The American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) are two of the most well-known rewards cards. They've each been around for over a decade, and they've always had great benefits. If you're trying to decide which one to get, I have firsthand experience with both of them.
Of the two, the American Express® Gold Card is more feature-packed, but it also costs much more. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is more affordable and easier to use. Keep reading for all the details on how they match up.
Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Card overview
As of Oct. 02, 2024
American Express® Gold Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer:Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24. 60,000 points + earn up to $100 back | Welcome Offer:75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 75,000 Miles |
Rewards Program:Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), 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. 1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points | Rewards Program:Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase. Earn unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. 2X-5X miles |
Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a | Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
APR: See Pay Over Time APR | Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
Annual Fee: $325 | Annual Fee: $95 |
Highlights:
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• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.• Trip delay insurance underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. • Extended warranty, baggage insurance plan, car rental loss & damage insurance, and purchase protection warranty underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Why the Amex Gold Card might be the ideal choice
If you go out to eat often, and you use Uber or Uber Eats every month, the American Express® Gold Card is probably a match for your spending. It has $10 in monthly dining credits at participating partners and gets you $10 a month in Uber Cash. Select enrollment required, terms apply. If you can consistently use these perks, you'll get $240 in value per year.
This American Express card also earns big bonus rewards (4X points per $1) at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in spending per year) and restaurants. Terms apply. That's twice as much as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns in those categories. For people who spend a lot on food, those bonus points can add up.
SEE MORE: Best American Express Cards
When the Capital One Venture Card could be the better option
Instead of bonus categories, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) has a competitive rate everywhere. It earns an unlimited 2X miles per $1, no matter where you use it. So while the American Express® Gold Card earns more in its bonus categories, this Capital One card earns more everywhere else. That often works out better for earning rewards.
This card is also quite a bit cheaper, with a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) compared to $325. Overall, it's pretty easy to get your money's worth with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. It's harder with the American Express® Gold Card, so you really need to make sure that card is a good fit first.
Also worth noting: Acceptance of American Express cards is hit or miss overseas. This Capital One card is a Mastercard, which is much more widely accepted abroad.
RELATED: Best Capital One Credit Cards
Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Card comparison
Next, we'll go over how these top credit cards compare in the most important areas.
Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Card annual fee
The American Express® Gold Card has a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees). But it could end up costing you as little as $10 per year, depending on how many of its somewhat complicated spending credits you can use. Here are the main credits it offers:
- $120 dining credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits per month when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at participating partners: Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations.
- $120 Uber Cash: Add your American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account, and you'll automatically get $10 in Uber Cash each month. You can use it for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the United States.
- Select enrollment required, terms apply.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is much more affordable, with a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). It doesn't have nearly as many spending credits, but it does cover your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. That's a credit of up to $120 every four years.
While the American Express® Gold Card offers more value for a cardholder, its credits are much harder to use. And they're the type of credits that could lead to spending more. Most people spend more than $10 when they go out to eat, order Uber Eats, or take an Uber ride. So if you're only doing that because of spending credits on your American Express card, you're not really coming out ahead.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Card welcome offer
The American Express® Gold Card has a welcome offer of 60,000 points + earn up to $100 back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. American Express points are valuable, as you can transfer them to travel partners or use them through the card issuer's travel portal for cash bookings. Terms apply.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has it beat, though. It offers 75,000 Miles for spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rewards are worth $0.01 per mile when redeemed for travel purchases, so you can get at least $750 in value from this welcome offer. Capital One Venture miles are also transferable, although the card issuer doesn't have as many travel partners as American Express.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Venture Card rewards
If you're a foodie, the bonus categories for the American Express® Gold Card will be right up your alley. It earns:
- 4X points per $1 at restaurants worldwide, as well as takeout and delivery in the United States
- 4X points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year
- 3X points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or on American Express Travel
- 1X point per $1 on other purchases
- Terms apply.
As mentioned above, American Express also has an excellent travel rewards program. Points are transferable to over 20 airlines and hotels, so you'll have plenty of ways to use them.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns an unlimited 2X miles per $1 on purchases. It also earns 5X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars you book through Capital One Travel.
Both of these cards are great for earning and redeeming rewards. The American Express® Gold Card has useful bonus categories and earns an extremely high rate in them. It also has a better rewards program with more transfer partners. But 2X miles per $1 across all spending categories is hard to beat, so there are no losers here.
Winner: Tie
Final take
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes out on top here. It offers a ton of value, and what makes it special is that it can work well for just about anyone. Regardless of your spending habits and how you like to travel, you can save money with this Capital One card.
The American Express® Gold Card isn't a bad option, either. It just has much more specific benefits that could take more work to use, so it's not the card to get if you want to keep your credit card usage simple. But if you can take advantage of all it has to offer, then it could end up being the best deal.
As of Oct. 02, 2024
American Express® Gold Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer:Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24. 60,000 points + earn up to $100 back | Welcome Offer:75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 75,000 Miles |
Rewards Program:Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), 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. 1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points | Rewards Program:Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase. Earn unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. 2X-5X miles |
Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a | Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
APR: See Pay Over Time APR | Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
Annual Fee: $325 | Annual Fee: $95 |
Highlights:
| Highlights:
|
Show MoreShow Less |
• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.• Trip delay insurance underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. • Extended warranty, baggage insurance plan, car rental loss & damage insurance, and purchase protection warranty underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.