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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with features aimed at travelers, such as airport lounge access, travel credits and earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. However, the card comes with a $395 annual fee — which is on the lower end for a premium credit card.
Below, CNBC Select breaks down the Capital One Venture X's rewards, benefits and fees to help you decide if it's the right card for you.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
$0
Is the Capital One Venture X worth it?
The Capital One Venture X packs a punch for consumers who want a credit card that focuses almost exclusively on travel perks. Other premium cards, most notably the American Express Platinum Card® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), have made additions to their benefits in recent years that make each more of a 'lifestyle' card than a pure travel card. Terms apply.
With the Venture X, the valuable rewards and benefits you will have access to can quickly make the annual fee worth paying — that is, as long as you use them. In the first year alone, the card comes with perks easily worth over $1,000 (that includes the welcome bonus), not including the ones with variable values like the cell phone insurance and no foreign transaction fees. *Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.
Additionally, if you're someone with multiple credit cards, you may be frustrated as several popular travel cards have similar benefits to the Venture X. If so, it may be best to analyze which card can deliver you more value. If the Capital One Venture X can offer you more for a better annual fee, canceling (or downgrading) your other card(s) is an option to trim the fat.
If you're looking just at the first year, the Venture X card is easily worth it if you earn the welcome bonus, which is worth $750 when redeeming for recent travel purchases or booking travel through the Capital One Travel portal. However, if you transfer your miles to airline partners, you could get more value from your miles. You can transfer Capital One miles to a long list of partners, which include JetBlue TrueBlue, Choice Privileges, British Airways Club and Air Canada Aeroplan.
With this long list of perks, the $395 annual fee can be offset quickly, especially in the first year. While you won't earn a welcome bonus in the second year, the 10,000 bonus anniversary miles (worth at least $100 toward travel) plus the $300 travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings easily offset the annual fee. When you take just those two perks at their face value of $400, it's as if Capital One is paying you $5 to keep the card open.
And benefits like the Complimentary Hertz President Circle status*, airport lounge access, access to unique events through Capital One Experiences and ongoing rewards from spending are gravy on top.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. 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 will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
What to know if you're considering the Capital One Venture X
If you're considering the Capital One Venture X card, it's best to apply if you have any large upcoming expenses — especially if they're travel-related.
First, you would be able to use the $300 Capital One Travel credit toward purchases made through Capital One Travel right off the bat — effectively earning back the annual fee plus some. This makes the card great for someone who's in the trip-planning process.
In addition, be sure that you have an excellent credit score and that you'll be able to meet the minimum spend threshold before you apply. The requirement is reasonable at $4,000 in three months, but having large upcoming expenses can ease the stress of earning the bonus.
But most importantly, add the nearly $400 annual fee into your budget. While saving money on travel through reward miles and credit cards can be a thrill, it isn't worth putting yourself into a financial bind. So before applying, be sure you consider the annual fee as it will be applied on the first billing statement.
Alternatives to the Capital One Venture X
If the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card doesn't fit exactly what you are looking for, don't fret. There are plenty of travel credit cards, with smaller and larger annual fees, that may be a better fit.
If you enjoy earning transferable Capital One miles but don't want to pay a large annual fee upfront, consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Similar to the Venture X, the Venture Rewards Card earns 2X miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases, but has a more modest $95 annual fee. You will still have access to the Capital One Travel portal, and you can earn the same valuable bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
If you want to have a larger suite of benefits, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It has a long list of features, including: broad spending categories to earn rewards, airport lounge access, discounts and credits with partners like Peloton and DoorDash, comprehensive travel insurance, purchase protection and return protection. The card also comes with a great welcome offer: 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. However, the card has a steep $795 annual fee, and an additional $195 annual fee for each authorized user.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Pros and cons of the Venture X card
- Earns valuable transferable miles
- Straightforward $300 travel credit every year
- 10,000 bonus miles every anniversary
- Excellent travel and shopping protections
- Higher annual fee of $395
- Authorized users require an additional fee to receive lounge access
- Just a few bonus spending categories
FAQs
What credit score do you need for the Capital One Venture X card?
You typically need an excellent credit score to qualify for the Capital One Venture X card. If you're unsure whether you're eligible, you can use Capital One's preapproval tool to check your eligibility.
How much are 100,000 Capital One miles worth?
Capital One miles are worth at least 1 cent each when you use them to book travel through Capital One portals or to offset travel purchases. So 100,000 miles is typically worth at least $1,000 in travel.
Is the Capital One Venture X worth getting?
If you travel with any regularity, the Capital One Venture X can be well worth getting. While it has a higher annual fee ($395), it has several valuable benefits that can easily offset the cost. It's also much more affordable than many comparable premium credit cards that have annual fees that cost $300 to $400 more.
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For rates and fees for the American Express Platinum Card®, click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
