The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card provides great value to occasional travelers who want to maximize their miles-earning. The $95-annual-fee (see rates and fees) card earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, plus offers a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit (up to $100).
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 or the Venture X — you may wonder: Should you apply for the well-established, crowd-pleasing Venture or go premium with the luxe Venture X?
Here, we’ll closely examine both cards to help travelers decide which Capital One card is the best option for themselves.
Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X comparison
| Card | Capital One Venture X | Capital One Venture |
|---|---|---|
| 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 vs. Capital One Venture X welcome bonus
Both the Venture and the Venture X have identical welcome bonuses: earn 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.
Related: How to redeem 75,000 Capital One miles for maximum value
Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X benefits
With the Venture, you’ll get two one-time airport lounge visit passes to any of Capital One’s lounges (locations now open in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and in Dulles International Airport) or Plaza Premium lounges.
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You’ll also get up to a $100 credit every four years for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, 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.
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 travel booked 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 1,400 locations for you and unlimited guests (subject to capacity).
You’ll get 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.
Related: Is the Venture X worth its annual fee?
Earning miles on the Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X
Both the Venture and the Venture X earn bonus miles on travel booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
With the Venture, 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 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 vs. Capital One Venture X
Both the Venture 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 for gift cards at a flat rate of one cent per mile.
Both cards do give you the option 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.
Related: Should you redeem your miles directly for travel or transfer them to partners?
Transferring miles with the Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X
One of the best things about both the Venture and the Venture X is that they allow you to transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s 18 hotel and airline partners, including valuable options like Avianca LifeMiles, 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 reporter Kyle Olsen prefers to redeem his miles by transferring them to Air France-KLM Flying Blue during a transfer bonus promotion and using them to book business-class flights to Europe.
Related: How to redeem Capital One miles for maximum value
Should I get the Capital One Venture or Capital one Venture X?
If you’re focused on keeping your annual fee costs low, you’ll want to choose 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 travel credit, the Venture X is the better option for you.
Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get the Venture X
How to upgrade from the Capital One Venture to the Capital One Venture X
If you already have the Venture 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 having to worry about eligibility.
Related: 4 things to consider before upgrading your credit card
Bottom line
Both the Venture 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 travel credit, while the Venture is a better fit for anyone who already has airport lounge access or is looking to keep their annual fee costs low. You’ll get some solid travel benefits and earn valuable transferable rewards regardless of which card you choose.
For more details, please see our full review of the Venture and our full review of the Venture X.
Apply here: Capital One Venture X
Apply here: Capital One Venture Rewards
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.