Is the Capital One Venture X Card worth it?
If you travel frequently, the Venture X card is definitely worth it. With perks like airport lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit, and a TSA PreCheck fee credit, this card has a ton of value to offset the $395 annual fee. Unlike some travel credit cards with a ton of complicated bonus categories, Venture X prioritizes simplicity, with high-value rewards on travel purchases and flat-rate rewards on everything else.
To sweeten the deal even more, this card is ideal for traveling with family since you can bring two guests with you for no added cost when you enter one of Venture X’s included airport lounges.
Capital One Venture X: Rewards
Earning rewards
With Venture X, you earn:
- 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Redeeming rewards
Although many cardholders use their miles for travel purchases, Capital One gives you seven easy ways to redeem your rewards:
-
Pay for past travel purchases. You can use your miles to pay for previous travel expenses, provided you used Capital One Travel to book. Once you redeem your rewards, Capital One will issue a statement credit.
-
Transfer miles to a Capital One partner. You can transfer your miles to any partner loyalty program, usually at a ratio of 1-to-1. That means 1,000 Venture X miles are worth 1,000 miles or points with the partner. There are a few exceptions, such as Accor, which has a 2-to-1 transfer ratio (1,000 Capital One miles turn into 500 Accor points). Hotel partners include Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges, and Accor Live Limitless.
-
Make travel plans with Capital One Travel. If you use Capital One Travel, you don’t have to pay out of pocket and wait for Capital One to issue a credit. You can use your miles to make travel arrangements. The rewards rate is 1 cent per mile, which means you need 100,000 miles to cover $1,000 worth of expenses.
-
Purchase gift cards. Use your miles to purchase gift cards from major brands, including iTunes and Best Buy.
-
Exchange for cash. If you’d rather have cash in hand, redeem your miles for a check or statement credit.
-
Enrich your life with Capital One Entertainment. With the Capital One Venture X card, you can use miles to pay for concert tickets, premium dining experiences, and more. You must use Capital One Entertainment to book these experiences.
-
Share your miles. Capital One even allows you to transfer your miles to a loved one. For example, if a friend is 500 miles short of being able to cover a travel purchase, you can send them 500 of your miles.
▶︎ Learn more: Capital One Rewards Guide
Welcome offer
With the Venture X, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 within three months of opening your account. Since miles are worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed for travel, this offer is worth $750!
You also get a 10,000-mile bonus for each card anniversary or approximately $100 in value. This makes the first year of membership worth at least $850 in benefits, which far outweighs the $395 annual fee.
Capital One Venture X: Benefits
▶︎ Learn more: Capital One Venture X benefits guide
Travel benefits
-
$300 travel credit. Once you open a Venture X card, Capital One gives you a $300 travel credit each card member year. For example, if you open an account on December 1, 2023, your cardmember year will run until November 30, 2024.
-
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit. TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry Trusted Traveler Programs expedite the security screening process when you travel through certain airports. If you use your Venture X card to pay the enrollment fee, you’ll receive a credit of up to $120.
-
Airport lounge access. The Venture X card gives you (and two guests) complimentary access to the Capital One Lounges at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport or Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. Both lounges offer high-speed internet, chef-inspired cuisine and a fully stocked bar, along with other amenities. Your card also gives you (and two guests) Priority Pass® lounge access.
-
Travel insurance. When you use your Venture X card to pay for travel purchases, you get complimentary travel insurance that covers a wide range of scenarios. This includes travel accident insurance, trip cancellation protection, trip delay coverage and coverage for lost or stolen luggage.
-
Luxury hotel access. In addition to the $300 annual travel credit, Capital One offers elite benefits at hotels in the Premium Collection. For example, you get a $100 experience credit for each stay, early check-in, complimentary room upgrades and late checkouts (when available).
-
No foreign transaction fees. Venture X has no foreign transaction fees, so you can take that second honeymoon to Rome without worrying about incurring extra charges.
Consumer protection benefits
-
Cell phone protection. If your phone is lost or stolen, Capital One will reimburse you up to $800, provided you use your Venture X to pay the cell phone bill.
-
Extended warranty coverage. Capital One offers extended warranty coverage on certain items purchased with the Venture X card. This benefit extends the original warranty, giving you extra protection in case a covered item breaks. Extended warranty coverage is available on items that have original warranties of three years or less.
-
Purchase protection. Your card comes with purchase protection, which pays to repair or replace covered items. This benefit kicks in if a covered item is stolen or sustains accidental damage.
-
Return protection. Sometimes an item breaks shortly after you buy it, or it’s damaged on arrival. If a retailer refuses to refund a covered item, Capital One will reimburse you. Return protection lasts for 90 days from the date of purchase.
-
Rental car benefits. With the Venture X, you automatically get President’s Circle status in the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program. One benefit of this elevated status is that you can go straight to your car instead of waiting at the rental counter (in select locations). You can also add your partner as a second driver without paying an additional fee. Additional perks include guaranteed vehicle upgrades, a dedicated customer service texting number, and access to a large selection of vehicles.
-
Additional authorized users. You can add up to four authorized users to your Capital One Venture X account without paying a fee. Each user gets some of the same benefits you do, including their own Priority Pass membership. They can also access President’s Circle status at Hertz, rental car insurance and some types of travel insurance.
-
Visa Infinite benefits. The Venture X is classified as a Visa Infinite product, giving you access to several premium benefits. For example, members qualify for personalized concierge assistance. A concierge can help you with everything from finding tickets to a sporting event to making reservations at a hot new restaurant.
Note on the Hertz benefit: Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
Capital One Venture X: The fine print
Fees
-
Annual fee: $395
-
Balance transfer fee: $0 at the transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promo APR that Capital One may offer to you
-
Cash advance fee: $5 or 5% of the advance, whichever is higher
-
Foreign transaction fee: $0
-
Late payment fee: Up to $40
Interest rates
-
Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.99% variable
-
Purchase introductory APR: N/A
-
Balance transfer introductory APR: N/A
-
Cash advance APR: 29.99% (varies based on the Prime Rate)
Credit limit
The Venture X has a minimum credit limit of $10,000. Capital One doesn’t advertise a maximum limit.
Credit score requirement
Capital One doesn’t advertise a minimum score for the Venture X card, but it’s intended for users with excellent credit. While you may be able to qualify with a FICO score of around 670, we recommend having a score of at least 740 before applying for your best chance of approval.
However, Capital One evaluates more than just your credit score when considering your application so a high score doesn’t guarantee approval.
Capital One Venture X: Drawbacks
High annual fee
At $395 per year, the Venture X’s annual fee is on the steep side. For the average American, it may be difficult to find enough value out of the card to justify this expense. However, if you travel frequently, the $300 annual travel credit offsets most of the fee by itself. If you can utilize additional perks like airport lounge access and statement credits, it has plenty of value.
Limited bonus categories
While the simple rewards of Venture X can be a benefit of the card, they can also make it more difficult to rack up miles. Some cards offer bonus points/miles on dining purchases, grocery purchases, etc., making it easier to accumulate rewards during your everyday life. However, the flat rate rewards on all other purchases roll in at a higher rate than many cards, so it may level itself out.
Low redemption value outside of travel
If you like the flexibility of redeeming your rewards for travel or cash back, the Venture X falls short. When redeeming miles for cash back, they’re only worth 0.5 cents apiece. Since this is a travel card, that may not be a huge deal, but the limited flexibility takes this card down half a notch in our books.
How Capital One Venture X compares
Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card may be a better fit for a beginner travel credit card or if you’re not sure you can justify spending a $395 annual fee. The Venture Rewards Card has a reward rate of 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on everything else. Although this rate is quite a bit lower than Venture X, the annual fee is significantly lower at $95 per year. You won’t get access to all the premium perks, but both cards offer a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and have no foreign transaction fees.
▶︎ Read more: Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture
Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a higher annual fee ($550) and similar benefits to the Capital One Venture X— a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, TSA PreCheck fee credit, and no foreign transaction fees.
Where the Sapphire Reserve shines more brightly is with its redemption rate of 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠. Sapphire Reserve also comes with various additional partner benefits and more comprehensive travel insurance perks than the Venture X.
However, to get the best redemption rate on travel, you have to redeem points through Chase Travel, unlike Venture X where you can use your miles in or outside the portal.
▶︎ Read more: Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
Should you get the Capital One Venture X Card?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Card may be right for you if you travel frequently enough to earn more than $395, which would allow you to break even on the annual fee. It’s an even better pick if you’ll use it often enough to get more out of the card than you spend to keep it in your wallet.
