The Venture Card vs. Amex Platinum: Which One Is Right For You?
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Written by
Josephine Nesbit
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron
Looking for the perfect travel rewards card? You’ve likely heard of The Platinum Card® from American Express (a CardCritics™ advertiser) – which has been around for 40 years – and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Amex Platinum offers plenty of luxury travel benefits, while the Venture Card may be best matched with those who prefer a lower annual fee and a simple rewards program.
Which one should you choose? Here’s a closer look at the Venture Card vs. Amex Platinum to help you decide.
What Makes the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Worth It?
The Venture Card isn’t as luxurious as other travel rewards credit cards with higher annual fees. However, it does come with some enticing perks that make it valuable for the right cardholder. The annual fee is $95, but if you plan to use the card often, you should earn enough rewards to justify the cost easily.
Welcome Bonus
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Simple Rewards Program
The rewards program is simple. You earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase and unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
It’s also easy to redeem rewards. Here are a few ways to redeem rewards miles:
- Book through Capital One Travel: Book flights, hotels and rental cars through Capital One travel for the best deals. Capital One Travel adjusts hotel prices to match or beat competitors.
- Travel purchases: Cover the cost of vacation rentals, car rentals, airline tickets, hotels and more made with your Venture card within 90 days of purchase.
- Gift cards: Redeem miles for gift cards from more than 90 brands.
- Cash: Redeem miles in the form of statement credit or check.
- Tickets: Redeem miles for more than 500,000 events with Capital One Entertainment.
- Transfer: Transfer miles to more than 15 travel loyalty programs.
Extra Travel Perks
The Venture Card comes with additional perks to help you make the most out of your travel experience. Here are some of the available travel benefits.
- Lifestyle Collection: Receive a $50 experience credit on Lifestyle Collection hotel or vacation rentals. Plus, you get room upgrades, early check-in, complimentary Wi-Fi and late checkout when available.
- No foreign transaction fees: No fees on purchases made outside of the U.S.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit: When you pay the application fee with your Venture card, you can receive up to $120 in credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- Travel insurance: Enjoy auto rental collision damage waivers and travel accident insurance.
What Makes The Platinum Card® from American Express Worth It?
Although Amex Platinum has a $895 annual fee, its long list of luxury benefits can quickly justify the expense. But that’s only if you take advantage of the perks and rewards.
Welcome Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 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.
You also receive one point for every dollar charged for an eligible purchase on your card. You earn even more on travel purchases. Earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year) and 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com. You can also transfer points to most airline and hotel partners.
Statement Credits
You can also earn over $3,000 in travel, entertainment and dining statement credits with your Platinum card. This includes:
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. This can be an annual savings of up to $300. To view participating partners, visit americanexpress.com/platinum. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 per year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel® using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card® account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash+ $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with your Platinum Card®. Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Walmart+ Monthly Membership Credit: Receive a statement credit for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits each year at Equinox. Simply use your Platinum Card® to pay for an Equinox+ digital subscription, or an Equinox club membership subject to auto-renewal. Enrollment required.
- American Express Global Lounge Collection®: Eligible Card Members can enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with a value of over $850 when you enroll into Priority Pass Select and make multiple visits to select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges each year. As of 07/2025.
Additional Benefits
The statement credits alone help to justify the cost of the annual fee. But if you can’t use all of the credits, these extra benefits will provide additional value. Here are some of the benefits.
- Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status (enrollment required)
- Hilton Honors Gold Status (enrollment required)
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (through a TSA official enrollment provider)
- Car rental loss and damage insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Premium Global Assist Hotline
Side By Side Comparison
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Offer
Ongoing Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.
5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Terms apply.
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
- American Express Global Lounge Collection Access
- Massive Welcome Offer Opportunity
- Statement Credit Opportunities
PROS
- Steep Annual Fee
- Brand-specific statement credits may not appeal to some
CONS
Learn More
How to Choose
The right travel rewards credit card depends on your situation. Are you looking for a laundry list of luxury travel benefits and rewards? Or do you want something simple with a reasonable price tag? Compare the Venture Card vs. Amex Platinum to determine what you value most and what perks you’ll actually use.
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 and Damage Insurance benefit on the The Platinum Card® from American Express, 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 Cancellation and Interruption Insurance benefit on the The Platinum Card® from American Express, 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 Trip Delay Insurance benefit on the The Platinum Card® from American Express, 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 Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit on the The Platinum Card® from American Express, Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
These frequently asked questions will help you decide if Amex Platinum or the Venture Card is right for you.
Is a Venture Card better than Amex Platinum?
Whether Amex Platinum or Venture Card is better depends on your travel habits and what you want in a credit card. Compare each card to find out what makes the most sense for you.
Is American Express or Capital One better?
There is no correct answer. Choosing between American Express and Capital One depends on your spending habits and the offerings you’re looking for.
What card is higher than Amex Platinum?
The only American Express card that charges a higher annual fee than Amex Platinum is the Centurion® Card from American Express** also called the Black Card. The card is invitation only, although you can request an invite in some situations. There’s also a $10,000 one-time initiation fee and a $5,000 annual fee.
**All information about the Centurion® Card from American Express** has been collected independently by CardCritics™
What is the hardest credit card to get from Capital One?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the hardest credit card from Capital One to get approved for. While there are some similarities to the Venture card, it has a much higher annual fee, earns higher multipliers on travel expenses and comes with anniversary bonus miles and travel credits, terms apply.
