The comparisons between the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the just-announced Bilt Palladium Card are undeniable. They both have annual fees that are less than $500. Both cards offer a flat 2 points or miles per $1 spent on everyday purchases. For people who can’t be bothered with juggling a plethora of bonus categories, the simple points-earning structure is a breath of fresh air (although the Bilt card’s dual rewards system is a different story).
Both cards have lounge access, transfer partners, similar earning structures and credits to offset their high annual fees. Here’s a head-to-head breakdown to help you decide which card is best for you.
The Bilt Palladium Card has a $495 annual fee while the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a $395 annual fee.
Though those are both high annual fees, both cards offer credits for travel or hotel purchases that can offset the cost. If you’re able to use them successfully, you can easily recoup the entire annual fee.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a $300 credit that you can use on purchases in Capital One’s travel portal, as well as 10,000 Capital One miles each account anniversary. You can redeem those bonus miles at 1 cent per mile (making it worth $100) in the travel portal or transfer them to travel partners, where you can get potentially more value.
The Bilt Palladium Card will come with a $400 credit that you can use on hotel purchases in the Bilt travel portal. However, that’s split into two semiannual credits, with your first $200 available from January to June and your second from July to December each year. There is also a two-night minimum for hotel stays booked with the credit.
Bilt Palladium cardholders will also get $200 in Bilt Cash each year. Bilt Cash, a new rewards currency launched in 2026, can be used for dollar-for-dollar credits within Bilt’s ecosystem on purchases like Bilt points for mortgage or rent payments, hotel bookings in the Bilt travel portal, fitness classes, select restaurants, Lyft credits and more. Cardholders will be able to redeem $30 of Bilt Cash for 1,000 Bilt points, up to their full rent or mortgage amount, so $200 in Bilt Cash would net at least 6,000 Bilt points on rent or mortgage payments if they chose that redemption option.
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Bilt Cash expires at the end of each calendar year, although you can rollover $100 worth of Bilt Cash into the following year.
If you’re looking for ease of use: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers the simplest way to recoup your $395 annual fee. The Capital One travel portal credit is not restricted to hotel purchases, while Bilt’s hotel credit is more complicated and only for hotels.
If you want higher value credits: The Bilt Palladium Card offers $600 worth of value in credits alone on its $495 annual fee. For those who book two-night stays at hotels twice a year, the card can easily pay for itself.
With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you earn:
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2 miles per $1 on everyday purchases.
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5 miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One’s travel portal.
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10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel portal.
With the Bilt Palladium Card, you earn:
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2 Bilt points per $1, plus 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases.
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1 Bilt point per $1 on rent or mortgage payments (requires a Bilt Cash or transaction fee offset).
Bilt’s rise was largely tied to its ability to unlock fee-free points earning on rent payments. However, with its new suite of Bilt credit cards, that model has changed. To earn points on rent, cardholders will need to offset the amount of points earned by redeeming Bilt Cash at a rate of $3 in Bilt Cash for 100 points on housing payments. Alternatively, you can pay a 3% transaction fee to earn points on your housing payment.
For example, someone who pays $5,000 in rent each month can earn 5,000 Bilt points if they:
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Redeem $150 in Bilt Cash, OR
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Pay a $150 transaction fee.
To earn $150 in Bilt Cash with the 4% back earning rate on everyday purchases, the cardholder would have to spend $3,750 each month on the card (outside of rent or mortgage payments) to have enough Bilt Cash to earn the full 5,000 Bilt points for their rent.
If you don’t mind travel portal bookings: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers supercharged rewards when you book travel through Capital One’s portal. However, keep in mind that most travel portal bookings are ineligible for hotel elite status benefits and earning hotel points.
If you want to earn points on housing payments: The Bilt Palladium Card lets you earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on every $1 you spend on everyday purchases (excluding rent and mortgage payments). That Bilt Cash can be used to offset the fee you’d otherwise pay to earn points on housing payments. If you don’t want those points, you can also redeem credits with other Bilt partners.
Meanwhile, the Bilt Palladium Card allows cardholders to bring two guests into Priority Pass lounges for free.
Authorized users can enjoy lounge access perks when traveling on their own, but you’ll need to pay. With the Bilt Palladium Card, it’ll cost $95 annually per authorized user, and they’ll get their own Priority Pass membership. Additional cardholders are free on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, but starting Feb. 1, 2026, it’ll cost an annual lounge access fee of $125 each to enter lounges.
If you’re a solo traveler or want to pay for an extra user: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers access to some of the best lounges in the U.S., but strict lounge access rules mean you won’t be able to bring guests with you for free. If you’re a solo traveler who frequents airports with Capital One lounge locations, then this card is a great fit. The fee for an additional cardholders is higher on the Capital One Venture X card, but spending the $30 extra is worth it given the quality of Capital One’s lounges.
If you travel often with guests: The Bilt Palladium Card will probably be the better option for travelers who often have one or two companions in tow. The card’s Priority Pass membership lets you bring up to two guests for free to Priority Pass lounges. However, if you’re predominantly a U.S. traveler, don’t expect much from the lounges you have access to.
If transfer partners are the most important factor for you, then there’s a clear winner in this category: the Bilt Palladium Card.
It also offers transfers to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and Emirates Skywards at a 1:1 ratio, while Capital One miles transfer to those programs at a lesser 2:1.5 ratio.
If you mostly redeem your points by transferring to travel partners, Bilt Rewards offers better transfer partners and ratios.
Who should get each card?
There isn’t a clear winner when it comes to the Bilt Palladium Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. In fact, the best card for you will depend on what you want to get out of a travel credit card.
If you want something simple and easy to use, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card stands out in that regard. It comes with a relatively flexible credit for use in the Capital One travel portal and bonus miles on your account anniversary. Those perks essentially cover your entire annual fee. It also includes complimentary access to some of the best lounges in the U.S.
However, if you prefer to earn Bilt points over Capital One miles, the Bilt Palladium Card would be a comparable alternative. While the lounge access isn’t the best for domestic travelers, it still lets you bring guests with you for free. Plus, Bilt’s impressive roster of transfer partners gives members access to high-value redemptions.
