Most flyers dabbling in travel credit cards wind up facing a choice: Spring for a premium travel card to unlock benefits like airport lounge access and money-saving travel credits that cost a small fortune in annual fees? Or stick with something cheaper without the extra perks?

The *capital one venture x* splits the difference. Two years after launching to great fanfare, Capital One's premium travel card remains one of our favorite travel cards on the market for frequent flyers – if not the top option, period.

It starts with a solid and easy-to-earn welcome offer bonus of 75,000 Venture miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months – miles you can easily use to cover the cost of cheap flights (and countless other travel expenses) or send on to an excellent array of Capital One transfer partners to get even more value. But then Capital One ups the ante with top-notch travel perks like lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit available through the Capital One travel portal, annual bonus miles, unbeatable travel insurance coverage, and more.

Other premier travel cards with these perks have annual fees that clock in at $550 to $695 or more. But the Capital One Venture X credit card costs travelers just $395 a year, with an easier path to recoup that cost (and then some) than you'll find on any other top-dollar credit card. Along with all the other premium benefits, we think that makes the Venture X a strong contender for many flyers who are looking to level up their travels in 2024 and beyond.

 

*capital one venture x*
Learn more about the *capital one venture x*

 

Read on for our review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and a full breakdown of the card and its benefits.

 

Capital One Venture X: Benefits Review

The Venture X is Capital One's first foray into premium travel cards with heavy travel benefits like lounge access, annual travel credits, and more, competing against the likes of the *csr* and *amex platinum card*.

But compared to those competitors with annual fees as high as $695 a year (see rates & fees), the Venture X annual fee is incredibly reasonable: Just $395 per year. And considering you get $300 in travel credits each year among other perks, the actual cost of holding this card is much lower.

Read our breakdown of the Capital One Venture X annual fee – and why you shouldn't be scared off by it!

 

Here's a full look at the Venture X Card's Benefits

  • Welcome Offer Bonus: bonus_miles_full
  • Travel Statement Credits: Every year, you get a $300 annual travel credit to use on any flights, hotels, or rental cars booked through the Capital One travel portal.
  • Lounge Access: Free access to 1,300-plus lounges in the Priority Pass network and Capital One's lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) – plus a future location in Las Vegas (LAS). Cardholders get two free guests, too.
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Up to $120 in statement credits to sign up for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. This credit is good once every four years, and membership in both programs lasts five years.
  • Earning More Miles: Capital One Venture X cardholders will earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights booked via the Capital One Travel portal, and an unlimited 2x miles on every dollar spent on all other purchases with the card.
  • 10,000 bonus miles: Every year starting in year two, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after renewing your Venture X Card.
  • Great Travel & Rental Car Insurance: By paying for your travels with a Venture X, you'll get unbeatable primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation insurance, trip delay coverage, and reimbursement if your baggage gets lost or stolen.

 

 

Full Venture X Card Benefits Overview

Venture X Card Welcome Offer Bonus

Capital One Venture Miles are among the most valuable in the world of points and miles. No other credit card points give you more flexibility and versatility to redeem miles toward travel.

While it's not the 100,000-mile bonus Capital One had when they first launched the *capital one venture x*, the current welcome offer bonus on the Venture X is still a hefty chunk of miles with a much more palatable spending requirement. You'll now earn 75,000 Venture Miles after spending just $4,000 in the first three months. 

Considering you earn at least 2x Venture Miles on every buck you spend, you'll actually get at least 83,000 miles once you complete the required amount of spending. And since Capital One Venture Miles are worth at least 1 cent apiece toward travel – and potentially much more when using Capital One transfer partners – that bonus alone is worth at least $830 towards travel expenses.

Need some ideas? Read our list of the best ways to use your Capital One Venture Miles

 

An Annual $300 Travel Credit

Each year of card membership, Venture X cardholders get up to a $300 travel credit to use for Capital One Travel bookings.

Just use your card to book flights, hotels, or rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal and you'll automatically get up to $300 in credit toward your purchase.

Think of it this way: Do you plan to spend $300 or more on travel each year? Then this card's annual fee isn't $395 – it's more like $95. That automatically makes this card a brilliant alternative to the popular *capital one venture*.

Not to mention, you'll earn also 10x Venture miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel … but only once you've exhausted that $300 credit. Capital One made that slight downgrade earlier in 2023.

Capital One rolled out its new Hopper-powered travel portal a few years ago. While we typically steer clear of third-party sites and online travel agencies, Capital One has added some potent features to this new portal that can turn that logic on its head.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Capital One Venture X $300 Travel Credit

 

Capital One Lounge & Priority Pass Lounge Access

This is a big one.

Capital One Venture X cardholders get complimentary access to the new Capital One Lounges, the first of which officially opened its doors in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) in 2021. It took a few years, but you can now visit Capital One lounges in Denver (DEN) and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), too.

At least one more lounge is on the way in Las Vegas (LAS), and Capital One is also planning to open dining spaces called Capital One Landings in Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA) and New York City-LaGuardia (LGA).

The Venture X is the only credit card that provides complimentary access to the Capital One lounges. And it's Capital One's first card that offers lounge access, period.

 

capital one dfw lounge
Capital One Lounge in Dallas (DFW)

 

Check out our review of the Capital One Dallas lounge!

You'll also get a full Priority Pass membership, which will get you into 1,300-plus airport lounges around the globe. While most of these contract lounges may not be as nice as the new Capital One space, they have such a massive footprint that makes it much easier to get into a lounge no matter where you're flying. Membership through the Venture X will no longer get you comped meals at Priority Pass restaurants, though – Capital One cut that benefit for cardholders earlier this year.

However, per the terms and conditions of Capital One's Venture X Priority Pass lounge access, cardholders have the ability to bring in an unlimited amount of guests. Priority Pass memberships from other premium travel cards cap guest access at two guests per cardholder.

Capital One also added access to Plaza Premium Lounges, opening the doors to dozens more lounges abroad and at home. The Plaza Premium name also includes Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounges in five U.S. airports like New York City (JFK) and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD); several lounges at the Cancún (CUN) airport; and Avianca lounges throughout Colombia. Here’s the full list of new lounges.

There's one more advantage: Venture X cardholders can add up to four authorized users to their card account at no additional cost. And each authorized user will receive their own lounge membership allowing them to bring in up to two guests with them on each visit as well.

With other top travel cards, adding authorized users to give them their own lounge access and other benefits costs $75 to $175 a year. Not so here.

Read more on how to add Capital One Venture X authorized users – and why you should!

 

The Premier & Lifestyle Collection of Hotels

In early 2023, Capital One launched its own portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts, bookable with exclusive benefits for Venture X cardholders.

It's called The Premier Collection. Just log into your account and head for the Capital One travel portal, where you'll see the option to search for Premier Collection properties in addition to flights, hotels, and rental cars.

 

capital one premier collection

 

It's not just glamorous hotels and resorts that Capital One hopes will draw travelers in, either. Every Premier Collection booking unlocks a handful of additional perks that match (or exceed) the top levels of hotel status, including:

  • Free breakfast for two every morning
  • A $100 credit for dining, the spa, or other experiences on the property
  • Free Wi-Fi during your stay
  • Room upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out when available
  • Earn 10x Venture Miles per dollar on every booking
  • You can use your Venture X Card's $300 annual travel credit for these hotel bookings

It's a near carbon copy of American Express's Fine Hotels + Resorts Program, giving travelers with *amex platinum card* elite-like perks on hotel bookings. But Capital One lags behind its competitor in one crucial respect: Currently, there aren't many hotels and resorts available within the Premier Collection.

Additionally, Capital One has introduced the Lifestyle Hotel Collection including brand names like Virgin, The Standard Design, and The LINE as well as a number of boutique hotels around the world. While the Premier Collection is available exclusively to Venture X cardholders. the Lifestyle Collection will be available to other Capital One cardholders – including those with a *capital one venture*.

Cardholders will get perks usually reserved for those with hotel status or who hold a premium travel rewards credit card such as earning more miles on stays, room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout, and a $50 experience credit to use at bars, hotel restaurants, room service, or other activities.

 

Venture X $120 Credit for Global Entry or PreCheck

Add the Capital One Venture X to the growing list of credit cards offering up to a $120 credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Membership in either program is good for five years and Venture X cardholders will get this credit every four years.

 

capital one venture x card

 

If you plan for any sort of international travel, spring for Global Entry as it includes a TSA PreCheck membership. At just $120, the statement credit provided by the Venture X credit card will completely cover your membership cost for as long as you keep the card open.

Taking advantage of this credit is simple. Just use the card when you pay for your application and voilà: Your credit will kick in to cover the entire cost.

Read more: Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is Better for You?

 

10,000 Bonus Miles Each Year

Each and every year on your account anniversary, you'll receive 10,000 bonus Venture miles after paying your card's annual fee.

These miles are worth a minimum of $120 towards travel – and potentially much more by utilizing the Capital One transfer partners. You won't get this right when you open the card: This benefit starts in your second year and each year after that.

In our experience, Capital One deposits this 10,000-mile bonus about a month or two after paying your annual fee on the card, starting in your second year.

 

venture x anniversary miles credit

 

Cardholders can also earn 25,000 bonus miles for each friend they refer to the Venture X, for a total of up to 100,000 miles per year.

Read More: Wondering Whether to Renew Your Venture X Card? Make Sure You Read This

 

Earn 2x Miles on Every Purchase You Make with Venture X

Like the regular Capital One Venture Card, Capital One Venture X cardholders will earn 2x miles on every dollar spent on the card.

That's incredibly lucrative, and could easily make the Venture X card a go-to option in your wallet for many expenses.

However, unlike the legacy Venture card, Venture X cardholders will also earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights booked via the Capital One Travel portal.

 

Complimentary Hertz President's Circle Status

Venture X cardholders get complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.

As the highest level of elite status in their Gold Plus Rewards program, President's Circle elite members who book an intermediate car or higher get guaranteed upgrades to the next available car class or the ability to choose a car from the President's Circle Ultimate Choice aisle.

Members can also skip the counter when renting a car, have access to a dedicated Hertz Rewards customer service line, and have the ability to add an additional driver at no cost.

This benefit will be available for both primary cardholders and authorized users.

Read our full story on why we love Hertz President's Circle status!

 

Travel Insurance & Rental Car Coverage

Premium travel credit cards typically come with some excellent travel protection policies, and the Venture X is no different.

This Capital One card is technically a Visa Infinite card, which is a distinction that doesn't matter much … until it comes to these benefits. Charge your rental car, flights, or any trip to your Venture X card and you'll get:

 

Venture X Primary Rental Car Coverage

Some of the strongest rental car insurance you can get, nearly identical to what's available through the Chase Sapphire cards. Decline the rental car agency's policy and you'll have a strong insurance policy that will cover most damages or even the theft of the vehicle. It applies to rentals in the U.S. for as long as 15 days and in most foreign countries for up to 31 days.

Check out the fine print of this policy.

 

Venture X Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Did an airline lose your luggage – or did it get stolen? If you paid with your Venture X Card, you can get up to $3,000 to replace the bag and its contents (or $2,000 per bag for New York residents). The cardholders and all immediate family members are covered.

 

Venture X Trip Delay Coverage

Get reimbursed for up to $500 in additional expenses like overnight hotel stays or new plane tickets if your travel is delayed by six or more hours – or forces an overnight stay.

 

Venture X Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage

If something goes seriously wrong on your trip like an accident, illness, or death that forces you to cancel or cut it short, you're covered for up to $2,000 per person in expenses – and you, a spouse, and any dependent children are eligible.

That's on par with some of the best travel insurance policies from credit cards that we've ever seen. Just pay for your trip with your Venture X Card and you're set.

 

Venture X Cardholders Get Free Authorized Users

Want to add an additional user to your card? The Venture X card allows you to add up to four authorized users at no additional cost. That's unheard of in the world of premium travel credit cards. Typically you'll pay an additional $75 to $175 each year on other premium cards to add an additional user.

Not only can you add up to four authorized users to the Venture X at no additional cost, each additional user gets their own lounge membership with the ability to bring their own guests.

It's one of the most underrated benefits of the Venture X card and a big reason why we think it's the best card for traveling families.

 

Venture X Annual Fee

The Venture X card has an annual fee of $395 each year. Compared to other premium travel credit cards, that's a bargain – and also one of the reasons we think an eventual hike to its annual fee may be inevitable.

That $395 fee may still seem steep, but it's a mirage: It's actually far cheaper. Consider the fact that you get an automatic $300 credit a year towards travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal. Then, starting in year two, you get a 10,000-mile bonus every year – miles that are worth a minimum of $120.

Are you the kind of person who plans to spend $300 a year or more on travel? If so, do the math and you'll see that in reality, you're paying $95 (or less) a year for this card. If you're not the kind of person spending $300-plus a year on travel, a premium travel credit card like this one probably isn't the right move.

Read more: Why The Capital One Venture X Annual Fee Shouldn't Scare You Off

 

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Because it's a Visa Infinite card, you won't pay foreign transaction fees when using your Capital One Venture X abroad.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Avoiding Foreign Transaction Fees

 

*capital one venture x*
Learn more about the *capital one venture x*

 

Who Can Get the Venture X Card?

Capital One has indicated that you need an excellent credit score to be approved for the Venture X card. That means those with a credit score above 740 will have the best chances of being approved. But it's not so cut and dry…

 

credit scores

 

Already have the Venture or VentureOne Card? No problem: Current Capital One cardholders are eligible to apply for the Venture X Card – or simply upgrade. There's no rule limiting you to holding just one type of Venture card, as is the case with Chase and its Sapphire Card lineup.

Historically, Capital One has been one of the strictest (and most secretive) credit card issuers when it comes to their standards of who gets approved and who gets denied. While they don't publish any specific rules like the Chase 5/24 rule, there are some general guidelines to keep in mind when applying for any Capital One card.

  • Capital One typically limits consumers to holding just two Capital One-branded cards at a time. That means if you've already got a Venture Card and the *capital one savorone*, you likely won't get approved for another card.
  • Capital One generally only allows you to open one Capital One credit card every six months. So if you've recently applied and opened another Capital One card, you may need to wait.
  • Data points suggest that, much like the Chase 5/24 rule, those who have opened five or more credit cards (from any bank) in the last 24 months may also have a hard time being approved for Capital One card products.

But these aren't hard and fast rules. Since this card first launched a few years ago, we've been surprised to see many travelers who expected to be declined for the Venture X Card get instant approval.

Read More: Are You Eligible for the Capital One Venture X Card?

 

How Much are 83K Capital One Venture Miles Worth?

It depends on how you use them. And fortunately, these miles are incredibly versatile.

Let's start with the bonus … because it's actually even bigger than 75,000 miles. Considering you earn 2x miles on every purchase, the $4,000 you have to spend to earn that welcome bonus rounds it out to at least 83,000 Venture miles total.

Capital One has one of the simplest ways to redeem miles toward travel: Covering your purchases with Venture Miles. Just book a flight, hotel, or any travel expense with your Venture X, then go back and remove it from your statement with miles.

When you cover your travel purchases with Venture Miles, every single mile is worth 1 cent toward travel. The same is true when using another method to book travel: Capital One's new travel portal, where you can search for flights, hotels, or rental cars and book directly through Capital One.

That means 83,000 Venture Miles are worth at least $830 toward travel. But you could do much, much better.

Capital One has leveled up its transfer partnership program with new additions and improvements over the last few years, solving the glaring weakness of that option. Now, you can transfer to 18 different airline and hotel programs – most on on a 1:1 basis. That means 83,000 Venture Miles can become 83,000 British Airways Avios. Or 83,000 Emirates Skywards miles. 83,000 miles with Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles. Or 83,000 Air Canada Aeroplan miles.

 

turkish airlines business class seat
Turkish Airlines business class seat

 

With this improved transfer partner program, these miles are potentially worth much, much more. It makes Venture Miles a genuine double threat.

Read more: 7 Sweet Spots for Using Capital One Venture Miles

 

Capital One Venture X Review: Why We Think the Card is Outstanding

The Venture X Card is a game-changer among premium travel credit cards.

There are cheaper (or free) travel credit cards that don't come with many travel benefits. There are benefit-rich travel credit cards with exorbitant annual fees … and there was nothing in between. Capital One officials weren't exactly subtle about their motivation in trying to split the difference with this card.

“In talking to customers, we feel that there is a gap in the market,” Lauren Liss, Capital One's managing vice president of U.S. cards, said in an interview with Thrifty Traveler back in 2021. “Customers don't want to pay $600 for a card that offers travel benefits. And they don't want to take the time to continually track a laundry list of benefits they have to remember to register for.”

Rumors had been swirling for years about Capital One venturing (pun very much intended) into the premium credit card market. Those rumors intensified when they announced plans to enter the airport lounge space, competing head-to-head with American Express Centurion Lounges.

This card will get you and two guests free access to Capital One and Priority Pass lounges. We're already impressed with the very first Capital One Lounge in Dallas. If they can repeat that experience as more lounges open in Denver, Dulles, and beyond, Capital One will have hit a home run.

 

capital one lounge

 

We'll admit it: We were skeptical about Capital One's plans for a premium card at first. Why mess with a good thing they had with the ever-popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

One of the best things about the Capital One Venture Card, which has drawn in thousands of travelers, is its simplicity. Pay a $95 annual fee, earn 2x miles on every single purchase you make, buy any flight, hotel, or even a cruise or Airbnb, and cover the cost using your miles after the fact.

It's built around catering to the average traveler. Why overcomplicate that with questionable benefits, convoluted transfer partnerships, or hefty annual fees that would scare them away?

Capital One has made some big moves that change that calculus, taking the best things about the Venture Card and putting them on steroids with the Venture X – all while retaining that simple, straightforward approach.

 

Bottom Line

Two years since it launched, the Capital One Venture X Credit Card remains one of our absolute favorite cards for travelers.

You can currently earn 75,000 Venture Miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months with the Venture X. Since you earn 2x miles on every dollar you spend, you'll end up with 83,000 miles worth a minimum of $830 towards travel.

If you're holding out hope for a return of the 100,000-mile offer from when the Venture X first launched … don't hold your breath. It's unlikely we'll see an offer that good on this card ever again. And even with a 75,000-mile bonus, this remains one of the strongest travel cards on the market today.
*capital one venture x*
Learn more about the *capital one venture x*