Capital One Venture X Review 2023

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Capital One has made significant improvements to its rewards program in recent months, including adding new airline and hotel partners, introducing branded airport lounges, and upgrading the Capital One Travel portal.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is packed with benefits like travel credits and airport lounge access, with an annual fee that's substantially lower than competing cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Capital One Venture X Review: Is the Capital One Venture X the Best Credit Card for You?

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a welcome bonus of Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — worth Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in travel, based on Insider's points and miles valuations.

The annual fee is Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, so this card isn't for everyone. 

And other benefits can get you even more value, including up to $300 per year in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One airport lounge access (even for authorized users), a 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary (worth $100 in travel), and Visa Infinite travel and purchase benefits.

These perks make the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card incredibly competitive compared to other premium credit cards. Most similar cards have annual fees in excess of $500 — for example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® charges Chase Sapphire Reserve® per year, and the The Platinum Card® from American Express is even more with a The Platinum Card® from American Express annual fee.

If you're looking for a premium credit card, here's what to know to help decide if the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is best for you.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Capital One Venture X Rewards

Venture X welcome bonus offer

New Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Product Name Only cardholders can earn Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Intro Bonus. That's worth an easy $750 in travel when you redeem your miles to offset travel purchases or book through the Capital One Travel Portal.

It's possible to squeeze much more value from the bonus when you transfer your miles to Capital One's airline and hotel partners, which is why Insider's points and miles valuations peg Capital One miles as worth 1.7 cents apiece, on average. The value you'll get depends on how you decide to redeem your miles and which partners you use, but you can expect to get around Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Featured Reward Value in travel from the bonus when you redeem this way.

How to earn miles with the Capital One Venture X

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a straightforward earning structure that rewards all purchases with at least 2 miles per dollar spent. Cardholders earn:

• 10x miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• 10x miles when booking on Turo (offer ends May 16, 2023)
• 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles on all other eligible purchases

For those who book travel through the Capital One portal, this card could be incredibly lucrative. Earning 10x miles on hotel and car rental bookings effectively amounts to at least 10% back, because Capital One miles are worth 1 cent apiece when you redeem them for travel — and potentially more when you transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners.

So, for example, a $100 hotel stay booked through the portal would earn 1,000 Capital One miles — worth $10 when you use them to "erase" a travel purchase made with your card.

How to use Capital One miles

Redeeming Capital One miles is very easy, and you have several options.

The simplest method is to use miles to offset eligible travel purchases made with your card within the past 90 days. Once you make an eligible travel purchase, you can redeem miles to "erase" the charge at a rate of 1 cent each. Eligible travel purchases include airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rental agencies, limousine services, bus lines, cruise lines, taxi cabs, travel agents, and timeshares.

You can also redeem miles directly when you book travel through the Capital One Travel portal, also at a rate of 1 cent per mile. However, you could potentially get more value when you transfer Capital One miles to airline and hotel partners:

You can also use miles for gift cards at the same rate of 1 cent per mile, but don't use your miles for cash-back redemptions. When you do, you only get half a cent per mile in value, which is just not worth it.

Capital One Venture X Benefits and Features

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a Visa Infinite card, which comes with premium benefits and more features than other Visa cards. If you can use these perks, you could stand to get a value well in excess of the card's annual fee.

Up to $300 per year in travel statement credits

Each year, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card cardholders receive up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal.

Currently, the portal allows you to book flights, hotels, and car rentals, and it offers features you won't find on competing sites, including price prediction, price watches, and price drop protection.

Capital One Travel

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card cardholders get access to Capital One Travel, a booking platform for flights, hotels, and rental cars. When you use your card to pay for hotels and rental cars through the portal, you'll earn 10x miles, and flights earn 5x miles. You can also redeem miles at a rate of 1 cent each to pay for your bookings, and get access to useful tools including price prediction, price watch, and a price match guarantee.

Access to Premier Collection

Exclusively for Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business Card - Product Name Only cardholders, the Premier Collection is Capital One's luxury hotel booking program. It offers access to hundreds of upscale chain and independent properties around the globe, and when you book via the Premier Collection, you'll get exclusive, elite-like hotel benefits such as: 

• A $100 experience credit toward dining, spa, and other hotel activities
• Daily breakfast for two
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in and late checkout when available
• Room upgrades when available

To book a Premier Collection hotel, sign into your Capital One online account, navigate to Capital One Travel, and find the "Premier Collection" tab. Alternately, when you search for properties through the "Hotels" tab, Premier Collection hotels will be labeled as such. 

Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One airport lounge access (authorized users, too)

Capital One now offers its own branded airport lounges, the first of which is now open at Dallas Fort Worth airport (DFW), with two more slated to open in Denver (DEN) and Washington, DC (IAD). Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card cardholders receive free access for themselves and up to two guests, with additional guests at a reduced rate of $45.

Cardholders and up to two guests also receive free access to over 100 Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide, including domestic Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses and other airline-branded lounges operated by Plaza Premium. 

In addition, cardholders receive Priority Pass airport lounge membership, which allows access to over 1,300 airport lounges — and this membership includes access for unlimited guests, pending space availability in the lounge.

Authorized users also receive their own access to Capital One, Plaza Premium, and Priority Pass lounges. Most other premium cards charge a fee to add authorized users, but the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card does not — you're allowed up to four additional cardholders at no charge.

Anniversary bonus

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card cardholders receive 10,000 bonus miles on each account anniversary, starting on the first card anniversary. This bonus is worth $100 in travel (or potentially more if you transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners), and is a great way to help offset the annual fee.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Once every four years, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card cardholders can receive a statement credit of up to $100 for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. 

Global Entry, which fast-tracks your re-entry to the US when you travel abroad, includes TSA PreCheck, so it's the better choice. If you're already a member of one of these trusted traveler programs, you can use this benefit to pay for someone else's application fee and get reimbursed.

Rental car elite status

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card cardholders, account managers, and authorized users receive automatic Hertz President's Circle elite status, which comes with perks like guaranteed upgrades, skip the counter and e-return, a free additional driver, and more. 

Cell phone protection

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with cell phone protection for the primary cardholder and any authorized users.

When you use the card to pay your monthly wireless bill, you're eligible for up to $800 in coverage per claim with a maximum of two claims and $1,600 per 12-month period. A $50 deductible applies.

Primary car rental insurance

When you use your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to rent a car and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver, the card's primary car rental insurance can cover you for damage due to collision or theft on most vehicles in the US and abroad.

Some exceptions apply so be sure to read the full guide to benefits for the details.

Travel accident insurance

When you pay for your air, bus, cruise, or train transportation with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you're eligible for accidental death or dismemberment coverage of up to $1,000,000.

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance

If you've paid for an eligible trip with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and it's cut short or canceled for a covered reason like illness or severe weather, the card's travel insurance can reimburse you up to $2,000 per person (you and immediate family members) for pre-paid, non-refundable tickets.

Trip delay reimbursement

When you use your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to pay for your fare, you and your immediate family can get reimbursed by the card's trip delay insurance up to $500 per person for reasonable expenses like hotel rooms, food, toiletries, or clothes, when your flight is delayed overnight or by six hours or more.

Lost luggage reimbursement

If the airline damages or loses your bags, you and your immediate family members could be covered for up to $3,000 per covered trip as long as you've paid for your tickets with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Return protection

If you've purchased an eligible item with your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and want to return it, but the merchant won't take it back, you're eligible for return protection within 90 days of purchase. Coverage is for up to $300 per item and an annual maximum of $1,000 per account.

Purchase protection

If an eligible item you've bought with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase, you could be eligible for up to $10,000 in reimbursement per purchase protection claim, and up to $50,000 per account.

Extended warranty

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card extends the time period of a US manufacturer's warranty on eligible items by an additional year, on warranties of three years or less when you pay with the card.

Visa Infinite concierge

The Visa Infinite concierge is a 24/7 service for cardholders that can help you arrange things like hard-to-get restaurant reservations, event tickets, and more.

Travel and emergency assistance services

If you're traveling away from home and things go awry, you can get help with things like medical and legal referrals, translation services, and other emergency assistance. This service is free, but any third-party costs are your responsibility.

Capital One Entertainment

Capital One Entertainment is a newer feature that gives cardholders access to exclusive experiences, concert and theater tickets, festivals, sporting events, and more. You can redeem miles from your card to pay for these experiences, or in some cases, use cash or a combination of rewards and cash.

Capital One Dining

The Capital One Dining platform could come in handy if you have trouble booking hard-to-get restaurant reservations. This program is currently only available in select major metropolitan areas, but if it's in your city it's worth checking out. Cardholders can also input information like dietary preferences and special events like birthdays into their dining profile for easy access.

PRIOR subscription

With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you'll get a free subscription to PRIOR, a high-end travel company that curates upscale tours and experiences. This membership is valued at $149, and with it, you'll receive access to a library of global travel guides, a biweekly newsletter, and early booking to the service's pre-built trips (enroll here).

Capital One Venture X Annual Fee and Other Costs

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card charges a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card annual fee, but if you make the most of the card's benefits, you can more than offset the cost.

You won't pay foreign transaction fees with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, so it's a good choice for international purchases.

However, as with most other cards, you'll pay interest if you carry a balance (currently a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Regular APR APR). There are also fees for:

• Balance transfers: 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you (none for balances transferred at the transfer APR)
• Cash advances: Either $3 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
• Late payments: Up to $40

How the Capital One Venture X Compares

Capital One Venture X vs other Capital One cards

Capital One Venture X vs other premium credit cards

Capital One Venture X Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the Capital One Venture X worth it?

If you travel enough to make use of the card's annual travel credits and perks like airport lounge access, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is absolutely worth it. In fact, it has a lower annual fee than premium cards with similar benefits, so it's a terrific value.

That said, if you won't use the travel credit or benefits, but still want to earn Capital One miles, you're likely better off with the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card or Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

What credit score do you need for the Capital One Venture X?

To qualify for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you'll need excellent credit. Capital One defines excellent credit as follows: You've never declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, been more than 60 days late on any credit card, medical bill, or loan in the last year, and have had a loan or credit card for three years or more with a credit limit above $5,000.

Excellent credit also means a FICO score of at least 800. 

Can you have a Capital One Venture and a Venture X?

Yes, it's possible to get approved for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card if you already have the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card open. These cards are considered totally different products. It may also be possible to upgrade the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card to the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, but you won't earn the welcome bonus and it's up to Capital One to decide if you're eligible.

Read our Capital One Venture vs Venture X credit card comparison if you're trying to decide which card is best for you.

Is the Capital One Venture X a Visa or Mastercard?

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a Visa Infinite card.

Can you add authorized users to the Capital One Venture X?

You can add up to four authorized users at no cost to your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card account. This is a great deal because authorized users receive their own Priority Pass membership and Capital One airport lounge access, cell phone protection, and rental car elite status.

Is the Capital One Venture X metal?

Yes, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a metal card, weighing in at around 17 grams.

Methodology: How we reviewed the Capital One Venture X

In our assessment of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, we compared it to other premium travel rewards credit cards and looked closely at these factors:

• Ease of use — Is the card's rewards program accessible to beginners and experts alike? Are there many options for using miles or points?
• Potential rewards — Are there useful bonus categories that can accelerate rewards earning, and are any of them capped at a certain amount of spending?
• Annual fee — Is the annual fee justified based on the card's rewards and benefits?
• Benefits — How do the card's benefits, especially travel and premium benefits, compare to similar cards?

For an in-depth look at our methodology, here's a guide to how we rate credit cards at Insider.