Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X: Is it worth paying an extra $300 for more travel perks?
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card provides great value to occasional travelers who want to maximize their miles-earning. The $95 annual fee card (see rates and fees) earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and offers a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
Its flashier sibling, the $395-annual-fee Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees), offers an enhanced travel experience to compete with The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
If you don’t carry either card — the Venture Rewards or the Venture X — you may wonder: Should you apply for the well-established, crowd-pleasing Venture Rewards or go premium with the luxe Venture X?
Here, we’ll closely examine both cards to help you decide which Capital One card is your best option.
Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X comparison
| Card | Capital One Venture X | Capital One Venture Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $395 (see rates and fees) | $95 (see rates and fees) |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening |
| Earning rates |
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| Other benefits |
|
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| Foreign transaction fees | None (see rates and fees) | None (see rates and fees) |
Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X welcome bonus
The Venture Rewards and the Venture X have identical welcome bonuses: 75,000 bonus Capital One miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Those miles are worth $1,388 based on TPG’s valuations, so you’ll get incredible value from the bonus no matter which card you choose.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer the same welcome bonus.
Related: How to redeem 75,000 Capital One miles for maximum value
Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X benefits
With the Venture Rewards, you’ll get up to a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry once every four years, as well as rental car and travel accident insurance, extended warranty protection, Hertz Five Star status and access to Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection of hotels and Capital One Entertainment.
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The Venture X, conversely, comes with a stronger list of benefits that more than justify its higher annual fee if you can maximize them.
As a cardholder, you’ll get a $300 annual credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel and complimentary access to Capital One and Plaza Premium lounges for you and up to two guests. You’ll also get a Priority Pass lounge membership to over 1,300 locations for you and unlimited guests (subject to capacity).
You’ll also receive 10,000 bonus miles, worth $185 according to TPG valuations, at each cardholder anniversary, along with access to Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection and the luxury Premier Collection of hotels, Hertz President’s Circle status*, travel protections, extended warranty and cellphone protection.
An additional benefit of the Venture X is that you can add a limited number of authorized users for no additional fee (see rates and fees). These authorized users enjoy the same airport lounge access as the main cardholder, including complimentary access for themselves and guests.
Winner: Venture X. As the more premium card offering, it has a much more robust list of benefits than the Venture Rewards.
Related: Is the Venture X worth its annual fee?
Earning miles on the Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X
Both the Venture Rewards and the Venture X earn bonus miles on travel booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Both cards also earn 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through Dec. 31, 2025.
With the Venture Rewards, you’ll earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. If you have the Venture X, however, you’ll earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, as well as 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
Winner: Venture X. It earns twice the miles as the Venture Rewards on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and bonus miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
Related: How (and why) to earn lots of Capital One miles
Redeeming miles on the Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X
Both the Venture Rewards and the Venture X earn Capital One miles and give you the same redemption options.
You’ll get the most value by transferring your miles to one of Capital One’s travel partners, but you can also redeem them for a statement credit to cover travel purchases or gift cards at a flat rate of one cent per mile.
Both cards allow you to redeem your miles for cash back, but you’ll get a much lower rate of 0.5 cents per mile, so we recommend avoiding this option whenever possible.
Winner: Tie. Both cards give you the same options to redeem and list of transfer partners.
Related: Should you redeem your miles directly for travel or transfer them to partners?
Transferring miles with the Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X
One of the best things about both the Venture Rewards and the Venture X is that they allow you to transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s 15-plus hotel and airline partners, including valuable options like Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
And if you can take advantage of a transfer bonus, you’ll get even more value from your miles. For instance, TPG points and miles senior writer Ben Smithson gets good value from his miles by transferring them to Aeroplan and Flying Blue.
Winner: Tie. Both the Venture Rewards and Venture X transfer to the same partners at the same rates.
Related: How to redeem Capital One miles for maximum value
Should I get the Capital One Venture Rewards or Capital One Venture X?
If you’re focused on keeping your annual fee costs low, go with the Venture Rewards. You’ll get a strong earning rate, the ability to take advantage of Capital One’s transfer partners, and some travel benefits for just a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). However, if you want airport lounge access and can maximize its $300 annual credit, the Venture X is the better choice.
Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get the Venture X
How to upgrade from the Capital One Venture Rewards to the Capital One Venture X
If you already have the Venture Rewards and want to upgrade to the Venture X, you can call the number on the back of your card and request a product change. You won’t be able to take advantage of your new card’s welcome offer by going this route, but it’s a good way to get more benefits without worrying about eligibility.
Related: 4 things to consider before upgrading your credit card
Bottom line
Both the Venture Rewards and the Venture X are excellent travel rewards cards that earn bonus points on Capital One Travel purchases and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. The Venture X is a great card for those who can take advantage of its airport lounge access and annual credit, while the Venture Rewards is a better fit for anyone looking to keep their annual fee costs low. You’ll get solid travel benefits and earn valuable transferable rewards regardless of which card you choose.
For more details, read our full Venture Rewards and Venture X reviews.
Learn More: Capital One Venture
Learn More: Capital One Venture X
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.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 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.
