Capital One Venture X vs. Amex Platinum: Which Travel Card Is Better?
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If you're looking for a premium travel card, then two of the best options are the American Express Platinum Card® and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). In fact, they're my two personal favorites.
However, these cards are very different.
The American Express Platinum Card® offers premium travel perks and statement credits that are worth a fortune -- if you use them. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a simpler card built for everyday spending, and its lower annual fee is easy to recoup.
Here's a quick, practical breakdown so you can pick the best travel card for you.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $395 (see rates and fees)
Limited time offer: 100,000 Miles when you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening
Earning rates
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
Lounge access
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
Statement credits and perks
- $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- Credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry fees (once every four years)
- 10,000 bonus miles every year, starting on your first anniversary.
The verdict on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a hassle-free travel card; it offers high value for very little effort. The annual fee is easy to recoup between the $300 Capital One Travel credit and the anniversary bonus, which is worth $100 toward travel. The base earning rate of 2X miles makes it excellent for everyday spending.
The welcome offer of 100,000 Miles (worth $1,000 in travel) when you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening is only available for a limited time. To earn a bonus worth $1,000 toward travel, click here to learn more about the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and apply today.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
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Earn 100,000 miles (worth $1,000 in travel) when you spend $10K in the first 6 months
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
Rewards Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
2X-10X miles
Annual Fee
$395
Welcome Offer 100,000 Miles when you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening
100,000 Miles (worth $1,000 in travel)
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If you want premium travel perks that easily justify their cost, this card delivers. You’ll get a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, plus 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth $100 toward travel) — perks that already offset the $395 annual fee.
Add a 100,000-mile welcome bonus (worth $1,000 toward travel), unlimited 2X miles on everyday purchases, airport lounge access, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credits, and you’ve got one of the strongest premium travel cards available today.
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- Big travel rewards bonus
- High rewards rate
- Travel credits
- Easy-to-use miles
- Annual fee
- Other card issuers have more valuable travel rewards
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- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
American Express Platinum Card®
Annual fee: $895 (see rates and fees)
Welcome offer: Apply and find out if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Earning rates
- 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year
- 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®
- 1X points on other purchases
Lounge access
- Primary and additional cardholders get access to Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass™ Select lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), and more
- Cardholders who spend $75,000 per calendar year can bring two free guests to Centurion Lounges per visit
- Cardholders get 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year, or unlimited visits when they spend $75,000 per calendar year
- Otherwise, guest policies and fees vary by lounge
- Terms apply; enrollment may be required
Statement credits and perks
- $600 hotel credit: up to $300 semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel (two-night minimum stay for THC)
- $200 airline fee credit (enrollment required)
- $209 CLEAR® Plus credit
- Travel insurance
- $400 Resy credit: up to $100 per quarter for dining at U.S. Resy restaurants
- $300 digital entertainment credit: up to $25 per month for select streaming services and other subscriptions
- $300 lululemon: up to $75 per quarter at U.S. stores and lululemon.com
- Several other perks and credits
- Terms apply; enrollment may be required
The verdict on the Platinum Card®
The Platinum Card® is a true premium travel card. It offers over $3,500 in annual value if you take full advantage of the benefits. With its 1X earning rate on most purchases, it's not the best daily spender. However, the perks make it possible to earn your annual fee back several times over -- especially if you travel and dine out often. The airport lounge network is unrivaled.
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Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$895
Welcome Offer You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
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The American Express Platinum Card® isn’t just a credit card — it’s a status symbol. With over $3,500 in annual credits like $400 for dining with Resy, $600 in luxury hotel stays, and $300 in digital entertainment, plus VIP access to 1,550 airport lounges and automatic Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy elite status (enrollment required), it delivers prestige few cards can match. The fee is steep, but for those who want the best, the Platinum Card® can more than pay for itself — starting with a powerful welcome offer. Terms apply.
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- Big welcome offer
- Substantial spending credits
- Airport lounge access
- Hotel benefits
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited bonus categories
- Spending credits can be complicated to manage
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- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 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.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
- More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
- More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
- More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®.*Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
Which travel card should you choose?
Choose the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) if you:
- Want a straightforward travel card with airport lounge access
- Want to earn travel rewards on everyday purchases
- Want a lower annual fee that's easy to recoup without spending money at certain hotels, restaurants, retailers, etc.
Choose the American Express Platinum Card® if you:
- Fly often and want top-tier airport lounge access
- Stay at high-end hotels at least a couple of times per year
- Don't mind keeping track of many benefits and putting some effort into using them
The choice is easy if you take an honest look at your spending and travel habits. Pick the card that makes the most sense for you now, and don't plan on changing your lifestyle to score deals.
Our Research Expert
James McClenathen is a full-time Managing Editor and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, overseeing the production and quality of editorial content while also writing about credit cards, investing, and everyday money management. He has worked at The Motley Fool since 2012 and brings extensive experience as an editor, reporter, and finance expert. A graduate of the University of Michigan, James has spent more than a decade of his career helping readers make smarter financial decisions.
For rates and fees for the American Express Platinum Card®, click here