Capital One Venture vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two of Capital One’s most popular travel cards. If you’re trying to decide between applying for the Capital One Venture or the VentureOne, this article will help you pick the right card for you.

Main details

The Venture and VentureOne cards both earn Capital One miles, but their welcome offers and rewards rates are different. Here’s a look at some of the key features of these two travel rewards credit cards.

Capital One Venture vs. VentureOne highlights

These two Capital One cards share similarities, but a few key differences can make it challenging to decide between them. We’ve compared both the Venture and VentureOne cards by category, so you can choose the best card for your financial needs and goals.

Welcome bonus winner

Venture

• Why it won

  The Venture card’s welcome bonus is significantly larger than the bonus offered by the VentureOne. With the Venture card, you’ll earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening (a value of $750 in travel). The VentureOne, on the other hand, offers 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 within the first three months (a value of $200 in travel).

  While the Venture’s welcome bonus is much larger, however, the VentureOne’s welcome bonus is much easier to get. If you don’t think you’ll spend enough on your Venture card to meet the $4,000 spending threshold — which comes out to about $1,334 a month — then you’d be better off with the VentureOne.

Rewards rate winner

Venture

• Why it won

  Again, the Capital One Venture card proves its worth as the clear winner in terms of a rewards rate. It earns an unlimited 2X miles on all purchases, while the Capital One VentureOne card earns an unlimited 1.25X miles on all purchases. Both cards offer 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Annual fee winner

VentureOne

• Why it won

  The VentureOne has no annual fee, while the Venture card charges a $95 annual fee. If you’re leaning toward the latter, you’ll need to evaluate how much you plan to spend with it and decide if your rewards earnings will offset the yearly cost.

Which card earns the most?

While the Venture card offers a slightly higher unlimited rewards rate on all purchases compared to the VentureOne, it’s important to keep its $95 annual fee in mind — which could make a difference in deciding which card is right for your lifestyle.

Capital One Venture vs. VentureOne Rewards spending example

Let’s take a look at a yearlong spending example to see how these two cards compare and determine which travel card may be worth it for you:

• Capital One VentureOne card: $12,667 in spending per year at 1.25X miles per dollar yields the equivalent of $158.34 in rewards.
• Capital One Venture card: $12,667 in spending per year at 2X miles per dollar yields the equivalent of $253.34 in rewards. Subtracting the $95 annual fee, you would net the equivalent of rewards of $158.34.

As you can see, the break-even point between the two cards is $12,667 in spending each year (roughly $1,055 a month). If you plan to spend more than that amount on your card, the Capital One Venture will likely make the most sense. If you plan to spend less, then consider the VentureOne.

It’s also important to note that, for the first year, the Venture card’s welcome offer and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck perk make it a clear winner — even with the $95 annual fee.

Why should you get the Capital One Venture?

Most people who are considering applying for either card will find great value in choosing the Venture. The welcome offer more than offsets the $95 annual fee, and when you throw in the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck benefit, you’ll almost certainly come out ahead. Here are some additional reasons you might want the card:

Additional benefits

One of the Capital One Venture’s biggest benefits is the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100 every 4 years. However, you also receive:

• A $50 annual credit for an experience through the Lifestyle Collection hotels
• Travel accident insurance
• Extended warranty protection on purchases
• Access to Capital One’s assistant program Eno

Eno features fraud monitoring and alerts, will keep you up to date on your account’s information (such as your current balance) and offers virtual credit card number storage.

Redemption options

For the most value, you’ll generally want to redeem your miles in one of three ways:

• Book travel through Capital One’s travel portal at a rate of 1 cent per mile
• At the same rate, redeem miles for travel purchases made with other travel providers in the past 90 days
• Transfer your miles to one of Capital One’s hotel and airline transfer partners for possibly even more value

You do have other options for redeeming your miles, such as gift cards or purchases made through PayPal or Amazon.com, but these offer poor value compared to using your miles for travel.

Recommended credit score

Applicants for the Capital One Venture Rewards card should have good to excellent credit, which means you should have a FICO credit score of at least 670.

Why should you get the Capital One VentureOne?

If you don’t like the idea of paying an annual fee, you might consider the Capital One VentureOne — but there are more reasons to consider this card than the lack of a yearly fee.

Additional benefits

The Capital One VentureOne offers an introductory annual percentage rate (APR) on purchases and balance transfers. You’d get a 0 percent introductory APR for both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from account opening, followed by a variable APR of 19.99 percent to 29.99 percent. A 3 percent balance transfer fee also applies for the first 15 months of card ownership.

This benefit could come in handy if you’re looking to transfer a balance or have a large, upcoming purchase to make.

Similar to the Venture, the VentureOne gets you extended warranty coverage, fraud protection, access to both Capital One Eno and Capital One Experiences and more.

Redemption options

You can redeem the miles you earn with your VentureOne card for the same things you can with the Venture card. Capital One miles get the best redemption rates when they are redeemed for travel — either through the Capital One portal or as a statement credit for travel purchased within the last 90 days. Your miles can also be transferred to Capital One travel partners or redeemed for gift cards and purchases using Amazon.com or Paypal.

Recommended credit score

Capital One recommends that applicants have good to excellent credit.

The bottom line

When comparing the VentureOne and Venture, most people will be better off with Venture due to its higher welcome offer and rewards earning rate. Applicants who are averse to annual fees or are looking to take advantage of the introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers, though, might prefer the VentureOne.

If neither of these two cards is a perfect fit for you, you might consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It offers the same 2X base rewards rate that Capital One Venture card holders enjoy, but your rewards rate jumps to 10X miles on hotel and rental car purchases through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through the portal.

You also get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges as well as a Priority Pass Select membership. However, it does come with a $395 annual fee, which is significantly more than the Venture’s $95 annual fee and the VentureOne’s $0 annual fee.

Still not sure which is best for your wallet? Compare the best rewards cards on the market using Bankrate’s card comparison tool for more insight.

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.