Everyone Wants the Award-Winning 2026 Travel Card That's Half the Cost of Amex Platinum
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When we set out to name our Best Travel Credit Card for 2026, premium cards from Chase, Amex, and Citi all made strong cases. But one stood out for offering the same luxury experience with a fraction of the hassle: the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees).
It doesn't hide value behind confusing credits or narrow categories. It gives you simple, automatic rewards on everything you buy, and enough built-in perks to cover its annual fee several times over.
Earn 2X miles on everything you buy
Most travel cards only reward you when you use them for travel. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card breaks that mold.
You'll earn:
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
Earning double miles on everyday spending is rare among premium cards. With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you don't need to track rotating categories or move money around to get value. You just use it, and the rewards stack up.
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Earn 100,000 miles (worth $1,000 in travel) when you spend $10K in the first 6 months
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
Rewards 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.
2X-10X miles
Annual Fee
$395
Welcome Offer 100,000 Miles when you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening
100,000 Miles (worth $1,000 in travel)
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If you want premium travel perks that easily justify their cost, this card delivers. You’ll get a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, plus 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth $100 toward travel) — perks that already offset the $395 annual fee.
Add a 100,000-mile welcome bonus (worth $1,000 toward travel), unlimited 2X miles on everyday purchases, airport lounge access, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credits, and you’ve got one of the strongest premium travel cards available today.
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- Big travel rewards bonus
- High rewards rate
- Travel credits
- Easy-to-use miles
- Annual fee
- Other card issuers have more valuable travel rewards
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- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 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 locations and 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
Built-in value that pays for itself
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card's $395 annual fee (see rates and fees) might sound steep, until you see how quickly it can pay for itself.
You get:
- $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles every year, starting on your first anniversary (worth $100 toward travel)
That's $400 in annual value before you even swipe the card. Add in lounge access, travel protections, and a welcome offer of 100,000 Miles (worth $1,000 in travel) after you spend $10,000 in the first 6 months, and the math becomes obvious.
The American Express Platinum Card® charges $895 (see rates and fees) and makes you hunt for value across a dozen credits. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives it to you upfront.
Travel made smarter with real price protection
Booking through a card's travel portal usually means paying more for convenience. Capital One fixed that.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives you access to Capital One Travel, a platform with smart tools like price prediction, price matching and more, get Capital One Travel's best prices on thousands of flights, hotels and rental cars. You can earn extra miles and get the best deal; that's a rare win-win for travel credit cards.
A simple card with sneaky value
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card isn't loud about its perks. It doesn't try to impress you with a long list of credits you'll never use. Instead, it focuses on what actually matters to travelers -- earning power, lounge access, and predictable value.
It's why we named it our Best Travel Credit Card for 2026. It's straightforward, rewarding, and built for people who want premium travel without the premium price tag.
For award licensing inquiries, email [email protected].
Our Research Expert
Jake FitzGerald is a full-time Editorial Strategist and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, leading content production and distribution while also writing about credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial products. He has more than a decade of experience editing and shaping financial content to give readers clear, trustworthy money advice. His work focuses on delivering practical insights that empower people to make smarter financial decisions. Off the clock, he’s a fan of college football tailgates and still loyal to his favorite putter -- despite what his short game suggests.
For rates and fees for American Express Platinum Card®, click here