Card Comparison
Capital One Venture Rewards vs United Explorer
Side-by-side comparison of fees, rewards, benefits, and transfer partners.
Annual Fee
$95/yr
$150/yr
Foreign Fees
None
None
Signup Bonus
75,000 points + $250 credit
Spend $4,000 in 3 months
85,000 points
Spend $3,000 in 3 months
Top Earn Rates
- Hotels (Capital One Travel) 5x
- Vacation Rentals (Capital One Travel) 5x
- Rental Cars (Capital One Travel) 5x
- United Purchases 2x
- Restaurant Purchases 2x
- Hotel Stays 2x
Reward Type
miles
miles
Key Credits
- TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Credit $120
- Lifestyle Collection Experience Credit $50
- Statement Credit $5
- Statement Credit $50
- Statement Credit $50
- +1 more
Card Perks
None listed
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year
Transfer Partners
- British Airways Executive Club
- JAL Mileage Bank
- Qatar Avios
- I Prefer Hotel Rewards
- Flying Blue
- +16 more
No transfer partners
Common Questions: Capital One Venture Rewards vs United Explorer
Is the Capital One Venture Rewards or United Explorer better for dining?
Capital One Venture Rewards has no dining bonus; United Explorer earns 2x on dining.
Which has the higher signup bonus in 2026?
Capital One Venture Rewards currently offers 75,000 pts signup bonus (spend $4,000 in 3 months). United Explorer offers 85,000 pts signup bonus (spend $3,000 in 3 months). Capital One Venture Rewards has the larger bonus.
Which card is better for international travel?
Both cards charge no foreign transaction fees, making either a solid choice for international travel.
Can I hold both the Capital One Venture Rewards and the United Explorer?
In most cases yes — holding both is allowed and can be a smart strategy for maximizing rewards across different spending categories. Capital One Venture Rewards is from Capital One and United Explorer is from Chase, so they're governed by separate bank policies.