Capital One Venture vs. Venture X Credit Card Comparison

On one hand, we have the well-established Capital One Venture Rewards card. On the other—the new and premium Capital One Venture X Rewards card.

Old is gold or new is glitter—and which one’s the best pick for you?

Let’s find out—

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Capital One Venture vs. Venture X: Broad Overview

Capital One Venture and Venture X are travel rewards credit cards catering to folks with excellent credit scores.

Here’s a broad overview of how they compare:

Want more details? Let’s take a closer look at both cards separately:

Capital One Venture Credit Card Overview

Capital One Venture card—pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Pros—what we like

Rewards rate

Most fancy airline cards only give you one point for every dollar you spend unless you’re buying directly from the airline. 

But the benefits of Capital One Venture card are different. 

You’ll earn five miles for every dollar you drop on hotels and car rentals through Capital One Travel. 

You’ll also keep racking up two miles for every dollar you spend on anything else. 

Generous sign-up bonus

Get a head start on your next trip with the Capital One Venture card. 

New cardholders can score a welcome bonus: Spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of opening your account, and you’ll bag a one time reward of 75,000 miles. 

That’s an extra $750 to spend on travel.

Airport lounge access

Capital One Venture card travel benefits include two free visits per year to Capital One Lounge locations or a partnering Plaza Premium Lounge. 

The fun doesn’t stop there—once you’ve used up your freebies, you can access these lounges for just $45 per visit.

Flexible redemption options

Capital One’s rewards program unlocks a new world of travel possibilities. 

Here are some ways you can use your miles for travel:

• Get a statement credit: You can book your travel however you like and then use your miles to get a credit on your statement to cover some or all of the cost. 

Each mile is worth one cent when you redeem them (and there’s no minimum amount required). That’s a big plus compared to other cards that make you redeem a minimum of $100 or more. 

You can redeem anything that Capital One considers as travel: flights, hotels, rail lines, car rentals, limousines, buses, cruises, taxis, travel agents, and more. 

• Use the issuer’s travel center: Capital One’s online portal offers flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages. You can use your miles to pay upfront, with each mile valued at one cent. So you can take your dream vacation without spending a dime.
• Transfer miles to partners: Capital One also lets you transfer your miles to the loyalty programs of various airlines and hotels. 

No foreign transaction fees

Wondering what makes the Capital One Venture card your ideal travel partner? The card comes with a $0 foreign transaction fee when making purchases outside of the US.

That’s an awesome perk to have.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit

Get a cool $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. You can claim this credit once every four years. 

Make sure to use your Venture card when you apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and pay the respective application fee ($100 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck®). 

You’ll receive a statement credit once you’re approved.

Capital One Venture card travel benefits

The Venture credit card also gives you travel benefits like rental car coverage, travel accident insurance, and round-the-clock travel assistance services if your card is lost.

Wondering if other cards offer the same features? Check out our full list of the top travel credit cards.

Cons—what to keep in mind

Credit score requirement

You’ll need a high credit standing (ideally between a FICO credit score of 690 to 850) to qualify for this card. 

Check your credit score using Credit Karma to see if you qualify.

Find out more about credit score ranges.

Capital One Venture annual fee

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with a $95 annual fee, which is pretty standard for travel credit cards. 

But this isn’t great news if you’re looking to save on credit card expenses.

High APR

Just like most rewards cards, the Capital One Venture has a pretty steep APR.

Cconsidering your credit standing, you’re probably going to get a higher rate than the average. 

In any case, it’s a good idea to avoid carrying a balance from month to month with this card.

Learn more about what a good APR looks like.

Poor cashback option

Thinking of using your miles for cash back or a statement credit on non-travel purchases? 

This could pose a problem if you’re not a frequent traveler and you’d rather convert your rewards into actual cash.

For better cashback options, check out our full ranking of the best cashback credit cards.

Useful links

Visit the Venture credit card sign-in page.

See the cardholder agreement to learn more about the card.

Read the FAQ section to learn more about credit card rewards.

Download the Capital One mobile app for Android or iOS.

Get to know your rights on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website.

Use our free credit card payoff calculator.

Capital One Venture X Overview

Capital One Venture X card—pros & cons

Pros

Cons

Pros—What we like

Great intro offer

Similar to the Venture Rewards card, if you spend $4,000 on the Capital One Venture X card during the first three months of opening your account, you’ll get an extra 75,000 miles. 

Rewards program

You can maximize your earning potential with the Capital One Venture X Rewards card. 

This card offers generous mileage rewards ranging from 2x to 10x, depending on where you spend:

• Earn an impressive 10x miles when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.
• Enjoy 5x miles when you book flights through Capital One Travel.
• Get 2x miles on all your other purchases.

Capital One Venture 10000 bonus miles

In exchange for your loyalty, you get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100) every single year, starting on your first anniversary. 

Airport lounge access

Get the ultimate airport lounge experience with Venture X: You’ll have access to a whopping 1,300+ airport lounges all around the world.

As a Venture X® cardholder, you’ll score a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, along with the exclusive Capital One Lounge (which comes with two free guest passes every year). 

Right now, you can enjoy the Capital One Lounge at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). 

Two additional lounges are arriving soon at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) outside Washington, D.C.

Annual travel credit

Offset your travel expenses with a $300 travel credit applied to eligible purchases. (This offer is only applicable if you book through Capital One Travel.)

Venture X TSA PreCheck® credit

Just like the Capital Venture card, Venture X gives you a $100 credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® so you can breeze through airport security.

Capital One Venture X foreign transaction fee

You can also travel worry-free overseas, as you won’t spend extra money on foreign transactions.

Cons—What to keep in mind

Excellent credit score requirement

As with some of the best travel credit cards, Capital One requires you to have an excellent credit score (720+) to qualify for it. 

Anything less than that, and you may face a rejection. 

If your score isn’t there yet, explore ways in which you can increase your credit score.

Meanwhile, you can still get a great rewards credit card like the Capital One QuicksilverOne if you have a fair to good credit score.

High annual fee

The Capital One Venture X card has a high annual fee of $395. This may be more than what some cardholders are used to paying.

But if you’re a frequent traveler and can make the most of the rewards, this fee can easily pay for itself. 

This equation doesn’t consider intangible perks like the value your authorized users can get, the complimentary food at lounges, or the money saved through purchase protections.

Of course, these benefits only matter if you use the card correctly.

High APR

Like most top travel cards, Venture X has high-interest rates that may add up quickly if you don’t pay off the balance in full each month.

Lack of reward partners 

If you’re the type to squeeze every penny out of rewards programs, Venture X’s transfer partner list may interest you. 

But keep in mind that only a handful of airlines (none of them American) and a few hotels (Marriott, Hyatt, InterContinental) get in on the action—so unless you stick with just those, you may not make the most of your mileage transfers.

Capital One Venture X card—Useful links

See the cardholder agreement to learn more about the card.

Download the Capital One mobile app for Android or iOS.

Read up on your rights on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website.

Use our free credit card payoff calculator.

Capital One Venture vs. Venture X Credit Cards Comparison

Let’s get a clearer picture by comparing both cards on the following:

• Fees and rates
• Rewards
• Benefits
• Approval rates
• Online customer reviews

Capital One Venture vs. Venture X—fees and rates

Here are the key rates and fees for both cards:

The $95 annual fee is tipping scales in favor of the Capital One Venture card here.

Capital One Venture vs. Venture X—rewards

Now, let’s compare the rewards:

The Capital One Venture X card beats out the Capital One Venture since it offers a higher rewards rate on travel purchases, including flights.

Capital One Venture vs Venture X—benefits

Here’s a closer look at all the perks:

The Capital One Venture X card takes home another win because of the sheer number of additional perks it offers. 

Capital One Venture vs. Venture X—approval rates

Approval rates for the Capital One Venture and Venture X cards boil down to your credit score.

While for the Capital One Venture card you need to have a good credit score of 670+, the Capital One Venture X card demands an excellent credit score of 720+. 

This makes the Venture X card more difficult to qualify for. 

A solid credit history and responsible financial habits will surely tip the scales in your favor.

Read more:

Capital One Venture vs. Venture X—online customer reviews

Here’s a quick look at some insightful customer reviews:

“Capital One Venture is a great card if you always pay the balance in full. I signed up when it was a 100,000 sign-up bonus, but the 75,000 bonus it has now is still an attractive offer. Also, there’s no category to memorize, so just use it as your workhorse card and earn 2% on everything.”

“Capital One Venture is an easy card to acquire with a good credit score. The points program is easy to understand. Plus, the Capital One app is super helpful.”

“Capital One Venture X is the most exciting card to hit the market in some time! This Visa Infinite powerhouse has benefits that are up there with Amex, Chase & Citi Prestige. Approved today with a great starting limit, and I am looking forward to taking this card for a drive.”

Cards Comparison—Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Let’s up the comparison game and weigh the Capital One credit cards against the Chase Sapphire Reserve card:

Top Alternatives for the Capital One Venture Card

Let’s see how the Capital One Venture card compares to other rewards and travel cards—

Capital One VentureOne vs. Venture

Here’s how the Capital One Venture card compares to the no-annual-fee VentureOne card:

Capital One Venture vs. Discover it Miles

Is the Discover it Miles card better than the Capital One Venture card?

Let’s find out:

Top Alternatives for the Capital One Venture X

Let’s check how the Capital One Venture X card compares to other rewards and travel cards—

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture X

Here’s how the Capital One Venture X weighs against the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card:

Capital One Venture X vs Amex Platinum

Wondering how the Capital One card compares to Amex’s best offering? 

Let’s see:

Want to compare this credit card to more options from Amex? Check out our detailed comparison of Capital One Venture X vs. Amex Gold—

Capital One Venture vs. Venture X—Which One To Choose?

When comparing the Capital One Venture with the Capital One Venture X, you’ll notice that both travel rewards cards give you 2x miles for every dollar you spend, with no limits. 

They also reward you for booking hotels and car rentals through Capital One Travel. 

However, Venture X goes the extra mile by giving you 10x miles on these purchases, while Venture gives you 5x miles. 

Additionally, Venture X offers 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, which Venture doesn’t have.

When you consider the 75,000-mile introductory offer (when you spend $4,000 in the first three months), up to $300 statement credit for travel purchases, and the 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary, the Venture X card delivers more value. 

But if you’re not keen on paying a higher annual fee, the Venture Card might be a better fit for you.