Is the American Express® Gold Card better than the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

Answering which card is better requires you to analyze your unique situation and needs. If you're looking for a travel rewards credit card that also allows you to earn heaps of points on groceries and dining out, the American Express® Gold Card is for you. However, if you want to redeem your points on travel while paying a low annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a better option.

Can you get an American Express® Gold Card if you already have the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

Yes. If you believe that having both cards would benefit you, you can apply for both.

Can you transfer points from American Express® Gold Card to Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

You cannot transfer points from one issuer to the other. However, American Express and Capital One have similar airline and hotel transfer partners.

Can you switch from the American Express® Gold Card to Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

If you're thinking about switching, you should assess if the American Express® Gold Card is incompatible with your spending patterns and whether the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card would be more useful to you.

American Express® Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Which Is Best for You?

Q: What’s harder to get, the American Express® Gold Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

The American Express® Gold Card is more difficult to get — a credit score of at least 700 is necessary for approval. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, on the other hand, requires a credit score in the mid-600s to be approved.

Q: How much do you have to spend for the American Express® Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to get the welcome bonus?

To earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points with the American Express® Gold Card, you must spend $4,000 in the first six months. To get 60,000 bonus points with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you must spend $3,000 in the first three months.

If you're looking to travel more or pay less when you do, a good travel credit card can go a long way toward helping you out. As two great travel rewards credit cards, the American Express® Gold Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card have many things in common. For instance, they both offer significant rewards on purchases and no foreign transaction fees.

But there are also differences between them that could impact your decision about which one is best for you. MoneyGeek compared these two popular credit cards and detailed how they match up against each other.

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

The American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two popular travel rewards credit cards that provide comparable benefits. Both of these cards have generous welcome bonuses for new cardholders, zero foreign transaction fees and offer rewards points redeemable for airline tickets and hotel stays. However, there are some differences to consider before choosing one credit card over the other.

OUR COMPARISON AT A GLANCE

Comparison Overview
American Express® Gold Card at a Glance
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card at a Glance
Comparison Summary
Which Card Should You Get?

Comparison Overview: American Express® Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

American Express® Gold Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Has Annual Fee
Has Balance Transfer Offer
Has APR Offer
Cash Back Rewards
Travel Rewards
Hotel Benefits
Airline Benefits
Has Rewarding Welcome Offer
Has Foreign Transaction Fee
Recommended Credit
Good–Excellent
Good–Excellent

American Express® Gold Card At a Glance

The American Express® Gold Card has a $250 annual fee and is only available to those with good to excellent credit. It offers moderate 3x points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, redeemable for future travel.

It also includes a range of dining benefits, including 4x points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and $10 in Uber Cash and dining credit each month, for a yearly total of up to $240.

American Express® Gold Card
Best rewards card for frequent fliers and diners
- 1–4 Points per $1Rewards Rate
- See Pay Over Time APR*APR
- $250Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
Pros
Top-tier rewards on dining and groceries
Great annual bonus credits
Transfer points to multiple airline partners
No foreign transaction fees

Cons
High annual fee
Limited premium travel perks
No rewards on hotel stays or car rentals
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar)
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on other eligible purchases
Redemption options include transferring points to American Express travel partners, statement credits, purchases with select merchants, eligible car rentals through American Express Travel, or gift cards
Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash for U.S. rides and eats orders ($10 per month, no rollovers)
Up to $120 dining credit (enrollment required) for eligible purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
Up to $100 credit to spend on eligible dining, spa and resort activities with The Hotel Collection
Annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees)
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Choose between the classic Amex Gold or Rose Gold Amex card designs
Travel benefits like car rental insurance, baggage insurance, travel and emergency assistance and travel discounts
Consumer protections like extended warranty, purchase protection and auto purchase discount (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)
Entertainment perks like presale event tickets, preferred event seating and dining and entertainment discounts
Terms Apply
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated rewards cards.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card At a Glance

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has a lower annual fee of $95 (savvy travelers who want to earn rewards without paying an annual fee can get 1.25x miles with the VentureOne card). It also features no foreign transaction fees and a generous early spend bonus of 60,000 miles (worth $600 in travel) after spending $3,000 on purchases within three months of opening your account.

Its rewards program is flexible — every transaction earns 2x miles per dollar spent, redeemable as statement credits toward travel purchases made through Capital One Travel. It also offers a $100 statement credit towards enrollment in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, two services that let you bypass long lines at security checkpoints when traveling domestically and returning from overseas, respectively.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Strong entry-level travel card with high rewards rates
- 2 Miles per $1Rewards Rate
- 19.99% – 29.99% VariableAPR
- $95Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
Pros
Unlimited miles on select travel and everyday expenses
Generous welcome offer
Flexible redemption options
No foreign transaction fees
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application credit

Cons
Annual fee
Significant spend requirement for welcome offer
Minimal travel perks
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Earn 2X miles on all other spending
Earn 75,000 bonus miles (equal to $750 in travel) after spending $4,000 in the first three months
Annual fee of $95
Up to $100 application credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Regular APR 19.99% – 29.99% variable
No limits on earning miles
Flexible redemption: no blackout dates or expiration dates, no minimums for redemption, transfer miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs, redeem hotel or airline purchases for a statement credit
No foreign transaction fees
Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Comparison Summary

MoneyGeek breaks down the difference between the American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to help you choose which travel rewards card is ideal for you.

Card Detail	Comparison Summary
Welcome Bonus	American Express® Gold Card users earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 on qualifying purchases within the first six months of card membership. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards credit card gives you 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. Winner: Tie
Rewards	The American Express® Gold Card is more ideal for those who spend regularly at supermarkets and dine out. This card offers 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in expenditures per year, 1x after that), 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com and 1x points on all other purchases. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards Credit Card offers 2x miles on all purchases, making it an excellent choice for those seeking an uncomplicated reward system. When you book travel via Capital One Travel, you may earn 5x miles on hotel and rental car reservations. Winner: American Express® Gold Card
Annual Fee	The annual fee for the American Express® Gold Card is $250, while the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards credit card is $95 per year. Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards
Redemption	Both cards let you redeem points in various ways, including travel, statement credit and gift cards. Both cards also allow you to transfer rewards points or miles to a variety of eligible airline and hotel partners. Winner: Tie

Which Card Should You Get?

Before deciding between the American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, consider what's essential to you as a travel rewards credit card user, including rewards, perks and benefits.

Who Should Consider the American Express® Gold Card?

Air travelers who want to rack up a ton of bonus points on their purchases will love the American Express® Gold Card. This Amex card might also be a good option for those who often eat at restaurants, since dining points can be redeemed for flights.

You will earn 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and 1x point per dollar spent on eligible purchases, which may be redeemed for future travel.
You may earn up to $10 in statement credits each month if you use the Gold Card to pay at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed and select Shake Shack locations. This will save you up to $120 per year.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

Who Should Consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is great for individuals who like to use their rewards on travel rather than other purchases.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards cardholders that make travel purchases with any vendor can be reimbursed from their rewards account at the rate of $0.01 per mile.
If you book your hotel or car rental with Capital One Travel, you'll earn 5x miles per dollar.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

EXPERT OPINION

Both of these cards offer great value. However, the two are targeted toward different audiences. If you simply want to save on travel without any frills, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card will likely be a solid fit. However, if you want spending credits towards dining out and future Uber rides, and the flexibility of a charge card with no predetermined credit line, the American Express® Gold Card can be a great choice.

Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs

Finding the best travel rewards credit card for you can be difficult. MoneyGeek answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to help you better understand the differences.

Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options

Anyone who enjoys traveling, earning rewards and using credit cards could benefit from the American Express® Gold Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. However, if you want to earn cash back on your purchases, cash-back rewards credit cards are a good alternative.

Learn more about credit cards in general

sources

Capital One. "Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card." Accessed January 6, 2022.
Capital One. "Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card." Accessed January 6, 2022.
American Express. "American Express® Gold Card." Accessed January 6, 2022.

*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
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