards
The premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card bonus categories include:
- 10x on hotels and car rentals through Capital One Travel
- 5x on flights and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel
- 2x on all remaining purchases
Venture Rewards
You can earn up to 5 miles per $1 on select travel purchases with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card:
- 5x on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals using Capital One Travel
- 2x on all remaining bookings
If you plan on using Capital One Travel to earn bonus miles, Venture X Rewards is better.
Related: The Capital One Venture Rewards: How Hard Is It To Get Approval?
Redeeming Venture Miles
The redemption options are similar for both cards, making this comparison category a tie. Your Capital One miles are most valuable in these methods:
- Travel statement credit for purchases within the last 90 days
- Booking upcoming trips through Capital One Travel
- Transferring to a participating airline or hotel transfer partner
Each mile is worth 1 cent as a travel statement credit or booking an upcoming trip. Here’s one example of how far 50,000 Cap One Miles will take you.
There are many Capital One travel transfer partners with a 1:1 transfer ratio.
Unfortunately. your miles are worth 0.8 cents for non-travel redemptions, including cash, gift cards, and Amazon or PayPal shopping credits.
Related: Redeem Capital One Venture Miles While Getting The Most Value
Annual Travel Statement Credit
One of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card’s most valuable benefits is the annual $300 Capital One Travel credit. This perk reimburses your first $300 in travel bookings through this portal and can reimburse flights, hotels, and car rentals.
As you might expect, the $95-a-year Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doesn’t offer an annual travel reimbursement. As a result, you will need to use the product’s other travel perks to offset the yearly fee.
Anniversary Bonus
Venture X Rewards cardholders also receive an anniversary bonus consisting of 10,000 miles. This bonus is worth $100 when you redeem it as a travel statement credit whether you book trips through Capital One Travel or directly from the carrier.
Sadly, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doesn’t offer a card renewal bonus. This is a negative tradeoff of the lower annual fee.
Airport Lounge Access
Only the Venture X Rewards offers lounge access.
Venture X Rewards
The premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited visits to these airport lounge networks:
- Capital One Lounge
- Priority Pass
You can bring up to 2 additional guests for free into these networks. Extra guests cost $45 each for the Capital One Lounge.
Other Features
Both cards offer different add-on benefits that provide additional value. For example, each is a metal credit card, but the Venture Rewards is a Mastercard® product while the Venture X Rewards is a Visa Infinite, so your cardholder benefits guide will differ.
Here are some of the unique add-on perks of each card.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Benefits
Some of the additional Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card card perks include:
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit (up to $120 every four years)
- Up to $800 in cell phone protection (with a $50 deductible)
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Primary rental car coverage
Most of these add-on benefits are standard with Visa Infinite cards, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. You can visit our review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards vs Chase Sapphire Reserve to learn more.
Capital One Venture Rewards Benefits
Notable additional features for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card include:
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $120 every four years)
- Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver
- Extended warranty on eligible purchases
- Mastercard World Elite benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® vs Venture Rewards card comparison is worth a browse if you’re not entirely sure about the Venture Rewards.
Capital One Venture Signup Bonus
Here are the current bonus offers for each product:
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, with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
New Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
You can earn a bonus once for each card.
Capital One Annual Fees
The annual fee is one of the most significant differences between the Venture Rewards ($95) and Venture X Rewards ($395). Neither card charges an authorized user fee or a foreign transaction fee.
While the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card costs more, you can easily offset the fee with just two annual benefits—the $300 Capital One Travel credit and redeeming the 10,000 miles anniversary bonus ($100).
Up to three free additional Venture X Rewards cards are unique, as most premium credit cards charge a fee for extra cards.
TIP: Want a $0 annual fee Capital One travel card option instead? Consider the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card instead.
When to Go for the Capital One Venture X Rewards
In most situations, the Capital One Venture X Rewards is the clear winner.
Sure, the rewards card has a higher annual fee, but you can easily cancel it out by booking at least $300 in flights, hotels, and car rentals through Capital One Travel.
It’s also worth considering as you can add free authorized users, making this an attractive premium card.
When to Go for the Capital One Venture Rewards
The Capital One Venture Rewards can be the better fit if you don’t plan on making reservations through the Capital One Travel platform and won’t redeem the Venture X $300 annual travel credit.
Additionally, the Venture Rewards is fine if you don’t need airport lounge access.
While this card lacks the excitement of the Venture X, it is better if you want an easy way to earn and redeem Capital One miles with a reasonable annual fee.
Summary Capital One Venture vs Venture X
In conclusion, there’s plenty to like about both cards as both provide above-average flexibility with maximizing travel rewards. However, you should consider applying for the Capital One Venture X Rewards first as it offers more benefits, and its annual fee is affordable in comparison.
75,000 bonus miles; premium perks: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
75,000 bonus miles: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Related Articles:
- Travel Credit Card Showdown: Capital One Venture vs Amex Platinum
- The Best Credit Cards for Domestic Travel
- Best Credit Card Rewards For Road Trips
- What Are Traveling Miles? How Do Traveling Miles Work?
Johnny Jet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Johnny Jet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
