When you take the top two travel credit cards from one of the best credit card companies you have a great battle between the Capital One Venture X vs Venture Card. Both cards took the market by storm when they were released and haven’t looked back. Between the base rewards miles that they earn, to bonus miles, added perks and benefits, plus more they both are a sure bet if you are in the market for a travel rewards credit card. And we also forgot to mention the Capital One Travel Portal that you can utilize with both of these cards as well.
So let’s go ahead and break down each card and see how they stack up against each other in the this showdown of the Capital One Venture X vs Venture Card.
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By Matthew Coan
Let’s start with the Capital One Venture X card. There is a signup bonus available of 75,000 bonus miles. Which can be equal to up to $750 when used to redeem other travel related costs.
You also get an annual $300 statement credit for bookings made through Capital Ones Travel website. Along with 10,000 bonus miles starting on your first year anniversary.
Earning power is robust too. With 10x miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One travel and 5x miles on flights booked through there as well.
And after that you will earn 2x miles on all other purchases.
Included benefits involve complimentary access to over 1,300+ airport lounges including Capital One’s very own lounge. And a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck®.
There is an annual fee of $395 for the Capital One Venture X card.
Next we move onto the Capital One Venture Card. It’s signup bonus is 75,000 miles which is equal to $750 when used to redeem travel related expenses.
After that you will earn 2x miles on every purchase that you make with the opportunity to earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars that are booked through Capital One Travel site.
You get included benefits such as $100 statement for TSA Precheck® or Global Entry and two complimentary visits to over 100+ airport lounges included Capital One branded lounge.
There is an annual fee for the Capital One Venture Card of $95.
Capital One Venture X Review
We will start with the wiser sibling of the two. The Capital One Venture X has tons of included benefits and features and a lot of miles rewards earning power as well. It does come with a hefty annual fee, but if you can maximize everything that comes with it then it will be worth it.
Key Features
- 75,000 miles signup bonus
- $300 annual statement for bookings made through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus anniversary miles after your first year
- 10x miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
- Access to over 1,300+ airport lounges
- Anniversary bonus miles
- $100 TSA Precheck® or Global Entry credit
- No foreign transaction fees
As you can see the Venture X is one of the top travel credit cards available when it comes to miles earning power and included perks and benefits. The key is being able to make the high annual fee worth it. And you can easily do so if you take advantage of everything that is available to you. Frequent travelers will be sure to find a ton of value in the Capital One Venture X.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Review
We refer to the Venture Card as the younger sibling to the Venture X but that does mean that it doesn’t come with some awesome rewards and features. It has actually been around a lot longer and has long been one of the best travel credit cards available, for hard core travelers and even people who travel less frequently. This is mainly due to its ease of use and miles earning ability.
Key Features
- 75,000 miles signup bonus
- 2x miles on all purchases
- 5x miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- $100 TSA Precheck® or Global Entry credit
- Two annual complimentary passes to Capital One lounges located in various airports throughout the country
As you can see with the lower annual fee comes a lot less perks and benefits but the might be perfect for someone who doesn’t travel very often. But still looks forward to their trips every year. It still earns the same base rewards rate as the Venture X card and also has some of it’s benefits as well.
Now let’s break down the main aspects of each card and see which one comes out ahead in this matchup of the Capital One Venture X vs Venture Card.
Capital One Venture X vs Venture: Signup Bonus Offer
Signup bonus comparisons are hard to gauge because they can change often depending on what the current issuer decides on. It is also important to note that just because the Venture X has a higher annual fee, and more perks and benefits, does not necessarily mean it always has the higher welcome bonus. So be sure to check the latest up to date offers for each of these cards through our Best Travel Rewards Credit cards page to know what you are getting before you apply.
Winner: Tie
Opportunity To Earn Bonus Miles
While both of these cards earn an excellent base rate on everyday purchases the Venture X card has a higher bonus miles rate on specific travel purchases made through the Capital One Travel Portal. If you think that is something you are going to utilize, then the Venture X is worth it because if the higher level of miles you can earn.
It is important to note that the Capital One Travel portal is considered a third party booking site. So while you can find great deals there, if you are chasing elite status at certain brands you won’t be given credit for bookings make through Capitals One site. In most cases you need to book direct to earn credit that can be used towards status levels at most brands.
Winner: Capital One Venture X
Capital One Venture X vs Venture Included Benefits
Usually with a higher annual fee you get a lot more benefits. With the Capital One Venture X vs Venture battle this is the case. The Venture card does have some included benefits that are great but no where near what the Venture X card offers. With airport lounge access, annual travel credit, and more you will sure find more value if you take advantage of them.
This category is a no brainer and is usually the case with a premium travel card having the edge when it comes to included benefits.
Winner: Capital One Venture X
Annual Fee
For some people an annual fee is what usually sways them one way or the other when it comes to choosing which credit card they want. While there isn’t too much to digest here, you do have to consider the value you get when paying an annual fee. But if you are someone who looks at annual fee then the clear winner here is easy based on which one offers the lower annual fee.
Winner: Capital One Venture
Statement Credits
If it is statement credits that you are looking for then you are in luck because both of these cards offer them. Although one offers more than the other. While the Venture Card offers a statement credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry that is where your statement credits end. On the other hand the Venture X card comes with another statement credit that might be more appealing.
With the Venture X card not only do you get a statement credit for TSA Precheck/Global Entry you will also get an annual travel statement credit for purchases made through the Capital One Travel site. This can be a big win because it greatly helps offset the elevated annual fee that the Venture X has over the Venture Card.
You also get to take advantage of the great prices that Capital One offers through their travel site as well.
Winner Capital One Venture X
Capital One Lounges
Capital One has created their own branded airport lounges in which you can have access to them with both of these credit card options. Although one comes out ahead of the other as far as unlimited access. With the Venture Card you get 2 annual passes that you can use at any of the Capital One Lounges.
With the Venture X you get unlimited access to the Capital One Lounges that you can visit at any of their locations while you are traveling. This is a huge travel benefit especially if you travel frequently. Nothing makes a long layover better than being able to relax in a nice airport lounge while enjoying a hot meal.
Another benefit that comes with the Venture X card that can help offset its higher annual fee.
If it is the higher annual fee of the Venture X that is making your decision hard, and you don’t travel more than 2 times a year, than the Venture Card is still a great option. With 2 free Capital One Lounge passes a year you will more than make up for the annual fee that comes with it and enjoy some rest and relaxation on your next trip as well.
Winner: Venture X
Transfer Partners
With both of these cards boasting a Capital One logo you get to take advantage of the transfer partners in their portfolio. These are select airlines where you can transfer your Capital One miles over to their frequent flyer mile programs. This is also where, with a little extra legwork, you can find sweet deals as well.
If a Capital One transfer partner is offering rewards trips for less frequent flyer miles than what it would cost with normal Capital One miles, then you can greatly elevate the value of your Capital One miles by transferring them over. It will take a little research but could be well worth it in terms of the savings that you will get.
Here are the current transfer partners where you can get a 1:1 transfer ratio.
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Aeroplan®
- Asia Miles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Choice Privileges®2
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Finnair Plus
- Flying Blue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red
Reward Redemption Options
Just because you are comparing two cards from the same issuer does not mean that the redemption options are the same. But with the Capital One Venture X vs Venture card this is not the case. The both have the exact same redemption capabilities. Which is great because it makes your decision when choosing between the two a little easier since there is no difference.
You can use the miles that you earn to cover virtually any travel related expense you have to maximizes their value. While there are other redemption options we don’t recommend them because it greatly devalues their worth. And the best part is there is no restrictions on what travel expense you can use your miles to cover. Book on any website, any airline, hotel, rental car, etc, anytime you want. There are no blackout dates or restrictions.
And you can use your miles to cover part of, or the entire amount of what you chose to cover. Capital One has even expanded their travel partner options to include even more brands where you can transfer your miles to their loyalty programs and possible get even more value out of them. These transfer partners include some big name brands in the hotel and airline business.
Winner: Tie
Alternatives
While the Capital One Venture and Venture X cards are great options when it comes to travel credit cards, there are alternatives that you should take into consideration as well. As with anything in a competitive market there are plenty of options for consumers to choose from. If you are in the market for a travel credit card then here are some other options to consider.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a direct competitor to the Capital One Venture X card so you can expect some of the same benefits along with a high annual fee as well.
Key Features
- Base level rewards on every dollar that you spend
- Bonus rewards when you book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal
- Bonus rewards when you spend in certain categories
- Great signup bonus opportunity
- Annual credit that can be used on any travel purchases booked through any travel medium
- Airport lounge access
- High annual fee
- and more
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Widely considered as the best premium travel credit card. The Amex Platinum card comes with a ton of features and benefits but also one of the highest annual fees around. If you are a serious traveler then this card is worth looking into.
Key Features
- Excellent signup bonus opportunity
- Bonus points when travel is booked through certain mediums
- Statement credit for certain travel bookings
- Airport lounge access
- Airline fee credits
- CLEAR® membership credits
- High annual fee
- And more
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
One of the direct competitors to the Capital One Venture card. It comes with a lower annual fee than the higher class travel credit cards but also comes with less benefits and features. Overall a great travel credit card for someone who travels but not on a frequent basis.
Key Features
- Great signup bonus that you can take advantage of
- Bonus rewards on travel purchases made through the Chase Ultimate rewards portal
- Rewards get an increase in value when used through the Chase Ultimate rewards portal
- Industry standard annual fee for travel cards at this level
- And more
Capital One Venture X vs Venture Conclusion
All in all both of these cards are amazing options when it comes to choosing a travel credit card. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or you just do a couple trips per year you should certainly be able to find an option that works for you. As far as a credit card issuer is concerned Capital One is always one of the best options you can get.
If you are a veteran traveler then the Capital One Venture X card is something worth taking a look at at. With all of its great benefits, its rewards earning capability, and more you are certainly able to find value in it. Even with is high annual fee.
Then the Capital One Venture card can provide plenty of value even if you only travel a few times a year. Because of its elevated miles earnings power on every dollar you spend you can be sure to find huge benefits to help offset your future travel expenses. While it may not be as packed as the Venture X card it does have some additional benefits that can be a great value as well.
One thing to not forget is that both of these cards have great airline and hotel partners that you can transfer your rewards miles to and unlock even more value beyond what you already get.
All in all we think that you can not go wrong with either of these travel credit cards. It is no wonder both of them are at the top of many peoples lists of the best travel credit cards and rightfully so.
We want to thank you for taking the time to read our article on the Capital One Venture X vs Venture article. We take a lot of time so that you can have the best information possible to find the perfect credit card for you. Here at Casavvy we want to do the research for you so that you can spend more time traveling and less time researching credit cards.
Thank you again for your trust and we hope your future is packed with lots of great travel memories and hopefully savings that you got from your next travel credit card.
About the author: Matthew Coan is the founder of Casavvy and a credit card expert. He has appeared in various media outlets including Yahoo Finance, Credit Karma, Market Watch, Mens Journal, and more. Continue reading
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