Capital One Venture Card vs. Amex Gold: Which One Is Right for You?
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Written by
Jasmin Baron
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
If you prefer earning flexible, transferable rewards, you have lots of travel credit cards to choose from. Among these are the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card (an advertising partner). Both come with strong earning potential and benefits, but they’re suited to different types of spenders.
The Venture Card, with a $95 annual fee, is best suited for individuals who value simplicity in earning and redeeming rewards. Meanwhile, the $325-annual-fee Amex Gold comes with bonus categories and perks geared toward foodies and travelers. My family uses both cards, but for vastly different types of purchases.
So, which is best if you’re deciding between the Capital One Venture vs. Amex Gold? Let’s break down what each offers to help you decide on the right card for your wallet.
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How the Cards Compare: Capital One Venture vs. Amex Gold
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Offer
Ongoing Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pros & Cons
- No foreign transaction fee
- Double miles earned on every purchase
- Travel perks like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
PROS
- No introductory APR offer
- Limited hotel transfer partners
CONS
- Generous Welcome Offer Opportunity
- Elevated rewards on popular categories
- Choose between a Rose Gold or Gold Card
PROS
- Steep Annual Fee
- Light on Travel Perks
CONS
Learn More
Welcome Offers
A credit card welcome offer is the first incentive to spend on the card, and the Amex Gold and Capital One Venture Card are competitive in this regard. By meeting a minimum spending requirement in the first few months of account opening, you can unlock a nice chunk of rewards to help kickstart your next trip.
Capital One Venture Welcome Offer
The Capital One Venture Card offers a bonus of 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Those miles are worth $750 if you redeem them to offset eligible travel purchases made with your card or redeem them through Capital One Travel. However, it’s possible to get an even higher value when you transfer miles to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners.
Amex Gold Welcome Offer
Similarly, the Amex Gold has a strong welcome offer: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer..
If the offer terms seem a bit vague, don’t worry. American Express has an “Apply With Confidence” feature that will let you know if you’re approved and what your offer will be before you accept the card. Your application info will only be sent to credit bureaus if you accept, so there’s no real risk in applying.
CardCritics™ Opinion
Depending on the offer you receive, the Amex Gold may be the better deal here. Keep in mind that the spending requirement is higher, although you’ll have twice as much time to meet it.
Earning Rewards
When comparing the Amex Gold vs. Capital One Venture, you’ll want to evaluate each card’s earning rates and how they align with your typical spending patterns.
How To Earn Rewards With Capital One Venture
The Venture Card keeps things simple — you’ll earn unlimited 2x Capital One miles on all purchases, except hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, which earn 5x miles. You’ll also earn 5x miles on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
The flat 2x earning rate makes the card an easy option for those who don’t want to remember bonus categories or worry that they’re using the wrong card for certain purchases. It’s also great as an “everything else” card for folks who have other cards that earn bonus rewards in common everyday categories like groceries, gas and dining. That’s how my family uses the Venture Card — it’s our go-to for expenses that don’t earn a bonus with other cards, such as insurance payments, medical bills and big-box stores like Walmart and Target.
How To Earn Rewards With Amex Gold
With several bonus categories, the Amex Gold is less straightforward but potentially much more lucrative if your top expenses line up with the card’s rewards structure. Cardholders earn:
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per year (then 1x points)
- 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per year (then 1x)
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com
- 2x points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel bookings made through AmexTravel.com
- 1x points on other eligible purchases
Earning 4x points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets is a boon for foodies, and these earning rates are precisely why I got the card. I have three teenagers, so our grocery bills are significant, and we spend a fair bit on dining out as well.
CardCritics™ Opinion
Again, the best card for rewards depends highly on where you spend your money. If you’re like me and have high grocery and dining expenses, the Amex Gold is potentially more rewarding. But if your spending patterns don’t align with the Amex Gold’s categories, go with the Venture Card instead.
Redeeming Rewards
Both the Amex Gold Card and Capital One Venture Card offer numerous options for redeeming rewards, including transfers to travel partners. Here’s how they stack up.
How To Redeem Rewards With Capital One Venture
You can redeem miles from the Venture Card in multiple ways, although the value you’ll get per Capital One mile depends on the type of redemption. Here are your options:
- Redeem for travel: Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each when you use them to book flights, hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars through Capital One Travel. This is a convenient option, but if you prefer booking directly with travel providers, you can redeem miles at the same rate for a statement credit toward eligible travel purchases made with your card in the last 90 days.
- Transfer miles to partners: Capital One partners with over 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs (more than Amex Membership Rewards®, Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® Rewards). If you’re strategic, converting your Capital One rewards into partner airline miles or hotel points to book award travel can get you a higher value than 1 cent per mile.
- Gift cards: You can redeem Capital One miles for gift cards to popular retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Starbucks and Target. Redemption rates vary; typically, you’ll get 0.8 to 1 cent per mile, though sometimes gift cards go on sale for fewer miles.
- Pay with rewards: At Amazon and PayPal checkout, you can link your Capital One account and redeem miles toward your purchase. This is convenient, but the rate is poor: You’ll only get a value of 0.8 cents per mile.
- Cash back: Redeeming miles for cash back is best avoided, because you’ll only get 0.5 cents per mile. Consider using one of the best cash-back credit cards to get a better value.
- Experiences: Through the Capital One Entertainment platform, you can use miles for tickets to exclusive events, concerts, sports games and theater shows. Redemption rates vary.
I often use Capital One miles at 1 cent each to erase travel purchases from my statement, especially those that are harder to redeem rewards for, such as cruises and train tickets.
How To Redeem Rewards With Amex Gold
The Membership Rewards points you earn with the Amex Gold are also versatile, but American Express doesn’t make it quite as easy to redeem for general travel expenses. These are the options:
- Transfer points to partners: American Express transfer partners include Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. Again, transferring points to partners and booking award travel can get you outsized value from your rewards, depending on the redemption.
- Amex Travel: You can redeem Amex points for flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises through Amex Travel, but the rate varies; you’ll get 1 cent per point for flights, but only 0.7 cents per point for hotels, rental cars and cruises.
- Gift cards: American Express offers gift cards to dozens of popular brands, as well as its own branded gift cards. Redemption rates typically range from 0.5 to 1 cent per point.
- Pay with points: You can use points at checkout with several popular retailers and platforms, including Amazon, PayPal, Best Buy and Dell. In most cases, you’ll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point.
- Statement credits: This isn’t the best way to redeem Amex points, as you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value. You can use points as a statement credit or to offset specific charges on your account.
I redeem Amex points by transferring them to partners, as I’m able to get a high value this way. For example, I’ve transferred points to Singapore Airlines to book business class flights to Asia, and to Air Canada Aeroplan for travel within North America.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Capital One Venture Card wins here for its ability to redeem miles at 1 cent each for a wide variety of travel purchases, combined with the option to transfer to partners. Amex’s partners might be better suited to some travelers, depending on their airline and hotel preferences, but the lower redemption rate for hotels, car rentals and cruises through Amex Travel is a drawback.
Card Benefits
Beyond earning rewards, the Amex Gold and Capital One Venture Card come with built-in benefits, including credits, travel insurance and purchase protections. These benefits can go a long way toward justifying each card’s annual fee.
Capital One Venture Benefits
The Capital One Venture offers a range of benefits that can save you money and protect your travels, including:
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit: Once every four years, you can receive up to $120 in statement credits toward the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
- Hotel benefits: When you book through Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection of luxury hotels, you’ll receive a $50 experience credit on each booking, in addition to room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability).
- Hertz Five Star status*: After enrollment, you’ll receive Hertz Five Star elite status, which allows you to skip the rental counter, choose from a wider selection of cars and earn more points on your rentals.
- No foreign transaction fees: A credit card with no foreign transaction fees is a must if you travel abroad or make international purchases.
- Car rental insurance: When you use your card to pay for your rental and decline the rental agency’s collision coverage, you’ll be covered for damage due to collision or theft on eligible vehicles.
- Travel accident insurance: If you used your card to pay for your fare, you’ll get automatic insurance for covered losses should you have an accident while traveling.
- Travel assistance services: You’ll have access to a hotline that can help arrange things like medical and legal referrals while you’re on a trip (all third-party costs are the responsibility of the cardholder).
- Extended warranty: Eligible items bought with your card qualify for additional warranty protection.
- Capital One Café discount: All Capital One credit cards, including the Venture Card, get you a 50% discount on handcrafted beverages at Capital One Cafés.
My daughter recently signed up for TSA PreCheck and used the Venture Card to pay; her statement credit appeared within about a week of the transaction posting.
Amex Gold Benefits
Amex Gold benefits include statement credits worth hundreds of dollars per year, partner perks and various protections. Here’s what to expect:
- Resy credit: Cardholders receive up to $100 per year (up to $50 from January to June, and up to $50 from July to December) in statement credits toward purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants (enrollment required).
- Dining credit: Earn up to $10 in monthly credits (up to $120 per year) toward purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys (enrollment required).
- Dunkin’ credit: Earn up to $7 per month (up to $84 per year) in credits toward U.S. Dunkin’ purchases (enrollment required).
- Uber Cash: When you add your card to your Uber account, you’ll get $10 in Uber Cash each month ($120 per year). An American Express card must be selected for the transaction, and the benefit applies to U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
- The Hotel Collection: Cardholders get access to The Hotel Collection, Amex’s selection of over 1,000 upscale hotels. When you book a minimum of two nights at Hotel Collection properties through Amex Travel, you’ll receive a $100 credit toward eligible hotel charges, in addition to 12 p.m. check-in, late check-out and room upgrades, subject to availability.
- No foreign transaction fees: The card is well-suited to international travel, as it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
- Car rental insurance: When you use your card to pay for your rental and decline the rental agency’s collision damage waiver, you can be covered for damage or theft of the vehicle. Some countries and vehicle types are excluded.
- Baggage insurance plan: If you paid for your ticket with your card and your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen, you can be reimbursed up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage (some exclusions and restrictions apply).
- Trip delay insurance: Pay for your round-trip travel with your card, and you can be reimbursed up to $300 per trip for reasonable expenses (such as meals and lodging) if your travel is delayed more than 12 hours for a covered reason, such as bad weather or aircraft maintenance issues.
- Global Assist Hotline: When you travel more than 100 miles from home, Amex’s Global Assist Hotline can help with urgent needs such as emergency assistance, medical and legal referrals, and missing luggage. All third-party costs are the cardholder’s responsibility.
- Purchase protection: If an eligible item you bought with your card is accidentally damaged, stolen or lost within 90 days of the purchase date, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per calendar year.
- Extended warranty: Similarly, eligible items purchased with your card qualify for up to one extra year of extended warranty, on original manufacturers’ warranties of five years or less. Coverage is up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account, per year.
I maximize these statement credits and perks to help make the Amex Gold worth it for my family. It’s easy enough to order from Grubhub and Uber Eats once a month, and my kids burn through the monthly Dunkin’ credit with ease. I do set calendar reminders for the Resy credit, as there aren’t many Resy restaurants close to where we live, so that benefit takes a little more planning to use. All told, I get a value of over $400 annually from these perks, which exceeds the $325 annual fee.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Amex Gold stands out for offering a vast array of credits and perks that outweigh its annual fee, as long as you use them. The Capital One Venture Card is still worth it if you value benefits like a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit and rental car elite status, but it doesn’t come with as many extras otherwise.
Fees and Costs
Both cards charge an annual fee, and you’ll want to be aware of other potential costs you might incur in certain circumstances.
Capital One Venture Fees and Costs
The Capital One Venture Card has a $95 annual fee and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Here are other fees and costs to expect:
- Purchase APR: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Balance transfer APR: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Balance transfer fee: None for balances transferred at the transfer APR; 4% for promotional APRs you may be offered
- Cash advance fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
If you don’t think you’ll be able to squeeze enough value from the Venture Card to justify its annual fee, but you like its benefits, you could consider its sibling card instead. The no-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has slightly lower earning rates, but offers the same redemption options as the Venture Card (including transfers to partners). New cardholders can also take advantage of a 0% intro on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) APR.
Amex Gold Fees and Costs
The Amex Gold annual fee is $325, and it also doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Other fees and costs to expect include:
- Pay Over Time APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
Of note, the Amex Gold doesn’t have a preset spending limit, and typically requires you to pay your balance in full each month. However, you can activate a “Pay Over Time” option that allows you to carry a balance with interest, on eligible purchases, up to a limit Amex sets. The card does not allow balance transfers.
Given the substantial annual fee, this card isn’t for everyone. If you prefer earning Membership Rewards points but want a lower annual fee, the American Express® Green Card** is a more manageable option at $150 per year. You won’t have to juggle a slew of credits, and its earning rates are quite competitive (3x points on travel, restaurants and transit, 1x elsewhere).
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Venture Card has a much more affordable annual fee than the Amex Gold, but other costs are fairly evenly matched. That said, if you can maximize rewards and perks on the Amex Gold, you could come out further ahead — albeit with a higher upfront cost.
How To Choose Between Capital One Venture and American Express Gold
The Capital One Venture vs. Amex Gold battle doesn’t have a clear winner — the right card for you truly depends on your spending habits, travel preferences and rewards goals. Let’s look at a few scenarios to help you decide.
Are You a Foodie Family?
Families with substantial grocery and dining expenses will almost certainly get a better value from the Amex Gold, between its high earning rates at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and its foodie-friendly statement credits. As long as you make the most of the card’s benefits and use it for relevant bonus category spending, it’s a solid pick.
Do You Prefer Simplicity?
Not everyone has the time or inclination to keep track of bonus categories or remember to use statement credits that are doled out in monthly or semi-annual chunks. For these users, the Capital One Venture Card is more fitting, since its earning and redemption options are super easy to navigate.
Are You a Rewards Maximizer?
Either of these cards could play a big role in a larger rewards strategy. If you’ve already got cards that award a bonus on travel, dining or groceries, you might gravitate toward the Capital One Venture Card as a “catch-all” card to earn 2x miles on spending that wouldn’t otherwise earn extra rewards. But if you’re looking to capitalize on high grocery and dining costs, using the Amex Gold in these categories can boost your reward balance quickly.
Will You Travel Often?
Frequent travelers should choose a card that aligns with their travel preferences, favorite airlines and preferred hotel chains. For example, if you’re a Delta loyalist, the Amex Gold could make more sense, because Delta SkyMiles is an American Express transfer partner. However, if you prefer Wyndham hotels, you might lean toward the Venture Card, because Capital One partners with Wyndham Rewards.
You might also consider whether the travel insurance offered by each card meets your needs. The Amex Gold may be a better pick if you take a lot of flights, since it comes with trip delay coverage. The Venture Card might resonate with you if you value rental car elite status and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, which the Amex Gold doesn’t provide.
The information related to the American Express® Green Card** was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. 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.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For the Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance on the American Express® Gold Card, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
for the Baggage Insurance Plan on the American Express® Gold Card, Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Trip Delay Insurance on the American Express® Gold Card, Up to $300 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
for the Global Assist Hotline on the American Express® Gold Card, You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
For the Purchase Protection on the American Express® Gold Card, Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Extended Warranty on the American Express® Gold Card, When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Capital One Venture and American Express Gold
What credit score do you need for the Amex Gold?
To be eligible to apply for the Amex Gold, you should have at least a good credit score. American Express looks at other factors when considering your application, including other Amex cards you have, your income and your overall credit profile. Amex’s Apply With Confidence feature lets you know if you’re approved before you accept the card.
What credit score do you need for the Capital One Venture?
The Capital One Venture Card is usually available to applicants with a good to excellent credit score, based on what we’ve seen. Again, your credit score isn’t the only factor Capital One will consider when deciding whether to approve you. Capital One offers a preapproval tool on its website to help you see which cards you may easily qualify for, as well.
Which is better, Amex or Capital One?
The Amex vs. Capital One debate isn’t clear-cut; both issuers are well-known for providing excellent customer service across a range of cards. American Express cards lean more toward luxury benefits and have an upscale reputation, while Capital One credit cards are more accessible to folks in different stages of their credit journey. Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either.
Do the Amex Gold or Capital One Venture have airport lounge access?
No, neither card comes with airport lounge access. If you want Amex airport lounge access, consider our partner, the American Express Platinum Card® ($895 annual fee). And you can get Capital One lounge access with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395 annual fee).
Does it make sense to have both the Capital One Venture and Amex Gold?
You absolutely can have and maximize both — I do — as part of a broader credit card rewards strategy. I use the Amex Gold almost exclusively at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets to boost my Membership Rewards points balance, and I enjoy making the most of the card’s statement credits. The Capital One Venture Card then fills in the blanks for spending outside of bonus categories, such as vet bills and car repairs.
