Capital One and American Express both primarily have positive reviews — approximately 82 percent of reviews for both companies are 4 or 5 stars. While both companies have high ratings based on BestCompany.com’s customer sentiment criteria, American Express performs better in quality, customer service, and trustworthiness.
But, in reviews, customers of both companies are quick to mention good experiences with customer services, with concerns and fraudulent activity being resolved quickly.
Capital One and American Express are equally good credit card issuer options based on reviews. In the end, deciding between the two credit card companies will come down to your credit background and credit needs.
Capital One
15
10
Cashback
Undisclosed
American Express (Amex)
15
10
Cashback
Undisclosed
Capital One
American Express (Amex)
Capital One
American Express (Amex)
Helpful Favorable Review
daniel johnben
March 28th, 2024
DETAILS
Review Source
I've had a Capital One credit card before! Overall, I had a positive experience with it. The rewards were great, and their customer service was helpful. I found it easy to manage my account online too.
Helpful Critical Review
B
April 21st, 2024
DETAILS
Review Source
Was told by a representative that my account was set to a special payment plan to get caught up, made the payment 2 days later my card was charged off and ruined my credit over lie representative from capitalone
Helpful Favorable Review
daniel johnben
March 28th, 2024
DETAILS
Review Source
I've used an American Express (Amex) credit card before, and I really liked it! The rewards program was fantastic, and I found their customer service to be top-notch. Plus, the card was widely accepted at many places. Overall, I had a great experience with it! 💳😄
Helpful Critical Review
allison
May 3rd, 2024
DETAILS
Review Source
After being an AMEX customer for over 30 years when my checking account was HACKED & my bank did not notify me by an immediate way, only by a letter which took over 2 weeks - AMEX's payment was bounced back - Amex then immediately CANCELED my cards and would not reinstate them even after I had a notarized letter from my bank saying it was NO FAULT of my own that my account was hacked & my payment bounced! Disgusting way to treat a 30+ year customer - plus their yearly fees are crazy high anyway
While Capital One and American Express both have high customer ratings and customer satisfaction, it will be more important to address your financial situation and credit needs when deciding between the two companies.
Capital One has credit card options for borrowers of all credit levels, while American Express generally requires good, if not excellent credit (700+) for approval on many of its credit cards.
Based on credit factors alone, we would recommend Capital One because there is a higher likelihood of approval, no matter your credit score. However, if you have excellent credit and are looking for generous and prestigious rewards programs, we would be quick to recommend American Express.
American Express is well-known for its rewards options, including cash back, travel, and business rewards. If you have excellent credit and will be able to maximize on rewards through your spending and use of a card, American Express would likely be the best choice for you.
However, it is important to note that American Express cards generally carry a higher annual fee than you might see with other card issuers.
Capital One offers a range of rewards credit cards with options to earn cash back, points, or miles. You can filter your credit card search by your credit level (rebuilding, fair, good, or excellent) to see which rewards cards are available to you; many cards have a low annual fee or no fee at all.
In general, Capital One will have lower fees than American Express. Here is a breakdown of fees you can expect with either company:
Capital One | American Express | |
Annual fee | $0–$95 | $0–$550 |
Late payment fee | $25 ($38 for second late payment within following six billing cycles) | Up to $40 |
Foreign transaction fee | n/a | 2.7% (not on all cards) |
Of the Capital One cards that carry an annual fee, this fee is low in comparison to American Express. However, American Express offers much more generous rewards.
Both companies charge a similar late payment fee, but American Express does charge up to $40 for late payments.
Capital One credit cards do not have a foreign transaction fee, and there are many American Express cards that don’t charge this fee either.
One important distinction between Capital One and American Express is that some cards offered by American Express aren’t credit cards, but are charge cards.
A charge card is similar to a credit card in function, but a charge card doesn’t have a spending limit and cardholders are generally expected to pay their bill in full each month. Although charge cards don’t have a set spending limit, that doesn’t mean that they offer unlimited spending.
Thus, if you are looking at American Express card options, make sure you read rates and terms carefully to know which type of card you are applying for.
Capital One doesn’t offer charge cards.
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards card and American Express® Gold card are top-ranked rewards cards in the credit card industry. Here’s how they compare:
Capital One® Venture® Rewards | American Express® Gold | |
Credit level | Excellent | Excellent |
Annual fee | $95 | $250 |
Variable APR* | 17.24%–24.49% | 15.99%–22.99% |
Intro APR | n/a | n/a |
Foreign transaction fee | none | none |
Rewards | Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on all purchases | Earn 4X points on dining and groceries, 3X points on flights, and 1X points on all other eligible purchases; Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for each Uber Eats purchase; $120 dining credit at select restaurants |
*Note: Variable APR ranges are subject to change frequently.
Based on annual fees alone, Capital One might seem like the better choice since $250 might seem like a steep fee. But, the rewards and benefits you get with the American Express Gold card can make the steep annual fee worth it.
However, if you anticipate that you won’t take full advantage of the benefits, by spending upwards of $10,000 on the card annually, it might be more advantageous for you to choose the Capital One Venture Rewards card and save more on the annual fee.
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