Bilt Palladium or Capital One Venture X: a $495 card against a $395 one
The two cards compared on earning, rent, credits, lounges and insurance, and which one has the edge.
The Bilt Palladium costs $495 a year and the Capital One Venture X $395. Both are built around a transferable currency and a $300-a-year travel credit, but they reward very different spending.
| Bilt Palladium | Capital One Venture X | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $495 | $395 |
| Welcome offer | $300 Bilt Cash on approval, plus 50,000 points after $4,000 in 90 days | 75,000 miles after $4,000 in 3 months |
| Everyday earning | 2x | 2x |
| Travel portal | 4x hotels, 3x flights via Bilt Travel | 10x hotels and rental cars, 5x flights via Capital One Travel |
| Rent or mortgage | 0.5x to 1.25x, no transaction fee | Not a bonus category |
| Credits | $400 Bilt Travel hotel credit ($200 twice a year), $200 Bilt Cash | $300 Capital One Travel credit, 10,000 anniversary miles, Global Entry up to $120 |
| Lounges | Priority Pass, two guests free | Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass; guests $45 / $35, free after $75,000 a year in spend |
| Car rental cover | Secondary | Primary |
| Trip delay | $300 after 6 hours | $500 after 6 hours |
| Point value (TPG) | 2.2¢ | 1.85¢ |
The Palladium: rent and one of the strongest currencies
The Palladium earns 2x on everyday purchases in Bilt Points, which carry TPG’s highest valuation of any transferable currency, and earns points on rent or a mortgage without a transaction fee. Housing earns between 0.5x and 1.25x, depending on how much is spent on the card relative to the housing payment. Bilt Travel bookings earn 4x on hotels and 3x on flights, and Bilt partner dining up to 5x.
The Venture X: nothing to track, better cover
The Venture X earns 2x on everything, 10x on hotels and rental cars and 5x on flights booked through Capital One Travel. It adds primary car rental cover, $500 trip delay cover after six hours and $3,000 lost-luggage cover, which the Palladium matches only in part.
The Venture X clears its fee with one booking a year through Capital One Travel, which uses the $300 credit, plus the 10,000 anniversary miles. The Palladium’s hotel credit is paid as $200 in each half of the year, for Bilt Travel stays of at least two nights, so clearing its fee takes a hotel booking in each half.
The Atelier Take
For anyone paying rent or a mortgage, the edge goes to the Palladium by a wide margin. The Venture X wins on simplicity and cover.
Full details in the Bilt Palladium review and the Venture X review, or set them side by side in the card compare tool.
Airline, hotel and card names and logos are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify their programs. Points Atelier is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
