First-year winner
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
$312 Year 1 edge
$1,268 vs $957
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Preferred Rewards Upside
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible Bank of America relationship customers can unlock higher effective earnings through the issuer’s relationship-based rewards boost programs.
Perk
Alaska Airlines Travel Perks
Other · No listed cash value
The Alaska co-brand card is designed around Mileage Plan value, including airline-trip perks such as companion-style value and checked-bag savings.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Perk
Travel Rewards Ecosystem
Other · No listed cash value
The card is designed to fit into a broader travel-rewards setup through issuer redemptions, hotel stays, flights, or travel-portal bookings.
Card B
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Counted benefits
$30
Credits
$30
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
Tsa Global Entry · Listed $30/yr
Receive a statement credit for one qualifying Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee during the eligibility window.
Perk
$50 Lifestyle Collection Experience Credit
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible Lifestyle Collection hotel stays can include a $50 experience credit.
Perk
Capital One Travel Protections
Price Protection · No listed cash value
Capital One Travel includes booking tools such as price monitoring, price drop protection, price match, and flexible booking features on eligible bookings.
Perk
Capital One Dining Access
Other · No listed cash value
Access to select dining reservations and culinary experiences through Capital One Dining.
Perk
Capital One Entertainment Access
Other · No listed cash value
Access to eligible entertainment, sports, and dining events through Capital One Entertainment.
Perk
Hertz Five Star Status
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can enroll in Hertz Five Star status for added rental benefits.
Verdict
Capital One Venture wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
$262 ongoing edge
$518 vs $257
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $0 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Bank of America
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Year One
$957
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$257
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$352
1.21% effective return
Welcome Offer
$700
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$3,000
3 mo window · $1,000/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Capital One
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Year One
$1,268
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$518
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$583
2.00% effective return
Welcome Offer
$750
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$30
$30 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$4,000
3 mo window · $1,333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
1x
$5,400
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$54
1.00%
Capital One Venture
$108
2.00%
Groceries
1x
$7,800
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$78
1.00%
Capital One Venture
$156
2.00%
Travel
3x
$3,000
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$90
3.00%
Capital One Venture
$60
2.00%
Gas
1x
$1,920
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$19
1.00%
Capital One Venture
$38
2.00%
General
1x
$11,040
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$110
1.00%
Capital One Venture
$221
2.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature$352
Capital One Venture$583
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Travel rewards | 3x 3x miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. | 5x 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. |
| All rewards | 1x | 2x 2X miles on every purchase. |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | 70,000 bonus miles plus Companion Fare Companion Fare value varies. Use the issuer site for the exact current combination. | $250 travel credit + 75,000 bonus miles Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 4 listed | ~$30/yr |
| Benefit highlights | Preferred Rewards Upside · Alaska Airlines Travel Perks · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more | Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit · $50 Lifestyle Collection Experience Credit · Capital One Travel Protections · +3 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | visa | visa |
| Reward type | Miles | Miles |
Costs
Annual fee
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
$95
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
$95
Foreign transaction fee
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
None
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
None
Rewards
Travel rewards
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
3x
3x miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
5x
5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
All rewards
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
1x
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
2x
2X miles on every purchase.
Offer
Welcome offer
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
70,000 bonus miles plus Companion Fare
Companion Fare value varies. Use the issuer site for the exact current combination.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
$250 travel credit + 75,000 bonus miles
Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
4 listed
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
~$30/yr
Benefit highlights
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Preferred Rewards Upside · Alaska Airlines Travel Perks · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit · $50 Lifestyle Collection Experience Credit · Capital One Travel Protections · +3 more
Profile
Credit needed
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Good
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Good
Network
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
visa
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
visa
Reward type
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Miles
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Miles