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Annual Fee: $395
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by products. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
At first glance the annual fee may seem expensive, but each year you receive various travel perks and benefits that completely offset that! Additionally, Capital One Rewards allow users to book travel or cover travel booked in the previous 90 days for one cent per mile. That means this card is would cover $750 on travel, even retroactively! Capital One miles can also be transferred to a number of airline programs at a ratio of 1:1, allowing for true flexibility in booking the best reward flights.
Check out our deep dive on this card if you want to learn more about how we're using it to travel hack.
[.redeem] 10x [.redeem]per $1 on hotels and cars booked through Capital One Travel
[.redeem] 5x [.redeem]per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel
[.redeem] 2x [.redeem]per $1 on all other purchases
And, your miles don't expire as long as your account is open.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by products. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
🏆 Best for luxury benefits
🏆 Best for luxury benefits
Annual Fee: $695
🏆 Best for travel credits
🏆 Best for travel credits
Annual Fee: $550
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Card is one of those “keeper cards” we’re always talking about. I’ve had the Venture X for four years, and its miles earnings and travel perks prove its worth year after year. The annual fee might seem steep, but the travel benefits you get each year more than make up for it!
Capital One Rewards lets users book travel or cover travel expenses from the past 90 days at one cent per mile. This means the Venture X can cover $750 in travel costs, even retroactively! Plus, Capital One Miles can be transferred to several airline programs at a 1:1 ratio (but more on that later). The Venture X Card’s current offer is 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. This offer is valued at just over $1,300. Y’all…that’s really good.
Not only is the Venture X Card a fan favorite within our Daily Drop team, but it’s also known to help you pay for pretty much anything with miles. Brendan says that if he could only keep one travel card in his wallet, it would be the Venture X Card. Check out this YouTube video where he explains exactly why that is 👇
Annual Fee: $695
Annual Fee: $395
[.pro]Each year, you’ll receive various travel perks and benefits that completely offset the annual fee[.pro]
[.pro]The Venture X covers $750 on travel, even retroactively[.pro]
[.pro]Capital One Miles can be transferred to various airline programs at a 1:1 ratio, offering great flexibility for booking reward flights[.pro]
[.con]This card does come with a $395 annual fee[.con]
[.redeem] 10x [.redeem]per $1 on hotels and cars booked through Capital One Travel
[.redeem] 5x [.redeem]per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel
[.redeem] 2x [.redeem]per $1 on all other purchases
And, your miles don't expire as long as your account is open.
When it comes to Capital One Miles, the best way to maximize your miles is to redeem them with travel. And to take it one step further (because *ahem* this is Daily Drop), the Venture X Card will let you pay for any type of travel with miles. Yeah, you heard me right — ANY type of travel.
[.dontreco] We don’t recommend: Turning your Capital One Miles into cash
With a Capital One rewards card, you earn cash back or miles on every dollar you spend. The amount you earn varies based on the card and how you use it. However, this method simply doesn’t provide the best value.
[.sometimesreco] We sometimes recommend: Booking through Capital One’s portal
Booking travel through Capital One lets you redeem miles at 1 cent each, but you won't earn extra rewards or elite perks. It's better to book directly and then use your miles to cover the cost.
[.alwaysreco] We always recommend: Redeeming your miles for travel
The bottom line is — if a flight or hotel room can be bought with cash, you can use your miles to book it. You can redeem your miles at 1 cent each for travel purchases made in the last 90 days on your Venture X Card. And, there's no minimum amount needed. This means you could redeem for airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rentals, limousines, buses, cruises, taxis, travel agents, and more — literally anything in your wildest dreams! Taking advantage of these $750 worth of credits is what makes the Venture X so jaw-dropping and magical. By redeeming your miles for travel, you’ll absolutely maximize their value.
Oh yeah, did we mention that the Capital One Venture X Card has a pretty nice list of transfer partners?
In case you need convincing, here’s that list:
If you’ve been reading Daily Drop for a while (or even watching our fave travel duo — Kara and Nate) then you might have heard of ANA’s “The Room.”
Basically, “The Room” is bigger than any other business-class seats (and even some first-class seats). It comes with closing doors, personal catering, and a lie-flat bed…so yeah, pretty incredible.
The best part? Capital One Miles can be transferred to ANA at a 1:1 ratio. When Kara and Nate booked “The Room,” they used some miles. And, if you want the full details on that redemption, check out this video 👇
Brendan gives two great examples of “card combos,” but ultimately, one stands out from the rest. And, that combo just happens to include the Venture X Card. Check out that video here 👇
So there’s this thing called the Credit Card Ladder. Brendan does an excellent job explaining it in this YouTube video. But here’s the quick version: When you start on your miles and points journey, you might not have a single open account or even an existing credit score. This was me in 2022. Because life isn’t fair sometimes, you have to start with baby credit cards and work your way up to the big boys (i.e. The Venture X, The Platinum Card® from American Express, etc.). While the Capital One Venture X Card might not be a “beginner” card, it is most certainly a step on the ladder to miles and points success.While the Venture X offers statements that make up for the annual fee, having a $395 annual fee still makes this card a little trickier to get than something like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or another “starter card.” So, if you’re looking to take your travel game to the next level, the Venture X most likely provides the perks you’re looking for: lounge access, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, anniversary bonuses, and so on.
By now, you’ve certainly heard us call the Capital One Venture X Card a “keeper card.” If you’re a frequent jet-setter, like pretty much everyone on our team, you’ll want to keep this card in your wallet. Mike’s favorite thing about the Venture X card is the flexibility of its miles. You can transfer them to airlines and hotels or use them to offset ANY travel purchases. Here’s how he’d use the 75,000 miles from signing up:
Needless to say, The Venture X makes booking a free trip super easy, mainly because of its super-duper-amazing-wonderful statement credits (oh, and flexible transfer partners).
Let’s be clear. The Capital One Venture X Card does not have a shortage of extras. We’re talking:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of our favorites because of its point flexibility with transfer partners (among other reasons). But, the Venture X is the perfect accompaniment due to its luxury benefits. If you’ve flown business class after sitting in an airport lounge for a few hours prior to that flight, you’re likely ruined. What I mean is — you’ll now want to travel like a king every. single. time. Holding the Venture X is step one, friends.
Here’s a good rule of thumb:
You probably shouldn’t own a credit card if you: (1) have a bad credit score, (2) are a non-U.S. resident (for this particular card), and (3) cannot control your spending. If your credit score is below 700, you'll need to improve it before applying for travel credit cards, as approval for the best ones, like the Venture X, is unlikely.
Be honest with yourself: if a new credit card will tempt you to overspend, it's best to avoid it. Credit cards are crucial for earning miles and points, but they require responsible use.
An excellent credit score (740-850) is recommended for the Capital One Venture X. But again, if you’re in a solid place with your credit and feel you are ready for a new card, don’t let the fear of being rejected keep you from applying.
We’ve known several people to be rejected on their first application, use the reconsideration line, and be granted the Venture X card. While it’s not necessarily a beginner card, the worst they can say is “no.”
