American Express Gold Card vs Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Which is the best for your needs?

The Capital One Venture card offers 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, you’ll get a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use during your first cardholder year.

The American Express® Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership. In addition, through Nov. 6, 2024, new card members will also qualify for 20% back on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide for the first six months of card membership (up to $100 back).

The Capital One Venture card’s intro offer is worth $1,000 in travel and you have a full year to use the $250 Capital One Travel credit. The Amex Gold Card’s welcome bonus is less valuable, but it is easier to earn because you only have to spend an average of $1,000 per month to qualify for the intro bonus.

Both cards have rewards programs geared toward travelers. If you’re looking for a simple rewards program, the Capital One Venture has you covered with a minimum of 2X miles on all purchases. Plus, you earn more rewards on eligible travel: 5X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

The American Express® Gold Card appeals more toward foodies. Cardmembers earn 4X American Express Membership Rewards® points on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per year in combined purchases, then 1X) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in combined purchases, then 1X). Terms apply.

Which card is more rewarding will come down to where you spend the most. Eating out and groceries are common expenses and these categories are where the Amex Gold shines. It ranks as one of CNBC Select’s best grocery cards and best dining cards. However, the Capital One Venture is an excellent option for everyday spending, so if most of your purchases fall outside of the Amex Gold’s bonus categories, it could end up being more valuable.

Both cards allow you to redeem your points or miles in a variety of ways, and the best options are typically transferring rewards to travel partners. American Express and Capital One both have strong lists of partner loyalty programs, but Amex has a slight edge. Amex has more transfer partners, more choices for domestic flights and excellent partners for business and first-class awards.

However, utilizing transfer partners to get the most out of your credit card rewards can be a tedious and complicated process. And sometimes, there aren’t awards available for flights or hotels when you want to travel.

Capital One solved this problem by allowing cardholders to redeem miles for one cent each to offset any travel purchase. This allows you to use Capital One miles to indirectly pay for any flight, hotel, rental car, etc., even if that same travel isn’t available for an award booking through a loyalty program.

American Express has a similar option where you can pay with points when you book through American Express Travel, but you’ll get less value. With this option, each Amex point is worth one cent each for flights booked through Amex Travel and roughly 0.7 cents each for other Amex Travel redemptions. You can also redeem Amex points for statement credits, but the value drops even further to 0.6 cents per point

The bottom line is, Amex Membership Rewards points have more potential value and Capital One miles are more flexible.

Both cards offer similar travel and purchase-related perks, but when it comes to statement credits, the Amex Gold far exceeds the Capital One Venture.

Capital One Venture cardholders enjoy perks such as:

• Up to $100 in credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
• Rental car insurance
• Extended warranty protection
• Travel accident insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required)
• Exclusive access to premier culinary, music and sports events through Capital One Entertainment and Dining
• Premium perks when booking Lifestyle Collection hotels through Capital One Travel

With the American Express® Gold Card, you can earn over $400 back every year if you take full advantage of the card’s perks:

• Up to $120 in annual dining credits (up to $10 per month) at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• $120 in Uber Cash every year ($10 per month). You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States.
• Up to $84 in Dunkin’ credit each year (Up to $7 back per month; enrollment required)
• Up to $100 in Resy credit per calendar year (Up to $50 back semi-annually; enrollment required)
• Up to $100 in experience credits when you book rooms through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property, a minimum 2-night stay is required.
• Entertainment access to exclusive presales and premium seating at concerts, plays, sporting events and more. Enrollment required.
• Trip delay insurance*
• Baggage insurance**
• Rental car insurance***
• Purchase protection**
• Extended warranty protection**

The Amex Gold offers far more value, but it takes dedication to fully utilize all of its benefits. If you prefer a simpler proposition, then you may want the Capital One Venture and its lower cost.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card are competitive rewards cards that provide useful benefits for cardholders. Both earn transferrable travel rewards, but depending on what you want in a travel credit card, one could be better than the other.

If you’re looking for straightforward earning and redemption options, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best option. It earns at least 2X miles per dollar on all purchases and the miles are worth at least one cent each for travel. It also has a larger welcome bonus and a lower annual fee.

However, if you want to maximize your rewards on restaurants and groceries at U.S. supermarkets, the American Express® Gold Card is a great asset. And Amex points can be incredibly valuable when you transfer them to the best American Express travel partners. It also has a much longer list of ongoing benefits that can be quite valuable if you maximize the value.

*See rates and fees **Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

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For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

**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.

***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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.