Capital One Venture X Card Review
Updated: Oct 11
If you’ve been following Our Travel Pointers, you know I’m always looking for ways to make family travel a little more affordable without sacrificing the experiences we love. I’m a big believer that you don’t have to pay full price for every trip, and with the right credit card and a little strategy, you can make your travel budget go a lot further.
One of my favorite cards for doing exactly that is the Capital One Venture X credit card.
I know travel rewards can feel overwhelming at first. There are points, miles, transfer partners, travel portals, and enough credit card perks to make your head spin. But I promise you don’t need to become a points-and-miles expert to get value out of this card.
For us, the Venture X has become a great way to earn miles on everyday spending, offset travel costs, and enjoy a few extra perks along the way.
Here’s how the card works, why we like it, and how we use it to make traveling for less a little easier.
What Is the Capital One Venture X?
The Capital One Venture X is a premium travel rewards credit card that earns miles on your purchases and comes with several travel benefits. This card offers a 75,000 mile welcome bonus after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. At the very least, that's worth $750, with the potential for greater value when transferring miles to airline and hotel partners.
The annual fee is $395, which might sound like a lot for a credit card. But before you write it off, it’s worth looking at what you get in return.
Some of the main benefits include:
$300 annual travel credit: Use it toward eligible bookings through Capital One Travel.
10,000 anniversary miles: Receive these each year starting on your first account anniversary. They’re worth $100 toward travel when redeemed at the standard one-cent-per-mile rate.
Miles on everyday purchases: Earn at least 2X miles on purchases.
Airport lounge access: Eligible cardholders can access participating Capital One lounges and Priority Pass lounges.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: Receive $120 towards the application fee.
No foreign transaction fees: Helpful when traveling internationally.
Perks When Booking Through Capital One Travel
Booking your stay through the Capital One Travel portal can unlock additional benefits that make your trip even more worthwhile. Depending on the property and eligibility, you may enjoy exclusive perks such as:
$100 Resort Credit
Complimentary Breakfast for 2 (we have received up to $80 off breakfast)
Room Upgrades
Early Check-In & Late Check-Out
How We Earn Miles on Everyday Spending
One of my favorite things about the Venture X is how simple it is to earn miles.
You don't have to book an elaborate vacation or constantly chase special promotions to build up your balance. You can earn miles on purchases you're already making.
Here's how the standard earning rates work:
2X miles: Everyday purchases
5X miles: Flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
10X miles: Hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
That 2X earning rate on everyday spending is particularly nice because it means your regular purchases can help fund future trips. Think groceries, gas, household expenses, and other purchases you'd be making anyway. Of course, the goal isn't to spend more just to earn miles. We only put purchases on the card that fit within our budget and pay the balance in full to avoid interest charges that could easily outweigh the rewards. But when you're already spending the money, earning miles along the way is a nice bonus.
How We Use Our Capital One Miles
There are several ways to redeem Capital One miles, but two approaches are particularly useful for travelers: covering eligible travel purchases with miles or transferring miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Option 1: Use Miles to Cover Travel Purchases
This is probably the easiest place to start if you're new to travel rewards.
With Capital One's travel purchase redemption feature called the Travel Eraser, you can use eligible miles to cover qualifying travel purchases that have already posted to your account.
At the standard rate, 1 mile covers 1 cent of eligible travel expenses.
That means:
10,000 miles can cover $100 in eligible travel expenses.
25,000 miles can cover $250.
50,000 miles can cover $500.
I love that this approach is relatively straightforward. You don't have to figure out airline award charts, search for award availability, or learn the ins and outs of a hotel loyalty program before you can start using your rewards. You make an eligible travel purchase, wait for it to post, and redeem miles according to the card's terms. For someone who wants to offset the cost of travel without adding too much complexity, this can be a great option.
Option 2: Transfer Miles to Travel Partners
If you're willing to learn a little more about points and miles, transferring your rewards to eligible airline and hotel loyalty programs can sometimes provide even greater value. Capital One has a selection of travel partners, and eligible miles can be transferred to participating programs according to their terms. The value you get depends on the partner, the trip, and the availability of award bookings. Sometimes transferring miles can unlock an excellent deal. Other times, using miles to cover a travel purchase is the easier and more practical choice.
Airport Lounge Access
Airport lounge access is another perk that can make travel a little more enjoyable. Depending on the airport, an eligible lounge visit can mean a quieter place to sit, complimentary food and drinks, comfortable seating, and a break from the usual airport chaos. If you've ever spent money buying airport food for the family while waiting for a flight, you can probably appreciate the appeal.
The Venture X includes access to participating Capital One Lounge and Priority Pass lounges. One important thing to remember: lounge access policies can vary, and access for guests or additional cardholders isn't necessarily the same as access for the primary cardholder. Check the current rules before counting on complimentary entry for your entire family.
Even with those limitations, it's a nice benefit to have available when your itinerary and airport line up.
A Few Other Benefits Worth Knowing About
Beyond earning miles and getting the annual travel credit, the Venture X has a few additional perks worth keeping in mind.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
The card offers up to $120 toward an eligible Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. If you travel frequently, expedited airport screening can be a real time-saver.
No foreign transaction fees
If you're traveling abroad, you won't have to worry about foreign transaction fees on eligible purchases made with the card. That's one less expense to think about while you're away.
Anniversary miles
Those 10,000 anniversary miles are easy to overlook, but they're an important part of the card's overall value. Just remember that they begin with your first account anniversary, rather than being an immediate annual benefit from the day you open the account.
Thinking about getting the Capital One Venture X? You can learn more about the card and review the current offer, benefits, and terms on Capital One's official website. If you use a referral link, make sure you review the offer details and eligibility requirements before applying.
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