Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Both cards cost $95/yr. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express leads on streaming; the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express · $95/yr
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One · $95/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95Waived first yearCapital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAs high as $300 cash back — offers varyCapital One Venture Rewards Credit Card75,000 miles
- Rewards
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressCash backCapital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One Miles
- Foreign transaction fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express2.7%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardNoneLowest
- Network
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAmerican ExpressCapital One Venture Rewards Credit CardMastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Grocery Stores
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x
- Streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x
- Gas Stations
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x
- Ridesharing
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x
- Transit
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x
- Everything else
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- $300 Stays Credit (1st Year) · $300 one-time
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- Entertainment & streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $10 monthly Disney Bundle credit available · $10 monthly
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Lounge access at $45/visit
- Hotel status & programs
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Amex Travel Best Price Guarantee for hotels
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- $50 Lifestyle Collection
- Car rental
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Free Hertz Five Star Elite Status with Premium Benefits
- Other perks
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- Global Assist Hotline available 24/7 worldwide
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- Get 50% Off All Handcrafted Beverages at Capital One Cafes
- Exclusive Capital One Dining Access to Popular Restaurants
- Exclusive Capital One Entertainment Access with VIP Packages
- Zero Foreign Transaction Fees on All International Purchases
- Around the Clock 24 Hour Travel Help
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Travel Accident Cover at No Extra Charge
- Rental car
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Hertz Car Rental Benefits with upgrades
- $50,000 car rental loss and damage insurance
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- Secondary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver for Rental
- Purchase & returns
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $1,000 purchase protection for eligible items
- $300 return protection per eligible item
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- Automatic Price Drop Cover and Price Match Guarantee
- Purchase Security up to $10,000 per claim
- Extended warranty
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Extended Warranty up to one year
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- Extended Warranty Protection up to $10,000 per claim
- Other protections
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- Credit monitoring
- Card Replacement and Cash Advance When Traveling Abroad
- Zero Dollar Fraud Liability Cover on All Unauthorized
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000/year ($360 max annual value)
- 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services with no annual cap
- $120 annual Disney Bundle credit effectively reduces fee to net-negative
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit with no spending cap
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- Unlimited 2X miles on every purchase with no category tracking required
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- One-time $300 stays credit for hotels and vacation rentals in the first year
- 75,000 mile welcome bonus after $4,000 spend in 3 months
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit ($120 value every 4 years)
- Cons
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $95 annual fee after first year (offset by $120 Disney credit if used)
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use
- 6% grocery cap at $6,000/year limits high-spending households
- Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club) do not code as supermarkets
- 1% back on non-category purchases is below average
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card- $95 annual fee (only partly offset by the one-time first-year stays credit)
- No lounge access or premium travel perks like Venture X
- 5X earning requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
- 2X flat rate beaten by category-specific cards in dining, groceries, etc.
Category-by-Category Winner
Both cards win in 4 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.
Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 2X
Transit
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 2X
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $6,000/yr
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X when conditions are met; Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Ridesharing
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 2X
Hotels
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Car Rentals
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Vacation Rentals
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Everyday purchases
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
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 Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $144 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $73 Year one: $168 | Rewards: $312 Credits (our usable estimate): $30 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $247 Year one: $1,402 | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $505 Year one: $600 | Rewards: $1,248 Credits (our usable estimate): $30 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,183 Year one: $2,338 | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express means losing:
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card if you:
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs 1X on the other card.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- What benefits does the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express have that the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doesn't?
- The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express focuses on earn rates, while the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?
- Both cards have the same $95/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.
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Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.

