Capital One Venture vs. Venture X: Which Card is Best?

A few years back, Capital One threw its hat into the premium travel credit card ring with the launch of the *venture x*. It's essentially a souped-up version of the longtime favorite *capital one venture card*, with premium travel perks like lounge access, annual travel credits, and more.

So naturally, that's led many to wonder which Capital One travel card is best. The answer largely depends on what you're looking for.

If you want travel benefits at a reasonable price, you can't beat the Venture X. Still, there's no denying the Venture Rewards Card would make a valuable addition to any traveler's wallet. Especially now, given it's current limited-time offer: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in three months. Plus, get a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first year with the card – that's at least $1,000 worth of travel, if not much more. 

From annual fees to welcome bonuses to lounge access and more, there are plenty of differences (and similarities) to dissect between Capital One's top travel cards. Keep reading for a full breakdown and comparison of the Capital One Venture and Venture X.
 

 

Similarities & Differences

No matter which version of the card you choose, you can't go wrong with either the Capital One Venture X or Capital One Venture Card.

Both cards earn 2x Capital One Miles on every purchase, everywhere. That makes them the perfect card to earn miles on your everyday purchases without wondering: “Wait, which card should I use at this store?”

You can earn even more miles if you book travel through the Capital One Travel portal. You'll earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x on flights and vacation rentals when using the Venture X Card. With the regular Venture Card, you'll earn 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars through Capital One Travel, but won't earn any additional rewards for booking flights.

With both the Venture X and Venture Card, you can redeem miles through the Capital One Travel portal: Every mile gets you 1 cent toward travel. But if you'd prefer to book your travel directly with the airline or hotel, you can simply charge the purchase to your Capital One card then go back and cover the charge – again, getting 1 cent toward travel with every mile. It's one of the easiest ways to book travel using credit card rewards.

Additionally, both cards allow you to transfer miles to one of the 15-plus Capital One transfer partners. With travel partners like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, this is the best way to get outsized value from your miles.

Here's a breakdown of what you get with each card:

Benefit	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Capital One Venture X Credit Card
Welcome Offer	bonus_miles_full	bonus_miles_full
Everyday Rewards Earning Rate	Unlimited 2x Miles per dollar on every purchase	Unlimited 2x Miles per dollar on every purchase
Travel Rewards Earning Rate	Unlimited 5x Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel	Unlimited 10x Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5x Miles for flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
Annual Credits	None	$300 Capital One Travel Credit and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit	Up to $120 statement credit every four years	Up to $120 statement credit every four years
Lounge Access	Access to Capital One Lounges costs $45 per visit	Unlimited complimentary visits for cardholder and two guests to Capital One Lounges or partner lounge network locations. Also includes complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.
Foreign Transaction Fees	None	None
Annual Fee	$95	$395

As you can see, these two cards have quite a bit in common. But a few key differences could be enough to make one of them a better fit than the other, depending on your personal situation.

 

Welcome Offer

When you sign up for a travel credit card, it’s all about the welcome offer. Comparing the welcome offers on the Capital One Venture X and Venture might look similar – but one card comes with a sweetener that makes it far and away the better choice. 

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

With the Capital One Venture Card, you'll earn a 75,000-mile bonusonce you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Plus, you'll get a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first year with the card.

Considering that Capital One Miles can be used to cover most travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per mile, this bonus offer is worth at least $1,000 when redeemed for travel. However, if you are able to take advantage of Capital One's slew of travel partners, you can probably do even better (more on that later). 

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

With the Capital One Venture X Card, you’ll earn 75,000 Capital One Miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. 

 

Winner: Which Card has the Better Welcome Offer?

If you're after the best bonus possible, the current limited-time offer on the Venture Rewards Card is hands down the best option.

 

 

Learn more about the *capital one venture card*

 

Earning More Miles

You'll be hard-pressed to find a simpler, more valuable card for earning miles than either the Venture X or the Venture Card.

Sure, there are other travel cards on the market that earn better rewards in specific categories. But earning unlimited 2x Capital One Miles everywhere is tough to beat.

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

With the Regular Venture Card, you'll earn unlimited 2x Capital One Miles on every dollar you spend. You'll also get 5x Capital One Miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Unlike the Venture X, there is no additional incentive to book flights through the portal.

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

With the Capital One Venture X, you'll earn an unlimited 2x Capital One Miles on every dollar you spend.

In addition to earning 2x everywhere, you'll also get a whopping 10x miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal. Booking flights and vacation rentals with Capital One Travel will also earn you 5x miles – a boost from booking direct with the airline.

 

Winner: Which Card Earns More Miles?

This one is close, but the slight edge goes to Venture X – thanks to the extra miles you earn booking travel through the Capital One Travel portal.
 

 

Learn more about the *venture x*.

 

Annual Fees

On paper, this one couldn’t be any easier.

The annual fee on the Capital One Venture card is far less than that of the Venture X. But does that really tell the full story?

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Venture Card from Capital One comes with a manageable $95 annual fee. That alone could make this question a no-brainer for many travelers who can't stomach the thought of paying more than $100 in annual fees.

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The annual fee on the Capital One Venture X is $395. That might immediately make it a non-starter for some. But it's actually quite a bit cheaper than the other premium travel rewards cards that it competes with … especially for everything you get for that $395 annual fee.

For starters, you get a $300 annual credit to use in the Capital One Travel portal each year, automatically making the annual fee more like $95 a year. Plus, you'll get a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus each year you renew your card, worth a minimum of $100 towards travel.

If you use both of the anniversary miles and travel credit to full value, it's almost as if Capital One is paying you to have this card. In fact, it seems like such a good deal that it recently got us thinking about whether or not a rate hike might be on the horizon. Time will tell, but for now $395 seems like a bargain for this travel rewards credit card.

 

Winner: Which Card Wins on Fees?

The Capital One Venture Card is the clear winner in terms of out-of-pocket cost. Yet paying more for the Venture X might actually be the better deal, as it offers far more benefits – including easy ways to recoup the entire annual fee (and then some).

But if we're simply comparing the cost to hold the card, there is a winner in this category and it's the Venture Card.
 

 

Learn more about the *capital one venture card*

 

Statement Credits

This is a big one.

Using the perks and annual travel credits that come with a credit card is essential to justifying paying an annual fee. Both of these cards include credits for travel related purchases.

But one packs quite a bit more punch than the other…

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit

The Venture Card is one of the cheapest travel credit cards on the market that gives you a credit of up to $120 that covers the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.

This benefit might seem a bit redundant, as a lot of travel credit cards offer a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck these days. But even if you're already enrolled in one of these trusted traveler programs, it could still be useful when it comes time to renew. Or you could even pay the application fee for a friend or family member and make their next airport experience a little less stressful.

 

 

Here's how it works: Just pay the application fee with your card and poof – the credit kicks in to automatically cover the cost. Once enrolled, membership lasts for five years – that means as long as you keep either card open, you’re set to keep your enrollment up to date with either program.

Can’t decide? Go for Global Entry, as that also comes with TSA PreCheck benefits as well as getting you into a designated customs and immigration line when returning to the U.S. from abroad.

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

$300 Annual Travel Credit

If you hold the Capital One Venture X Card, you'll get a $300 Capital One Travel credit each and every year you hold the card. While the credit isn't as lucrative and easy to use as the $300 travel credit you'll get with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, it should be valued near $300, so long as you plan to spend that much on flights, hotels, or rental cars each and every year.

Simply head to the Capital One Travel portal in your online account and make a booking. Generally speaking, pricing should match what you find on Google Flights or directly with hotels and rental car agencies. Once you make a selection and go through the booking process, you'll have the option to apply your $300 travel credit at checkout as a discount off the purchase price.
 

 

This benefit alone can make the Venture X card worth its annual fee. So long as you can use it, it effectively brings your annual fee down to $95 ($395 annual fee minus the $300 travel credit) – right on par with what the regular Venture card charges.

 

10,000-Mile Anniversary Bonus

In addition to the annual $300 travel credit, Venture X cardholders will get 10,000 Capital One Miles when they renew their card for another year, starting in their second year. Considering Capital One miles are worth a minimum of one cent each, these miles are worth at least $100. These two benefits alone can easily justify your $395 annual fee.

This anniversary bonus is only available to Venture X cardholders.

 

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit

Much like its cheaper cousin, the Venture X Card also offers a credit of up to $120 to cover the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.

Just pay the application fee with your card and poof – the credit kicks in to automatically cover the cost. Once enrolled, membership lasts for five years.

Can’t decide? Go for Global Entry, as that also comes with TSA PreCheck benefits as well as getting you into a designated customs and immigration line when returning to the U.S. from abroad.

 

Winner: Which Card Provides the Best Travel Credits?

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the clear winner in this category with its annual $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus leading the way.
 

 

Learn more about the *venture x*.

 

Lounge Access

If it's lounge access you want, this one is easy.

With the Capital One Venture X Card, you'll get access to the new Capital One Lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD). These are truly incredible spaces – easily among the best airport lounges in the U.S., period. Each lounge is a bit different, but they've all got a great design, fun amenities, and absolutely outstanding food and drinks.

Venture X cardholders get unlimited complimentary access for themselves and two guests.

 

 

Take a look inside the Capital One DFW Lounge!

Capital One is also rolling out a hybrid lounge-restaurant concept, called Capital One Landings, the first of which opened at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport (DCA) late last year. The D.C. location features both a sit-down dining space and grab-and-go options. The food and beverage program is spearheaded by award-winning celebrity chef José Andrés, with made-to-order Spanish-style tapas and drinks delivered directly to your seat. 

 

 

So far, only one other Capital One Landing has been announced for New York City-LaGuardia (LGA), though an exact opening date is still unknown. Venture X Cardholders get unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Landings for themselves and two guests. Reservations can even be made through the Capital One app up to to six months in advance. 

In addition to Capital One Landings and Lounges, Venture X cardholders also get a Priority Pass Select membership, opening the door to 1,200-plus airport lounges in cities big and small across the globe. 

Want to bring in guests? You're in luck. Not only can primary Venture X cardholders bring in an unlimited amount of guests for free, but they can also add up to four authorized users to their accounts at no additional cost. Those Venture X authorized users will also get the same lounge memberships – with the ability to bring in an unlimited amount of their own guests on each and every visit.

With the regular Capital One Venture Card, you can buy access to the Capital One Lounges or Landings for $45 per visit. 

Related reading: As Airport Lounges Overflow With Travelers, Capital One Gets It Right

 

Winner: Which Card Offers the Best Lounge Access?

If having airport lounge access is important, it's not even a contest – the Capital One Venture X is the clear winner in this category.
 

 

Learn more about the *venture x*.

 

Using Miles to Book Travel

When it comes to using your Capital One Miles, you have three options: You can use them to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal (but you shouldn't), you can use them to cover travel charges directly from your statement, or you can transfer them to one of Capital One's stable of transfer partners.

Regardless of which card you hold, you transfer miles all the same. Here's a look at what's available.
 

Program	Type	Ratio	Transfer Time
Aeromexico	Airline	1:1	Instant
Air Canada Aeroplan	Airline	1:1	Instant
Air France/KLM	Airline	1:1	Instant
Avianca LifeMiles	Airline	1:1	Instant
British Airways	Airline	1:1	Instant
Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles	Airline	1:1	Up to five business days
Emirates	Airline	1:1	Instant
Etihad	Airline	1:1	Up to 1 day
EVA Air	Airline	2:1.5	Up to five business days
Finnair	Airline	1:1	Instant
JetBlue	Airline	2:1.2	TBD
Qantas	Airline	1:1	Instant
Singapore	Airline	1:1	Instant
TAP Air Portugal	Airline	1:1	Same day
Turkish Airlines	Airline	1:1	Same day
Virgin Red	Other	1:1	Same day
Accor	Hotel	2:1	Up to two business days
Wyndham	Hotel	1:1	Same day
Choice Hotels	Hotel	1:1	Same day

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Unlike how Chase handles bookings through their travel portal – where Sapphire Reserve cardholders get 1.5 cents each towards travel as opposed to only 1.25 cents each for Sapphire Preferred cardholders – each Capital One mile is worth the same regardless of which card you hold.

That means when you use your miles to cover travel purchases or even use them through the Capital One Travel Portal, they will be worth a flat 1 cent each. That means you can use 50,000 miles to book a $500 flight.

Additionally, you can transfer miles to any of Capital One's travel partners in order to complete an award booking.

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

With the Venture X Card, you have all the same redemption options at your disposal as with the Venture – there's no bonus for the Venture X.

Miles can be redeemed through the Capital One Travel portal or used to cover travel charges directly from your statement at a rate of one cent per mile. Alternatively, they can be transferred to any of Capital One's travel partners for award bookings.

 

Winner: Which Card's Miles are More Valuable?

This one is a toss-up, as both cards come with the same redemption options.

 

Travel Insurance

The best travel credit cards help protect you when things go wrong and help you avoid paying more for add-on coverage.

Both of these cards offer protection for certain travel related mishaps, but you'll see that one card is clearly in a league of its own.

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The regular Venture Card offers some rental car coverage … but for rentals in the U.S., it's secondary coverage – not nearly as strong as you might expect. If you're renting a car abroad, the coverage you get with the Venture Card is primary.

Secondary coverage means you’d have to file a claim with your personal insurance policy before turning to your credit card for help. That means you’ll have to pay your deductible – and your auto insurance premiums will likely go up, too.

Outside of this secondary rental car coverage, the Venture Card provides additional protection if you're in an accident while traveling and you're covered if the airline loses your luggage. But only if they lose it – this benefit won't work if your luggage is delayed by a day or two which is a huge bummer.

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Venture X offers cardholders travel protections when booking flights by automatically including things like trip interruption and delay insurance and also providing coverage for lost luggage.

Additionally, thanks to Venture X being a Visa Infinite card, the rental car insurance you get when charging your car rental to your Venture X is some of the best coverage you’ll find among top-tier credit cards.

Here's what you can expect if your trip goes awry.

 

Trip Delay Coverage

While you'll be on the hook to cover the expenses upfront, you may be eligible for reimbursement.

• As long as your airfare was booked at least in part with your Venture X Card, you are eligible for up to $500 if your travel is delayed by six or more hours – or forces an overnight stay.
• You, your spouse, and your dependent children under 22 years of age are automatically covered if they are traveling with you.
• You must also be traveling outside of your home city to be eligible.

 

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage

If something goes seriously wrong on your trip like an accident, illness, or death that forces you to cancel or cut it short, you’re covered for up to $2,000 per person in expenses – and you, a spouse, and any dependent children are all eligible.

The following situations qualify:

• The death, accidental bodily injury, disease, or physical illness of you or an immediate family member of the cardholder. The death, accidental injury, disease, or physical illness must be verified by a physician and must prevent you from traveling on the trip.
• Default of the common carrier resulting from financial insolvency.

Again, the kicker here is that the trip must have been paid for with the Capital One Venture X Card.
 

Lost Luggage Coverage

Lost luggage reimbursement is something you typically don't think about until you need it. Did an airline lose or damage your luggage – or did it get stolen?

• As long as you paid for your airfare with your Venture X Card, you can get up to $3,000 to replace or repair the bag and its contents (or $2,000 per bag for New York residents).
• The cardholders and all immediate family members are covered.

While it's definitely a pain to replace all of your personal items, knowing that you've got some extra protection with the Venture X Card should help provide travelers with some additional peace of mind.

 

Rental Car Coverage

Where the travel protections really shine on the Venture X is with the card's rental car coverage.

Here's how it works: Charge your rental car to your Venture X Card and you get some of the strongest rental car insurance of any travel rewards credit card. When picking up your rental, simply decline the rental car agency’s policy and the Venture X's primary car rental insurance policy that will cover most damages or even the theft of the vehicle. It applies to rentals in the U.S. for as long as 15 days and in most foreign countries for up to 31 days.
 

 

Read more about the Capital One Venture X rental car insurance benefits!

In addition to car rental insurance coverage, Venture X cardholders will receive complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.

As the highest level of elite status in their Gold Plus Rewards program, President’s Circle elite members who book an intermediate car or higher get guaranteed upgrades to the next available car class or the ability to choose a car from the President’s Circle Ultimate Choice aisle. Members can also skip the counter when renting a car, have access to a dedicated Hertz Rewards customer service line, and can add an additional driver at no cost.

 

Winner: Which Card Provides the Best Travel Insurance?

The primary rental car coverage that comes with the Venture X Card is huge. Having additional protections for a delayed or cancelled trip, as well as lost luggage is also really nice. All those benefits make the Venture X the clear winner in this category.
 

 

Learn more about the *venture x*.

 

Authorized Users

There are many reasons why adding an authorized user to your account makes good sense.

Perhaps you and a spouse share expenses and paying all your bills with one account is easiest for your bookkeeping. Or maybe you're trying to earn a big welcome offer and having someone else put their every day expenses on your account is the extra push you need.

One of the biggest, and best, reasons for adding authorized users to your account is to extend the many great travel benefits and perks that come with these cards to a friend or family member.

 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The regular Capital One Venture card doesn't charge a fee for additional authorized users. But that's pretty commonplace among cards with a low (or no) annual fee and adding an authorized user doesn't pass along any noteworthy benefits.

 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

In a world where adding authorized users to a premium travel rewards card usually means forking over even more money on top of an already steep annual fee, Capital One broke the mold.

Shockingly, you can add up to four authorized users to your Venture X Card at no additional cost. Better yet, those authorized users will get their own lounge memberships to be used regardless of whether or not their traveling with the main cardholder.

That's simply unheard of in the world of premium travel credit cards.

Take, for example, *amex platinum* which has an annual fee of $695 each year (see rates & fees). But if you want to add an authorized user, that will set you back another $195 each year, per card.

Then there's also the *chase sapphire reserve* which has an annual fee of $550. If you want to add an authorized user, that will cost an additional $75 each year.

Being able to add up to four authorized users without paying a single cent more is a big reason why we feel that Venture X is the best card for traveling families.

 

Winner: Which Card is Best for Authorized Users?

Even though both cards waive authorized user fees, we're giving the edge to Venture X in this category as authorized users get far more benefits – including their own lounge memberships.
 

 

Learn more about the *venture x*.

 

Bottom Line

By the numbers, the Venture X card takes five categories, while the regular Venture Card takes two, and one ends in a draw.

But every traveler can – and should – weigh each of these categories differently. If you don't care about lounge access and think you might have a hard time using up the annual $300 travel credit on the Venture X, the regular Venture card might be a better option – especially with its big bonus!

At the end of the day, both cards are really solid options and some of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market.