Capital One Venture X credit card review: Luxury perks for a reasonable annual fee
| 10 Miles | 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 5 Miles | 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2 Miles | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Editor's Note
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card overview
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the issuer's first foray into the world of premium travel rewards cards and knocks it out of the park. With an annual fee that undercuts the competition and plentiful perks that are easy to understand, the card is nearly a no-brainer for travelers ranging from luxury seekers to the more budget-minded. Chase and Amex, take notice. Card rating*: ?????
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Capital One Venture X exists in the premium space alongside cards like The Platinum Card? from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve?. Like them, it has some serious travel perks and valuable statement credits — but for a much lower annual fee of $395 (see rates and fees).
As Capital One continues opening its own airport lounges, the case for the Venture X becomes even stronger. In addition to their first location at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and second one at Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, they've opened a third location in Denver International Airport. With the Venture X, you'll get complimentary unlimited access to these as well as Priority Pass's 1,300+ partner lounge locations for you and two guests.
If Dallas Fort Worth, Dulles, or Denver are your home airports, this may be all you need to know to make your decision. But if you are still debating whether the Venture X is for you, here is everything you need to know before clicking that "apply" button. You will need excellent credit for this card, so TPG recommends a credit score of 740 or higher.
Capital One Venture X pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Capital One Venture X welcome offer
The Venture X card's sign-up bonus is 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The isn't quite as high as the offer was when it launched, but it meets our criteria for when to apply.
According to TPG's June 2024 valuations, 75,000 Capital One miles are worth $1,388, thanks to the outsized value you can get from transferring Capital One miles to the program's airline and hotel partners.
And if you don't want to navigate the complexities of transferable points, you can use your Capital One miles directly for travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile — making the sign-up bonus worth $750.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular Capital One credit cards based on offer history
Capital One Venture X benefits
While lower than its premium competitors, Venture X does carry a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees). That might initially seem like a deterrent, but the card's perks can offset the yearly cost with minimal effort:
- Annual credit: Get $300 in credits annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel
- Anniversary bonus: 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, starting on your first anniversary (worth $100 toward travel)
- Lounge access: Complimentary access for cardholders and up to two guests per visit to Capital One Lounges and lounges in Capital One's partner network
- Additional cardholders: Add a number of additional cardholders at no charge (see rates and fees); they can enjoy benefits and you will earn rewards on every dollar they spend
- Access to luxury hotels: Access to the Capital One Premier Collection, which offers a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more (if available), as well as to the lower-tier Lifestyle Collection.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Up to $100 in statement credits for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
- Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per person for reasonable expenses when your trip is delayed for more than six hours.*
- Cellphone protection: By using the card to pay your monthly wireless bill, your cellphone is protected for the next calendar month. A $50 deductible applies per occurrence.*
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Count on built-in auto rental coverage. Save money by saying no at the counter – rent with your covered Visa Infinite card and get built-in Auto Rental Coverage*
- Extended Warranty Protection: Extend your qualifying product warranties automatically when you purchase using your Venture X card*
- Return Protection: Keep your options open with 90 days of Return Protection, here to help when you make a qualifying purchase with your card*
*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa? or Mastercard? and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Related: Is the Venture X worth the $395 annual fee?
Earning miles on the Capital One Venture X
The Venture X accrues miles at the following rates:
- 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 5 miles per dollar on vacation rentals and flights booked via Capital One Travel
- 2 miles per dollar on other purchases
This simplicity builds off the $95-per-year Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees), a product that has been around for over a decade. In that way, the Venture X represents the best of both worlds — high earning potential on travel purchases, specifically, but a solid everyday earning rate that's easy to keep track of.
Related: Why the Venture X is a mainstay in my wallet
Redeeming miles on the Capital One Venture X
When you're ready to redeem your Capital One miles, you have several options. If you want to get the most value from your miles, you'll want to take advantage of the option to transfer them to Capital One's 15-plus hotel and airline travel partners.
However, if you prefer a simpler redemption strategy, you can redeem your miles at a fixed value for any of these options:
- Book travel: Book travel directly through the Capital One Travel portal.
- Pay off travel purchases: Pay off travel purchases on your card statement without worrying about the complexities of loyalty programs.
- Redeem for gift cards: Redeem your miles for gift cards across various retailers, restaurants and more.
Note that these fixed-value options will yield well below TPG's June 2024 valuation of 1.85 cents per point, and we especially recommend avoiding the lowest-value cash-back option when possible. If you want to redeem your rewards for cash-back, you'll be much better off with the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card or Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Should you transfer Capital One miles to partners or redeem them directly for travel?
Transferring miles on the Capital One Venture X
To get maximum value from your Capital One miles, transfer them to any of Capital One's 15-plus hotel and airline partners, including valuable options like Air Canada Aeroplan and Choice Privileges.
For instance, TPG managing editor Matt Moffitt loves the option to transfer his miles to Avianca LifeMiles for premium-cabin redemptions on United to Sydney, as well as the ability to transfer them to British Airways Executive Club for nonstop domestic flights on American Airlines.
No matter your travel preferences, you'll be able to find some excellent value in Capital One's transfer partners.
Related: Your ultimate guide to Capital One's airline and hotel transfer partners
Which cards compete with the Capital One Venture X?
With a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees), the Venture X falls within the premium travel cards category. You might prefer a different premium card option if you're looking for different perks, such as more expansive lounge access or more flexible travel credits. And if you aren't ready to fork over a premium annual fee, you can get some of the same perks with Capital One's mid-tier travel card.
- If you want more benefits: The Amex Platinum has more extensive airport lounge access and a longer list of benefits and perks that can easily offset the card's hefty $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). For more information, check out our full review of the Amex Platinum.
- If you want more travel and dining rewards: The Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders earn bonus points at similar rates to the Venture X when booking through Chase Travel? with 10 points per dollar on hotel and car rental purchases and 5 points per dollar on airfare. However, they also earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining, which beats the Venture X. For more details, check out our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.
- If you want a lower annual fee: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a much lower $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) and offers the same great earning rate of 2 miles per dollar. It also comes with a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. For more details, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.
For additional options, check out our list of the best premium travel cards.
Read more: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison
Bottom line
With simple rewards, impressive lounge access benefits and overall solid value, the Venture X has mass appeal, especially for those searching for a premium travel rewards card. In addition, there are a lot of under-the-radar perks on the card, including Visa Infinite benefits with an extensive list of trip, luggage, car rental and purchase protections. Add in a growing network of airport lounges, no-fee additional cardholders (see rates and fees), Capital One's robust transfer partners and a luxury hotel program, and you have a card that is nearly a no-brainer.
Apply here: Capital One Venture X
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa? or Mastercard? and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.