Capital One Venture X Business Card vs. Amex Business Gold Card [Detailed Comparison]

The savvy business owner typically understands the value of having the right business credit card. That said, finding the right business card can take considerable effort.

With the prospect of so many business cards from which to select, we’ve taken the opportunity today to narrow our comparison to 2 very worthy cards to consider.

The Capital One Venture X Business Card* and the American Express^® Business Gold Card each offer strong earning potential, flexible redemption options, and unique protections and benefits.

Beyond these foundations are factors that can make one card more suitable for your business than the other.

This article aims to cover both cards’ key attributes, making it easier to select the card that makes sense for your operation.

Here’s how the cards compare.

(Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Capital One Venture X Business Card vs. Amex Business Gold Card — Overview

Before we expand on the details of the Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Gold card, let’s compare key features and benefits side-by-side.

Here’s how our featured cards compare overall:

Feature or Benefit	Capital One Venture X Business Card	American Express® Business Gold Card
Welcome Offer	Earn 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn 70,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning	10x miles on rental cars and hotels via Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights via Capital One Travel 2x miles all other purchases 10,000 bonus miles at card renewal anniversary	4x points on the 2 highest qualifying category expenses each month (up to $150,000 in purchases each calendar year) 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels via AmexTravel.com 1x points on all other purchases
Top Redemption Options	Redeem miles via Capital One Travel Transfer miles to airline and hotel partners Redeem miles for a statement credit toward previous travel purchases	Redeem for qualifying travel via AmexTravel.com Transfer to airline and hotel partners
Top Travel Protections and Benefits	Worldwide lounge access to more than 1,400 lounges and lounge-alternative properties $300 travel credit via Capital One Travel Auto rental insurance	Auto rental insurance Baggage insurance Trip delay coverage
Top Shopping Protections and Benefits	Purchase security, extended warranty	Purchase protection, extended warranty, cell phone protection
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	Annual fee of $395 No additional fee to add employee cards	Annual fee of $375 (rates & fees) No additional fee to add employee cards (rates & fees)

The Value of a Welcome Bonus Offer

Once you’re approved for either the Capital One Venture X card or the Amex Business Gold card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a large number of rewards quickly by qualifying for the welcome bonus.

These generous welcome offers can be worth hundreds of dollars and are earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the period immediately following card approval.

Offers do change, so we’re providing the following card snapshots containing current information on each of our featured card’s welcome offers:

Bottom Line:

A card’s welcome offer provides a unique opportunity to earn many rewards in a relatively short period. The Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Gold card both come with generous welcome offer bonuses.

Earning Potential

One of the key attributes to consider when looking for a business card is its earning potential. Rewards earned on business cards can offset your company’s expenses or even fund personal travel.

The Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Gold card are designed to reward common business expenses, but there are additional ways to earn rewards.

Here’s a breakdown of the earning potential for our featured cards.

Spending on the Card

The Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Gold card can deliver excellent overall earning potential for your business.

Because each business has different types of expenses, the better card for your specific business will be the one that aligns with the category of purchases your company makes.

Here’s how our featured cards compare in earning potential:

Spending Category	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Gold Card
Travel	10x miles on rental cars and hotels via Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights via Capital One Travel 2x miles all other travel purchases	3x points on flights, prepaid hotels, prepaid flight + hotel packages via AmexTravel.com 4x points when qualifying travel is 1 of the 2 highest purchase categories each month (up to $150,000 each calendar year) 1x points on all other travel
Qualifying Business Category Purchases	2x miles	4x points
All Other Purchases	2x miles	1x points

Undoubtedly, the Capital One Venture X Business card offers the simplest earning structure. Regardless of your business’s expenses, you’ll always be assured of earning at least 2x miles on every purchase.

While the Amex Business Gold card’s earning structure is more complicated, the 4x earnings are automatic on your 2 highest qualifying categories monthly.

The Amex Business Gold card earns well on some general travel purchases when those purchases are 1 of your highest total purchases for the month.

This card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on the top 2 categories in which your business spends the most every month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year):

• NEW! Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
• NEW! U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
• NEW! Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)

Referral Opportunities

Another great way to earn rewards is by referring other business owners once you’re approved for a card.

Here are the options for earning when referring family, friends, or business owners:

Capital One Venture X Business Card

Referral opportunities are not yet available on the Capital One Venture X Business card but could be in the future. Once you’re approved for the card, watch for opportunities to refer other businesses and earn Capital One miles once they’re approved.

Hot Tip:

Capital One personal cards offer the opportunity to earn up to 100,000 miles each year when referring friends and family. If you have a Capital One personal card, you can refer others for that same card to earn rewards.

Amex Business Gold Card

Like many other American Express cards, the Amex Gold card offers a stellar referral program. You can earn up to 50,000 Membership Rewards points each year for referring friends, family, and other business owners to any available American Express card.

A unique aspect of referring others to American Express cards is that your referral can select other available American Express cards that differ from the referred card, and you may still qualify for the referral bonus.

Renewal Bonus Earnings

Beginning with your first card renewal on the Capital One Venture X Business card, you’ll earn 10,000 bonus miles at each card anniversary.

The Amex Business Gold card does not come with a renewal bonus.

Bottom Line:

The Capital One Venture X Business card earns well on travel purchased via Capital One Travel and has elevated 2x miles earnings on all other purchases. The Amex Business Gold card has elevated earnings on common business categories and select travel via AmexTravel.com. Additionally, you can earn rewards on the Capital One Venture X Business card with card renewal bonus miles and the Amex Business Gold card by referring others.

Redemption Options

Rewards are earned on the Capital One Venture X Business card in Capital One miles. These miles are not frequent flyer miles and function more like points that have flexible redemption options.

The Amex Business Gold card earns Membership Rewards points, offering several redemption options.

Here are your choices at redemption time with our featured cards:

Redemption Options	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Gold Card
Travel	Redeem miles for 1 cent each via Capital One Travel Transfer miles to airline or hotel partners for flights or free hotel nights Redeem miles for 1 cent each for a statement credit toward previous travel purchases made in the past 90 days	Redeem points for 1 cent each via AmexTravel.com Transfer points to airline or hotel partners for flights or free hotel nights Redeem points via AmexTravel.com with Pay With Points and receive a 25% points rebate until February 1, 2024
Statement Credits	Redeem miles for 0.5 cents each for a general statement credit	Redeem miles for 0.6 cents each for a general statement credit
Additional Redemption Options	Gift cards, Amazon, PayPal checkout, experiences	Gift cards, Amazon, Ticketmaster, Uber

While you’ll have several options with either card at redemption time, both allow you to maximize your rewards by transferring to airline or hotel partners. We estimate the potential value of Capital One miles to be about 1.8 cents each and Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents each when redeemed this way.

To learn more about transferring rewards to travel partners, we’ve assembled a collection of inspiring ideas. Check out some of the best redemption options in our articles on Capital One miles transfer partners and American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners.

One unique redemption option with the Amex Business Gold card is that when redeeming points via AmexTravel.com for flights with your preselected airline or premium flights with any airline, you receive a 25% points rebate. Unfortunately, this redemption option will go away on February 1, 2024.

If your business involves travel, you can use rewards earned on either card to offset business travel expenses or even fund a family vacation.

Bottom Line:

The best redemption option for rewards earned on either the Capital One Venture X Business card or Amex Business Gold card is to transfer rewards to airline or hotel partners. Another good-value redemption with the Amex Business Gold card can be to purchase qualifying flights via AmexTravel.com using Membership Rewards points and receive a 25% points rebate until February 1, 2024. Using Capital One miles as a statement credit for previous travel purchases can be a convenient option to utilize miles for travel flexibly.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Travel protections and benefits are complimentary benefits that come with the Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Gold card.

Protections can provide reimbursement if something goes wrong during your journey. Benefits can elevate your travel comfort or save you money on travel purchases.

Here’s a summary of some of the key travel protections and benefits you’ll find on both of our featured cards and an additional list of unique offerings by card:

Travel Protection or Benefit	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Gold Card
Auto Rental Insurance	Use your card to rent an eligible vehicle and receive coverage for collision or theft of most rental cars	Secondary coverage, with the option to purchase Premium Protection for 1 low fee that covers the entire rental period
Baggage Insurance	You may be eligible for reimbursement due to theft	Up to $1,250 per covered person for lost, damaged, or stolen carry-on, up to $500 per person for checked baggage
Hotel Collection Benefits	Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection	The Hotel Collection
Additional Travel Protections or Benefits	No foreign transaction fees (Amex Business Gold card – rates & fees)

Capital One Venture X Business Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Worldwide Lounge Access — Receive complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,400 lounges and lounge-alternative properties worldwide, with up to 2 guests. Cardholders also enjoy complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and Premium Plaza Lounges with 2 complimentary guests per visit.
• Roadside Dispatch — Take advantage of 24-hour toll-free dispatch to help with towing, fuel delivery, and more at a pre-negotiated price
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit — Pay your application or renewal fee with your card and receive reimbursement as a statement credit for up to $100 every 4 years.
• Annual Capital One Travel Credit — Each year, you can receive a $300 travel credit to use via Capital One Travel.
• Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection Hotel Benefits — With each stay booked via Capital One Travel, you can receive an upgraded room (when available), daily breakfast for 2, early check-in/late checkout (when available), complimentary Wi-Fi, and up to $100 in on-site property credits.

The $300 travel credit is an excellent perk that can add tangible economic benefit. Plus, if you value worldwide lounge (and lounge-alternative) access, with the ability to bring along 2 additional guests, the card could provide value beyond the expense of an annual fee.

The card may also come with additional protections and benefits that are not listed.

Amex Business Gold Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Car Rental Insurance — You’ll receive secondary car rental coverage with the option to purchase Amex Premium Protection (primary coverage) for 1 low price ($12.25 to $24.95) that covers the entire rental period. Secondary coverage means filing a claim with any other applicable insurance before card coverage applies. With primary coverage, no other insurance claim is required.
• Trip Delay Insurance — You could receive up to $300 per trip if your eligible trip is delayed more than 12 hours. There is a limit of 2 claims per 12-month consecutive period.
• The Hotel Collection Benefits — Book a 2-night or longer stay with your card and receive late checkout and an on-site amenity worth up to $100.

It’s worth noting that our list of travel protections and benefits for both cards is not all-inclusive, and we have abbreviated the associated descriptions.

Bottom Line:

Both the Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Gold card come with car rental insurance, baggage insurance, hotel benefits, and no foreign transaction fees. The Capital One Venture X card offers worldwide lounge access, a $300 Capital One Travel credit, and roadside dispatch. The Amex Business Gold card also provides trip delay coverage.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Shopping protections can provide valuable coverage if something goes wrong with an eligible purchase you made with the Capital One Venture X Business card or the Amex Business Gold card.

Benefits offer savings or additional ways to earn more rewards when making specific purchases.

Let’s look at our cards’ common protections and benefits and those that are unique to each card:

Shopping Protection or Benefit	Capital One Venture X Business Card	Amex Business Gold Card
Purchase Security/Purchase Protection	Eligible purchases are covered for the first 90 days of purchase in the event of theft or damage	90 days from the purchase date with a limit of $1,000 per item, up to $50,000 per account.
Extended Warranty	Extends the factory warranties of eligible items purchased with your card	Extends the manufacturer’s warranties on items with less than 5 years for 1 additional year.

Amex Business Gold Card — Additional Shopping Protections and Benefits

• Cell Phone Protection — Receive up to $800 if your phone is damaged or stolen. There is a limit of 2 claims per 12-month period, and your wireless bill must be paid with your card. A $50 deductible is assessed for each claim, and terms/conditions apply.
• Walmart+ Membership Credit — Use your Amex Business Gold card to pay for your monthly Walmart+ membership and receive a statement credit for up to $12.95 each month, up to $155 each year. Enrollment required.
• Flexible Business Credit — Receive up to $20 in monthly statement credits, up to $240 each year, for U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, or office supply stores. Enrollment required.
• Amex Offers — Login to your online card account and choose from 100 earning offers from select retailers and service providers. Add the offers you prefer to your card account, make the qualifying purchase, and receive additional rewards or a rebate via statement credits. Enrollment required.

This is not an all-inclusive list of shopping protections and benefits for the Capital One Venture X Business card and the Amex Business Gold card. Additionally, we have abbreviated the associated descriptions.

Bottom Line:

The Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Gold card come with valuable purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. The Amex Gold card also comes with statement credits for select shopping purchases.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

When selecting a business credit card, it’s important to look at the expense of card membership before applying for any card. These expenses can include annual card fees and any fees to add additional users or employee cards.

However, the Capital One Venture X Business card only extends lounge access to primary cardholders.

The Capital One Venture X Business card has an annual fee of $395, and the Amex Business Gold card’s annual fee is $375.

There is no additional fee to add authorized user employee cards to either of our featured cards.

Hot Tip:

The Capital One Venture X Business card and Amex Business Gold card are charge cards and must be paid off each statement period. This also means neither card has a preset spending limit, which means your spending limit is flexible. Unlike a traditional card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.

Final Thoughts

For the busy business owner, earning a flat rate of 2x miles on every purchase can simplify the rewards-earning process on the Capital One Venture X Business card. This business card also has valuable worldwide lounge access, adding value for the frequent traveler.

One downside to the card is the high initial spending requirements to earn the welcome bonus. The welcome bonus can be generous, but if your business cannot meet these requirements, that bonus is forfeited. Spending requirements change, so consider the current requirements before applying.

Depending on your spending mix, the Amex Business Gold card can fare better in the earning category. If the first $150,000 each year of your business spending matches the 4x earning categories, the card may be the better choice. There’s also value to be had if you can utilize the statement credits on select purchases.

Both cards offer potentially great value with airline and hotel transfer options and with travel/shopping benefits and protections.

For more information on our recommendations for the best business cards, check out our comprehensive article on the topic.

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For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa^® or Mastercard^® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for eligible persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a common carrier vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, up to $300 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the purchase protection benefit of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase with their eligible card, purchase protection can help protect their covered purchases for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the extended warranty benefit of the [card name], when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the cell phone protection benefit of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12 month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.