Is The Venture X Card Worth The $395 Annual Fee?

For frequent travelers, the annual fee on this card might not be as high as it feels. Right off the bat, the Venture X card comes with a $300 annual credit for bookings made on Capital One Travel. Cardholders who book through their portal can choose from a huge selection of flights, hotels and car rentals, making this a hefty rebate if you travel every year.

After accounting for this opportunity to earn statement credits, the annual cost on the Capital One Venture X may feel more like an effective $95. That’s in line with competing travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. But unlike mid-tier cards, the Venture X also adds premium benefits.

Airline lounge benefits are included as a significant perk and a fast way to get value from the card if you fly (even sporadically). The Venture X includes unlimited access for you and two guests to all Capital One lounges and Plaza Premium Group and Priority Pass lounges worldwide. However, if you already have Priority Pass lounge access through other methods, this benefit isn’t as exciting as it looks: Only a few Capital One lounge locations are currently open, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington Dulles and Denver.

Cardholders will also receive up to $100 in statement credits for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, another benefit that looks great on paper but can be found on other cards you may have. Cellphone protection is included, as are Capital One’s wide-sweeping customer benefits like Capital One Entertainment, credit alerts and virtual card numbers.

Notably, there’s one more sizable benefit: Every year, upon renewal of the card, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus miles in your account. These miles can be redeemed like any other reward or saved for future use. When redeemed for travel through their booking portal, the miles are worth $100, essentially wiping out the last of the annual fee. Transferring miles to airline partners may increase their worth even more. Though this benefit begins in your second year of card membership, a generous welcome bonus in the first year more than makes up for that.

Cardholders can add authorized users at no additional cost, further strengthening the value proposition of the card. Though authorized users won’t receive a separate set of statement credits, they do receive the same airport lounge privileges and the ability to earn rewards on every purchase.

By now, many travelers are probably certain they can get strong value from the Venture X card but the opportunity to earn ongoing rewards makes this an even better deal.

In terms of rewards, cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel. The card also offers a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Not only are earning rates competitive, they’re also easy to track. There are no complicated earning structures, no minimum thresholds and no convoluted bonus categories. Simply use your card to make a purchase and earn at least 2 miles per dollar spent.

Redeeming Capital One miles is also simple. Miles can be redeemed toward travel through the Capital One online booking portal at a rate of 1 cent per mile, with no blackout dates or other restrictions to worry about. You can also book travel outside of the portal and then later use rewards at the same rate to offset your eligible purchase. Transactions that are classified as travel, including cruises, vacation rentals and even some taxis qualify for this redemption.

Alternatively, for extra flexibility, cardmembers can transfer Capital One miles to more than a dozen travel partners and later redeem through their frequent flyer program directly. This option allows you to combine your mileage balances to redeem for larger or more frequent awards. It can also be a great way to book luxury travel, like business class flights or five-star hotels, at a more advantageous rate.

For frequent travelers, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is worth the annual fee. It practically pays for itself through a combination of annual statement credits toward trips booked with Capital One Travel and an anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles. The other benefits, including lounge access, make it a no brainer.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.