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The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best everyday spending cards available.
The (initial) introductory bonus offer of 100,000 miles, worth about $1,900 on its own, was enough for me to jump on the offer. While Capital One rewards are categorized as miles, they function exactly the same as any other points – they can be applied towards purchases in the travel portal as points (generally the best value), or redeemed directly as statement credit for 1 cent per point to wipe out a recent purchase.
When first introduced, the card came with a first-year only $200 vacation rental credit which could be used to directly offset the cost of home rentals on sites like VRBO, Airbnb, and others. While this offer is no longer available, if it ever comes back, it’s an added sweetener to the already fantastic suite of benefits the Venture X offers. The current opening bonus of 75,000 points, while not as lucrative as when the card was first introduced, still leaves plenty of room for significant upside to holding this card.
Limited Time Offer – Capital One is currently offering a limited-time 90,000 bonus award to new users through targeted referral links, like this link here.
The Venture X is one of the lower cost premium cards out there – the annual fee of $395 can be offset immediately each year with a $300 Annual Travel Credit for travel booked through the Capital One travel portal. Additionally, you’ll receive a 10,000 Annual Point Bonus just for holding the card – equal to about $190 based on a point redemption value of 1.9 cents per point. So, without much effort, you can earn a benefit of $95 for holding this card, before consideration of any of the other top tier benefits this card offers.
The Venture X suite of premium perks includes:
- 75,000-100,000 Point Sign Up Bonus
- 2 Points for Every Dollar Spent on All Purchases, and 5-10x points on Travel
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- $190 (10,000 mile) Annual Point Bonus
- $325 Capital One Premier and Lifestyle Hotel Collections Credits
- $100 Global Entry/Precheck Credit
- Capital One Airport Lounge Access, Priority Pass Lounge Access, and Plaza Premium Lounge Access
- Capital One Café Discounts
- Hertz President Circle Status
2x Earning Power – This card’s 2x earning power on every purchase makes it one of the best cards for every-day spending as there are few, if any, other cards out there giving 2% on every dollar spent – no rotating categories, no enrollment, and no loopholes – just an automatic 2% reward every time you use the card. Each dollar spent earns 2 points in reward miles. I utilize this card for any purchases that are not travel or restaurant related (for which I’ll use either my Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve cards) – though, depending your annual food/drink and travel spend, there may be a compelling case to use the Venture X for all travel and restaurant spend too – it all depends on your spending levels and annual costs of the other cards. Additionally, if you do determine it’s worth it to use the card on travel, the card also offers 10x points on hotels and rental cars and 5x points on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
$300 Annual Travel Credit – The Venture X comes with an annual $300 travel credit to offset the cost of travel booked through the Capital One travel portal. The credit is applied directly to your statement, and there is nothing you need to do to utilize the credit. Once you make a purchase through the portal, the credit is automatically applied.
Utilization of the travel credit could not be easier – I was recently looking at a boutique hotel in Sonoma for a trip next year and found a fantastic boutique hotel, Gaige House, in the Capital One travel portal. Fortunately, I had a significant stash of points built up from the introductory bonus I earned when I opened the card, my normal spending, and the annual points bonus award. Because I was in the portal, I knew my travel credit was going to be automatically applied to any travel spend that I put on my Venture X. But, since I had a chunk of points that I could also apply to cover the cost of the hotel, I split the total cost of $1,495 between my points and my Venture X card – utilizing 119,549 points (which was equivalent to $1,195) and put the remaining $300 spend on my credit card. Even though I could have paid for the whole thing in points, I knew I had the credit in my back pocket, so I intentionally used fewer points to leave me with a $300 balance, which I billed to my card. Once that $300 was charged to my Venture X credit card, Capital One automatically applied the $300 credit on my statement, so I was left with a $0 cash outlay for the hotel. It took me about five minutes all in to make the reservation, pay with points, and my credit card account was credited about one week later.
I’m always cautious when looking at hotel properties in travel portals – so I always check the property website to ensure the price is not cheaper outside of the portal which could negate any discounts or credits through the portal – in the case of the Capital One portal, I saw the same nightly rate on the hotel’s website, so I knew leveraging my points and credits through the portal was the right move.
10,000 Mile Annual Bonus – Nothing you need to do to earn this – these points are automatically credited to your account each year. If used in the travel portal, they can be worth up to $190, while at a minimum can be applied directly as statement credits for $100.
Lounge and Café Access – Capital One recently rolled out their airport lounge concept – The Capital One Lounges, which are currently available at DFW, and IAD, with DEN coming soon. These lounges rival the top tier American Express Centurion Lounges – and just like Centurion Lounges, the Capital One Lounges are known for their exceptional service, upscale food and beverages, and swanky aesthetic. With offerings of coffee & espresso bars, grab & go food, curated cocktails, and chef-inspired menus, these lounges will be a game-changer for upcoming travel.
While the lounges are limited to Dallas, Washington Dulles and Denver, if you find yourself passing through those airports or happen to live in one of those cities, this is a top perk for you and two guests that can save you hundreds of dollars each year and completely change the way you travel.
In addition to the Capital One Lounges, you’ll also have priority pass access – which can get you into other semi-private lounges at most airports in the US – some of which are fantastic and provide a premium experience, similar to Capital One or Centurion lounges. And if you are traveling internationally, you can enjoy complimentary access to Plaza Premium Lounges, of which there are 100+ lounges throughout the world.
Capital One Cafés are starting to pop up throughout the US in most major cities. These cafes offer a relaxing, upscale environment where you can relax, work, and enjoy 50% off all handcrafted beverages purchased there.
Access to Capital One’s Premier and Lifestyle Collection of Hotels – Very much like other premium card brands, Capital One has rolled out its own premium hotel collections – the Premier Collections, and the more modest Lifestyle Collections. The collections offer curated luxury properties which can be accessed directly through Capital One’s Premier or Lifestyle Collection portal. In addition to receiving favorable pricing at these upscale hotels, by booking through the portal, cardholders can take advantage of:
- $100/$50 resort experience credit for the Premier and Lifestyle, respectively – This includes credit towards spas, food and beverage, or other added amenities
- Daily breakfast for two for the duration of your stay, paired with the above over a three-night stay totaling $325 in value
- Room upgrades upon arrival when available
- Early check-in and late check-out
All things considered, this is one of my heaviest utilized cards – and appears to only be getting better as Capital One continues to compete in the premium credit card space. In addition to the perks above, the card carries all the benefits you would expect from a premium card provider – Rental car status through Hertz – which provides for premium rental car service; global entry and precheck credit; travel, baggage, and (primary) rental car insurance; cell phone coverage; extended and purchase warranties, and recently released virtual card numbers to protect your account while shopping online. You just can’t go wrong with this card and its one to add to your wallet and keep forever. Apply using my referral code here.
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