Venture X Vs. American Express Gold

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card are two popular travel cards with premium benefits. Both cards offer substantial welcome bonuses and high-earning potential in exchange for lofty annual fees. If you’re in the market for a new credit card, these two have plenty of impressive features worth considering. Here’s a look at how the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card stack up against each other.

	Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	American Express® Gold Card
Annual Fee	$395 (rates & fees)	$250
Earning Rates	2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel	4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
Welcome Bonus	75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening	60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of card membership
Other Card Benefits	10,000 mile anniversary bonus; $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every four years; Hertz President’s Circle status*; 24-hour price match on flights booked through Capital One; Cell phone protection**	Car rental loss and damage insurance¹, baggage insurance² and access to Amex Offers
Foreign transaction fees	None	None
Dining perks	Exclusive access to reservations at award-winning restaurants through Capital One Dining	$10 monthly dining credits at Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack stores (enrollment required).$10 monthly Uber cash for rides or Uber Eats.
Travel credits	$300 annual credit valid on bookings through Capital One Travel	$100 experience credit on stays of two nights or longer booked with The Hotel Collection
Lounge Benefits	Unlimited access to Capital One lounges and two free guests per visit ($45 per additional person) Priority Pass membership with enrollment	None

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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a generous welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

The welcome bonus for the American Express Gold Card is: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of card membership.

It’s worth noting that if you’ve received the Gold Card’s welcome bonus in the past, you likely may not be eligible for another one under the once-per-lifetime rule. American Express also has several application rules that might make you ineligible for a new card. If you already hold numerous Amex cards, you may not be approved for the Amex Gold. And if you’ve received a welcome bonus recently, you’ll want to wait at least 90 days before your next credit card application.

If you don’t qualify for the Amex Gold under one of these rules, you might want to consider the Capital One Venture X instead.

The Capital One Venture X earns 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel, making it ideal for those who want a simple earning structure. You’ll earn elevated rewards on everyday purchases without having to track category bonuses.

But if you do want to maximize category bonuses, you’ll earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars or 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel. These highly competitive rates will come in handy during times when you need to book travel and want to maximize your earnings on the card.

The Amex Gold is a better fit if you want to earn elevated rewards in everyday spending categories and the occasional travel purchases. The card earns 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases. If you max out the $25,000 limit at U.S. supermarkets alone, you’ll earn 100,000 Membership Rewards vs. 50,000 Capital One miles.

The best card ultimately comes down to your spending habits.

American Express® Gold Card

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On American Express's Website

Partner Offer

Click Here To Apply Now

Rates & Fees / Terms Apply

4.6

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

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On American Express's Website

Up to 4X Reward Rate

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.; Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points atRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 60,000 points

Annual Fee

$250

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Score

Excellent/Good (700 - 749)

Editor's Take

Foodies and travelers can leverage the American Express® Gold Card to the hilt, earning up to 4x points. The annual fee may seem intimidating, but by using the included benefits and doing some spending, it’s easy to come out ahead.

Expert Commentary

Barbara King

Credit Cards Writer

Always dreaming about the next destination, credit cards specialist Barbara King is an avid traveler who optimizes her adventures through the use of points and miles. Barbara has earned and redeemed millions of credit cards points which has enabled her to explore over 50 countries on six continents, enjoying both budget and luxury travel.

Barbara King

Barbara King

Credit Cards Writer

Always dreaming about the next destination, credit cards specialist Barbara King is an avid traveler who optimizes her adventures through the use of points and miles. Barbara has earned and redeemed millions of credit cards points which has enabled her to explore over 50 countries on six continents, enjoying both budget and luxury travel.

Credit Cards Writer

This card makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards points while doing regular grocery shopping since the card earns bonus points at supermarkets. And for the nights that cardholders don’t want to cook, they can make use of the monthly dining and Uber credits (which can be used on Uber Eats orders).

Pros & Cons

• High rewards earnings possibilities
• Points transfer option to many partners
• Add up to 5 authorized users for no additional annual fee
• Can choose from regular or rose gold versions

• No lounge benefits
• Limited options to carry a balance
• High APR for pay over time feature
• High pay over time penalty APR

Card Details

• 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., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
• Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
• Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $250.
• Terms Apply.

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.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

The Venture X and Amex Gold cards both carry hefty annual fees that you’ll want to take into account before applying. The Venture X has a $395 annual fee (rates & fees) while the Amex Gold is a bit more reasonable at $250. However, both cards offer a myriad of benefits that can offset this fee.

The purchase APR for both cards varies based on creditworthiness and the prime rate. However, the Amex Gold’s purchase APR rate is normally slightly lower than the Venture X’s. Again, the exact rate you’ll pay will depend on a variety of factors.

	Venture X	Amex Gold
Purchase APR	19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)	See Pay Over Time APR

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The Venture X offers a $300 annual travel credit toward Capital One Travel bookings, plus an annual anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles on your cardmember anniversary. Even if you take just one personal trip per year, you will likely be able to take advantage of this credit. Just keep in mind that you need to book your travel through Capital One, which means you may miss out on elite perks on hotel bookings.

While the Amex Gold doesn’t have an annual travel credit, it offers something potentially more valuable. Cardholders who book stays of two nights or longer through The Amex Hotel Collection get a $100 property credit with every booking. This credit can be used for virtually anything on site: Meals, spa treatments, activities and anything else you can charge to the room.

The Venture X is the better choice if you want lounge access and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. Cardholders get an application fee credit every four years, Priority Pass membership and unlimited access to Capital One lounges with two free guests per visit ($45 per additional person). The Amex Gold doesn’t offer any of these perks. Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee on purchases made abroad.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Apply Now

On Capital One's Website

Click Here To Apply Now

Rates & Fees 

4.9

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

Apply Now

On Capital One's Website

Up to 10X Reward Rate

Earn 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights and 10 miles per dollarRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus miles

Annual Fee

$395

Regular APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Score

Excellent (750 - 850)

Editor's Take

Capital One’s most premium travel card is packed with extras that put it firmly in competition with other upscale credit cards, but at an annual fee that leaves the others far behind.

Expert Commentary

Julian Kheel

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

With over 15 years of professional experience studying credit cards and travel loyalty programs, Julian Kheel has served as CNN’s senior editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the editorial director for The Points Guy, and worked as a consultant for the biggest airlines. He is currently the CEO of Tripsight Inc., an award tools company that recently released Points Path, the first browser extension that automatically adds the prices of flights in miles into Google Flights search results to help travelers decide when to best use their travel rewards.
 
Julian first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. (And yes, of course it’s all real.) He has previously written about travel and credit cards for U.S. News & World Report, Upgraded Points and Going, and created weekly columns for the travel websites Frequent Miler and Travel Codex.
 
In addition to appearing as a TV analyst to discuss travel and loyalty programs on national segments for CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Yahoo Finance and Cheddar TV, Julian has also been featured on ABC and CBS Radio, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune on travel-related topics as well.

Julian Kheel

Julian Kheel

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

With over 15 years of professional experience studying credit cards and travel loyalty programs, Julian Kheel has served as CNN’s senior editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the editorial director for The Points Guy, and worked as a consultant for the biggest airlines. He is currently the CEO of Tripsight Inc., an award tools company that recently released Points Path, the first browser extension that automatically adds the prices of flights in miles into Google Flights search results to help travelers decide when to best use their travel rewards.
 
Julian first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. (And yes, of course it’s all real.) He has previously written about travel and credit cards for U.S. News & World Report, Upgraded Points and Going, and created weekly columns for the travel websites Frequent Miler and Travel Codex.
 
In addition to appearing as a TV analyst to discuss travel and loyalty programs on national segments for CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Yahoo Finance and Cheddar TV, Julian has also been featured on ABC and CBS Radio, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune on travel-related topics as well.

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

If you’re looking for lofty perks without a lofty annual fee, the Venture X fits the bill. While other cards with elite benefits run nearly $700 a year, you’ll only pay a little more than half that for the Venture X. And you’ll still get Capital One and Priority Pass airport lounge access for you and your eligible guests, an annual travel credit and solid earnings on everyday purchases.

Pros & Cons

• Annual fee lower than others in its category
• Annual travel credit through Capital One Travel and anniversary miles alone could justify the annual fee
• Miles are easy to earn and easy to use

• Lack of domestic airline and upscale hotel travel partners
• Capital One lounge network in its infancy
• Lack of hotel status benefits

Card Details

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

The Amex Membership Rewards program has a more extensive selection of transfer partners than Capital One. That’s to be expected, considering Membership Rewards has been around longer, while Capital One began adding transfer partners in 2018.

Outside of travel benefits and category bonuses, both cards offer perks related to dining. Venture X cardholders get access to Capital One Dining, a reservation platform that grants exclusive access to award-winning restaurants. This could come in handy if you’re traveling to a city renowned for its food, where reservations can be hard to get.

Meanwhile, the Amex Gold Card offers a $10 monthly dining credit valid at select merchants. Cardholders also get a $10 monthly Uber Cash credit valid on U.S. rides or Uber Eats purchases. The dining credits are more practical for everyday use, while Capital One Dining can help you get a table for special occasions.

Earning Hotel Points on Stays

If you are looking to earn points on your hotel stays with your preferred hotel chain, you are likely better off earning points directly through one of your preferred hotel chain’s co-branded credit cards.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers point transfers to Accor, Choice and Wyndham, but these transfer partners offer substantially less value than Capital One’s airline transfer partners. If you want a transferable points currency that offers a compelling hotel partner transfer option, consider one of the many cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Transferring Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt is one of the best options for maximizing the value of transferable points through hotel programs based on our valuations.

Read more: The Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

Access to Airline Co-Branded Lounges

If you are loyal to a specific airline and looking for a premium credit card that will give you access to your preferred airline’s network of airport lounges, the Venture X may not be the best ultra-premium credit card for you. The Capital One Lounge network is still in its infancy and the Priority Pass Lounges are airline-agnostic. Delta Air Lines flyers will want to consider one of the many variants of The Platinum Card® from American Express card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (terms apply, effective 2/1/25, American Express Platinum card members will receive 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year while Delta Reserve card members will receive 15 Delta Sky Club visits per year; unlimited visits can be earned when total purchases exceed $75,000 in 2024 and each calendar year thereafter). United customers should look at the United Club℠ Infinite Card. American Airlines customers can get lounge access through the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*.

The Amex Gold doesn’t offer lounge access.

The Capital One Venture X and Amex Gold are excellent cards offering plenty of valuable perks. The Venture X provides exceptional value in the form of travel benefits, while the Amex Gold is better suited to those who want accelerated earnings on dining and grocery spending. Add both cards to your wallet and you’ll maximize every dollar spent while enjoying premium travel perks and protections.

To view rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.

*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.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.