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Among Capital One’s growing collection of credit cards, its Venture portfolio is geared towards travelers seeking to earn bonus miles on hotel and flight bookings, burn miles on travel redemptions, and receive perks for upcoming journeys along the way. The portfolio consists of three cards at various different prices points, including the no annual fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, the $95 per year Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and the $395 per year Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, the card issuer’s most premium product to date.
All three of Capital One’s Venture cards are solid options, but choosing which one is best for you comes down to personal preference and how you travel. Each offers generous reward rates—even on everyday purchases—and strong welcome bonuses, but the Venture and Venture X also include benefits like airport lounge access and statement credits that more than offset the annual fees. Here’s how to decide which Capital One Venture credit card is right for you.
Earning miles with Capital One Venture credit cards
Currently, each Capital One Venture credit card is courting new cardholders with generous introductory offers. The VentureOne is offering 20,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases within three months. For a limited time only, the Venture Rewards offers $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first year as a cardholder, with the opportunity to earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening. The Venture X Rewards offers 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening.
Beyond these initial boosts, it’s easy to rack up miles quickly with the cards’ earning structures. Unlike competing travel cards by AmEx and Chase, everyday spending is always rewarded above the typical one mile per dollar spent. But like AmEx and Chase, travel purchases result in significant bonus miles when booked through the credit card’s travel platform. Here are the cards’ straightforward earning structures.
| Hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | Flights booked through Capital One Travel | All other purchases | |
| VentureOne | 5 miles per dollar spent | 1.25 miles per dollar spent | 1.25 miles per dollar spent |
| Venture | 5 miles per dollar spent | 2 miles per dollar spent | 2 miles per dollar spent |
| Venture X | 10 miles per dollar spent | 5 miles per dollar spent | 2 miles per dollar spent |
Once miles are accrued, they can be used at a rate of one cent per mile (e.g., 20,000 miles = $200) to reimburse travel purchases or to book a trip through Capital One Travel. Miles can also be transferred to more than 15 other travel loyalty programs, including Air Canada - Aeroplan and Air France/KLM Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio. They never expire for the life of the account.
Differences between Capital One’s Venture credit cards
Though the names are similar—VentureOne, Venture, and Venture X—the difference between these credit cards lies in the annual fee ($0, $95, and $395 respectively) and travel perks and benefits like airport lounge access.
Airport lounge access
The VentureOne does not provide lounge access while the Venture grants two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network. Meanwhile, the Venture X includes unlimited complimentary access to the cardholder plus two guests at Capital One Lounges. In addition, Venture X cardholders receive a Priority Pass Membership, and the ability to access 1,300+ lounges in the Priority Pass network (including those 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges).
Hotel benefits
Venture and Venture X cards offer access to Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection, a portfolio of design-forward boutique hotels that includes perks like $50 experience credits per stay and space-available room upgrades. Venture X cardholders also have access to the Capital One Premier Collection, a highly curated selection of luxury hotels and resorts globally, at which cardholders are privy to benefits like $100 experience credits per stay and daily breakfast for two.
Global Entry and TSA PreCheck
Both the Venture and Venture X provide statement credits up to a $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.
Annual credits
Venture X cardholders can get $300 in credits each calendar year when booking travel through Capital One Travel. This effectively reduces the annual fee to $95, which is the same as the Venture but with a lot more travel perks.
The three Ventures
To summarize, below are the three Venture cards with the most pertinent information and benefits.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
This entry level Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has a solid welcome offer for a card with no annual fee plus an enticing bonus multiplier on everyday purchases.
- Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 miles after spending $500 within the first three months of account opening.
- Annual fee: $0
- Earnings points: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles per dollar spent on everything else
- Credits: None
- Lounge access: None
- Hotel benefits: None
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
This mid-tier Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers just enough travel perks for the casual traveler but currently flaunts an impressive introductory bonus.
- Welcome offer: For a limited time only, get $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first year as a cardholder, and earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within three months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $95
- Earn points: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on everything else
- Credits: Up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
- Lounge access: Two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges
- Hotel benefits: Access to the Lifestyle Collection
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the most premium personal credit card Capital One offers, with the benefits to match.
- Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $395
- Earn points: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel. All other purchases earn 2 miles per dollar spent.
- Credits: When booking through Capital One Travel, receive $300 in credits each calendar year. Get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit once every four years (up to $100). Receive an annual 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary.
- Lounge access: Access Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Plaza Premium lounges at airports.
- Hotel benefits: Access to the Lifestyle Collection and Premier Collection
Which card to choose and why apply now
Thanks to strong welcome bonuses, it’s a great time to apply for any of the Capital One Venture cards. Which one you choose depends on how much you value the earnings structure and primary benefits versus the annual fee. We prefer the higher-end Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for its numerous perks and credits: it pays for itself through credits, benefits, lounge access, and a rewarding earnings structure while also offering flexibility in redeeming points. Yet for most, it makes sense to start with Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which carries a nominal $95 annual fee but still yields $1,000 in travel value with its welcome bonus and some degree of airport lounge access and hotel benefits.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
