American Express Gold Card vs Venture X

Fees, rewards and real yearly value, side by side. Updated October 29, 2026.

American Express Gold Card card artVenture X card art

American Express Gold Card

Estimated value every year on typical spending

$332/ year

Every year, after the annual fee. Year one adds a $800 welcome bonus: $1,132

+$509rewards+$148credits & perks−$325annual fee

Venture X

Estimated value every year on typical spending

$504/ year

Every year, after the annual fee. Year one adds a $750 welcome bonus: $1,254

+$624rewards+$275credits & perks−$395annual fee

The short answer

  • On typical spending, the Capital One Venture X comes out ahead: about $504 a year after its fee, against $332 for the American Express Gold Card.
  • The American Express Gold Card earns more on groceries, dining.
  • The Capital One Venture X earns more on gas, travel, everything else.
  • The American Express Gold Card costs $70 less a year to hold.

Side by side

American Express Gold CardVenture X
Annual fee$325$395
Rewards4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets; 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com; 3X points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com or directly with airlines10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Welcome bonus100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.Enjoy premium travel benefits with 75,000 bonus miles
Credits counted$148/yr$275/yr
Intro APRNot listedNot listed
Regular APR19.74% to 28.74% variable19.74% to 28.74% variable
Foreign transaction feeNoneNone
Credit neededGood/ExcellentExcellent

Yearly rewards by category

Category (monthly spend)American Express Gold CardVenture X
groceries ($500)$192$120
dining ($400)$154$96
gas ($200)$19$48
travel ($300)$29$72
everything else ($1,200)$115$288

Yearly value is rewards plus credits you'd realistically use, minus the annual fee, on $2,600/month: $500 groceries, $400 dining, $200 gas, $300 travel, $1,200 everything else. Points use conservative cash values; store-only rewards count at half. How we rank · Use your own spending

Questions people ask

Which is better, the American Express Gold Card or the Capital One Venture X?

On typical spending the Capital One Venture X is worth more: about $504 a year after its fee, against $332 for the American Express Gold Card. Which is better for you depends on where you spend most; see the category answers below.

Which has the lower annual fee?

The American Express Gold Card ($325 a year, against $395).

Which is better for groceries?

The American Express Gold Card. On $500 a month of groceries it earns about $192 a year, against $120 with the Capital One Venture X.

Which is better for dining?

The American Express Gold Card. On $400 a month of dining it earns about $154 a year, against $96 with the Capital One Venture X.

Which is better for travel?

The Capital One Venture X. On $300 a month of travel it earns about $72 a year, against $29 with the American Express Gold Card.

Which is better for gas?

The Capital One Venture X. On $200 a month of gas it earns about $48 a year, against $19 with the American Express Gold Card.

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Card details are collected from issuer websites and were last refreshed October 29, 2026. Terms change often; confirm them with the issuer before you apply.