Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® $0/yr, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $395/yr. Strongest bonus categories: The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® on drugstores, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on hotels.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Drugstores | 3X | 2X |
| Gas Stations |
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card wins in 6 of 8 categories. The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® leads in 2.
Drugstores
The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 3X vs 2X
Hotels
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 10X vs 1X
10X via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Car Rentals
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 10X vs 1X
10X via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Flights
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Vacation Rentals
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Entertainment
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® $0/yr, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $395/yr — a $395 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 3X |
| 2X |
| Flights | 1X | 2X |
| Healthcare | 2X | 2X |
| Hotels | 1X | 2X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 2X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Everyday purchases
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $144 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $144 Year one: $244 | Rewards: $444 Credits (our usable estimate): $312 − Annual fee ($395) Ongoing: $361 Year one: $1,749 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $576 Year one: $676 | Rewards: $1,776 Credits (our usable estimate): $312 − Annual fee ($395) Ongoing: $1,693 Year one: $3,081 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card costs $395/yr — that's $395 more than the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $395 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card includes travel credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $395 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $395 fee gap means the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card needs roughly $395 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and car rentals and everyday spend.
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® means losing:
Get the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
