Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Annual fees: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $395/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on hotels, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card on flights.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One · $395/yr
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express · $650/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card$395LowestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card$650
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card75,000 milesMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card100,000 points
- Rewards
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One MilesMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardMarriott Bonvoy
- Foreign transaction fee
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardNoneMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardNone
- Network
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardVisa InfiniteMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card3xHighest
- Flights
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card3xHighest
- Hotels
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Everything else
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- $300 travel credit
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- $100 luxury hotel credit · $100 per stay
- Dining & delivery
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- $300 dining credit
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Free Capital One Lounge access at 6 major airports
- Free Priority Pass Select with Over 1,300 Lounge Locations
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Unlimited Priority Pass lounge visits worldwide
- Hotel status & programs
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- $50 Lifestyle Collection
- Premier Collection Hotels with $100 Credit and Daily
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status with room upgrades
- Complimentary premium WiFi at Marriott properties
- Car rental
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Complimentary Hertz President's Circle top-tier status
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card— - Other perks
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Discounted membership to The Cultivist
- 24/7 personal concierge service
- Miles Redemption
- Exclusive Dining Experiences at Award Winning Restaurants
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on International Purchases
- Around the Clock Travel Emergency Help Services
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Amex Offers
- 24/7 premium travel assistance with medical transport
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- American Express Experiences®
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Travel Accident Insurance Coverage Up to $1,000,000 Per Trip
- $2,000 trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip Delay Insurance Coverage Up to $500 Per Passenger
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $10,000 trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- $500 trip delay insurance for 6+ hour delays
- Baggage
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement Up to $3,000/Passenger Cover
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $3,000 baggage insurance per trip
- Rental car
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Primary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver Up to $75,000
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $75,000 car rental insurance (primary for international)
- Purchase & returns
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Up to $10K purchase protection
- Up to $300 return protection
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $10,000 purchase protection per item
- Return protection for unwanted purchases · up to $300
- Extended warranty
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Extended Warranty Protection up to $10,000 per claim
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Extended warranty protection for eligible purchases · up to $1
- Cell phone
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- $800 cell phone protection when paying wireless bill
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $800 cell phone protection per claim
- Other protections
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Flexible Flight Cancellation Protection Up To 3 Hours Before
- Travel Price Match and Cover for Capital One Travel Bookings
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and Landings for the primary cardholder
- Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
- Additional cardholders can be added; lounge access for each costs $125 per year
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Automatic Platinum Elite status with room upgrades, late checkout, and lounge access at select brands
- 25 Elite Night Credits annually accelerates path to Titanium/Ambassador status
- Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 points (can book luxury properties)
- $300 annual dining credit offsets nearly half the annual fee
- Priority Pass Select with unlimited lounge visits
- Cons
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- $395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
- 10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
- Lounge guests cost extra ($35 per visit at Priority Pass lounges, $45 at Capital One Lounges unless you spend $75,000 per calendar year)
- No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
- Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $650 annual fee is among the highest for hotel cards
- Dining credit is use-it-or-lose-it monthly ($25/month structure)
- Points locked to Marriott Bonvoy program with limited transfer partners
- American Express acceptance more limited than Visa/Mastercard internationally
- Free Night Award capped at 85K points; top-tier properties often cost more
Category-by-Category Winner
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card wins in 1 of 1 categories. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card leads in 0. 4 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; Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 2X (2X 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; Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Flights
Depends: via Capital One Travel - No annual cap
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express 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; Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Dining
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 3X vs 2X
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 X Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $312 Credits (our usable estimate): $270 − Annual fee ($395) Ongoing: $187 Year one: $1,162 | Rewards: $181 Credits (our usable estimate): $210 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: -$259 Year one: $441 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,248 Credits (our usable estimate): $270 − Annual fee ($395) Ongoing: $1,123 Year one: $2,098 | Rewards: $722 Credits (our usable estimate): $210 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: $282 Year one: $982 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card costs $650/yr — that's $255 more than the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $255 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card includes dining credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary hotel status. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $255 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $255 fee gap means the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card needs roughly $255 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on flights and dining and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $395/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr — a $255 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card costs $650/yr vs $395/yr for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $255 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card also lists lounge access, dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card?
- Both cards earn 2X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card have that the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card doesn't?
- The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers lounge access, travel credits, cell phone protection. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card offers lounge access, dining credits, cell phone protection.
- Should I get the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a lower $395/yr fee; the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $650/yr.
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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.