The Capital One® Venture X® is an unsecured travel rewards credit card that offers an introductory offer of 75,000 bonus miles (equal to $750) and earns you rewards on all purchases, with upward of 10x mileage on certain items.
But is it the right travel card for your needs?
Let’s dive deeper—
Capital One® Venture X® at a Glance
Type: Travel rewards card
Annual fee: $395
Maintenance fee: None
Credit score: Very Good / Excellent (720+)
Cash back: Up to $300 back annually for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles every year starting on your 1st anniversary, unlimited 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and unlimited 2x miles during other purchases.
Intro offer: 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account (which equals to $750 in travel).
Benefits: Travel rewards, free authorized users, 10,000-mile anniversary bonus, unlimited access to Capital One Lounges, primary rental car insurance, cell phone insurance protection.
Capital One® Venture X® Credit Card—How Does It Work?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a decent mid-tier travel card.
It’s not regarded as a premium or specialized card, despite the fact that it offers numerous benefits for regular travelers.
This is because it charges a relatively low $395 annual cost (in comparison to other travel cards).
It’s a neat compromise for consistent travelers who want more advantages without having to pay annual fees of $500 or more.
The Venture X card might be the best option for you if you’re interested in ongoing value and useful travel benefits but don’t want to manage multiple travel cards.
But if your credit score is under 720—or you aren’t a fan of annual fees—this might not be the greatest choice for you.
Capital One® Venture X® Review: Overall Card Rating
|
Category |
Features |
Rating |
|
APR |
21.74% variable |
3/5 |
|
Annual fee |
$395 |
3/5 |
|
Intro offer |
75,000 bonus miles |
5/5 |
|
Rewards (standard) |
2x miles |
5/5 |
|
Rewards (maximum) |
10x miles |
5/5 |
|
Overall credit card rating |
4.2/5 |
Capital One® Venture X® Review
41% of Americans currently hold a credit card with travel benefits.
But 14% of people use their points or miles for any upcoming journey, regardless of price or value.
This is why it’s important to choose a travel card that offers easy to use benefits, like the Capital One® Venture X®.
However, there are a few things to remember before you apply for this card—
Capital One® Venture X®—what we like
Pros
- 75,000 ($750) bonus miles
- Capital One Lounges
- Travel Insurance
- Hotel/Airbnb Credit
Cons
- $395 annual fee
- Lack of reward partners
- Must have excellent credit for approval
Capital One® Lounges
What’s cooler than being cool? Access to over 1,300 worldwide airport lounges.
With your Venture X®, you get free Priority Pass Select membership plus the brand-new Capital One Lounge with two free guest passes per year.
Currently, the only one open is in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), but two more are on the way—in Denver, Colorado and at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C.
Travel Insurance
This card is amazing when it comes to making sure your travels are protected. You get trip interruption and cancellation insurance, travel accident insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and auto rental collision damage waiver coverage.
Bummer alert: The Venture X® doesn’t offer baggage delay insurance, but it’s no biggie since it still hooks you up with tons of other coverage for your travels.
Plus, you’ll love the extras like return protection and smartphone protection, as well as standard shopping protection like extended warranties.
Venture X® Airbnb Credit
As a one time perk, the Venture X offers up to $200 back in statement credits for vacation rentals that you charge to your credit card in the first year.
This includes rentals from Airbnb, which means you can save $200 on rental bookings.
Introductory Offer
When you make $4,000 in purchases with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card within the first three months of opening your account, you’ll get 75,000 extra miles.
This is equal to $750 that you can spend on other travel expenses.
You can also receive 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100) every single year, starting on your first anniversary.
Capital One® Venture X®—things to keep in mind
Annual Fee
While the annual fee of $395 is less expensive than other travel credit cards similar to Capital One® Venture X®, it’s still more than what some cardholders are used to paying.
If you travel often and can take advantage of rewards, the fee can easily pay for itself. But if not, this may not be the best credit card for you.
Lack of decent transfer partners
If you’re the type to squeeze every penny out of rewards programs, the Venture X’s transfer partner list might interest you.
Keep in mind, though, that only a handful of airlines (none of them American) and a few hotels (Marriott, Hyatt, InterContinental) get in on the action—so unless you stick with just those, you might not get the most bang for your mileage transfers.
Excellent credit recommended for approval odds
As with other higher-end cards, Capital One assigns this card’s recommended credit level for acceptance as “Excellent”.
This means you’ll need at least a 720+ credit score for credit approval odds. Anything less than that and you might end up with a dreaded denial for your application.
Capital One® Venture X® Credit Card Fees
|
Rates & fees |
|
|
Annual fee |
$395 |
|
Monthly maintenance fee |
N/A |
|
APR |
21.74%–28.74% variable |
|
APR for cash advances |
28.74% variable |
|
Balance transfer fee |
3% |
|
Cash advance fee |
$3 or 3% of the amount each cash advance (whichever is greater) |
|
Foreign transaction fee |
$0 |
|
Late fee |
Up to $40 |
|
Minimum interest charge |
1% or $25 (whichever is greater) of your revolving balance, plus interest and fees |
|
Returned payment fee |
$25 |
Alternatives to the Capital One® Venture X® Credit Card
|
Capital One® Venture X Card |
American Express Platinum Card® Card |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
|
|
Annual fee |
$395 |
$695 |
$95 |
|
APR |
28.74% Variable |
28.99%% Variable |
27.74% Variable |
|
Rewards rate |
2 points per $1 |
1 point per $1 |
Up to 3 points per $1 |
|
Intro offer |
75,000 miles |
80,000 miles |
N/A |
|
Credit score |
Good/Excellent |
Good/Excellent |
Fair/Good |
Based on our research, the two best alternatives for the Venture X® card are—
American Express Platinum Card®
|
Credit card |
Rating |
Annual fee |
Rewards rate |
Intro offer |
|
American Express Platinum Card® Card |
4/5 |
2/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
Why we like it
The American Express Platinum Card is quite like the Capital One Venture X because it carries premium perks and similar reward rates.
The Membership Rewards points with the Amex Platinum are more versatile than the Venture X—but it does come with a heftier $695 annual fee to get all those deluxe benefits.
Some of the awesome extras you’ll get include statement credits for Walmart+, Equinox, SoulCycle, and even digital entertainment subscriptions.
Plus, as an introductory offer, you’ll score 80,000 miles (5,000 more than in Venture X’s offer). The APR rates are fairly similar, though.
Pros
- $200 a year for hotel bookings, $200 a year for Uber, and $240 a year for digital entertainment from Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, and/or The New York Times.
- Access to over 1,300 airport lounges around the world.
- Cell phone protection, fee credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, and 24-hour access to concierge services by phone.
Cons
- High annual fee of $695.
- Can only earn one point per dollar (one mile).
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
|
Credit card |
Rating |
Annual fee |
Rewards rate |
Intro offer |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
4.2/5 |
4/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
Why we like it
When it comes to travel credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best options.
It provides both points and miles for reward-maximizing experts and novices alike.
It only has a $95 annual fee and offers: five points for every dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, three points for every dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery shopping, two points for every dollar spent on other travel, and one point for every dollar spent on everything else.
However, it does have a fairly high APR rate which starts at 20.74%—and it doesn’t have an introductory offer like the other two cards.
Pros
- Transfer points to travel partners at 1:1 rate.
- Earn high rewards on several areas of spending.
- $95 annual fee.
Cons
- High variable APR up to 27.74%.
- No introductory offer.
Is Capital One® Venture X® Good for Me?
Among all premium credit cards, the Capital One Venture X card has the lowest annual cost and a ton of fantastic benefits—including many bonus categories and great introductory offers.
It’s ideal for frequent travelers who have the budget for a premium credit card and can benefit from all the upscale travel perks the card provides.
The annual fee may be a turn off for people who prefer not to spend a few hundred bucks each year—and the benefits might escape you if you don’t travel often.
In cases like this, a cash back card may be ideal.
We’d say that this card is one of the best options for those with great credit and who love to travel.
If your credit is fair, or if you’re looking for different types of rewards, it may be worth exploring other cards.
FAQ
Is the Venture X card metal?
Yes, the Capital One® Venture X Rewards Credit Card is made of metal.
It weighs about 16 grams and is made of stainless steel and recycled materials, making it slightly heavier than a conventional plastic credit card.
How to upgrade Venture to Venture X card?
If you’re a current Venture card holder, you may be able to easily upgrade to the Venture X.
All you have to do is call the customer care line listed on the back of your Capital One Venture card.
To qualify for the Venture X card, you’ll need have an open account for at least six months, a history of on-time payments, and fairly low credit utilization.
What is the Capital One® Airbnb credit?
Venture X has a sweet welcome bonus for travel enthusiasts—you can get up to $200 back in statement credits for vacation rentals made with their card in the first year.
This applies to top sites such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and TurnKey—but it’s a one-time credit as part of the welcome bonus, so you won’t get it every year.
If the transaction is $200 or more, you’ll get the $200 statement credit as a single credit—otherwise, it’ll come in several statement credits up until the total amount of $200.
How do you get a Capital One® Venture X® authorized user added?
To add an authorized user to your account, you’ll need to login to your Capital One Venture X card account.
From there you’ll need to click “Manage Account Users”, then add new user—and then fill out a short form to add the new authorized user to your account.
Is Capital One® a Visa or Mastercard?
It’s a Mastercard.
This means that it comes with Mastercard perks, including rental car insurance, travel assistance, and the ability to use it in countries that accept Mastercard.
How do Capital One® miles work?
Capital One has a rewards program called Capital One Travel Rewards.
This program lets you earn miles on all eligible purchases, which you can use to book travel or other accommodations.
Depending on which card you have, the amount of miles you earn varies, but some Capital One cards let you rack up extra miles for specific travel-related purchases.
The beauty of Capital One Travel Rewards is that there’s no limit on the miles you can earn. With the Venture X card, for example, you can earn up to 10x miles on select purchases. And since one mile is worth one penny, 75,000 miles amounts to a sweet $750 in travel rewards.
Redeeming your Capital One miles is simple. Just log in to your account on the website or Capital One mobile app, head to the rewards page, and choose how you want to redeem your miles.
What is the difference between Capital One® Venture vs. Capital One® Venture X cards?
Simply put, the original Venture card has a cheaper annual fee ($95 vs. $395) but doesn’t offer as many travel benefits as the Venture X.
It’s a great “starter” travel card, but doesn’t earn the mileage or points that the Venture X does, and doesn’t offer the additional benefits (like the 10,000 bonus miles or $300 annual travel statement credit).
How to use your Capital One® Venture with transfer partners and miles?
Unfortunately, the Capital One® Venture X® doesn’t currently work with many transfer partners that most cardholders would use.
But if you’re going to transfer your miles, there are a few partners that give you a few more dollars for each mile:
- Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio).
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio).
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio).
Transferring your miles to these partners can mean more money for travel, as well as cheaper fares.
For example, working with Air Canada Aeroplan doesn’t have surcharges during transfers, and you can book tickets easily with fairly low taxes and fees—saving you money if traveling to and around Canada.
Of course, you’ll want to look at what Capital One offers overall to see if you’re getting a good deal when working with transfer partners.
