Key takeaways
- The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card charges a lower annual fee than competing cards from other issuers, yet still comes with its share of premium travel benefits.
- Not only does this card offer broad airport lounge access, but it includes a $300 annual travel credit, a fee credit of up to $100 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership and a generous welcome offer.
- Cardholders may also like the easy-to-understand rewards structure on this card, including the fact that all regular purchases earn a minimum of 2X miles.
Now that the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been around for a few years, it’s safe to say it’s become a true competitor to other premium travel credit cards from issuers like American Express and Chase.
This is partly because the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a much lower annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express. But it’s also due to its broad airport lounge access benefit, flexible travel credits and the ongoing travel benefits cardholders receive.
But is the Capital One Venture X card “worth it” in a traditional sense? If you travel at all, you should easily get a lot more than $395 in value during the first year. If you’re on the fence about this card and wondering whether you can justify the annual fee, read on to learn more.
When is the Capital One Venture X worth it?
The Capital One Venture X can be worth it if you’re getting more than $395 in value each year from the perks you’ll receive. Here’s a rundown of all the reasons you should consider signing up:
You like the card’s rewards structure
The Capital One Venture X makes it easy to earn a considerable amount in rewards on travel purchases and everyday spending. Signing up for this card gives you the chance to earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. On regular spending, you can earn:
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
Did you know?
You can also receive 10,000 bonus miles worth $100 when you renew your card on your account anniversary.
You can use $300 in annual travel credits
One of the biggest benefits of this card is the annual travel credit all members automatically receive, which almost completely offsets the card’s annual fee. Cardholders can get up to $300 back as statement credits toward travel bookings they make with their card through Capital One Travel. This credit should be easy to use, since this travel portal lets you choose from a similar selection of flights, hotels and car rentals you would find elsewhere online.
Like other travel portals, Capital One Travel lets you search for travel based on your destination and dates so you can compare all of your options in one place. Plus, this credit can apply to multiple bookings.
You want Priority Pass Select and Capital One airport lounge membership
The Capital One Venture X card comes with Priority Pass Select membership, which lets you enter more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide and has a retail value of $469. However, cardholders can also enter Capital One’s new airport lounges and its available partner lounges.
Cardmembers can bring up to two guests for free into Priority Pass or Capital One lounges. Additional guests can also be brought into Capital One lounges by cardholders for an additional fee of $45 each.
You’ll benefit from up to $100 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credits
Like many other premium travel credit cards, the Capital One Venture X gives cardholders up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. Since joining Global Entry also gets you TSA PreCheck, joining this program is a better deal. You can use this credit every four years, and it can be used for anyone, not just the cardholder.
You want to transfer miles to Capital One transfer partners
Like credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou® points and American Express Membership Rewards points, the Capital One Venture X offers you the chance to transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners.
Here’s a full list of Capital One transfer partners and their current ratios, accurate as of October 2024:
| Transfer partner | Transfer ratio (Capital One miles to new program) |
|---|---|
| Accor | 2:1 |
| Aeromexico | 1:1 |
| Aeroplan | 1:1 |
| Air France / Flying Blue | 1:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 |
| British Airways | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific | 1:1 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 |
| Emirates | 1:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
| EVA Infinity MileageLands | 2:1.5 |
| Finnair | 1:1 |
| Qantas | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines | 1:1 |
| TAP Air Portugal | 1:1 |
| Turkish Airlines | 1:1 |
| Virgin Red | 1:1 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 |
It’s also worth noting that the Capital One Venture X card offers the same flexible redemption options as the regular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, including the option to redeem Capital One miles for travel at a rate of 1 cent each. Cardholders can also use their rewards for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise and more.
When is the Capital One Venture X not worth it?
While the Capital One Venture X can be well worth the annual investment, that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. In fact, there are several scenarios where consumers would be better off with a different rewards credit card altogether.
Should you get the Capital One Venture X?
Like any other premium travel credit card, the Capital One Venture X offers plenty of perks in exchange for a relatively high annual fee. Whether or not paying $395 for this card makes sense depends on whether you can actually use the benefits it offers.
That said, the Capital One Venture X was created to compete with other top-tier travel credit cards — this fact becomes evident when you compare options based on their annual fees. Whereas the Capital One Venture X will set you back $395 per year, the Chase Sapphire Reserve costs $550 per year and the Amex Platinum will set you back $695 per year.
If you’re hoping to acquire a premium travel credit card with the lowest possible out-of-pocket cost, the Capital One Venture X is easily the best option out there.
The bottom line
The Capital One Venture X has been turning heads since its launch in November of 2021, and it’s easy to see why. With a lower annual fee than the competition, up to $300 in travel credits the first year, a generous sign-up bonus and airport lounge membership, there’s not much to complain about. Even so, you should take the time to compare this card to other top rewards cards, including other Capital One credit cards and travel credit cards.
In the meantime, make sure to read over our Capital One Venture X benefits guide. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can definitely be worth it, but you’ll need to do some research to know if it’s a good value for you.
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