Both the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card are ideal for earning rewards on everyday spending, but they do have some differences.
The Venture X delivers both everyday value with unlimited 2x miles on purchases and premium comfort through comprehensive airport lounge access for you upon enrollment. You’ll also receive $300 in annual travel credits plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, creating substantial ongoing value.
The Amex Gold is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card.
Overview: Capital One Venture X vs Amex Gold
Welcome Bonuses
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X currently offers the following welcome bonus:
bonus_miles_full
American Express Gold
The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus:
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer on the American Express Gold card if you have or have had:
- American Express Gold
- American Express Platinum Card®
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab
- Previous versions of the above cards.
Earning Rewards
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X earns miles that you can transfer to airline and hotel points partners, which you can earn at the following rates:
- 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel.
- 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel.
- 2 miles per dollar on other purchases.
American Express Gold
The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
- 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 4 points per dollar U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Winner:
It depends on your spending habits. The Venture X is great for everyday spending with at least 2x miles everywhere. Whereas, the Amex Gold is for people whose spending mainly goes towards dining, groceries, and flights.
Card Benefits and Perks
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X offers the following benefits: Annual Travel Credit: You’ll get $300 in travel credits each year to spend through the Capital One Travel portal. Use this credit for flights, hotels, and car rentals – and unlike other premium cards, there’s no complicated redemption process. Simply book your travel through the portal and watch the credit automatically apply to your statement. Anniversary Miles Bonus: Every year on your account anniversary, Capital One deposits 10,000 bonus miles into your account – no spending requirements needed. These miles provide incredible flexibility – transfer them to airline partners for premium cabin redemptions or use them to cover $100 worth of travel purchases. This annual gift helps offset the card’s cost and rewards your loyalty year after year. Priority Pass: Enjoy complimentary Priority Pass™ membership, granting you unlimited access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide upon enrollment. Escape the hustle and bustle of the terminal and relax in a comfortable lounge with amenities like free Wi-Fi, food, and drinks. Capital One Lounge Network: Enjoy unlimited access to Capital One’s growing collection of premium airport lounges. These spaces offer locally-inspired food options, premium beverages, and relaxation areas that elevate your pre-flight experience. Hertz Status: Receive Hertz President’s Circle elite status, which offers benefits such the ability to choose your car at Hertz Ultimate Choice locations when you book an intermediate car or higher, complimentary upgrades, a 50% points bonus, and a free additional driver. Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit: This card offers a credit for TSA PreCheck (expedited airport security) or Global Entry (expedited airport security and customs). Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide. Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first. Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. Travel Accident Insurance offers coverage for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier when the trip is purchased using the eligible credit card. Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: You’ll get 24/7 access to emergency support worldwide, including medical referrals, legal help, and lost luggage assistance. While the service itself is included, you’re responsible for any actual costs incurred. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Cell Phone Protection: When you use your card to pay your monthly phone bill, you’ll receive valuable coverage against damage or theft of your device. 90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans. Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return. Visa Infinite Benefits: In addition to great travel and purchase protections, Visa Infinite offers other perks such as the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection, rental car discounts, and special memberships Visa Infinite Concierge can help you with travel planning, buying tickets, booking reservations, and other tasks. This card offers special perks for being a Capital One cardholder:
Travel Benefits
Purchase Benefits
Capital One Special Perks
American Express Gold
The American Express Gold card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment is required.
$120 in Uber Cash: Get up to $10 monthly Uber Cash for U.S. Uber Eats orders and rides when you add your American Express Gold Card as a payment method. Your Uber Cash can be redeemed using any American Express card.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $50 semi-annually in statement credits after you pay with the Amex Gold to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment is required.
$84 Dunkin’ Credit: You can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.
Up to $100 in Hotel Credits: Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees (rates & fees): The Amex Gold’s lack of foreign transaction fees makes it an ideal choice for international purchases, especially considering you can earn 4 points per dollar at global restaurants (on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Travel and Purchase Benefits
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.*
ShopRunner Membership: As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at over 100 participating online retailers. This benefit can help frequent online shoppers save on shipping costs and streamline the return process.
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
The Capital One Venture X because it offers airport lounge access, elite status, and four free authorized users.
Value of the Annual Fees
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X charges a $395 annual fee, which positions it lower than competing premium travel cards.
You can offset much of this cost through valuable perks like a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) on your account anniversary.
American Express Gold
The American Express Gold has a $325 annual fee (rates and fees), which is offset by up to $424 in annual credits, trip and purchase protections, and extra points on dining, flights, and U.S. supermarkets.
Winner:
The Capital One Venture X because its annual credits and anniversary miles easily offset its annual fee, whereas the Amex Gold requires work to offset its annual fee.
Redeeming Rewards
Capital One Venture X
When it comes to redeeming Capital One miles, you’ve got fantastic flexibility that sets this program apart from competitors. You essentially have two main paths: fixed-value redemptions or transfers to travel partners—with the latter typically delivering superior value.
The fixed-value route is straightforward. You’ll get 1 cent per mile when redeeming for travel purchases made in the last 90 days, booking new travel through Capital One, or selecting gift cards. This simplicity is perfect for travelers who spot a great cash fare or need to cover miscellaneous travel expenses that points programs typically don’t handle well.
For maximum value though, transferring to Capital One’s impressive partner lineup is your best bet. Most airline transfers occur at a favorable 1:1 ratio, effectively making your everyday spending worth double miles on cards earning 2x. The program features 15+ airline partners across all major alliances:
- Air Canada Aeroplan and Turkish Airlines for Star Alliance flights
- British Airways and Cathay Pacific for oneworld access
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue for SkyTeam travel
- Several non-alliance options like Emirates and Etihad
Hotel transfers include Wyndham Rewards and Choice Privileges at 1:1, plus Accor at a 2:1 ratio.
Some particularly valuable redemptions include Air Canada’s transcontinental business class awards from 25,000 points, Air France-KLM’s business class to Europe from 60,000 miles, and Finnair’s domestic Alaska Airlines flights for just 11,000 miles.
The real power of Capital One miles lies in their versatility—you can mix redemption styles based on what delivers better value for each trip. For inexpensive domestic flights, fixed-value redemptions often make more sense, while international premium cabins typically deliver exceptional value through transfers.
| Capital One Transfer Partners | |
AeroMexico
|
Air Canada (Aeroplan)
|
Air France (Flying Blue)
|
Avianca (LifeMiles)
|
British Airways
|
Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles)
|
Emirates
|
Etihad
|
EVA (2 to 1.5)
|
Finnair
|
Japan Airlines (2 to 1.5)
|
JetBlue (5 to 3)
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore (KrisFlyer)
|
TAP Portugal
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Virgin Red
|
Accor (2:1)
|
Choice Hotels
|
| I Prefer Hotels (1 to 2) |
Wyndham
|
American Express Gold
American Express Membership Rewards points are a versatile and valuable currency for travelers. The program offers numerous redemption options, with transfers to airline partners being the most lucrative way to use your points.
Amex partners with 18 airlines and 3 hotel chains, allowing you to access a wide range of travel possibilities. Some of the best redemptions include booking business class flights to Europe through Air France-KLM Flying Blue for as low as 50,000 miles one-way. Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers excellent value for Delta One flights to Europe at 50,000 points, significantly less than booking directly through Delta.
For those planning a trip to Asia, transferring to ANA Mileage Club can yield incredible value. Round-trip business class flights from the West Coast to Tokyo can be booked for just 90,000 miles. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another great option, especially for their renowned long-haul flights like New York to Singapore.
Domestic travelers can benefit from transferring to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul American and Alaska Airlines flights, with awards starting at just 8,250 Avios for distances up to 650 miles.
While transferring to airline partners typically offers the best value, Amex also allows direct redemptions for flights through their travel portal. However, this option generally provides lower value at 1 cent per point.
To maximize your Membership Rewards, focus on high-value airline transfers for premium cabin international flights. With strategic planning, you can unlock extraordinary travel experiences and significant savings on your next adventure.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
|
Avianca LifeMiles
|
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
Winner:
It’s a tie. Both programs offer valuable redemptions.
The Verdict
The Venture X and Amex Gold are both excellent cards for earning rewards. I have both cards and use them frequently.
However, the Capital One Venture X wins because it offers more premium benefits like lounge access, a $300 travel credit, annual bonus miles, and more. Plus, it earns 2x miles on every purchase, making it great for travel and daily spending. It’s a versatile card that would work well for most people.
The Amex Gold is also great for earning rewards, but it requires work to justify its annual fee.
Which card are you going to choose?
