Capital One surprised everyone when they introduced a new premium travel credit card in late 2021. But, what’s even more surprising is just how popular this credit card seems to be. After all, premium travel credit cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve have dominated the premium card market for years.

Who would have thought Capital One could imagine a card with such an incredible mix of benefits and features? I’m a long-time Chase enthusiast, but even I signed up for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card pretty much right away.

When you break down the details of this travel credit card, it’s easy to see why anyone might want it—especially for the first year. From its generous rewards rates for travel to its statement credit offers, including a statement credit for vacation rental bookings, there’s plenty to love about the Capital One Venture X.

Quick details of the Capital One Venture X

  • 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months
  • Up to $200 in statement credits for vacation rentals within the first year
  • 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases
  • 10,000 bonus miles when you renew your card on your account anniversary
  • Up to $300 in annual statement credits for Capital One Travel purchases
  • $395 annual fee

One of the first details to note about the Capital One Venture X is its $395 annual fee, which is much lower than the annual fees charged by other premium cards. The up to $300 annual travel credit and up to $200 credit for vacation rentals more than make up for this fee the first year.

Also, note that cardholders get other valuable perks such as credit (up to $100) toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership and Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (valued at $429). Cardholders of the Capital One Venture X can also access Capital One airport lounges.

Finally, don’t forget that Capital One miles are extremely flexible, especially for travel. Not only can you use your miles to cover travel charged to your account, but you can transfer miles to Capital One airline and hotel partners. You can even redeem your miles for cash back, statement credits, gift cards and merchandise.

Why the Capital One Venture X is a good option for vacation rentals

If you’re someone who likes to stay in vacation rentals instead of traditional hotels and resorts, the Capital One Venture X can be very attractive—especially the first year. This is mainly due to the up to $200 Capital One Venture X vacation rental credit you get toward eligible vacation rental bookings during the first year of card membership.

Also, note that in some destinations, Capital One Travel offers vacation rental options in addition to regular hotels and resorts. This is important since this card also comes with a $300 annual credit you can use for bookings through Capital One Travel each year.

For example, I found multiple apartment-style booking options through Capital One Travel in Destin, Florida, including a two-bedroom condo with a terrace that can be reserved for $234 a night.

In Gulf Shores, Alabama, on the other hand, Capital One Travel offers a three-bedroom luxury condo that can be reserved for $489 a night.

These are just some of the vacation-rental style lodging options you can find within the Capital One Travel portal, but there are many others. The key to using your up to $300 travel credit for vacation rentals is being as flexible as you can with your travel destination and your travel dates.

Which merchants count toward the $200 vacation rental credit?

When it comes to the Capital One Venture X vacation rental credit you receive during year one of card membership, it’s important to know which rental companies qualify. Fortunately, Capital One makes this part very clear within the cardholder terms and conditions.

According to Capital One, eligible vacation rental merchants include Airbnb, Turnkey, Vacasa and VRBO.

How to use the Venture X vacation rental credit

The Capital One Venture X vacation rental credit is extremely easy to use. All you have to do is charge a vacation rental with an eligible company to your Capital One Venture X within the first year of cardholdership. From there, Capital One will automatically apply the credit to your account as a single credit for purchases of $200 or more. If your vacation rental booking is for less than $200, Capital One will provide multiple statement credits until you’ve exhausted the entire $200 in vacation rental credit available to you.

Per the fine print, the credit(s) should appear in your account within one to seven business days. However, receiving your credits could take up to two billing cycles.

Other travel cards to consider

If you’re considering a premium travel credit card because you want access to superior benefits like airport lounge access and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership, the usual suspects like the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve can make a lot of sense. After all, both of these travel credit cards offer these perks and more, albeit with much higher annual fees ($695 for the Amex Platinum and $550 for the Chase Sapphire Reserve).

Maybe you’re trying to avoid forking over hundreds of dollars for a travel credit card. In that case, you can always consider the traditional Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which offers a generous welcome bonus and 2X miles on all spending in exchange for a $95 annual fee.

Of course, if you want transferable points without having to pay more than $100 per year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the most popular cards out there. This card offers 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. In the meantime, you also earn 5X points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5X points on Lyft rides (through March 2025), 3X points on online grocery purchases, dining and select streaming services, 2X points on other travel purchases and 1X points on everything else you buy.

The bottom line

The Capital One Venture X is an excellent credit card for vacation rentals, but it’s also useful for other types of travel. The first-year welcome bonus and ongoing rewards can also make it a solid rewards credit card for all your spending and bills.

Even so, it never hurts to compare other credit cards, including other credit cards from Capital One. And if you can’t settle on a single travel credit card, don’t be afraid to sign up for more than one.