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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the card issuer's entry in the premium travel credit card category, and it doesn't disappoint. It includes a big sign-up bonus for new cardholders and hundreds of dollars in travel credits. With all the benefits, this card's $395 annual fee becomes a bargain for many. Find out more in our full Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
2X-10X miles
Annual Fee
$395
Welcome Offer 75000 Miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
75,000 Miles
Our favorite premium travel card. Yes, there’s a premium annual fee here, but you get what you might expect from a luxury card, like up to 10X miles on spending through Capital One Travel, a $300 travel credit, experience credits, and a huge welcome bonus.
This credit card is a good fit for: Travelers who want a premium credit card that's easy to use and offers valuable perks.
If it seems like every luxury travel card has a huge annual fee and a bunch of features you may never use, this Capital One card will be a breath of fresh air. It costs less than many of its competitors. You'll get high-value and easy-to-use travel perks, so you should have no trouble coming out ahead on that annual fee.
The more expensive travel credit cards aren't just about saving you money on travel, although they can certainly do that. They get you a better travel experience. This Capital One card does that with a few useful perks.
As a cardholder, you get unlimited airport lounge access for yourself and up to two guests. This includes access to Capital One Lounges, as well as lounges in the Priority Pass and Plaza Premium programs. I use this every time I fly, and it makes waiting at the airport so much more enjoyable.
This card offers a credit of up to $100 to cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. The wait time's longer for a Global Entry interview, but if you're approved for that program, you also get TSA PreCheck. Going through airport security still isn't fun, but it's faster, and you get to keep your shoes on.
You can get extra perks at upscale hotels if you book through Capital One Travel. This card provides access to two curated hotel collections, and complimentary benefits with each one:
Be sure to check out the full terms and conditions for Premier Collection and Capital One Travel.
Some credit cards with annual fees pay for themselves, but only if you use a complicated mix of monthly, quarterly, and yearly spending credits. It's one of my biggest credit card pet peeves: Feeling like I need to keep track of all kinds of credits to get my money's worth.
It's also why I love this Capital One card. The annual fee is $395, and you can come out ahead on that with only two of this card's annual benefits:
That adds up to $400 in travel savings every year. Before using any of the other perks, you've already saved more than the cost of the annual fee. It's also worth mentioning this card's sign-up bonus of 75,000 Miles after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, which gives it even more value upfront.
To top it off, you can add authorized users free of charge, and they get their own airport lounge access. Some cards charge $75 or more for each authorized user. It's always nice when you can get additional cards for your spouse or children without paying extra.
Instead of loading this card with bonus categories, Capital One takes a different approach. This card earns an unlimited 2X miles per $1 on purchases. It earns more on Capital One Travel bookings: 5X miles on flights and 10X miles on hotels and rental cars.
Most travel cards have more bonus categories, but they earn a normal rate of 1x points/miles everywhere else. That means they're not the best choice for everyday spending outside of their bonus categories.
With this Capital One card, you don't need to remember a bunch of bonus categories or carry a wallet full of different cards. No matter where you use it, you'll get a reasonable rate of 2X miles. It's the card I use most often for that reason.
Capital One's travel rewards program has gotten a lot better over the years. You've always been able to redeem Capital One miles at $0.01 per mile toward travel. For example, if you have 75,000 miles, you can use them to cover $750 in travel purchases made on your card.
You can also transfer miles to over 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs. Transfers to airline partners, in particular, are a great way to save on flights by booking with miles. Here are a few examples with Capital One's travel partners:
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card doesn't have any serious issues. But there are a couple of areas where it doesn't quite measure up to the competition. While they won't be an issue for everyone, they could be important if you have a few great credit cards you're considering, and it's a close race.
You won't earn bonus rewards on your regular expenses or much of your travel spending with this card. It only earns bonus points when you book through Capital One Travel.
Other travel cards have much more useful bonus categories. There are cards that earn 3x points or more on airfare, hotels, dining, and even travel as a whole, to give you a few examples. These are opportunities to earn more rewards, especially if you have high spending in a card's bonus categories.
Now, to be fair, those cards normally also have a standard, non-bonus rate of 1x points/miles per $1. With this Capital One card, you're basically trading bonus categories for a higher rate of 2X miles in every category.
The other drawback, at least compared to other top travel cards, is this card's miles. They're certainly useful, since you can transfer them or redeem them for travel at $0.01 per mile.
But Chase and American Express have some advantages in this area. Like Capital One, they let you transfer your rewards, only their travel partners are better. Most importantly, they're partnered with U.S. airlines. You can't transfer Capital One miles to any of the "big four" U.S. airlines (American, Delta, Southwest, and United).
The Chase Sapphire cards also let you redeem points for travel bookings through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You get $0.0125 to $0.015 per point this way -- 25% to 50% more value than Capital One offers.
Capital One's redemption options are good enough. But there's still a strong argument that Chase and American Express have more to offer.
A FICO® Score of 700 or higher may help when applying for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Capital One has designed this credit card for consumers who have excellent credit.
Your credit score is one of many factors reviewed during a credit card application, so it's not the only thing that matters. It's possible to be approved for a card even when your score isn't in the recommended range or to be denied even though your credit score is high enough.
You travel multiple times per year and you're looking for a credit card that combines luxury benefits with ease of use.
Practically anyone who travels regularly and has an open space in their wallet can benefit from the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It has the kind of premium perks that only the best travel credit cards offer, including a massive sign-up bonus. At the same time, we consider it a card that pays for itself every year just through the $300 travel credit and anniversary bonus.
If you're in the market for a travel credit card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card should be one that you strongly consider.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
||
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Up to $300 cash back Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
75,000 Miles 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2X-5X miles Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. |
Intro: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
It can be hard to get approved for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, but this depends on your credit. According to Capital One, this card is for consumers with excellent credit. If you have a FICO® Score of 700 or higher, then it's more likely that you'll qualify for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Successful applicants have reported being able to open the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card with annual income as low as $28,000. Capital One hasn't disclosed a minimum required income to get the card.
You can redeem 75,000 miles with Capital One for $750 in travel. Miles have a value of $0.01 per mile when redeemed for cash travel purchases, either by booking through Capital One Travel or redeeming them toward previous travel purchases. Based on that valuation, we calculate that 75,000 miles are worth $750.
Keep in mind that miles are also transferable to Capital One's travel partners, which include airline and hotel loyalty programs. If you transfer your miles, the value you get depends on the award travel you book. Some cardholders get $0.02 to $0.03 per mile or more this way.
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