Is the Capital One Venture X Worth It?
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Written by
Emily Sherman
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
Tahiti, Mexico, Ireland, England, South Korea, Hong Kong — these are just a handful of the places I’ve been able to travel thanks to my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This card is a staple in my wallet, offering outsized value for its $395 annual fee that is easier to earn than with most other luxury travel cards.
The Venture X offers a flexible earning scheme that can make racking up miles a breeze, plus travel-focused credits and benefits that justify its annual fee. Still, it’s not worth it for everyone. Here’s what you should know.
Quick Verdict
The Capital One Venture X can absolutely be worth it for the right type of cardholder. I’ve been a loyal Venture X user since day one (I applied the day it came out), and have used my rewards and benefits to travel to three continents. The $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel offsets most of the $395 annual fee each year, with other perks like a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus and up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years easily covering the rest.
From there, the Venture X offers a rewards rate that makes it easy to bring in plenty of miles on all purchases: 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases. That means you don’t have to worry about strategically using the card on certain purchases to rack up rewards — your everyday spending can do it.
The Venture X doesn’t make sense for users who rarely travel, though. Justifying the card’s annual fee hinges on using its annual travel credit and travel-focused benefits, and if you don’t already spend at least $300 on travel per year, you won’t be likely to do so.
Venture X: At a Glance
- Annual fee: $395
- Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Rewards structure: 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.
- Statement credits and perks: $300 annual credit for purchases in Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles each cardmember anniversary, up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years, Priority Pass (enrollment required) and Capital One Lounge access, no foreign transaction fee
Who Should Consider Capital One Venture X?
The Capital One Venture X is one of my favorite credit cards, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to earn travel rewards without too much effort required for earning and redeeming miles strategically. It might be a good fit for you if:
- You travel even once per year: You’ll need to travel to get the full value of the Venture X Card’s benefits, but you don’t necessarily need to travel frequently. Even one domestic trip each year can easily leverage the annual $300 travel credit, the 10,000 anniversary bonus miles (worth at least $100 toward travel purchases) and other rewards you earn.
- You want a luxury travel card without complicated credits: The Venture X offers benefits ubiquitous to luxury travel cards, including expedited security credits and airport lounge access. But it charges a much lower fee than its competitors, and its perks are easy to redeem. Other premium credit cards require you to manage a coupon book’s worth of statement credits, each with particular restrictions on redemption, that can be too much work for many cardholders.
- You spend across multiple categories: One feature I love about the Capital One Venture X is that it offers 2x miles on general purchases, rather than offering bonus miles in limited categories and 1x on everything else. That means you can rack up miles on all sorts of spending — from your weekly grocery trip to furniture shopping. In my case, I use it as my “everything else” card, combining it with other credit cards that earn a high rate in other bonus categories like groceries and dining and putting anything that doesn’t fall into them on the Venture X.
Who Should Skip Capital One Venture X?
Choosing a credit card that will offer you value requires taking an honest look at your spending habits. If you don’t choose a card that aligns with them, you won’t get much value from it. You may want to pass on the Capital One Venture X if:
- You don’t travel much: Many of us dream of taking luxurious vacations on travel points and miles, but if you don’t already travel frequently, you probably won’t get the value out of this card. You need to travel enough to use the $300 annual travel credit to offset the annual fee, plus make time for the travel redemptions you’d get from miles. Even if you’d like to have time to travel more often, make sure you can actually plan to utilize the card’s value before signing up.
- You are looking for more statement credits: The Venture X has an annual fee that is much easier to justify than other luxury travel credit cards, but it doesn’t have a ton of credits. If you’re looking for more statement credits for travel or lifestyle purchases, an alternative like The Platinum Card® from American Express, an advertising partner, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® might make more sense.
- You chase unicorn point-value bookings: While Capital One does offer transfer partners that can allow award travelers to search for high-value bookings, its partners are more niche compared to programs like American Express Membership Rewards® and Chase Ultimate Rewards®. That can make it more difficult to find truly outsized value for miles.
- You don’t pay off your card balance in full every month: The Capital One Venture X card charges a 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable) APR, depending on creditworthiness. That’s a steep charge if you don’t pay off your balance in full every month, and definitely negates any rewards you’ve earned.
Final Verdict on the Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X offers plenty of travel value for the right spender, in the form of easy-to-earn rewards, annual credits and lounge access. It doesn’t offer as many statement credits or perks as other upscale travel cards, but that can make it easier to use for some cardholders.
If you don’t pay off your card in full every month or don’t travel much, though, the Venture X is probably not for you.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Venture X
What are the downsides of the Capital One Venture X?
The Capital One Venture X Card charges a relatively high annual fee of $395. While it may be worth it for some users, it could also be out of budget for others. Additionally, the Venture X has fewer credits and perks than other luxury travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum.
How much are Capital One miles worth?
It depends on how you redeem them. Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each when you redeem for travel purchases either in the Capital One Travel portal or as a statement credit for travel purchased on other sites. Other redemption options — like cash back — have a lower value.
Is the American Express Platinum or Capital One Venture X better?
The right card for you will depend on your spending habits and preferences. The Capital One Venture X charges a much lower annual fee than the Amex Platinum Card ($395 and $895, respectively), but the Amex Platinum also has more travel credits and other lifestyle perks. Additionally, while the Capital One Venture X earns 2x miles on general purchases, the Amex Platinum only offers 1x points.
