Capital One’s range of travel credit cards makes it easier to choose a card that fits your budget and lifestyle. There are three consumer cards that earn Capital One miles, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card*, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*, with annual fees from $0 to $395. As the fee increases, so too do the card perks and features.
Which card is best for you will be determined by how often you travel, your budget when you do, and the kind of additional card features you’re looking for.
The Venture cards
While each of these Capital One credit cards has a different rewards structure, annual fee and list of benefits, all of them earn the same type of rewards. Capital One Miles earned with these cards can be redeemed for travel through Capital One, or for gift cards, statement credits or merchandise.
Miles also transfer to a range of Capital One airline and hotel partners, most of which come with a 1:1 transfer ratio. However, Capital One doesn’t have many domestic travel partners, which means their mile transfers are less useful unless you plan to travel internationally.
The Capital One VentureOne comes with a $0 annual fee and lower rewards rates than the other Venture cards, as well as fewer benefits overall. However, the lack of an annual fee makes it an accessible option for people who may not travel frequently.
In addition to having no annual fee, the VentureOne comes with an intro APR that can help cardholders avoid interest charges in the short-term.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time
The Capital One VentureOne comes with a $0 annual fee and lower rewards rates than the other Venture cards, as well as fewer benefits overall. However, the lack of an annual fee makes it an accessible option for people who may not travel frequently.
In addition to having no annual fee, the VentureOne comes with an intro APR that can help cardholders avoid interest charges in the short-term.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee, but it offers a more robust rewards rate and more perks for travel. For example, cardholders get a fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership every four years, two visits to Capital One airport lounges each year and Hertz Five Star status.
New cardholders can also earn a larger welcome bonus worth 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. All regular purchases also earn 2x miles, and hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel earn 5x miles. So it’s a noticeable step-up from the no-annual-fee VentureOne, providing additional benefits to cardholders who travel more than a handful of times per year.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee, but it offers a more robust rewards rate and more perks for travel. For example, cardholders get a fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership every four years, two visits to Capital One airport lounges each year and Hertz Five Star status.
New cardholders can also earn a larger welcome bonus worth 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. All regular purchases also earn 2x miles, and hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel earn 5x miles. So it’s a noticeable step-up from the no-annual-fee VentureOne, providing additional benefits to cardholders who travel more than a handful of times per year.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
The Capital One Venture X is Capital One’s premium travel credit card, which means it comes with the most bells and whistles. It also requires a $395 annual fee, but that can be partially offset with its annual $300 travel credit. It also features Priority Pass select airport lounge membership (retail value $469), access to Capital One airport lounges and 10,000 anniversary miles each cardmember anniversary. The card also comes with a fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership every four years.
However, it shares the same welcome offer as the Venture card, so no improvement there. Where it does get a boost is its rewards rate. Cardholders earn 10x miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on airfare booked through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on other purchases.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
The Capital One Venture X is Capital One’s premium travel credit card, which means it comes with the most bells and whistles. It also requires a $395 annual fee, but that can be partially offset with its annual $300 travel credit. It also features Priority Pass select airport lounge membership (retail value $469), access to Capital One airport lounges and 10,000 anniversary miles each cardmember anniversary. The card also comes with a fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership every four years.
However, it shares the same welcome offer as the Venture card, so no improvement there. Where it does get a boost is its rewards rate. Cardholders earn 10x miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on airfare booked through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on other purchases.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Comparing the card benefits
The chart below outlines each card’s major benefits and features, along with a comparison with their annual fees:
| VentureOne | Venture | Venture X | |
| Annual fee |
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| Main cardholder perks |
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How much does each card earn?
How many miles you can earn with one of these cards will depend on how much you normally spend, as well as your willingness to book travel through Capital One. As an example of how rewards could work with each of these cards, consider the chart below.
For the purpose of this example, we used the following spending amounts:
- $1,000 per month on regular purchases ($12,000 per year)
- $300 per month on hotels and car rentals through Capital One ($3,600 per year)
- $300 per month on airfare through Capital One ($3,600 per year)
And as a reminder, the Venture cards all feature welcome bonuses:
- VentureOne: 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Venture and Venture X: 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
| Card | Annual rewards | Total annual rewards + welcome bonus |
| VentureOne |
|
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| Venture |
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| Venture X |
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How to choose the right card
Choosing from one of the Venture cards can be difficult since they all earn the same type of rewards with the same redemption options. Consider the following factors when making your decision:
Rewards
While rewards have the same redemption options with all three Venture cards, their earning rates stand in stark contrast. The VentureOne has the least lucrative rewards rate overall, but it also has the lowest annual fee. If a higher annual fee fits into your travel budget, either of the other Venture cards will be more rewarding.
Perks
The higher the annual fee you’re willing to pay, the more benefits you’ll typically receive. With the largest price tag, the Venture X offers the most perks, including a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge membership benefits, 10,000 anniversary bonus miles and a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership.
Annual fees
Consider your personal budget in terms of paying a credit card annual fee. You could get the VentureOne with a $0 annual fee if you’re willing to earn fewer miles for every purchase. On the other hand, the Venture or Venture X offer more benefits and rewards in exchange for paying a fee each year.
Travel budget
How much you actually spend on travel each year should play a big role in choosing which card is best for you, especially when it comes to travel you’re willing to book through the Capital One Travel portal. If you travel infrequently and won’t earn a lot of bonus miles by booking through Capital One, the VentureOne could be a better fit.
The bottom line
The three Venture cards from Capital One are all rewarding in their own way, but which is best for you depends on the perks you want, how much you spend on your card and how much you’re willing to pay in annual fees.
*All information about the Capital One VentureOne, Capital One Venture and Capital One Venture X Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
**For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
***Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
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