Is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Worth It?
Updated September 18, 2024 at 10:00 am
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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best travel credit cards around thanks to its impressive list of features. This includes TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee reimbursement, $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary.
While the card’s $395 annual fee may be a barrier, it’s a significantly lower fee than similar premium travel credit cards. The Venture X could be worthwhile if you utilize its travel benefits, high-value perks and want to earn significant rewards every year.
Here’s what you need to know about whether the Capital One Venture X card is worth it.
Vault’s Viewpoint
- The Capital One Venture X card earns 5X to 10X miles on eligible travel purchases booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases.
- The card’s premium travel benefits include up to $300 annual travel credit, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement and airport lounge access.
- The card offers flexibility in redeeming miles, allowing transfers to various airline and hotel partners or covering travel purchases at a fixed value.
Capital One Venture X Benefits
The Capital One Venture X card provides generous travel benefits through the Visa Infinite program, including a robust annual travel credit, bonus miles, lounge access and travel insurance. It’s a compelling choice for those seeking a comprehensive travel credit card.
$300 Annual Travel Credit
The Capital One Venture X Card offers an annual $300 travel credit valid on Capital One Travel bookings. This Capital One travel portal allows cardholders to book flights, hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars. Simply book travel through the Capital One portal and you’ll receive a statement credit for up to $300. You can use it all at once or use any leftover balance on a future booking. The one downside is that the travel portal excludes popular options like cruise bookings, tours and activities.
10,000 Bonus Anniversary Miles
The Capital One Venture X card provides 10,000 bonus miles every year, starting on your first anniversary as a cardholder. These miles are worth $100 when redeemed towards travel purchases, though they could go further when transferred to one of the airline transfer partners and redeemed for business or first-class travel. Airline transfer partners include Eva Air Infinity MileageLands and British Airways Executive Club.
Up to $120 TSA Precheck or Global Entry Application Fee Credit
The Capital One Venture X provides a TSA Precheck or Global Entry fee reimbursement of up to $120 every four years in the form of statement credit. Global Entry provides expedited immigration clearance when returning from abroad and includes Precheck enrollment.
Lounge Access
Venture X cardholders get access to Capital One airport lounges, plus an annual Priority Pass Select membership. Priority Pass membership currently provides access to over 1,300 lounges worldwide.
Hertz President’s Circle Status
Venture X cardholders get upgraded to Hertz President’s Circle status** (enrollment required), which normally requires 15 rentals or $3,000 spent. President’s Circle members earn 50% more points, get guaranteed upgrades, a free additional driver and access to a wider selection of benefits. This status level is available through December 31, 2024.
**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
Travel Protections
The card also offers valuable travel protections through Visa Infinite® protection and perks, including eligible rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, trip delay reimbursement, $1 million in travel accident insurance and lost luggage reimbursement.
Cell Phone Protection
The Venture X is one of the few travel credit cards offering cell phone protection, which reimburses up to $800 in case of theft or damage. A $50 deductible applies per claim and you can submit up to two claims per 12-month period. Your cell phone bill must be paid with your Venture X card and certain terms, conditions and exclusions may apply.
Other Travel Perks
The card also provides extra perks on Premier Collection hotel bookings, including a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast and other perks. Additionally, cardholders pay no foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad. Foreign transaction fees normally cost about 3%.
Earning Rewards with the Capital One Venture X Card
The Capital One Venture X Card offers a simple rewards structure, ideal for consumers who want a single rewards card with above-average earn rates on daily spending. There’s little need to carry several credit cards with varying category bonuses. Here’s a look at how to earn miles with the Capital One Venture X Card.
Capital One Venture X Card Sign-up Bonus
New Venture X cardholders can earn a generous welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. These points are worth $750 towards travel purchases, though you can get significantly more value by transferring them to one of the 15+ airline or hotel transfer partners.
Capital One Venture X Card Rewards
The Capital One Venture X earns an unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and unlimited 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through the portal. Cardholders also earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases with their card.
Refer-a-friend Bonus
If you like the card enough to sing its praises to friends and family, you can earn up to 100,000 bonus miles annually through its referral program. You’ll be able to confirm the specific bonus with your account.
Why the Capital One Venture X Is Worth the Annual Fee
The Capital One Venture X by our math is worth the annual fee because of its numerous benefits. Combined, these benefits alone can offset the Venture X card’s $395 annual fee. Other perks like Priority Pass Select membership and the up to $120 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every four years are just icing on the cake.
If you can maximize the Venture X card’s unlimited 2X miles rewards rate on all other purchases (along with up to 10X unlimited miles per dollar on eligible travel bookings), then the annual fee can be worth paying. The benefits can significantly outweigh the annual fee for avid travelers who maximize the perks and earn substantial miles through regular spending.
Overall, the Capital One Venture X card is a great card for earning elevated rewards and redeeming them for high-value travel bookings. Even if you don’t want to maximize the value of your Venture miles, you can redeem them easily for one cent each towards any travel purchase. These flexible redemptions provide a high level of versatility, making the card a good choice for both novices and travel rewards experts.
Who Shouldn’t Get the Capital One Venture X Card?
The Capital One Venture X Card is designed for frequent travelers and individuals who value premium travel benefits. If you rarely travel or prefer cash back rewards, you’re better off with a different card. The annual fee, although competitive considering the benefits offered, might not be justifiable if you don’t maximize the travel-related rewards or want a cash-back card.
How the Capital One Venture X Compares to Other Cards
The Capital One Venture X card has a lot of positive attributes, but it’s not the perfect fit for everyone. Here’s a look at two popular alternatives.
Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee and is often considered a competitor. While both cards offer $300 annual travel credits, lounge access and travel insurance, the Sapphire Reserve’s offerings are superior. For starters, the $300 annual travel credit is valid on any travel purchase, while the Venture X’s is only valid through the Capital One portal.
Both cards provide Priority Pass Select membership, but the Sapphire Reserve includes access to Priority Pass restaurants. Both cards offer access to proprietary lounges, of which there are currently just three open with more confirmed in plans. Chase has lounges in Boston (BOS), Hong Kong (HKG) and a terrace in Austin (AUS) while Capital One has them in Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN) and Washington (IAD). Depending on which airports you frequent, you might want to choose a card accordingly.
The two cards also vary in their reward structures. The Capital One Venture X earns unlimited 2X miles per dollar on all purchases, with unlimited up to 10X miles per dollar rewards on Capital One Travel bookings. Meanwhile, the Sapphire Reserve earns 10X points on Chase Dining (through Chase Ultimate Rewards), as well as 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠; 5X on flights booked through Chase Travel; 3X on dining at restaurants (also includes eligible delivery serves and takeout), other travel worldwide and 1 point for each $1 spent on all other purchases. Note that the earning on travel begins immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
The Sapphire Reserve is better for those who want to maximize the above spending categories. But the Venture X Card is ideal for those seeking a straightforward reward structure. Ultimately, choosing between these cards depends on individual travel preferences and spending habits.
Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If you don’t utilize any of the card’s benefits but would earn at least 39,500 Venture miles a year (worth $395 in travel), you might be better off opting for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card which has a $95 annual fee and earns 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel. and an unlimited 2X rewards on every purchase. There’s also a welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
The card even offers up to two annual visits to Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges (through December 31, 2024) and up to $120 towards Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee credits every four years. It’s a more affordable option for those who don’t anticipate visiting airport lounges more than twice a year or using the Venture X Card’s $300 annual travel credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the downsides of Capital One Venture X?
The Capital One Venture X card’s main downsides include its $395 annual fee, which might not be justifiable for those who don’t maximize its travel benefits. The $300 annual travel credit is only valid through the Capital One Travel portal, which isn’t ideal for those who like to book their travel directly. Additionally, Capital One partners with mostly foreign loyalty programs for mile transfers, requiring more of a learning curve for those who want to maximize their rewards.
What is the minimum income for the Capital One Venture X card?
Capital One doesn’t disclose a minimum income requirement for the Venture X card. When considering a card application, credit card issuers typically evaluate several factors beyond just income, including credit history, existing debts and other financial obligations. While there’s no publicly stated minimum income, a travel rewards card like the Venture X may favor applicants with higher incomes to ensure they can manage their credit lines and debt repayment.
Is the Venture X Card hard to get?
The Capital One Venture X card is considered a premium travel credit card available to those with excellent credit. While Capital One doesn’t publicly disclose specific approval criteria, you’ll typically need a higher credit score (usually 700 or above) to have the best chance of qualifying. Meeting other financial benchmarks like a stable income and a low debt-to-income ratio can also improve your chances of approval.
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.
Newsweek Vault has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of select credit card products. Newsweek Vault and CardRatings may receive a commission from certain card issuers.
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