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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.
10x per $1 on hotels and cars booked through Capital One Travel
5x per $1 on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
2x 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 three 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! Honestly, I can’t even begin to tell you how many hours of my life I have (very comfortably) spent in airport lounges thanks to this card. Literally, thank you, Venture X.
Better yet, 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.
Each year, you’ll receive various travel perks and benefits that completely offset the annual fee
The Venture X covers $750 on travel, even retroactively
Capital One Miles can be transferred to various airline programs at a 1:1 ratio, offering great flexibility for booking reward flights
This card does come with a $395 annual fee
10x per $1 on hotels and cars booked through Capital One Travel
5x per $1 on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
2x per $1 on all other purchases
And, your miles don't expire as long as your account is open.
I got this card a couple years ago after reading all the benefits from Daily Drop. I've used the Priority Pass lounges, love the flexible $300 annual credit, just received my annual 10,000 points, and love that I can use it on everyday purchases to get 2X on everything, no matter the category. I was super excited when I was recently able to score Taylor Swift tickets just for holding this card!
This was my first travel rewards card and it has totally changed the travel experience for me! I love that the card offers luxury perks like lounge access and Global Entry/TSA Pre-check while still giving the cardholder back the full cost of the card between travel credits & points. It's easy to get good value even if you only travel a couple times a year!
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.
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.
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.
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:
Why? It’s no secret that, here at Daily Drop, we’re pretty much obsessed with the Sapphire Preferred — and can you blame us? While this card is wonderful on its own, it also pairs perfectly with the Capital One Venture X Card. First up, the Sapphire Preferred. It's your go-to for racking up Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining with top-notch travel protections, all for a modest annual fee. But what really sets it apart? The ability to transfer those miles to Chase's vast array of travel partners for maximum value.
Now, enter the Venture X. This bad boy gives you straightforward rewards and deluxe travel perks like lounge access, rental car elite status, and a generous $300 travel credit, all at a reasonable annual fee. Combine the two, and you've got access to an impressive lineup of transfer partners, hefty welcome bonuses, solid rewards on all your spending, and luxe travel perks – all for less in annual fees than any other premium travel card out there. But why these two cards specifically? The Sapphire Preferred is perfect for newbies and seasoned travelers alike, thanks to its low fee and freaking awesome perks. With the Venture X, you’re getting premium benefits at a fair price.
With the Sapphire Preferred, you can book through Chase TravelSM and get 1.25 cents per point in value. Capital One has a similar setup, but trust us, you'll want to save your miles for travel purchases instead. When it comes to redeeming Capital One miles, using them for any travel expense with your card gets you a solid 1 cent per mile – meaning you can cover that $500 flight with 50,000 miles, no problem. But, transferring them to partner airlines and hotels is where you’ll see the most value. And with this duo, you've got a whole bunch of options to choose from.
Why? Speaking of “keeper cards,” the Gold Card most definitely falls into that category. Many travel experts would tell you the Venture X and the Gold Card would be their only cards if given an ultimatum. With the Venture X, you're earning a solid 2X miles per dollar spent on most purchases. Plus, you'll snag 5X miles per dollar on flights and a generous 10X miles per dollar on rental cars and hotels (just remember to book through the Capital One Travel portal to cash in on these bonuses). The Amex Gold card shines brightest with everyday purchases. This is especially true when it comes to dining out and grocery shopping, earning a sweet 4x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
By tag-teaming these two cards, you’ll be racking up points and miles like a pro. The Venture X may sting a bit with its high annual fee, but trust me, the perks more than make up for it. You're looking at a $300 travel credit, lounge access, and bonus miles every anniversary, and we value these perks at over $700 (in other words…it's a no-brainer). Now, onto the Amex Gold Card. Yes, it has a $325 annual fee, but stick with me. The American Express® Gold Card offers several credits: $120 Uber Cash when you add the card to your Uber account, providing $10 in monthly Uber Cash for Uber Eats or rides (To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.); $84 Dunkin' Credit, giving up to $7 in monthly statement credits at Dunkin' locations; $100 Resy Credit, offering up to $100 in annual statement credits for dining at U.S. Resy restaurants; and $120 Dining Credit, allowing up to $10 in monthly statement credits at select dining establishments -- those statement credits more than make up for the annual fee. Enrollment required for select benefits.
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.”
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