Capital One offers several pairs of cards with similar names but slightly different rewards, perks and annual fees. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, for example, are both travel rewards cards, but that's where the similarities end.
Frequent travelers looking to receive some of the benefits found with luxury travel cards, will find more value with the Venture card. VentureOne is a better choice for consumers who want to avoid an annual fee while taking advantage of special financing.
Capital One states on its website that both cards are for people with excellent credit, which is defined as someone who has never declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan; hasn't been more than 60 days late on any credit card, medical bill or loan in the last year; and has had a loan or credit card for three years or more with a credit limit above $5,000. If you fall within this description, you have the best chance of qualifying for one of the Venture cards.
Below, CNBC Select reviews both cards, so you can choose the one that provides the most benefit for your spending habits.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card earns transferrable miles, which is a stand-out benefit for a no-annual-fee card.
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No annual fee
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
- No travel credits and limited travel protections
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time
Foreign transaction fee
None
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee
The Venture card has a $95 annual fee, while the VentureOne card has no annual fee. Before you choose a card, it's important to do the math to see which card makes the most financial sense for your lifestyle. While $95 pales in comparison to other travel rewards cards with annual fees up to $695, it's still something to consider.
Venture cardholders receive a statement credit worth up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application, valid every four years. This perk can help effectively cancel out the annual fee, but only once every four years.
Otherwise, you would need to spend approximately $4,750 a year to break even on the fee by earning enough rewards. But if you have other credit cards that charge an annual fee, you might not want to add another to your wallet.
Winner: It's a toss-up. The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee, but if you take advantage of the higher rewards rate and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can help offset the $95 annual fee.
Rewards
Both cards offer a flat-rate rewards program, which means all purchases earn the same amount of rewards. The VentureOne card earns unlimited 1.25X miles per dollar on every purchase, while the Venture card earns a higher 2X miles per dollar on all spending.
As an added perk, both cards also offer 5X miles per dollar on hotel, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
CNBC Select used the $22,126 sample budget to break down how much money you could earn (less than annual fee) if you optimized using each card over the course of five years.
We found you could earn an estimated $2,931 after five years with the Venture card, which is $1,232 more than the VentureOne card's $1,699. These estimates incorporate the miles earned from the welcome bonus.
While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your consumer habits.
Winner: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns you more rewards over the course of five years, even with the $95 annual fee.
Redemption
Both cards allow you to redeem rewards in a variety of ways, from travel to statement credit to gift cards. Cardholders can redeem rewards for travel in two ways: as a statement credit for past travel purchases or to book future travel through Capital One's rewards center. Keep in mind statement credit redemptions must be made within 90 days from the date your travel purchase posts to your account.
Miles can also be transferred to over 15 travel partners including Qatar Airways, Aeromexico and Air France KLM.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer the same redemption options.
Welcome bonus
The Venture card offers a larger bonus than the VentureOne card.
Venture cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
VentureOne cardholders can earn 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel.
Winner: Venture, since the bonus is larger.
Added perks
Both cards offer many of the same perks with a few differences. Here's a breakdown of the perks offered by both cards:
Consumers with either card can benefit from:
- No foreign transaction fees*
- Extended warranty protection
- Exclusive access to premier culinary, music and sports events
* Venture Rewards; VentureOne
Venture Rewards cardholders enjoy these added perks**:
- Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
- Purchase Assurance
- MasterRental Insurance
**Benefit available to accounts approved for the World Elite Mastercard product, subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the World Elite Mastercard Guide to Benefits. See Account Terms or Application Terms for more details. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.
VentureOne cardholders enjoy these added perks***:
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Purchase protection
***Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card since it offers the added benefit of Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
Other travel rewards credit cards
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If the Venture card doesn't fit your needs, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offers a wealth of perks with a $95 annual fee. Cardholders of the Sapphire card earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases and 1x on all other purchases. That means you can earn more rewards on other non-travel-related purchases beyond the 2X miles per dollar you get with the Venture card. You also get a $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
When comparing travel rewards cards with no annual fee, the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card stands out as a strong competitor to the VentureOne card. You also earn a sizable welcome bonus of 20,000 cash rewards when you spend at least $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Aside from that, cardholders of the Autograph card get unlimited 3X points on travel, restaurants, gas stations, transit, streaming services and phone plans and unlimited 1X points on all other purchases.
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card offers generous bonus spending categories and lets you transfer points to airline and hotel partners, which is rare for a credit card with no annual fee.
- Access to all of the Wells Fargo transfer partners including Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) and Virgin Red
- No annual fee
- Excellent bonus spending categories
- Intro-APR for purchases
- No travel credits or other valuable travel perks
- Lacks key travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption coverage
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
- Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $0 annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
Balance transfer fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Pros and cons of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Pros
- Generous welcome bonus - The Venture card offers 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- More premium benefits - While the Venture card offers most of the same perks as the VentureOne card, you can also enjoy up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years and 2X per dollar on all spending.
Cons
- Annual fee - The Venture Card comes with a $95 annual fee, whereas the VentureOne card does not charge an annual fee.
Pros and cons of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Pros
- No annual fee - Unlike the Venture card, the VentureOne card does not come with an annual fee.
- Generous welcome bonus - The VentureOne card lets you earn a solid welcome bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Cons
- Less benefits than the Venture Card - While the VentureOne card doesn't charge an annual fee, it offers a lesser rewards program than the Venture Card and also doesn't come with a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
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Bottom line
The Venture Rewards credit cards offer similar rewards programs and nearly identical card benefits, but differ in the amount of miles you earn per dollar spent and annual fee.
If you're looking to earn the most rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the better option with 2X miles on all spending versus the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offer 1.25X miles. Plus if you fly often, you can benefit from a credit up to $120 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee once every four years.
However, if you don't want to pay an annual fee, the VentureOne card is a better fit since the Venture card has a $95 annual fee.
Despite the Venture card's annual fee, it's worth pointing out that the average American would still net approximately $1,232 more in rewards than the VentureOne card.
While both of these cards are good options for travelers, there are alternative options that may be a better fit for your needs. Check out CNBC Select's round up of the best travel credit cards. If travel isn't one of your major expenses, you might want to consider our lists of the best cash-back credit cards and best rewards credit cards.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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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.
