Capital One Venture X vs. Amex Gold: Great Choices for Travelers and Foodies
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Written by
Jasmin Baron
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Edited by
Emily Gadd, CCC
Premium rewards cards usually come with big welcome offers, lucrative perks and generous earning rates — with hefty annual fees to match. If you’re seeking an upscale travel credit card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card, an advertising partner, tick all of these boxes, and their annual fees are more affordable than many competitors’.
However, these cards are quite different when it comes to benefits and how you earn rewards. The Venture X, for instance, is strongly geared toward frequent flyers who can use airport lounge access and travel credits. Meanwhile, the Amex Gold is built for foodies, offering higher earning rates and statement credits on dining-related purchases.
I keep both of these cards because they complement each other well. But if you’re considering the Capital One Venture X vs. Amex Gold, we’ll help you decide on the best card for your wallet.
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How the Cards Compare: Capital One Venture X vs. American Express Gold
Side by Side Comparison
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Offer
Ongoing Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
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
- Earn bonus miles with a new cardmember offer
- 10,000 bonus miles each account anniversary
- Lounge access
PROS
- High annual fee
- No intro APR period on purchases or balance transfers
- No bonus categories outside of travel
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
As you might expect, these premium cards come with impressive welcome offers that can be worth over $1,000 in travel, particularly if you’re savvy about redeeming rewards.
Capital One Venture X Welcome Offer
The Capital One Venture X currently has a huge offer: For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening, equal to $1,000 in travel
Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each when you use them to “erase” eligible travel purchases from your statement or redeem them through Capital One Travel. However, you could get even more value if you transfer your miles to Capital One’s airline and hotel transfer partners and book award travel. By maximizing the Capital One Venture X bonus this way, it’s possible to get thousands of dollars in value if you’re strategic.
Amex Gold Welcome Offer
The Amex Gold welcome offer has a different structure. 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.
As with the Venture X, transferring points to American Express’ airline and hotel partners will typically get you the best return. If you receive a high offer, you could also get travel value worth thousands of dollars with the right redemptions.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Amex Gold and Venture X both have excellent welcome offers, but since the Amex Gold offer is different for everyone (and maxes out at 100,000 points), the Venture X is a better guaranteed pick. Plus, we’ve never seen a public offer higher than what the Venture X is currently offering, so it’s a great time to apply.
Earning Rewards
These cards have vastly different reward structures, which, depending on your spending patterns, may tip the scales in favor of one or the other. If you prefer simplicity, the Venture X shines because most purchases earn 2x miles. But if you spend a ton in the Amex Gold’s bonus categories, it could have better earning potential for you.
How To Earn Rewards With Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X is super simple. You’ll earn:
- 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on other purchases
How To Earn Rewards With Amex Gold
With the Amex Gold Card, you can 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
CardCritics™ Opinion
Those who have high expenses on dining and at U.S. supermarkets can do very well with the Amex Gold. I use it almost exclusively at restaurants and when I grocery shop to earn thousands of bonus points each year. That said, the Venture X is also a solid choice given its base rewards rate of 2x miles on most spending. It’s the card I use for purchases that don’t fit into typical bonus categories, such as vet bills, insurance payments and car repairs.
Redeeming Rewards
You’ll earn flexible rewards with multiple redemption options from both the Capital One Venture X and Amex Gold. While you can use rewards for things like cash back and gift cards, you’ll typically get a better value when you redeem them for travel.
How To Redeem Rewards With Capital One Venture X
With the Venture X, you’ll earn Capital One miles that you can redeem in various ways:
- Transfer to travel partners: Transfer miles to Capital One airline and hotel partners, including JetBlue TrueBlue, Air Canada Aeroplan, Choice Privileges and Wyndham rewards (value varies by partner and redemption)
- Capital One Travel: Use miles to book flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation rentals through Capital One’s travel portal (1 cent per mile)
- Purchase eraser: Redeem Capital One miles for a statement credit to “erase” eligible travel purchases made with your card in the past 90 days (1 cent per mile)
- Gift cards: Purchase gift cards from popular merchants using miles (value varies, usually 0.8 to 1 cent per mile)
- Pay with miles: Use miles at Amazon checkout or with PayPal to cover your purchase (0.8 cents per mile)
- Cash back: Redeem miles for cash back as a check or statement credit (0.5 cents per mile)
- Experiences: Book tickets for exclusive events, concerts, sports games and theater productions through the Capital One Entertainment platform (value varies)
How To Redeem Rewards With Amex Gold
Here’s how you can redeem American Express Membership Rewards points from the Amex Gold Card:
- Transfer to travel partners: Transfer points to American Express airline and hotel partners, including Delta SkyMiles, Cathay Pacific, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors (value varies by partner and redemption)
- American Express Travel®: Use points through Amex Travel® to book flights (1 cent per point), or hotels, car rentals and cruises (0.7 cents per point)
- Cover charges/statement credit: Redeem points for a statement credit (0.6 cents per point)
- Pay with points: Use points to pay at checkout with participating retailers, such as Amazon, PayPal, Grubhub and Saks Fifth Avenue (rate varies)
- Gift cards: Purchase merchant and Amex gift cards with points (rate varies)
CardCritics™ Opinion
Neither card is a good choice if you like redeeming rewards for cash back or statement credits. You’ll usually get the best return by transferring rewards to airline and hotel loyalty programs, and here you’ll want to evaluate which partner loyalty programs match your travel plans. Capital One and American Express do have some common partners, but each program offers a handful of unique options.
For instance, the Amex Gold may be the better pick for you if you fly Delta often, because Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio.
Similarly, if you collect Turkish Airlines miles, you might prefer the Venture X, since Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is a Capital One transfer partner.
Card Benefits
The Amex Gold and Capital One Venture X have a few travel insurance benefits in common, but aside from that, the cards’ perks are useful to very different types of consumers.
Capital One Venture X Benefits
Capital One Venture X benefits are easy to use and easily outweigh the $395 annual fee if you maximize them. That’s why I keep the card year after year — I get a value that far exceeds the yearly cost with little effort.
Benefits include:
- A $300 Capital One Travel credit each account anniversary year that you can use toward flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation rentals booked through the platform
- A 10,000-mile bonus each account anniversary (worth at least $100 in travel)
- Complimentary entry to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required)
- Access to luxury hotel bookings through the Capital One Premier Collection, which include a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and early check-in/late checkout when available
- Up to $120 in credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees every four years
- Cell phone insurance of up to $800 per claim (with a $50 deductible) when you use your card to pay your wireless bill
- Excellent travel insurance, including primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement
- Purchase security, extended warranty and return protection
The Venture X is worth it even if you only use two key benefits: The $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus provide more than the annual fee in value. Everything else, including airport lounge access and travel insurance, is just a bonus.
Amex Gold Benefits
Amex Gold benefits take a little more effort to maximize. For example, the card offers a slew of statement credits, but most require activation and are doled out in monthly or semi-annual chunks.
Here’s what to expect with the card:
- $84 Dunkin’ Credit: With the $84 Dunkin’ Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
The Amex Gold is still worth it for me, even with the $325 annual fee, because the card’s credits align with spending I make already (although they are a little annoying to keep track of). My teens easily burn through the Dunkin’ and dining credit (for Grubhub), and the Uber Cash for Uber Eats takeout orders every month. I love the semi-annual Resy credit, which I typically redeem for a splurge meal at a fancier restaurant for birthday celebrations or other special occasions.
CardCritics™ Opinion
By making the most of each card’s benefits, you can justify its annual fee (and that’s not counting the rewards you’ll earn from spending). That said, the Capital One Venture X offers perks that are easier to use for most. The Amex Gold requires a more hands-on approach, because most of its credits require activation and are issued monthly — and they don’t roll over if you forget to use them.
Fees and Costs
Even if you can take advantage of these cards’ many benefits, you’ll need to be mindful of fees and other costs. Both the Amex Gold and Venture X charge a significant annual fee you’ll have to pay when you open them, and again each card anniversary. Plus, there are other costs to be aware of.
Capital One Venture X Fees and Costs
The Venture X charges a lower annual fee than most premium cards. Here’s what to know:
- Annual fee: $395
- APR: 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
- Balance transfer fee: 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR Capital One may offer you; none for balances transferred at the transfer APR
- Cash advance fee: $5 or 5% of each advance (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
Amex Gold Fees and Costs
With the Amex Gold, you’ll also pay a sizeable annual fee, plus other costs in some situations:
- Annual fee: $325
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Cash advance: $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is higher
- Late payment: Up to $40
- Returned payment: Up to $40
CardCritics™ Opinion
These cards are closely matched when it comes to fees, although the Venture X has a slightly higher annual fee than the Amex Gold. It’s much easier to justify the Venture X’s annual fee from the outset, though, because you’ll receive a $300 Capital One Travel credit at account opening, which wipes out much of the expense if you can use it right away.
How To Choose Between Capital One Venture X and Amex Gold
If you’re debating over the Amex Gold vs. Venture X, you’ll want to focus on choosing the right credit card for your lifestyle. Consider these factors if you’re having trouble deciding between these cards.
Pick the Capital One Venture X if you:
- Travel frequently and want a premium card with a competitive annual fee
- Often book awards with Capital One’s airline and hotel transfer partners
- Can make the most of the annual $300 Capital One Travel credit
- Don’t want to keep track of multiple statement credits
- Appreciate Priority Pass and Capital One Lounge access
- Are already invested in the Capital One miles program
Pick the American Express Gold if you:
- Spend a lot on dining and groceries
- Regularly book awards with American Express’ airline and hotel transfer partners
- Don’t want or need airport lounge access
- Aren’t turned off by juggling monthly and semi-annual credits
- Organically spend with the restaurants and platforms that partner with Amex for these credits (such as Resy, Dunkin’ and Grubhub)
- Are already invested in the Amex Membership Rewards program
It’s not unusual to pair both cards if you like to travel and eat. I’ve held the Amex Gold and Venture X for several years, because between the rewards they earn and perks they offer, I always come out ahead.
However, if you prefer simplicity, the Venture X is likely the better option for you. It’s hard to beat the value for frequent travelers, and you won’t have to keep track of multiple credits and rewards spending caps.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Amex Gold or Capital One Venture X better?
Whether the Amex Gold or the Capital One Venture X is better for you mostly depends on your spending and travel habits. The Amex Gold is ideal for foodies who spend a lot on dining out and groceries, but requires more effort to maximize, between bonus categories and multiple statement credits. Meanwhile, the Venture X is a stronger option for those who spend across multiple categories, prefer straightforward perks, and can use benefits like a Capital One Travel credit and airport lounge access.
What are the disadvantages of the Amex Gold?
One of the main drawbacks of the Amex Gold Card is its $325 annual fee. While you can justify it by taking advantage of high earning rates (which have annual spending caps in most cases) and partner credits, these take some mental bandwidth to keep track of.
What are the disadvantages of the Capital One Venture X?
The Venture X also charges a substantial $395 annual fee. It’s outweighed by benefits that are relatively easy to use, but key perks — such as the annual $300 travel credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus — lock you into Capital One’s rewards program.
Should I get both the Amex Gold and Capital One Venture X?
The Amex Gold and Capital One Venture X make a great pair if you enjoy food and travel. This combo is ideal for those who spend a lot on dining and groceries but also want a rewarding card that covers other bonus categories and offers strong travel benefits.
What credit score do you need for the Amex Gold and Capital One Venture X?
Based on what we’ve seen, you’ll need at least a good credit score to be considered for the Amex Gold. And for the Capital One Venture X, you’ll want an excellent credit score for the best chance of qualifying.
