Two of the most popular travel credit cards on the market are Capital One Venture and VentureOne as both provide excellent rewards rates and perks. But, you may be wondering which card is better of the two for you, so here we’ll examine in the costs and benefits of both cards in detail. The main difference between the two cards is that the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card gives you 2X miles for every dollar you spend and has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year and $95 after that, while the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card gives you 1.25X miles for every dollar you spend and has no annual fee at all.

However, the Capital One Venture card stands out at first glance over the VentureOne option, as its rewards are simply better. While it does offer 2x miles per dollar on every purchase, compared to 1.25x miles per every dollar on every purchase with the VentureOne card, there are many considerations to account for when deciding between the two cards.

Here we will examine both cards, comparing and contrasting their benefits for card holders. Ultimately, you will be able to make the decision between them and answer the question of which is better for yourself.

VentureOne  Venture
Rewards rate
  • Earn 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases
  • Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotel bookings done using hotels.com/venture
  • Earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases
  • Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotel bookings done using hotels.com/venture
Sign-up bonus Receive 20,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in first 3 months Receive 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in first 3 months
Annual fee $0 $95, $0 in first year
Rewards earnings averaged over 3 years ($16,000 spend. Includes sign-up bonus) $300 $450
Pros
  • Nice rewards rate for a card with no annual fee
  • Fairly large sign-up bonus for card with no annual fee
  • Redeem any number of miles at any time for any hotel or airline purchase
  • Large sign-up bonus
  • High unlimited rewards rate
  • Redeem any number of miles at any time for any hotel or airline purchase
  • No foreign transaction fee
Cons
  • Most cardholders will get better rewards rate with an annual fee credit card
  • Foreign transaction fee
  • $95 annual fee after the first year
Who should get this card?
  • Someone who prefers to earn a high rewards rate with minimal maintenance
  • Someone who doesn’t want to pay an annual fee
  • Someone who prefers to earn a high rewards rate with minimal maintenance
  • Someone who doesn’t want to pay foreign transaction fee

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

  • Get one-time bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within three months of account opening (this equates to $500 in travel). 
  • Earn 2x miles on every dollar spent on anything – no rotating categories.
  • Earn 10x miles on thousands of hotels booked through hotels.com/venture.
  • Use rewards for any travel – any airline, any hotel, NO blackout dates.
  • Unlimited miles earning and no expiration date for as long as the account is open.
  • Get up to a $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check applications.
    Intro APR   Intro Transfer APR   APR   Annual Fee   Typical Credit
    N/A   N/A   14.74% – 24.74%   $0 First Year, $95 Thereafter   Excellent or Good

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Capital One applies its travel miles at a redemption of one cent per mile, thus with a 2x miles per dollar earning, consumers are earning 2% in rewards miles with every purchase put on the card. Outside of the first year, when fees are waived, it takes about $4,750 in expenditures to cover the $95 annual fee. This spending requirement is typically met, as it requires less than $400 a month in spending.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

  • 20,000 miles, one-time bonus after spending $1,000 within three months of account opening (this equates to $200 in travel).
  • 1.25x miles on every dollar spent on anything – no rotating categories.
  • 10x miles on thousands of hotels booked through hotels.com/venture.
  • Use rewards for any travel – any airline, any hotel, NO blackout dates.
  • No annual fee.
    Intro APR Intro Transfer APR APR Annual Fee Typical Credit
    0% for 12 months N/A 13.74% – 23.74% $0 Excellent or Good

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Outweighing the Annual Fee

As we have seen thus far, these cards are very similar. There are two obvious differences. The Capital One Venture card earns 2x miles per dollar, versus the VentureOne offering 1.25x per dollar. Additionally, the Venture card requires a $95 annual fee after the first year while the VentureOne card never requires an annual fee. 

Some card holders know they just do not spend enough to ever make an annual fee worthwhile. If you are spending less than $4,750 per year on your credit cards, then you will never even break even with $95 worth of rewards miles. In this case, you would obviously want to apply for the Capital One VentureOne card.

When would your spending start to make the Capital One Venture Rewards card clearly a better option, even with an annual fee? Well, we know the annual fee covers itself after $4,750. In total, you would need to spend around $1,100 per month to start to out earn the VentureOne cards perks.

Redeeming Rewards

These two cards feature different earning rates, with the Capital One Venture card offering a whopping 2x miles per dollar spent. However, once the rewards have been earned, they can be redeemed in identical ways. Capital One makes redemption incredibly easy with their online rewards portal.

For travel, you can redeem your miles as a credit towards travel purchases you have already made or book through Capital One to use your miles for new travel purchases. If you have no travel purchases to apply your rewards to, you have two other options.

First, you can use your miles and purchase gift cards for use at merchants like Amazon.com. These purchases are redeemed at the same rate as travel: one cent per mile earned. Alternatively, you can simply apply your miles as a statement credit. However, you should note that this will result in a pay out of a half of one cent per mile. You are losing out on half of your rewards by redeeming for cash back, so you might as well take that vacation after all!

Signup Bonuses

Signup bonuses stand out as they provide a lump sum reward after hitting a predetermined milestone. Both the Capital One Venture and VentureOne offer great signup bonuses but there is some difference between the two. Here is a comparison of the two signup bonuses. Note, that while the required spend for the Capital One Venture card is three times as much as VentureOne ($3000 vs $1000), the signup bonus is only 2.5 times as much (50,000 miles vs 20,000 miles). 

  • Card
  • Required Spend Within First Three Months
  • Miles Earned
  • Total Dollar Value
     Venture      $3,000      50,000      $500
     Venture One      $1,000      20,000     $200

With such a large signup bonus offer, some would question why get the VentureOne card at all. If a user doubts their ability to hit the required $3,000 spend in the first three months, then the VentureOne would be the better option. While the VentureOne offers a lower rewards rate, with their 1.25x miles for every dollar spent, someone who utilizes their card less frequently or does not spend as much may not reap the benefits of the Capital One Venture card.

Other Perks

These cards offer identical perks in addition to the standard miles rewards. There are no foreign transaction fees associated with either product, making traveling abroad a better experience. Rental card damage waivers are available to card holders of both products and eligible purchases accompany travel accident insurance.

Capital One also offers their $0 Fraud Liability program, protecting card holders from fraudulent charges on their account. Users also benefit from Capital One’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week customer service assistance.

Qualifying for the Capital One Venture or Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card

While both cards may seem perfect for you and you may be debating between the two of them, it is important to consider that the qualification requirements can be different for each card. Both cards state they require good to excellent credit, however, it appears most Capital One Venture rewards card holders have a higher credit score on average.

Specifically, the average Capital One Venture rewards credit card holder is approved with a credit score above 700. Of course, there are always variables that may allow you to be approved for it with a lower score. It also seems that those with higher credit scores are approved for higher credit limits, which is not unusual. 

If you have a score in the 650 or so range, do not despair. There is still opportunity for approval. You may want to look at the Capital One VentureOne rewards credit card, however, as it is more apt to approve someone with a good or high fair score. 

Capital One does have some restrictions, which may disqualify you for either card regardless of credit score worthiness. If you already have two cards from Capital One, not including store or co-branded cards, you will not be able to open another card with them. Also, if you have a negative past with Capital One (think: discharged debt), you may be turned down even with a high credit score.

Time for the Answer: Which is Better?

Both the Capital One Venture rewards credit card and Capital One VentureOne rewards credit card offer great, flexible travel rewards. Their claim to fame is the “No Hassle Rewards” program and it does not disappoint. Unlike many travel rewards offerings, that impose restrictions and black out periods, Capital One truly is a simple to earn and redeem rewards program.

With that said, if you are a jet setter or super rewards user, these cards may be a little basic. With a maximum of 2% back, this can be considered less valuable than other cards available on the market for those who prefer more involved rewards programs. Otherwise, for those who prefer not to have to think about their rewards and purchases, these cards are ideal.

So, which is better? Like most cards with nearly identical benefits, it depends on your situation. If you are comfortable hitting the spending levels mentioned above for the Capital One Venture rewards credit card, then you should probably aim for that card. If you are not such a voluminous spender but still love travel rewards, then the VentureOne option is likely suited for you.