Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the American Express® Gold Card ($325/yr) and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395/yr) comes down to where you spend most. Capital One Venture X needs about $585 a month in gas, hotels, other travel or other purchases, counting that spending alone, to make up its $70 higher annual fee over Amex Gold Card. Below that, Amex Gold Card comes out ahead. Enter your monthly spending above to see which comes out ahead for you.
Strongest in dining at 4% (up to $50,000/yr). 4X points at restaurants worldwide, 4X on U.S. supermarkets, 3X on flights.
Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.
Apply Now10x on hotels/rental cars, 5x on flights through Capital One Travel, 2x on everything else. Earns a solid 2.0% on everything else.
Perfect if: You book through the issuer's own site and want premium perks to offset the fee.
Apply Now| Feature | American Express Gold Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $325 | $395 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | 100,000 points after $8,000 spend in 6 months | 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 2% |
| Flights Rewards | 3% | 2% |
| Dining Rewards | 4% (up to $50,000/yr) | 2% |
| Groceries Rewards | 4% (up to $25,000/yr) | 2% |
| Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above |
5% on prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com Earns 5% only on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, Amex's own booking site. Hotels booked direct earn 1%. |
10% through Capital One Travel Earns 10% only on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, Capital One's own booking site. Travel booked anywhere else earns the flat 2%. 5% on flights through Capital One Travel Earns 5% only on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Flights booked direct with an airline earn the flat 2%. |
| Key Benefits | 4X points at restaurants worldwide, 4X on U.S. supermarkets, 3X on flights. | 10x on hotels/rental cars, 5x on flights through Capital One Travel, 2x on everything else. |
American Express Gold Card pulls ahead for travel, dining, groceries spending.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card wins on gas.
The $70/year fee difference means Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
American Express Gold Card carries $424/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings), while Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card carries $300/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.