Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
When considering credit cards to maximize miles for free vacations, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card are two prominent options. Both cards offer valuable rewards, travel perks, and flexible redemption options, but they cater to different types of travelers. Let’s break down the differences to help you decide which card aligns best with your travel goals.
If you are trying to decide what Capital One Credit Card to open this is the post for you! We will break down the perks, fees, and more of each card, so you can make your decision with confidence. These are two of my favorite cards to have in my wallet!
Annual Fees and Credits
Capital One Venture Rewards Card
- Annual Fee: $95
- No automatic annual travel credits
Capital One Venture X Card
- Annual Fee: $395
- $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100) every account anniversary
Analysis: While the Venture X has a significantly higher annual fee, its travel credits and anniversary bonus miles effectively reduce its cost to $95 per year if you use these perks. If you can use the annual travel credit through Capital One Travel, the Venture X becomes a cost-effective option. We usually use this credit by booking a rental car or a hotel that we don't have miles for.
Earning Rates
Capital One Venture Rewards Card
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Capital One Venture X Card
- 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
The earning rate of 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases is truly the biggest highlight of these cards. This is a card I always have in my wallet. When I'm not working on a minimum spend on a new card I will swipe this card 95% of the times because it doesn't require anything thinking. I don't have to know if the stores have 3X on dining etc. This also helps you earn miles super fast!
Analysis: If you book flights, hotels, or car rentals through Capital One Travel, the Venture X offers significantly higher earning rates. However, both cards provide 2X miles on all other purchases, making them strong options for everyday spending. In my opinion the earning rates are not the deciding factor on which card to open.
Welcome Bonuses
Both cards have a standard welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months.
- Value of 75,000 miles: Can be redeemed for $750 worth of travel through Capital One Travel or more than 15 transfer partners for potentially greater value.
Analysis: Since both cards offer the same welcome bonus, choosing between them comes down to the long-term value of perks and earning potential.
Travel Benefits
Capital One Venture Rewards Card
- Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
- Two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges
- Standard travel protections and rental car insurance (secondary coverage)
Capital One Venture X Card
- Unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Lounges for the cardholder and two guests
- Priority Pass membership, granting access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
- Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
- Primary rental car insurance coverage when renting with the card
- Cell phone protection up to $800 when the bill is paid with the card
- Trip delay reimbursement, lost baggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Analysis: If you frequently travel and value lounge access, rental car insurance, and additional travel protections, the Venture X offers superior benefits. The unlimited lounge access alone can offset the annual fee for those who fly multiple times a year. This is what I think is the deciding factor when choosing between these two cards. If you want to lounge access for your family the Capital One Venture X Card is the hands down winner. If this is not important then I would go with the Capital One Venture Credit Card. Make sure to look at Priority Pass and what lounges they offer in the your most frequented airports. There are not lounges to use in every airport!
Redemption Options
Both cards offer flexible redemption options, including:
- Booking travel through Capital One Travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile
- Transferring miles to more than 15 transfer partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, Virgin Red and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. We often transfer to Virgin Red to book Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic Airlines because they are in an alliance together. You can also transfer to Flying Blue and book Delta flights!
- Redeeming miles to reimburse yourself against travel purchases made within the last 90 days. This is great for vacation rental stays you can't pay with miles or tickets to Disney!
- Using miles for gift cards, shopping, or cash back (not the best value)
Capital One Venture and Venture X transfer partners include:
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan®
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- EVA Air
- Finnair Plus
- Flying Blue
- JetBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Atlantic
- Choice Privileges®
- Wyndham Rewards
- Accor Live Limitless (ALL)
Analysis: Both cards provide excellent flexibility for redeeming miles. However, if you transfer miles to airline partners, you can often get greater than 1 cent per mile in value when booking premium-class flights.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Choose the Capital One Venture Rewards Card if:
✔️ You want a lower annual fee ($95)
✔️ You prefer simple earning (2X miles on all purchases)
✔️ You don’t need extensive travel perks like lounge access or rental car insurance
✔️ You want occasional lounge access (two visits per year)
✔️ Complimentary Hertz 5 Star Status
💳 Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card HERE!
Choose the Capital One Venture X Card if:
✔️ You frequently travel and will use Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass access. This is the BIGGEST feature of this card. Free unlimited airport lounge access to ALL Capital One Lounges and 1300+ Priority Pass Lounges worldwide. Each user not only gets in but they can bring in up to two guests each. Many people add their children as an Authorized User so they can bring in two guests which is perfect if you have a larger family!
✔️ You want higher earning rates (10X on hotels and rental cars, 5X on flights)
✔️ You can take advantage of the $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles
✔️ You want premium travel protections, such as trip insurance and primary rental car coverage. The Venture X card is a Visa Infinite card, so it offers a variety of REALLY robust and valuable travel protections, such as lost luggage reimbursement, primary auto rental collision damage waiver, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, trip delay reimbursement and baggage delay insurance. Even just paying the taxes on a flight booked with points activates these insurance benefits!
✔️ In addition to the access to the Lifestyle Collection (a curated collection of vibrant hotels and vacation rentals), Venture X cardholders can also book stays at luxury hotels, resorts and vacation rentals from the Premier Collection. This includes a $100 experience credit to use on every stay and other premium benefits like daily breakfast for two at hotels.
✔️Cell Phone Protection – If you pay your cell phone bill with the Venture X card, you will receive complimentary cell phone protection (applies to all lines on the bill!). You get $800 of coverage (up to the value of your phone) if your cell phone is stolen or damaged. Drop the coverage on your cell phone plan and use this instead. This credit card can save you money!
✔️Hertz President’s Circle Status: The primary card member and authorized users can sign up for this status here. This status allows you to skip the counter and get guaranteed upgrades!
✔️Extended Warranty Protection: Get an additional year of warranty protection for free on eligible items that are purchased with your Venture X card!
💳 Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card HERE!
Tips for Applying
Capital One can be a bit picky when it comes to approving credit card applications. This can be true even if you have a high credit score. One thing they are super sensitive to is a lot of recent applications in the last 6 months. This is why I suggest going for one of these credit cards at the beginning of your journey so you make sure you can have one in your wallet for that coveted 2X earning on all purchases.
One big tip is to FREEZE your Experian Credit report before applying for one of these cards. You can do this for FREE online HERE. This worked for me when I was applying for their Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
You can hold BOTH of these cards, but you need to space out applications at least 6 months.
Another thing of note is you can only refer Venture to Venture and X to X, so keep that in mind if you are leveraging player 1 and 2 mode. Keep in mind you can only earn a referral bonus for NEW Capital One Card members.
Wrap Up
If you seek premium travel benefits, such as comprehensive lounge access, annual travel credits, and enhanced earning rates on travel bookings, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers substantial value that can outweigh its higher annual fee. However, if you prefer a lower annual fee while still earning strong rewards on everyday spending and occasional travel, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card remains a solid choice.
Ultimately, your choice depends on your travel habits and whether you can fully utilize the premium benefits offered by the Venture X. Either way, both cards provide excellent opportunities to earn miles for free vacations, making them great additions to any traveler’s wallet.
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
The comments section below is 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 questions are answered.
