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: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $395/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on hotels, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on gas stations.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Capital One
American Express
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2X | 6X |
| Gas Stations |
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card wins in 5 of 5 categories. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card leads in 0. 5 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 10X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 10X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Flights
Depends: via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Vacation Rentals
Depends: via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Entertainment
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card vs 2X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $395/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr — a $245 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 2X |
| 6X |
| Grocery Stores | 2X | 6X |
| Online Shopping | 2X | 4X |
| Flights | 2X | 3X |
| Hotels | 2X | 3X |
| Everything Else | 2X | 3X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 2X
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 2X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 2X
Online Shopping
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 4X vs 2X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 2X
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 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $444 Credits (our usable estimate): $312 − Annual fee ($395) Ongoing: $361 Year one: $1,749 | Rewards: $202 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $172 Year one: $692 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,776 Credits (our usable estimate): $312 − Annual fee ($395) Ongoing: $1,693 Year one: $3,081 | Rewards: $806 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $776 Year one: $1,296 | 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 $245 more than the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card ($150/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $245 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 $245 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $245 fee gap means the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card needs roughly $245 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 Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card means losing:
Get the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card if you:
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass 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.
