The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the best premium travel credit card and a card you should consider adding to your wallet.
The Venture X card comes with a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, 10x points on hotels and rental cars and 5x points on flights booked through the travel portal, and top-tier Hertz President’s Circle elite status.
There is a lot to cover with this card, so let’s dive right into this Capital One Venture X review.
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- Up to $300 Back Annually as Statement Credits for Bookings via Capital One Travel
- $300 Travel Credit for Bookings via Capital One Travel
- 10,000 Points for Each Account Anniversary
- Hertz President’s Circle Elite Status
- Airport Lounge Access (Priority Pass, Capital One, & Plaza Premium)
- 10X Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars, and 5x Miles on Flights Booked with Capital One Travel
- 2X Miles on all other purchases
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- $395 Annual Fee
1. Sign Up Bonus of 75,000 Points
The current welcome bonus on the Venture X card is 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in purchases within the first three months.
The all-time high bonus for this card was 100,000 points + $200 vacation credit in early 2022, when the card initially launched.
2. $300 Annual Travel Credit
Venture X cardholders receive a $300 travel credit for travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal to book flights, hotels, or rental cars.
The credit applies every cardmember year, including the first year. For example, if you open the card in February, the travel credit will reset every February.
The credit can be used across multiple transactions until the $300 limit is reached, and no registration is necessary for the credit.
You also earn miles on your spending towards the $300 travel credit, unlike the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $300 travel credit.
The Capital One Travel portal is powered by the website Hopper, so booking is quite easy. You can even see the cheapest dates to fly.
One thing to remember is that hotels booked via a travel portal like Capital One do not entitle you to elite status benefits or the ability to earn hotel points.
But you can still enjoy elite status benefits and points for flights or car rentals booked via a travel portal.
3. 10,000 Points Every Card Anniversary
As an incentive to keep your Venture X rewards card for the long-term, Capital One offers 10,000 miles every cardmember anniversary, which occurs about every 12 months after you first open the card.
The 10,000 bonus miles will post to your account within one or two billing cycles of you paying the $395 annual fee.
10,000 bonus miles are worth at least $100 towards travel, but it could be worth $150 to $200 by transferring the miles to airline mileage programs.
4. $395 Annual Fee
The Capital One Venture X card has a $395 annual fee, but it is a really good deal if you think about it.
In the first year, you are paying effectively $95 (after factoring in the $300 travel credit) for 100,000 miles, $200 vacation rental credit, airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
In subsequent years, you profit at least $5 every year via the $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles, worth at least $100. Plus, you get all the benefits of the Venture X.
5. 10X Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars
The Venture X card earns a valuable 10 miles per dollar on hotel and car rentals booked through the Capital One Travel website.
For example, a $500 hotel would earn you 5,000 Capital One miles worth about $50 to $100 depending on your redemption (or a 10% to 20% return on spending in this category).
6. 5x Miles on Flights
The Venture X also earns 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One’s travel portal.
7. At Least 2x Miles on All Purchases
One of the best features of the Venture X card is that you earn at least 2 miles per dollar for all of your spending.
If you convert Capital One miles to airline miles, that equals a 3% to 4% return everywhere.
8. Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
One of the best benefits of the Venture X card is access to 1,300+ airport lounges via the Priority Pass network.
Visits to lounges are unlimited and free for you and two guests.
This benefit also applies to up to four authorized users, who can bring up to two guests for free.
You can quickly sign up for this benefit by visiting prioritypass.com/capitalone, entering your Venture X card number, and filling out your name and address.
Cardholders get instant access to their digital Priority Pass card, and you will also be mailed a physical card.
This benefit also works for airport restaurants in the Priority Pass network, which entitle you to a free credit of $26-28 per person.
The Capital One Venture’s Priority Pass is better than the American Express Platinum version of Priority Pass, which doesn’t allow restaurants.
9. Capital One Airport Lounges
Capital One introduced their own airport lounges in 2021 to compete with the American Express Centurion Lounge network.
Currently, there is only one lounge open in Dallas (DFW) with future plans to open lounges in Washington D.C. (IAD) and Denver (DEN) in 2022.
The Dallas Capital One Lounge is top of the line.
It features a premium in-lounge dining experience with seasonal menus and regionally sourced ingredients, along with craft cocktails on tap, local beers, regional wines, and a full-service coffee and espresso bar from La Colombe. Plus, there are grab-and-go food and drink options for the plane.
The Dallas Lounge also offers a fitness studio with Pelotons, shower suites, relaxation rooms, private nursing rooms, and nap pods.
10. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
This card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit like many other travel cards.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
With TSA PreCheck, you do not need to remove your shoes, laptop, small liquids, belts, or light jackets.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry require an interview and background check, but TSA PreCheck is typically faster and easier to obtain.
If you already have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, you could use the card to purchase Global Entry for a family or friend or use it when your membership needs to be renewed. (Some TSA PreCheck enrollment centers require the credit card name to match the applicant’s name, whereas Global Entry doesn’t have the same requirement.)
11. Hertz President Circle Status
Another great benefit of the Venture X card is Hertz President Circle elite status, which gets you upgrades and extra points.
At airport locations, it also allows you to choose any car in the President’s Circle aisle when you book at least an intermediate car. At most airports, I typically find BMWs, Infiniti sedans, Ford Mustangs, Dodge Chargers, and SUVs.
If you already have the Venture X, you and your authorized users can easily upgrade by (1) signing into Capital One, (2) clicking “Redeem” in the Rewards box, (3) clicking “Benefits” at the top of the page, (4) clicking “Hertz President’s Circle Status,” and (5) filling out your information in the screenshot below.
12. Up to Four Free Authorized Users
Capital One Venture X card members can add up to four authorized users to the Venture X card for free.
The ability to add four free authorized users is a big selling point for this card because your authorized users get:
- Hertz President’s Circle elite status.
- Free Airport Lounge Access with Priority Pass and Capital One Lounges, including two free guests.
- Travel Protections such as Trip Delay Insurance, Rental Car Insurance, Lost Luggage Protection, and Trip Cancellation Insurance when using the Venture X to pay for travel.
- Purchase Protection when using the Venture X to pay for items.
- Ability to earn 2 to 10 miles per dollar on purchases, which helps you maximize rewards for family spending.
Adding an authorized user will not qualify you to an additional $300 travel credit, 10,000 anniversary points bonus, or an additional TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry credit.
But if an authorized user made a purchase via the Capital One Travel Portal, that would could towards the $300 credit. Or if the authorized user purchased Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check, that would use that credit.
13. Transfer to Airline and Hotel Points Programs
Capital One Venture miles are most valuable when you transfer the miles to airline and hotel points programs.
Below are Capital One’s airline and hotel transfer partners:
AeroMexico
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Air Canada (Aeroplan)
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Air France (Flying Blue)
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Avianca (LifeMiles)
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British Airways
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Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles)
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Emirates
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Etihad
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EVA
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Finnair
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Qantas
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Singapore (KrisFlyer)
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TAP Portugal
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Turkish Airlines
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Virgin Red
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Accor (2:1)
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Choice Hotels
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Wyndham Rewards
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14. Fixed Value Points Redemptions
An alternative way to use your points is for fixed value redemptions:
Book new travel: You can book new travel directly through Capital One Travel at a value of 1 cent per mile.
“Erase” travel purchases: You can pay off travel purchases made in the past 90 days on your card statement without having to worry about the complexities of learning about airline and hotel points programs at a rate of 1.0 cent per mile. For example, a $500 flight could be erased with 50,000 Capital One miles.
Redeem for gift cards: You can redeem miles for gift cards at the rate of 0.8 cents per mile.
Redeem for cash back: You can redeem your Capital One miles for cash back, but the redemption rate is 0.5 cents per point, so you should always avoid this option.
15. No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
16. Primary Rental Car Insurance
The Venture X card offers primary rental car insurance when you pay using your card up to $75,000.
This insurance would pay before your car insurance for any damage to the rental vehicle, which can be valuable if you get into an accident or scratch the car when driving.
However, you still need to maintain liability insurance for damage to other vehicles, people, or property.
17. Trip Delay Insurance
You should always buy flights with a credit card that offers trip delay insurance, which reimburses you for things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use card that offers free trip delay insurance. Plus, airlines frequently blame delays on weather or an external factor to get out of paying compensation to passengers.
This benefit can really come in handy during a delay. While other passengers are worried about where to sleep and eat, you can book a nice hotel of your choice and enjoy some nice meals, without worrying about the cost.
The Capital Venture X offers great trip delay insurance and will reimburse you for reasonable expenses up to $500 per covered person when a trip is delayed by more than six hours or requires an overnight stay, and you use the Venture X to purchase the ticket.
18. Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
When you’re planning a trip, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not your travel plans will be covered if something goes wrong. That’s where credit card trip cancellation and interruption insurance comes in.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburse you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury.
To be eligible for trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you’ll need to pay for your travel expenses using this card.
Travel is crazy enough without having to worry about being out of pocket if something goes wrong, so I always suggest booking all travel with a card that offers travel protections.
The Capital One Venture X’s trip cancellation and interruption insurance provides a maximum benefit of $2,000 per person for you and your family members.
19. Lost Luggage Protection
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Coverage is also secondary to any reimbursement from the airline or common carrier. For example, if your bag and its contents were worth $1,000 and the airline gave you $200, you could file a claim for $800.
The Venture X card’s maximum benefit is $3,000 per covered trip.
20. Purchase Protection
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 90-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 90 days.
Coverage for this benefit is limited to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder.
21. Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
The maximum coverage is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardholder.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, then this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
But if the TV comes with a four or five-year warranty, you should consider using an American Express or Citi credit card, which covers warranties up to 5 years.
22. Cell Phone Insurance
Capital One will reimburse you for up to $800 if your cell phone is damaged or stolen if you pay your cell phone bill with the Venture X credit card.
There is a $50 deductible, and you can use this benefit twice per 12 month period.
The coverage is supplemental, so it applies when there is no other insurance coverage by another policy.
If someone steals your cell phone, you must file a police report within 48 hours of the event.
Some things are not covered including phones that are: lost, purchased for resale, stolen from checked baggage, on a pre-paid plan. The insurance also does not cover cosmetic damage.
You can file a claim by calling the Benefit Administrator within 60 days of the damage or theft at 1-844-288-2140.
23. Return Protection
If a retailer of an item won’t accept a return within 90-days of purchase, you can get reimbursed for the cost of up to $300 per item and $1,000 per account via Venture X’s credit card return protection.
24. 50% Off at Capital One Cafes
One nice perk of any Capital One debit or credit card is that you get 50% off at Capital One cafes.
I frequently go to one in Chicago that is a few blocks away. The Cafe is huge and there is usually one a few people inside, which is great for working. Plus, they frequently run deals or give about freebies. I’ve gotten several bags of free Peet’s Coffee or a nice reusable bag with tea, snacks, and a free drink coupon.
Capital One Cafes are not available in every city. You can enter your location on this Capital One Map to see if there is one close to you.
For example, Chicago has four Cafes, but Dallas has none, despite Dallas being the location of the first Capital One airport lounge.
25. Travel Accident Insurance
Travel accident insurance pays out a specified benefit in the very unlikely scenario that you or your immediate family become severely injured, including dismemberment, loss of sight, hearing, or speech, or death due to a covered accident on a common carrier during your travels when purchased with this card.
The Venture X’s maximum benefit for travel accident insurance if $1 million.
26. Travel and Emergency Assistance
Cardholders have access to Visa Infinite’s Travel and Emergency Assistance Services when traveling.
This benefit is not travel insurance, and all additional costs are your responsibility. Still, they can help with providing legal and medical referrals, emergency transportation assistance, prescription assistance, and help you locate your lost luggage.
For example, if you got into legal trouble abroad, Visa could provide free assistance to help you locate an English-speaking attorney or get in contact with the U.S. embassy, but any costs of the attorney would be your responsibility.
27. Visa Infinite Concierge
The Venture X card gets access to the Visa Infinite Concierge, which can help you with travel planning, buying tickets, booking reservations, and other tasks.
You can reach the Visa Infinite Concierge by emailing [email protected] or calling:
- 1-877-660-0905 (inside the US)
- 1-312-800-4290 (worldwide).
28. Car Rental Discounts
You get access as a cardmember to car rental discounts and perks via Visa Infinite, including:
- Avis – Up to a 30% discount.
- Hertz- Special savings, one-car class upgrade (when available), two-hour grace period, and 10% extra points when using special Visa Infinite Hertz CDP # 2150933.
- National- Complimentary Executive Club Executive level membership, plus up to a 25% savings via this link.
- Silvercar– Up to a 30% discount when you pay using your Visa Infinite card.
29. Visa Infinite Benefits
This credit card also gets access to other Visa Infinite benefits, including:
- Access to Luxury Hotel Collection.
- Free Membership to Shipt.
- Pre-sale to Sofar Sounds shows (mystery pop-up music shows in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and London)
- 3-month free to Skillshare and 30% annual memberships.
- NortonLifeLock’s ID Navigator, which monitors the dark web, monitors one-credit bureau and offers stolen wallet assistance.
- Buy One Get One wine tastings in Sonoma, California.
- Discounts and Premium benefits at 115+ golf courses with Troon Golf.
Other Things to Know About the Venture X
Below are some things you should know about the Capital One Venture X card.
Capital One Pulls All Three Credit Bureaus
Most credit card companies such as Chase and American Express only pull one credit bureau report when applying for a credit card.
However, Capital One is unique because it pulls all three credit bureau reports. This has more of an impact on your credit score than a normal credit card application, and it makes a denial sting even more.
Harder Approval Chances
Capital One is an enigma when it comes to credit card approvals. They occasionally will deny people with near-perfect credit (820+), while approving people with a 700 credit score.
There was a theory that Capital One preferred people who would typically pay some interest, rather than paying off their card every month.
Before getting approved for the Venture X card, I was denied twice for the Venture card ($95 annual fee). Whereas, I’ve never been denied for an American Express credit card.
Data points indicate that the Venture X is easier to obtain for people with higher credit scores, but approval is not a sure thing even if you have perfect credit.
Venture Cardholders Can Upgrade to Venture X
Capital One Venture ($95 annual fee) cardholders can upgrade to the Venture X by calling Capital One and requesting a product change. But Venture cardholders can also hold both a Venture and Venture X card.
The biggest disadvantage is that you would not be eligible for the Venture X sign-up bonus, but it could be a decent option if you wanted to avoid additional credit inquires or wanted to avoid adding a new card that counted toward your Chase 5/24 Rule number.
Venture cardholders also may want to wait until they are potentially targeted for an upgrade offer of around 50,000 miles, but it still won’t be as good as the current sign-up bonus.
Minimum Credit Limit of $10,000
The Capital One Venture X is a Visa Infinite card, and Visa Infinite cards have a minimum credit line of $10,000.
The maximum credit limit that I have seen from many data points is $30,000, which is my current credit limit on the Venture X.
The Verdict
The Capital One Venture X is my favorite travel rewards credit card because of its $300 travel credit, 10,000-anniversary bonus points, Hertz President’s Circle status, airport lounge access, 2x points everywhere, and authorized user benefits.
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- Up to $300 Back Annually as Statement Credits for Bookings via Capital One Travel
- $300 Travel Credit for Bookings via Capital One Travel
- 10,000 Points for Each Account Anniversary
- Hertz President’s Circle Elite Status
- Airport Lounge Access (Priority Pass, Capital One, & Plaza Premium)
- 10X Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars, and 5x Miles on Flights Booked with Capital One Travel
- 2X Miles on all other purchases
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- $395 Annual Fee
