This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
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In a world of countless credit card options, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card stands out as a formidable contender in the premium travel credit card arena. Designed for travel enthusiasts, this card is a gateway to a world of elevated travel experiences and rewards. With versatile redemption options, lucrative travel perks and a reasonable annual fee, it’s no wonder the Venture X has become a go-to choice for jet-setters.
Whether you’re looking to book travel with cash or points, the Venture X can make navigating the complicated world of travel rewards more manageable. Whether you're a globetrotter seeking luxurious adventures or getting started with travel points and airline miles, the Venture X can be a great tool in helping you meet your travel goals. Here’s an overview of what this card has to offer and a deeper dive to help you decide whether it’s a good fit for you:
- Generous rewards on all spending: Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on all other purchases, providing ample opportunities to accumulate rewards.
- Annual travel credit: Earn $300 in annual travel credits through Capital One Travel.
- Annual bonus miles: Receive 10,000 bonus miles every card anniversary.
- Lounge benefits: Includes Priority Pass Select membership and unlimited access to Capital One lounges.
- Flexible redemptions: Redeem your miles for a wide range of travel expenses at one cent each or transfer them to 15+ airline or hotel transfer partners for greater value.
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Overview of the Capital One Venture X Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card designed for travelers seeking extra perks and high rewards. The card earns 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases. While the card has a lot of incredible benefits, it also comes with numerous disadvantages. Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of the Capital One Venture X credit card:
Pros
- Generous welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
- High ongoing rewards: Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on all other purchases.
- Recurring travel benefits: Receive a $300 annual credit for travel expenses, plus 10,000-anniversary miles (worth $100). Cardholders also enjoy access to Capital One and Priority Pass lounges and no international fees for purchases abroad.
- Access to 15+ airline and hotel transfer partners: Cardholders can transfer points to popular partners.
Cons
- High annual fee: The card comes with a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees), which might not be justified for consumers who don't utilize the recurring benefits enough to offset the fee.
- Limited bonus categories: While the card offers excellent rewards on Capital One Travel bookings, the bonus categories are limited compared to other travel cards, such as dining and entertainment.
- Restricted $300 travel credit: The annual $300 travel credit only applies to bookings made through Capital One Travel.
- Limited travel insurance: The travel insurance coverage provided by the Capital One Venture X Card is not as comprehensive as some other premium travel cards.
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Venture X Credit Card benefits
The Capital One Venture X is a great card for those who want premium travel benefits at a reasonable annual fee. The card comes packed with valuable perks, including a generous welcome bonus, lounge access, recurring statement credits and bonus miles. If you manage to utilize them, these benefits can easily justify the $395 annual fee. Here’s a closer look at the Venture X card’s benefits:
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Welcome bonus
The Capital One Venture X offers a substantial welcome bonus that can go a long way in meeting your travel goals. New cardholders earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. This bonus is worth $750 towards travel purchases, though you can get significantly more value by transferring miles to one of 15+ travel partners (more on that later).
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Earning miles
While a high welcome bonus can be a great incentive for getting a credit card, the ongoing rewards ultimately justify a card’s annual fee. The Venture X earns significant rewards on everyday purchases, allowing you to maximize every dollar spent. Cardholders earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles on all other purchases.
The 10X bonus on Capital One Travel can be especially lucrative if you book a Premier or Lifestyle Collection property. Capital One offers special perks at these hotels, including experience credits, room upgrades and even daily breakfast for two at Premier Collection properties. These perks can enhance your hotel stay and save you money at the same time.
These bonuses are great for those who want to earn accelerated rewards on travel expenses and everyday purchases. If you want to earn points on autopilot without carrying multiple credit cards to maximize every dollar spent, then the Venture X can be a great choice.
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Annual credits
The Venture X comes with an annual $300 travel credit that can partially offset the $395 annual fee. The credit is valid on bookings made through Capital One Travel only, which is a bit more limiting than the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s credit, which applies to any travel purchase.
Cardholders also earn 10,000 bonus miles every anniversary, equal to $100 in travel credits. By taking advantage of the annual travel credit and bonus miles, you can easily offset Venture X’s $395 annual fee.
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Travel benefits
As a premium travel credit card, the Venture X offers numerous travel benefits that can save you money and provide convenience. To start, cardholders pay no foreign transaction fees on purchases abroad, which amounts to 3% savings. The card also comes with a TSA PreCheck vs. Global Entry application fee credit of up to $100 every four years. Global Entry costs $100, while PreCheck costs $78. Since approval for Global Entry grants you automatic enrollment in TSA Precheck, using your credit on a Global Entry application is worth it.
One of the most valuable ongoing benefits is the card’s lounge access perk. Venture X cardholders get unlimited access for themselves and up to two guests at Capital One lounges. There are currently just a handful of lounges in the network, but Capital One lounges get high marks for offering comfortable spaces with premium food and drink offerings.
Cardholders also get Priority Pass Select membership, which includes access for up to two additional guests at over 1,300 lounges worldwide. With this comprehensive lounge benefit, you can find a lounge just about everywhere you travel.
Other valuable perks include Hertz President’s Circle status for rental car upgrades and auto rental collision coverage, which reimburses against damage and theft when you pay for your rental car with the Venture X. The card also provides up to $800 in annual cell phone protection, which isn’t exactly a travel benefit but can still come in handy during your travels.
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Complimentary subscriptions
The Capital One Venture X card offers several limited-time complimentary subscription services. These include PRIOR, which otherwise costs $149 per year and includes access to exclusive travel itineraries and guides. Perhaps more practical is the 6-month complimentary membership to The Cultivist, which includes free museum admission for the primary cardholder and one guest. Participating museums include The Met in New York City, Musée Picasso Paris and Doge’s Palace in Venice.
Venture X cardholders can also claim a $300 credit towards an annual Gravity Haus membership. Gravity Haus is an adventure travel social club that offers members discounts at participating hotels, fitness studios and gear rentals.
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How to redeem Capital One miles
Capital One miles are incredibly valuable for their versatility. You can redeem miles towards travel purchases or transfer them to 15+ airline and hotel transfer partners. You can also use your miles for statement credits, gift cards, cash back or merchandise. While transferring them presents the highest value, these other options can be solid alternatives if you want to save money on travel or other purchases.
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Transfer to Capital One travel partners
Capital One introduced transfer partners two years ago, a list that has grown to 15 airlines and three hotel loyalty programs. These partnerships make Capital One miles much more valuable than the 1 cent per mile you can get from travel redemptions. While Capital One primarily partners with foreign airlines, these programs offer cheaper award flights than most domestic airlines.
For example, Turkish Airlines is a United Airlines partner offering cheaper award flights than United. For just 15,000 miles round-trip, you can book an economy class ticket to anywhere in the US. That’s a bargain, considering United often charges the same number of miles for a one-way flight.
If you’ve ever tried to use Delta SkyMiles for flights to Europe (or anywhere), you may have seen astronomical six-figure prices for economy class. Meanwhile, Air France and KLM’s joint Flying Blue program offers round-trip flights to Europe from just 30,000 miles round-trip. You can even save up to 50% on these prices by booking a Promo Reward.
As you can see, Capital One’s transfer partnerships can be a great way to get substantial value from your miles. Here’s a complete list of Capital One transfer partners. Please note all transfers are 1:1 unless otherwise noted:
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Accor Live Limitless (2:1)
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Choice Privileges
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (4:3)
- Finnair Plus
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red
- Wyndham Rewards
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Redeem miles for travel purchases
If you don’t want to deal with complicated award charts and blackout dates, you can redeem Capital One miles for travel purchases at 1 cent each. Simply pay for your travel purchases with your Venture X card and redeem miles for those expenses. While you can get significantly more than one cent per mile when transferring Venture miles to an airline transfer partner, that’s not the most straightforward option.
If you want a simple and quick way to redeem miles with minimal hassle, redeeming miles for travel purchases is the way to go. This option isn’t limited to flights or hotel bookings – as long as your purchase gets coded as travel, you can redeem miles towards it. If you book through Capital One Travel, you’ll pretty much guarantee that your booking gets coded as travel, and you’ll earn 10 miles per dollar spent (equal to a 10% return). It’s a win-win.
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Redeem miles for cash, gift cards and merchandise
While you can redeem Capital One miles for cash, gift cards and merchandise, we don’t recommend these options. Your miles are worth between 0.5-1.1 cents each:
- Gift cards = Around 1.1 cents per mile
- Apple products = 1 cent per mile
- Merchandise = 0.8 cents per mile
- Experiences = 0.8 cents per mile
- PayPal or Amazon checkout = 0.8 cents per mile
- Cashback (check or account credit) = 0.5 cents per mile
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Comparison to other cards
While the Capital One Venture X is an excellent card for those who want to use points and miles to save money on travel, it’s not the only option. There are similar cards with varying annual fees, offering more comprehensive rewards. The best option comes down to your travel needs and budget. But if you’re in the market for a premium travel rewards card, you should also consider the alternatives. Here’s how the Capital One Venture X card compares to other cards:
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Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Capital One Venture X are both premium credit cards designed to offer a range of benefits to frequent travelers and those seeking to maximize their rewards. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct differences. Both cards offer annual statement credits, Priority Pass Select membership, plus bonus points on travel spending. The difference comes down to the details and welcome bonus.
The Sapphire Reserve offers a more versatile $300 annual travel credit than the Venture X. You can use it towards any travel purchase, not just bookings made through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal. It’s worth noting that the Sapphire Reserve’s Priority Pass Select membership is superior to Venture X’s because it includes access to Priority Pass restaurants. This can come in handy when airport lounges get particularly busy.
The Sapphire Reserve has a much higher annual fee of $550, plus an extra $75 per authorized user. While the card’s welcome bonus is substantially lower than the Venture X, it can be worth more depending on how you use it. Sapphire Reserve cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠, or you can transfer points 1:1 to 14 airline and hotel transfer partners. Chase and Capital One have six transfer partners in common:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Virgin Red
The Sapphire Reserve is ideal if you need Hyatt or Avianca Lifemiles as a transfer partner. Otherwise, you might be better off with a Venture X card.
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Capital One Venture X vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express
At $695, The Platinum Card® from American Express* (see rates and fees) has almost double the annual fee of the Venture X card. Its welcome bonus is 80,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 within the first six months of card membership. The Amex Platinum Card’s lounge benefit is more comprehensive, offering Priority Pass Select membership and access to Amex’s extensive Global Lounge Collection.
Amex Membership Rewards has 12 transfer partners in common with Capital One, including Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles and Virgin Atlantic, to name a few. But what gives Membership Rewards a significant advantage is its 1:1 transfer partnership with All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club. ANA has some of the cheapest award tickets to Europe, with business class costing just 88,000 miles round-trip.
The Platinum Card offers up to $1,500 in airline, hotel and entertainment credits. It also comes with complimentary Hilton Honors and Marriot Bonvoy Gold elite status. The card’s travel protections are also much more extensive than the Capital One Venture X's.
However, The Plantinum Card falls short when it comes to earning points on card spending, with 5X points on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per year) and 5X on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. All other purchases earn just 1 point per dollar spent, which greatly reduces your earning potential compared to the Venture X.
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Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Venture X offer similar welcome bonuses and the same 2X miles earn rate on non-bonus spending. However, the Capital One Venture is a good alternative for those who want a lower annual fee with fewer bells and whistles. In exchange for a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), cardholders get the same Global Entry/TSA Precheck application fee credit, access to LifeStyle Collection benefits and Hertz Five Star status.
Cardholders even receive two annual visits to Plaza Premium or Capital One lounges, which is rare for a card at this price point. Capital One Venture cardholders earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Overall, this is an excellent card for earning valuable rewards at a lower annual fee than the Venture X.
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Is the Capital One Venture X worth getting?
Whether the Capital One Venture X is worth getting ultimately depends on your travel goals and budget. This premium credit card can be an excellent choice for avid travelers who can take advantage of its extensive travel benefits. The $300 annual credit, point bonus and high rewards earning rate can significantly offset the annual fee.
However, it's important to consider the annual fee and whether you can maximize the card's rewards and benefits to justify the cost. If you're not a frequent traveler or if you prefer higher category bonuses in everyday categories like dining, grocery and gas spending, you might find other credit cards with lower annual fees or different features more suitable for your needs.
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FAQ
Is Capital One Venture X hard to get approved?
The Capital One Venture X card is hard to get approved for since it requires excellent credit.
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What are the downsides to the Capital One Venture X?
The downside to the Capital One Venture X card is the high annual fee. The card also doesn’t offer the most comprehensive travel protection.
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How much is 75,000 Venture miles worth?
You can redeem 75,000 Venture miles for $750 in travel credits. Venture miles are worth a lot more if you transfer them to one of the 15+ airline and hotel partners for premium travel awards.
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Do Capital One miles expire?
Capital One miles do not expire as long as you keep your account open. If you close your account before redeeming your miles, you will forfeit them.
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Can you use Capital One miles for any airline?
Yes, you can use Capital One miles for any airline. Capital One lets you redeem miles towards travel purchases at 1 cent per mile. Just be sure to charge your airline purchases to your Venture X card. As long as it's processed as a travel purchase, you can use miles. Capital One also has 15 airlines to which you can transfer your miles for added value.
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*Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
