Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs Rakuten American Express Card
Annual fees: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card $95/yr, Rakuten American Express Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on hotels, Rakuten American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One · $95/yr
Rakuten American Express CardFirst Electronic Bank · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95Rakuten American Express Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card75,000 milesRakuten American Express Card$100 cash back
- Rewards
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One MilesRakuten American Express Card—
- Foreign transaction fee
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardNoneRakuten American Express CardNone
- Network
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardMastercard World EliteRakuten American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xRakuten American Express Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xRakuten American Express Card2x
- Everything else
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xHighestRakuten American Express Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- $300 Stays Credit (1st Year) · $300 one-time
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
Rakuten American Express Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Lounge access at $45/visit
Rakuten American Express Card— - Hotel status & programs
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- $50 Lifestyle Collection
Rakuten American Express Card— - Car rental
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Free Hertz Five Star Elite Status with Premium Benefits
Rakuten American Express Card— - Other perks
- 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
Rakuten American Express Card- Presale event and concert access
- $0 foreign transaction fee
- Personalized merchant discounts
- 4 free authorized users
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Travel Accident Cover at No Extra Charge
Rakuten American Express Card— - Rental car
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Secondary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver for Rental
Rakuten American Express Card— - Purchase & returns
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Automatic Price Drop Cover and Price Match Guarantee
- Purchase Security up to $10,000 per claim
Rakuten American Express Card- 90-day purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Extended Warranty Protection up to $10,000 per claim
Rakuten American Express Card- Up to 12 months extended warranty
- Other protections
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Credit monitoring
- Card Replacement and Cash Advance When Traveling Abroad
- Zero Dollar Fraud Liability Cover on All Unauthorized
Rakuten American Express Card- Zero fraud liability
- 60-day billing dispute protection
Pros & cons
- Pros
- 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)
Rakuten American Express Card— - Cons
- 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.
Rakuten American Express Card—
Category-by-Category Winner
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card wins in 4 of 4 categories. The Rakuten American Express Card leads in 0.
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 | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Rakuten American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $312 Credits (our usable estimate): $30 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $247 Year one: $1,402 | Rewards: $172 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $172 Year one: $272 | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,248 Credits (our usable estimate): $30 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,183 Year one: $2,338 | Rewards: $686 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $686 Year one: $786 | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Rakuten American Express Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card includes travel credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $95 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and car rentals and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card if you:
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
Get the Rakuten American Express Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card $95/yr, Rakuten American Express Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Rakuten American Express Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also lists travel credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Rakuten American Express Card?
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- What benefits does the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card have that the Rakuten American Express Card doesn't?
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers travel credits. The Rakuten American Express Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Rakuten American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Rakuten American Express Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.