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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review: A strong alternative for luxury travel

A suitable credit card for people who want to maximize travel rewards without paying for excess luxury perks

 /  14 min
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At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for and how we rate our cards. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

Snapshot

5.0

Bankrate rating
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Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Bottom line

This card is a great pick if you travel frequently. The annual bonuses offset its cost, and Capital One offers flexible travel redemption and solid rewards rates for everyday spending.

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awards-badge
2024 Bankrate Awards Winner
Best for affordable travel perks
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site
  • Rewards value
    Rating: 5 stars out of 5
    5 / 5
    APR
    Rating: 4 stars out of 5
    4 / 5
    Rewards flexibility
    Rating: 4 stars out of 5
    4 / 5
    Features
    Rating: 5 stars out of 5
    5 / 5
Excellent (740 – 850)
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Recommended Credit
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Intro offer

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$1275

Offer valuation

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2 Miles - 10 Miles

Rewards rate

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Annual fee

Regular APR

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Overview

The Capital One Venture X Rewards card strikes a terrific balance between mid-tier and luxury travel cards, offering a winning combination of streamlined rewards and practical  perks for frequent travelers.

On top of the 2X base rewards rate that made the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card a favorite, the Venture X comes with valuable benefits like an annual travel credit and anniversary points. Though these perks may not be as luxurious as those you get with a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express, they are easy to use and offer enough value to offset Venture X card’s annual fee on their own.

This combination of valuable benefits, streamlined rewards and a $395 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) make the Venture X a terrific fit if you’re focused on ongoing value and practical perks.

  • Credit Card Cash Back

    Rewards

    • 10X miles on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 5X miles on flights through Capital One Travel
    • 2X miles on all other purchases

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Rewards

    Welcome offer

    • 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card Search

    Rates and fees

    • Annual fee: $395 
    • Regular APR: 19.99 percent to 29.99 percent (variable)
    • (See Rates & Fees)

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Congrats

    Other cardholder perks

    • Annual $300 Capital One travel credit
    • 10,000-mile bonus miles every year on your account anniversary (worth  $100)
    • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit
    • Priority Pass Select membership and Capital One Lounge access
    • Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus President’s Circle status (through 12/31/2024)*
    • Visa Infinite travel insurance benefits
    • Purchase and return protection
    • Cellphone protection
    • Credits and perks with Premier Collection hotels

    Expert Appraisal: Exceptional
    See our expert analysis

Capital One Venture X pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark

    Improves on its sibling card with 5X or 10X miles on select Capital One Travel

  • Checkmark

    Travel credit and bonus miles can offset the annual fee

  • Checkmark

    Redeeming miles to cover travel purchases gives flexibility and time to accumulate additional points to cover those purchases

Cons

  • Higher annual fee may deter people who won’t use the travel credits

  • Transfer partners aren’t as popular or valuable as other premium card issuers

  • Limited ways to earn bonus miles reduce value compared to other cards

Why you might want the Capital One Venture X

This card not only combines bonus rewards on travel with a generous base rewards rate on all other purchases, but also boasts valuable annual credits and a ton of travel perks. While the annual fee may be intimidating, it should be easy to offset if you take advantage of the card’s features to travel in style. 

Rewards rate: Terrific mix of bonus categories and valuable rewards

The Venture X stands out from other top-tier travel cards thanks to its combination of a travel bonus category and a generous flat rewards rate on all other purchases. 

Like the original Capital One Venture card, the Venture X delivers a streamlined 2X miles on all nontravel purchases. But the Venture X also offers 5X miles on airfare and 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, while the original Venture only offers 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One.

On top of that, Capital One gives you a solid mix of options for redeeming your bonus miles. Along with booking airfare and other travel through the issuer’s travel portal, you can redeem miles toward a statement credit for travel purchases made within the past 90 days. This gives you the flexibility to book any travel-related purchase and still put your miles to good use while giving you additional time to earn rewards to cover those purchases. You also have the option of transferring your miles to Capital One’s travel partners

Your miles are worth 1 cent each when you redeem through Capital One Travel or for statement credits on recent travel purchases, but some transfer partners could offer even higher redemption values. Based on Bankrate’s latest mile valuations, each mile could be worth around 1.7 cents per mile on average with the right airline or hotel transfer partner.

Outside of travel, gift cards are probably your best redemption option since they could potentially get you a 1-cent-per-mile redemption value. You’ll want to avoid exchanging your miles for cash back and PayPal or Amazon.com purchases, though. These options will shrink your miles’ value to 0.5 cents and 0.8 cents, respectively. Since your rewards don’t expire for the life of your account and aren’t subject to blackout dates, it’s best to sit on your miles until you’re ready to use them.

Cardholder perks: Valuable, practical benefits for travelers

The Venture X offers $400 in value every year with two easy-to-maximize benefits. You’ll get 10,000 bonus miles each year on your account anniversary (worth $100) and a $300 Capital One travel credit each year. These perks alone make up for your annual fee. 

You can also receive up to $100 in experience credits during your stay at a Premier Collection hotel booked through Capital One Travel. You’re also eligible for room upgrades, complimentary breakfast for two, early check-in and late checkout.

The Venture X card’s Visa Infinite status also has several useful travel and purchase protections and is one of the best cards for travel insurance due to its trip cancellation and interruption insurance* (one of the most sought-after protection perks). You’ll also get an auto rental collision damage waiver*, trip and baggage delay reimbursement* (from common carrier tickets), as well as purchase and return protection* and cellphone protection*.   

These are all valuable, practical perks for frequent travelers which can come in handy when travel issues arise.

Why you might want a different travel card

Annual fee: Might be too costly

While the card's annual fee is not as high as many of its competitors’, it might still be too steep for some travelers, especially if you only travel occasionally. 

The Venture's X card’s $395 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) could be hard to offset if you don’t earn many rewards from card spending or aren’t able to use both the anniversary bonus miles and annual credit every year. If you don't plan on using those features another travel card would work better.

Welcome offer: Recent drop in value

The Venture X card's current welcome offer is a drop from the card’s previous bonus. You can now earn 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 in your first three months — a 25,000-point drop from the previous offer, which came with 100,000 bonus miles after a $10,000 spend in your first six months. While the current bonus should be a bit easier to earn, it’s much less valuable. 

Based on Bankrate’s latest mile valuations, which give Capital One miles an average redemption value of around 1.7 cents per mile, 100,000 miles are roughly worth $1,700 when redeemed with the right transfer partner. Compare this with the new 75,000-mile offer, which would only be worth around $1,275.

The bonus also fails to impress when compared to some of the card’s main competitors, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The Sapphire Preferred carries a lower annual fee and earns 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in your first three months. Chase points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal, giving this bonus a base value of $750.

We tried it: Here’s what our experts say

Bankrate credit cards editor Nouri Zarrugh loves the Venture X card’s combination of practical perks that make the annual fee easy to offset:

I love that the card offers practical travel perks, expedited security screening credits and an annual travel credit. They’re all easy to take advantage of and can more than offset the annual fee on their own. Other premium travel cards may offer more perks, but they’re mostly ones that I’ll never use and — at least for me — don’t justify the higher fee.

— Nouri Zarrugh, Editor at Bankrate

First-year vs. ongoing value

The Venture X card comes with several valuable perks that should more than justify its annual fee in the first year and beyond.

Thanks to the card’s generous flat rewards rate, offsetting the Venture X card’s annual fee shouldn’t be too difficult, especially if you can squeeze more value out of your miles with a strategic transfer to an airline or hotel partner.

This combination of ongoing perks and rewards should give the Venture X card solid ongoing value. Here’s a look at how much you can expect to earn based on our card value rating methodology, which assumes an annual spend of $22,500:

Benefits and Costs First-year value Ongoing value (no welcome offers)
Estimated yearly rewards via card spend +$513 +$513
Welcome offers +$750 (75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 during the first three months, assuming a 1-cent-per-mile redemption value)
Perks (of monetary value)
  • +$300 Capital One travel credit
  • +$299 (Priority Pass Select membership)
  • +$100 (10,000-mile account anniversary bonus)
  • +$25 (up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years)
  • +$300 Capital One travel credit
  • +$299 ((Priority Pass Select membership)
  • +$100 (10,000-mile account anniversary bonus)
  • +$25 ( up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years)
Annual fee -$395 (See Rates & Fees) -$395 (See Rates & Fees)
Total value $1,592 $842

How the Capital One Venture X compares to other travel cards

The Capital One Venture X offers great annual perks for its price tag, but let’s see how it stacks up against two of its most prominent competitors.

Image of Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
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on Capital One's secure site

Annual fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 miles
Info

Rewards rate

2 Miles - 10 Miles
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Excellent (740 – 850)
Info
Image of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Annual fee

$95

Intro offer

Earn 75,000 miles
Info

Rewards rate

2 Miles - 5 Miles
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Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of The Platinum Card® from American Express
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$695

Intro offer

Earn 80,000 points
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Rewards rate

5X - 5X
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info

Best cards to pair with the Capital One Venture X

The Venture X offers boosted flat-rate miles, so a bonus category card that rewards your biggest day-to-day expenses outside travel would make the best partner.  A cash back credit card may be a good option, or a card that can transfer rewards to your favorite Capital One transfer partner programs. 

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a prime choice since you can convert your cash back to Capital One miles at a higher value without an annual fee (See Rates & Fees). This gives you even more value out of the SavorOne’s 3 percent cash back for dining, entertainment, grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) and popular streaming service purchases. Plus, its 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases offer popular reward opportunities.

Who is the Venture X right for?

The Venture X can be a terrific option if you want access to exclusive events and experiences or if you fly often and enjoy traveling in style.

Bankrate’s Take — Is the Capital One Venture X worth it?

The Capital One Venture X card is a great pick for frequent travelers who want a low-maintenance card with practical travel perks and none of the “fluff” features that often come with higher-fee cards. 

The Venture X doesn’t require you to subscribe to services you wouldn’t normally use just to offset its annual fee, and you won’t need to go out of your way to spend where you otherwise wouldn’t just to earn rewards.

This card is easily worth it if you love the flexibility of flat-rate rewards but also travel enough to take advantage of annual credits and perks. 

This combination of valuable flexible rewards rates and practical perks make the Venture X one of the best travel cards you can get.

*For 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.

*Upon 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.

How we rated this card

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We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.

Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest). 

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:

Frequently asked questions

Written by
Garrett Yarbrough
Writer, Credit Cards

Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers.

Edited by Senior Editor, Credit Cards
Reviewed by Former Senior Editor, Credit Cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.