Credit Card Review: Capital One Venture X
Ever since I dove deeper into the world of credit cards, Capital One has not been a key player in my game. Though I wanted Capital One products, they are known for rejecting credit card applications for folks with excellent credit scores because Capital One brings the most revenue from collecting interest payments. I applied for the Capital One Venture Miles card a few years ago and was immediately denied. Since then, I have ignored Capital One until they recently released the Venture X card in 2021. The Venture X card is definitely worth a look if you are looking for a premium travel card with a lucrative sign-up bonus offer and perks. Let’s take a look at the card and see why it’s worth a spot in your wallet.
Sign-Up Bonus & Multiplier: Worth up to $1,275
The current sign-up bonus is 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases in three months. I personally value Capital One mile at 1.7 cents per mile, valuing this sign-up bonus at $1,275.
Capital One’s Venture X card is the hottest new premium travel card on the market right now.
The Venture X card is a premium travel card, and if you are looking for a one-card solution for your wallet, this may be the card for you. The card earns 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. Capital One’s travel portal can be a safe choice when booking with cash. It is equipped with free price drop protection and price match protection; Capital One will match competitors’ prices and even give you a partial refund if the price of your purchased flight or hotel drops. Though I generally recommend booking directly with a service provider to get the best available price, if you can do a little bit of research, you can certainly benefit from earning 10X back.
If you frequent Capital One’s travel portal, you will accumulate miles in no time! Photo by Capital One
If you’d like to apply for the Capital One Venture X Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
Annual Fee & Benefits
The card comes with an annual price tag of $395, which is lower than its competitors. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card costs $550, and the American Express Platinum card costs $695. The main reason is that the Venture X card offers fewer benefits. However, not all credit card perks are created equal, and I argue that it’s actually more beneficial for consumers to have only what they actually need rather than having perks that act like coupons.
$200 Vacation Rental Credit - Limited Time Offer
As a limited-time offer, new cardmembers are eligible for a statement credit for up to $200 for qualifying vacation rental purchases. Per Capital One, eligible vacation rental purchases include transactions from Airbnb, Turnkey, Vacasa, and VRBO. I generally much prefer staying at hotels since I have elite status with some brands, but a vacation rental home can be useful if you desire a local experience. A host may be able to suggest unusual sightseeing spots or hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars. This is a promotional credit, and Capital One may pull it anytime so if you want to secure this credit, you should apply for the card sooner than later.
Vacation rentals open up non-traditional lodging opportunities for travelers. Photo by Unsplash.
$300 Travel Credit
A cardmember will receive an annual statement credit of up to $300 when booking through the Capital One Travel portal. Though this benefit is not as straightforward as the $300 travel credit for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, it is simpler than any AMEX travel perks. I generally do not like booking through a 3rd party travel portal since my elite nights or credits may not get recognized. However, some hotels and rental car companies may honor them, so it doesn’t hurt to ask when you check in or rent a car.
10,000 Annual Miles Bonus
Another major benefit to offset the annual fee is an anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles. With my valuation of Capital One miles at 1.7 cents per mile, I value 10,000 miles at $170, but if you redeem the mileage at a bare minimum, you can redeem it for $100. Combined with the $300 travel portal credit, these two benefits can completely offset the annual fee. You can transfer those miles to Capital One’s travel partners if you want to come out ahead.
The airline transfer partners are:
Aeromexico
Air Canada
Air France - KLM
Avianca
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Emirates
Etihad
EVA Air
Finnair
Qantas
Singapore Airlines
TAP Air
Turkish Airlines
The hotel transfer partners are:
Accor
Choice
Wyndham
While most transfer ratios are 1:1, be aware that Accor and EVA Air use 2:1 and 2:1.5 ratios, respectively.
Transfer miles to Turkish Airline and fly to Hawaii cheap! Photo by Unsplash.
Access to Premier Collection Hotels
Premier Collection is Capital One’s version of AMEX’s Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR), which AMEX Platinum cardholders have access to. The Premier Collection’s portfolio is less extensive compared to FHR. Still, Capital One is surely marching in the right direction to make the Venture X card more competitive in the luxury travel credit card market. As of right now, the portfolio includes the following brands:
The Leading Hotels of the World
Six Senses
Montage Hotels & Resorts
Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Viceroy
1 Hotels
Similar to the perks associated with booking through the AMEX FHR portal, when you make a reservation on a Premier Collection property, Venture X cardholders will get the following suite of benefits added to their stay:
Experience credit of up to $100
Daily breakfast for two people
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Elevated earning rate of 10 miles per dollar
Early check-in
Late checkout
Complimentary room upgrade
Even though some perks are subject to availability, based on my experience, it is realistic to expect an upgrade to a room one tier higher than the one you reserved and slight accommodations towards check-in and checkout times. Depending on the hotel, the experience credit may only apply to food and beverages, or it could be only restricted to spas and massages. Thus, I suggest you check in with the hotel you are interested in and decided accordingly. Lastly, you can use the annual $300 travel credit towards a Premier Collection reservation, so you can get the most out of your benefits.
When Venture X cardholders make a reservation for a Premier Collection property, they can receive generous benefits to elevate their stays. Photo by Capital One Travel.
Four Free Authorized Users
Typically, adding authorized users to a premium travel credit card will cost you money. For example, adding an authorized user to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card costs $75 per authorized user and $300 to add four. For the AMEX Platinum card, it is $175 for the first three authorized users and then $175 per card after that. On the Capital One Venture X card, you can add up to four authorized users, and they are free! Though authorized cardmembers do not get the $300 travel credit or the 10,000-anniversary mileage benefits, they do receive lounge access, Priority Pass membership, and other Visa Infinite perks.
Capital One Lounge Access
Capital One is rolling out its own take on airport lounges. The first-ever Capital One lounge opened at DFW, and it is strategically located very close to the AMEX Centurion Lounge at Terminal D. It offers grab-and-go style food options to travelers who may not have time to dine in, and I thought it was a great way to differentiate from other lounges. Capital One Lounges are equipped with luggage lockers, cycling and yoga rooms, and shower suites. Venture X card members can bring up to two guests for free, and any additional guest will cost $45 per visit. If you hold either the Venture card or the Spark Miles card, you can enjoy two visits per year and can bring guests for $45 per visit. Non-Capital One cardholders can visit the lounge for $65 per visit, so Capital One Lounges may experience some traffic during peak hours. More lounges are scheduled to open at IAD and DEN.
Capital One’s first ever airport lounge opened at DFW. Photo by Capital One.
Priority Pass Membership & Plaza Premium Lounges
As with almost all premium travel cards, the Capital One Venture X card provides Priority Pass Lounge access. This means you can visit more than 1,200 airport Priority Pass lounges around the world. With your Priority Pass membership, you may bring up to two complimentary guests. Recently, Venture X cardmembers gained access to Plaza Premium Lounges. Even though its footprint is less significant at 110 lounges, it has footprints at popular airports such as London Heathrow (LHR) and Singapore (SIN). Venture X cardmembers are allowed to bring two complimentary guests per visit as well.
Priority pass membership for Visa Infinite cardholders is much valuable due to flexible restaurant credits.Photo by Unsplash.
Primary Rental Car Insurance
The Capital One Venture X card is a Visa Infinite card, meaning that its starting line is $10,000. If you rent a car, you automatically get primary rental car insurance, which is quite uncommon even among premium cards. Primary rental car insurance simply means that if you were to get into a car accident, Capital One’s rental insurance would cover you first. If Capital One cannot cover you entirely, the leftover charges will be passed onto your original car insurance. It also comes with great trip delay protection, purchase protection, lost luggage reimbursement, and a Visa Infinite concierge that is often comparable to services like AMEX Platinum Card Concierge.
Primary auto insurance can save you thousands of dollars in case you get into an accident while renting a car.Photo by Unsplash.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Cardmembers can get up to $100 in statement credit when the Capital One Venture X card is used to pay for the application. I would highly suggest using this benefit for a Global Entry application since it includes TSA PreCheck. Global Entry can save you hours of waiting time in line over a year if you often travel internationally. You can use this credit every four years and apply it to a friend or family member if your own Global Entry membership is covered by another card.
Cell Phone Protection
By paying your cellphone bill with the Capital One Venture X Card, a cardholder can get up to $800 per claim, and the protection is limited to two claims per 12-month period up to $1,600 overall amount. Per occurrence, it will cost a $50 deductible, which is significantly cheaper than paying for a monthly cell phone insurance premium through a carrier.
Summary
The Capital One Venture X card is an exciting premium travel card. The annual fee is not as high as its competitors, and with its annual $300 travel credit and 10,000 mileage credit, the annual fee is essentially non-existent. I appreciate that the card comes with easy-to-digest benefits and perks. It is a bold move by Capital One to release its own lounge. Establishing itself as a premium airport lounge provider will be a tough battle. However, it certainly differentiates them from other premium card issuers, and I am thrilled to have more lounge options as a consumer. The earning structure could have been more robust, but with a lucrative sign-up bonus and generous benefits and perks, the Capital One Venture X card is one of the best premium travel credit cards and shouldn’t be ignored.
If you’d like to apply for the Capital One Venture X Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
