Venture, Venture One or Venture X: Which Is Right for You?
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Capital One offers three travel rewards credit cards, VentureOne, Venture Rewards and Venture X. You can rack up airline miles with all three cards. But which one is right for your wallet?
That largely depends on how comfortable you are with paying for a credit card. The Venture Rewards and Venture X cards each charge an annual fee. But while these cards aren't free, they come with bigger welcome bonuses and a higher rewards rate.
Determining which Venture card is the right fit for you comes down to whether you're more committed to racking up miles quickly or avoiding annual fees.
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The three Venture cards
Capital One’s three venture cards are:
- The Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit card, which charges no annual fee
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which charges an annual fee of $95
- The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which comes with an annual fee of $395
You might think that an annual fee of $0 is steep. You might even balk at paying a fee of $95 every year. But both the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card credit cards come with more generous rewards programs, which means you can rack up free flights quicker. They also come with lucrative welcome offers that can provide a quick influx of miles depending on how often you charge purchases.
Depending on your spending habits and how frequently you fly, you could generate enough rewards to easily cover your annual fee each year, even with the more expensive Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. But if you don’t travel often and you just want a simple credit card that allows you to earn points quickly with every purchase? The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card might be the better choice.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Card Name
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
20,000 Miles
Special Offer Terms
once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Rewards Rate
1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Terms
Why We Like It
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Miles never expire and there is no limit to miles earned.
- Over 15 travel loyalty programs where you can transfer your miles.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Card Name
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Limited-time offer: For a limited time, earn 75,000 Miles
Special Offer Terms
once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
Rewards Rate
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Terms
Why We Like It
- 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, which is equivalent to $750 in travel
- You can earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Card Name
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent
Annual Fee
$395
Special Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles
Special Offer Terms
when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards Rate
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Very generous bonus offer.
- Generous bonus miles on your account anniversary.
- High unlimited miles earning potential on hotels, rental cars and flights booked through Capital One Travel.
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to more than 1,400 lounges
- Up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Additional perks
Each of the Venture cards offers travel perks. But, as expected, the cards with annual fees offer more.
Here is a look at the travel benefits you’ll receive with each card.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: With the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card you won't be charged any foreign transaction fees. You'll also be covered for damages to a rental car because of collision or theft if you pay for your rental car with your card.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card also offers travel accident insurance, extended warranty protection and Capital One Shopping, an online shopping tool that automatically applies coupon codes to purchases you make with your card.
You can also transfer any miles you earn to more than 15 airline and hotel travel partners.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you'll get the same perks as the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card plus some additional benefits. This includes two free visits every year to Capital One or partner airport lounges; a credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, which can make traveling through airport security lines faster; and 24-hour travel assistance services.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with all the perks of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, but also offers cell phone protection, in which Capital One will reimburse you up to $800 if your cell phone is stolen or damaged if you pay your monthly bill with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card; a referral bonus of up to 100,000 bonus points whenever a friend or family member you recommend is approved for theCapital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card; and unlimited access for you and two guests to more than 1,300 airport lounges.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Which card is best for you?
Which Venture card should you add to your wallet? That depends on your spending and travel habits.
If you want a simple card you don’t have to pay for: Choose the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. The card’s rewards program is as simple as it gets: You’ll earn miles for every purchase. And because the card doesn’t charge an annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is free. It’s a smart choice if you fly only once or twice a year and generally vacation in the United States. Depending on how often you use your card, it should be fairly easy to earn enough miles for free domestic flights.
If you travel more frequently and don’t mind a smaller annual fee: If you fly regularly, and you often take international trips, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. has a simple rewards program in which you earn more miles for every dollar you charge than the entry-level card. It also awards extra miles for every dollar you charge when booking hotel rooms or rental cars through Capital One Travel. It also offers an enticing welcome bonus. And that $0 annual fee isn’t overly expensive. If you make enough purchases with your card, you’ll quickly cover that fee each year.
If you book a lot of flights and hotels and you want the most perks: It’s time to pay that higher $395 annual fee and choose the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This card’s rewards program is especially impressive with the amount of miles it provides every time you spend. If you regularly book flights and hotels through Capital One, you’ll quickly earn enough free miles to cover that annual fee each year.
And if you spend a lot of time traveling, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with perks designed to make your travels easier, such as credit statements for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, free access to airport lounges, travel insurance and 24-hour travel assistance. It also comes with a valuable annual travel credit, a perk especially useful if you travel several times a year.
The bottom line
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card credit cards from Capital One are all valuable additions to your wallet. They each come with simple but lucrative rewards programs, solid welcome offers, and travel perks.
That can make choosing the right Venture card tricky. But here’s a simple rule: The best card for you depends largely on how much you travel.
If you travel occasionally but not regularly, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a good choice. If you travel two or three times each year, including to international destinations, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a smart choice. And if you’re booking hotels, flights, and rental cars several times a year and frequently jetting to international cities? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a smart choice for your wallet.
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Writer
Dan Rafter is a freelance writer who has more than 20 years experience covering personal finance. He's written for the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Bankrate, CreditCards.com, Rocket Mortgage, NortonLifeLock and several others.
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