Capital One Venture X card review 2023: Leader of the premium travel card pack

In a market filled with pricey travel credit cards proclaiming they’re a premium pick, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. reigns supreme. In addition to myriad perks, it also has two features that set it apart from the rest: It’s priced better than its peers and it offers Priority Pass Select lounge membership to authorized users at no additional charge upon enrollment.

Capital One Venture X basics

• Annual fee: $395.
• Welcome bonus: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Rewards: 2 miles per $1 on purchases, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.
• APR: 19.99% to 29.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers.
• Other perks and benefits: Receive a $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, up to a $100 credit every four years on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, Capital One Lounge, Priority Pass Select and Plaza Premium Lounge access, Hertz rental car President’s Circle status¹, elite benefits and perks when booking a Capital One Travel Premier collection property, cell phone coverage and primary auto rental insurance coverage². Enrollment is required for select benefits.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
• Recommended credit score: Excellent.

About the Capital One Venture X

For several years, the premium travel rewards card market was dominated by The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Either of these cards can be worth the steep annual fees if you know how to maximize the various perks and rewards that come with each card. But if you’re in the market for a high-end credit card, bursting with benefits, the Capital One Venture X card rises to the top. 

We gave the Venture X top billing as our best travel rewards credit card for good reason: It’s got all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a premium travel credit card but at a lower price tag than its peers, charging a relatively affordable $395 per year.

Another major advantage of the Venture X is that the card includes a Priority Pass Select membership for both the cardholder and each authorized user (enrollment required). This can be immensely beneficial for those who fly in a party of four or more. The primary cardholder’s Priority Pass Select membership only covers entry for the cardholder and up to two guests traveling with you, so you’ll have to pay an entry fee for any guests above that number.

But with this card, if you add an authorized user — which the Venture X allows you to do for no additional fee, unlike most other premium cards — that cardholder can also get their own Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment, letting them enter lounges along with up to two of their guests. 

Also not to be overlooked is a powerful list of perks, including an annual $300 travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel that if redeemed, goes a long way toward offsetting the annual fee, a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus worth $100, top-tier status with Hertz rental car¹ and Visa Infinite benefits which include primary auto rental insurance and travel and purchase protection and insurances².

Venture miles never expire and can be used to reimburse yourself for a travel purchase or to book a new adventure. Each point is worth a penny this way, saving you the hassle of trying to figure out how to extract the maximum value from your hard-earned rewards. More experienced rewards wranglers can also transfer their earnings to one of over a dozen Capital One travel loyalty partners.

One potential snag with this card: Rewards redeemed for anything other than future or past travel are worth less than a penny a point, so if you want to use your rewards for anything outside of this category, this is not the card for you. 

Capital One defines a travel purchase as one made from airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rental agencies, limousine services, bus lines, cruise lines, taxi cabs, travel agents and timeshares, so any of these will qualify. For those purely seeking a travel card, the Venture X does it well, at a price point that leaves competitors behind. 

Pros

• A $395 annual fee. For a premium travel rewards card, this is literally hundreds of dollars lower than some of the competition.
• A $300 annual travel credit. Get a $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel. This can offset most of the annual fee, if fully utilized.
• Authorized users can get their own Priority Pass Select memberships. Not only is there no fee for authorized users, but it also allows the additional cardholders to access the lounges without the primary cardholder and with up to two guests of their own. Enrollment is required.

Cons

• The travel credit has to be used via Capital One Travel. If you don’t want to book through Capital One Travel, this credit has no value.
• Big annual fee. Although it may be lower than its peers, it’s still a significant sum to pay each year for a credit card.
• Static rewards rate. Outside of bookings through Capital One Travel, the card earns a flat rewards rate on all purchases. Rewards maximizers may fare better with a card that offers even higher rewards in specific spending categories. 

Rewards

The Capital One Venture X earns 2 miles per $1 on purchases, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in annual expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. Here’s how our sample household would fare with the Capital One Venture X Card.

The cardholder in this example earns a grand total of 85,350 miles annually, which is worth $853.50 if used to book travel through Capital One or when eligible travel is booked elsewhere and you redeem your miles to cover the purchase. 

Perks

• A $300 annual travel credit. Get a $300 credit toward eligible travel booked through Capital One Travel with your Venture X card.
• A 10,000-mile anniversary bonus. Each year on your card anniversary, get a 10,000-mile bonus, worth $100 toward travel.
• Up to a $100 Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit. Get an application fee reimbursement of up to $100 every four years for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck trusted traveler programs.
• Capital One Lounge access. Cardholders of the Venture X get access for themselves plus up to two companions for the growing network of Capital One Lounges. As of the time of writing, there is one in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport (DFW) and two more are scheduled to open in 2023 in Denver (DEN) and Washington, D.C. (IAD).
• Priority Pass Lounge access. With the Venture X, you can enroll in a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership which grants you and up to two additional guests entry into the network of over 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges. Authorized users are also eligible to enroll in their own memberships.
• Plaza Premium lounge access. No enrollment is required for you and up to two guests to gain access to the more than 100 Plaza Premium airport lounges. Similar to the Priority Pass perk, authorized users are also eligible to bring up to two guests with them into Plaza Premium lounges.
• Premier hotel collection booking extras. Book a participating hotel in the Premier Collection and receive an experience credit of up to $100 per stay that can be used for eligible purchases such as dining or a spa treatment. Plus, enjoy daily breakfast for two and other perks like priority check-in, late checkout and room upgrades when available.
• Hertz President Circle status¹. Cardholders get the highest level of status with the car rental company, which allows you to skip check-in at the counter and go straight to your car and provides access to guaranteed upgrades on your vehicle. 
• Cell phone protection. Pay your monthly bill with the card and get reimbursed up to $800 if your phone is stolen or damaged.
• Visa Infinite benefits. The Visa Infinite benefits on the Venture X includes primary auto rental damage coverage, access to travel and emergency services, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase security and extended warranty and return protection.

How the Capital One Venture X compares to other travel cards 

Capital One Venture X vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If paying several hundred dollars a year for a credit card is a deal-breaker for you, consider the Capital One Venture Card. It has an annual fee of $95 and earns 5 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per $1 on other purchases. 

The Venture also grants two complimentary passes annually to airport lounges in the Capital One Lounge or Plaza Premium airport lounge collections and, like the Venture X, an up to $100 credit for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. 

Redeeming rewards is the same: The best value comes from either using your earnings to book travel through Capital One, taking a statement credit against a travel purchase or transferring miles to one of Capital One’s loyalty partners.

What you won’t get is the Venture X’s $300 annual travel credit towards bookings via Capital One Travel, the 10,000-mile anniversary bonus, the Hertz President’s Circle status¹, the unlimited lounge access or the Visa Infinite benefits. But you’ll also pay $300 a year less for card ownership. 

Capital One Venture X vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

If your most desired perk in a premium travel card is entry to luxury airport lounges, The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees) offers the most extensive access you’ll find.

Ownership of the $695-a-year Amex card allows you to visit the exclusive Centurion airport lounges, as well as lounges in the Global Lounge Collection network which includes Priority Pass (enrollment required), Plaza Premium, Escape Lounges and also the Delta Sky Club and Lufthansa lounges when flying on the airlines that same day.

The card earns 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. 

It also comes with a laundry list of perks and credits including an up to $200 hotel statement credit each calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay), up to $200 in annual statement credits for airline incidental fees, up to $200 in annual Uber Cash, up to $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits, up to $300 in annual statement credits for Equinox membership fees, up to $240 in annual statement credits for select digital entertainment services and an extensive list of travel and purchase protections³. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Although the perk potential is greater than the Venture X, it takes some work to maximize all of the credits offered on the Amex Platinum, as many of the credits are doled out in increments or have limited use — such as the airline credit only being applicable toward incidentals like baggage fees charged to your Platinum but not an actual passenger fare. Ultimately, the Venture X’s lower price and ease of use makes more sense for most people.

Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The other bigwig in the premium travel card market is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and it carries a formidable annual fee of $550 in exchange for robust rewards and travel perks.

The Sapphire Reserve’s rewards program is somewhat similar to the Venture X, at 5 points per $1 on flights and 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase.

You can also transfer points 1:1 to the more than a dozen airline and hotel partners included in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program.

And, the Reserve also comes with a $300 annual travel credit, which is arguably easier to use than the credit on the Venture X since the Reserve’s can be used towards any travel purchase and not just on travel booked through the issuer. It’s automatically applied to qualifying purchases.

The lounge access is limited to the Sapphire Lounges, of which there are currently only a small handful. But Chase is rapidly expanding its network of Sapphire Lounges, with about a half dozen in the works.

At first glance, many of the benefits and perks on the two cards are similar, including comprehensive travel and purchase protections². The major differences between the cards boil down to a few things: Upon enrollment, the Priority Pass membership on the Sapphire Reserve includes the ability to take a dining credit in lieu of a lounge visit at participating airport restaurants — the Venture X card does not offer this.

But with the Venture costing $155 less per year, you could buy a few airport meals and still come out ahead. The Sapphire Reserve also charges a fee for each authorized user and does not include a separate Priority Pass membership upon enrollment, unlike the Venture X. And the Sapphire Reserve doesn’t offer elite car rental benefits, like the Venture X does with Hertz¹.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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On Chase Bank USA, NA’s Secure Website

Welcome Bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

60,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$550

Regular APR

22.49%-29.49% Variable

Credit Score

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

(750 – 850) Excellent

Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.

Editor’s Take

Pros

• Up to $300 annual travel credit and Priority Pass Select lounge access.
• Redeem points for 50% more value to book travel through Chase’s portal.
• Transfer points 1:1 to partners such as United Airlines and World of Hyatt.

Cons

• High annual fee.
• Not ideal if you aren’t interested in transferring points.
• May not qualify if you’ve applied for 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most premium travel credit cards available. It charges a hefty annual fee, but in exchange comes with an up to $300 annual travel credit, a top-notch list of travel partners you can transfer points to, a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (enrollment required) and a long list of travel benefits and protections.

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
• Member FDIC

Want to know more about where these cards overlap and differ? Read more with Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Should you get the Capital One Venture X?

If you’re in the market for a premium travel card, the Venture X is the best of the bunch in terms of a comparatively low price tag and the value cardholders can get from the rewards and perks.

The Venture X card offers a myriad of benefits at an annual fee well below the competition. The main reason to choose a competing card would be if it offers some small detail you value that this one doesn’t. Or, if you don’t travel enough to make paying for a premium travel card worth it, you’d likely prefer a stripped-down travel card with a similarly stripped-down annual fee. But, if you want to up your travel credit card game, the Venture X is a great choice.

Capital One Venture X summary

^{For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.}

^{¹Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. 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.}

^{²For 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.}

^{³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.}