Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®
Annual fees: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card $95/yr, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on hotels, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® on gas stations.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One · $95/yr
- USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®
USAA · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card75,000 milesUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®$200 cash back
- Rewards
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One MilesUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®Cash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardNoneUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®None
- Network
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardMastercard World EliteUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®American Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Gas Stations
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®5%
- Military Base
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®5%
- Grocery Stores
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®3%
- Everything else
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2xUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®1%
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
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Lounge access at $45/visit
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®— - Hotel status & programs
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- $50 Lifestyle Collection
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®— - Car rental
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Free Hertz Five Star Elite Status with Premium Benefits
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®— - 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
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®—
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Travel Accident Cover at No Extra Charge
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®- Trip Cancellation and Interruption · up to $1,500
- $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance
- Baggage
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card—USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®
- Baggage Delay Reimbursement · up to $100
- Rental car
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Secondary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver for Rental
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
- Purchase & returns
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Automatic Price Drop Cover and Price Match Guarantee
- Purchase Security up to $10,000 per claim
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®- $1,000 Purchase Security
- Extended warranty
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Extended Warranty Protection up to $10,000 per claim
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®- $15,000 Extended Warranty Protection
- Cell phone
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card—USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®
- $500 cell phone protection
- 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
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®- Travel and Emergency Assistance
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)
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®— - 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.
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®—
Category-by-Category Winner
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card wins in 4 of 4 categories. The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® leads in 0. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
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
Gas Stations
Depends: up to $3,000/yr
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® earns 5X when conditions are met; Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Military Base
Depends: up to $5,000/yr
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® earns 5X when conditions are met; Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $3,000/yr
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® earns 3X when conditions are met; Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
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 | USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® | 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: $120 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $120 Year one: $320 | 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: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $480 Year one: $680 | 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 USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® (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.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® means losing:
- -Global Entry credit
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 USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® if you:
- +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).
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card $95/yr, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® $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 USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®. 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 USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®?
- 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 Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card have that the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® doesn't?
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers travel credits. The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® offers cell phone protection.
- Should I get the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express®?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® 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.