Take a look inside my wallet and you’ll find an (almost) embarrassing number of credit cards: I’ve got one for gas, one for groceries, one for dining, one for travel … the list goes on and on.
But not everyone wants to carry around a stuffed wallet like George Costanza and me – and for good reason! Whether you’re looking for simplicity, a reasonable amount of annual fees, or both, the *capone venture x* could be the only travel card you need.
Think of it as the Swiss Army Knife of travel credit cards. It’s got premium perks like airport lounge access, top-notch travel insurance, and an annual $300 Capital One Travel credit. Earning unlimited 2x miles on each and every purchase means you don’t need to juggle multiple cards to maximize your earnings. And the ability to add free authorized users means you can spread the benefits (and bonus points) with friends and family.
At $395 per year, it’s not exactly cheap. But the value you can get from those benefits can easily outweigh that annual fee … and it begins to look like a real bargain when you compare it to the sum you’d pay for all the cards it’s replacing.
Like travel, finding the right travel card is deeply personal. But for my money, the Capital One Venture X is the perfect one-card solution for almost anyone.
Read next: Capital One Venture X Card Review: A Big Bonus, Lounge Access & More
A Quick Overview of the Venture X
- Welcome Offer Bonus: bonus_miles_full
- Travel Statement Credits: Every year, you get a $300 annual travel credit to use on any flights, hotels, or rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- Lounge Access: Free access to 1,300-plus lounges in the Priority Pass network and Capital One’s lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) – plus a airport restaurant at Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA) and future locations in Las Vegas (LAS) and New York City (JFK).
- Free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Up to $120 in statement credits to sign up for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. This credit is good once every four years – and membership in both programs lasts five years, you’re set.
- Earn More Miles: Capital One Venture X cardholders earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and an unlimited 2x miles on every dollar spent on all other purchases with the card.
- 10,000 bonus miles: Every year (starting in year two), you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles – worth at least $100 towards travel – after renewing your Venture X Card.
- Great Travel & Rental Car Insurance: By paying for your travels with a Venture X, you’ll get unbeatable primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation insurance, trip delay coverage, and reimbursement if your baggage gets lost or stolen.
- Annual Fee: $395
Learn more about the *capone venture x*
Why This Is the Perfect One-Card Solution
This might seem counterintuitive, but let’s start by discussing where the *capone venture x* falls short.
If you want to earn bonus points on grocery and dining purchases, you’re better off with the *amex gold*. If getting into Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs is important to you, you’ll want *amex platinum*. If you’re looking for a card with the absolute easiest-to-use annual travel credit, go with the *chase sapphire reserve*.
The point is, while the Venture X might not be the best card for some things, it is the best card for a lot of things … and really good at many other things. And that’s what makes it perfect for travelers looking for a one-and-done travel card.
Have a look for yourself…
A Big Sign-Up Bonus
If you don’t already have the Venture X, taking advantage of a big sign-up bonus is the best way to get started earning points and miles to fuel future vacations. With the current offer, you can bonus_miles_full.
Considering the card earns 2x miles on all purchases, you’ll have at least 83,000 Capital One miles after completing the card’s minimum spending requirement. Since these miles can easily be redeemed for 1 cent each towards travel, they’re worth a minimum of $830 … but you can likely get even greater from them by taking advantage of Capital One’s slew of transfer partners.
This bonus offer isn’t what makes the Venture X the perfect one-card solution, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the card’s appeal.
An Annual Fee That’s Actually Worth It
The Venture X’s $395 annual fee might be a non-starter for some, but that number is deceiving. Once you do the math, you’ll see that it’s quite easy for most travelers to get their money back year-after-year.
With an annual $300 Capital One Travel credit and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (worth a minimum of $100 towards travel) starting in year two, it’s almost as if Capital One is paying you to have this card. Think of the annual fee as an investment in your future travels.
If $400 is more than you normally spend on travel, then this card – or really any premium travel card – probably isn’t right for you.
Premium Travel Perks … On a Budget
This card comes packed with the kind of travel perks that are typically reserved for cards with nearly double the annual fee.
For starters, it’s the absolute cheapest way to get into airport lounges – but just because it’s the cheapest, doesn’t mean you’re getting a bottom-dollar experience.
Over the past few years, Capital One has been busy building out a network of lounges in airports across the country. To date, only three lounges and a single Capital One Landing are open (with more in the works), but these spaces are all a cut above the rest. Each lounge is a bit different, but they’ve all got a great design, fun amenities, and absolutely outstanding food and drinks – easily among the best airport lounges in the U.S., period.
Venture X cardholders get unlimited complimentary access to any of the bank’s branded lounges for themselves and up to two guests.
Incredibly, Capital One does not charge to add authorized users on your Venture X card: You can add up to four authorized users to your account at no additional cost. Best of all? Those authorized users get their own lounge access with the ability to bring up to two complimentary guests as well, making this the best card for traveling families.
But it’s not just Capital One-branded lounges that you’ll get into with the Venture X. The card also comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which opens the door to an additional 1,300-plus lounges around the globe.
Better yet, the Priority Pass membership you’ll get with the Venture X is a bit stronger than what you’ll get from competitors like the Amex Platinum Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. That’s because you’re allowed to bring an unlimited number of guests with you on each visit, assuming there is space available in the lounge.
The quality and offering in Priority Pass lounges can vary quite a bit. But even the worst Priority Pass lounge is still better than sitting at the gate in the terminal.
Beyond the card’s lounge access, you’ll also get some of the best travel protections of any card on the market. With the card’s primary rental car coverage, you can skip the rental companies pricey add-on insurance and rely on your Venture X if you get in an accident. Flight delayed and now you’re stuck with an extra hotel night and added dining costs? The card’s trip delay coverage can help there, too. And if you’re the type that checks bags, you can rest easy knowing you’re covered if the airline loses or even temporarily misplaces your bag.
Some of the card’s other travel perks include a credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry enrollment and top-tier rental car elite status.
Add it all up and it’s clear the Venture X packs a punch well above it’s $395 per year weight class.
Earn Unlimited 2x Miles
What the Venture X lacks in bonus categories it makes up for in simplicity, earning unlimited 2x miles per dollar spent on every purchase. If you purchase travel through Capital One’s travel portal, you’ll earn 10x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles per dollar on flights.
That’s it: No additional bonus categories to worry about or hoops to jump through. Simply pull out your Venture X wherever you’re shopping and rest easy knowing you’re getting a solid return on all your spending.
Easy-to-Use Miles
There’s no easier way to use points and miles to book free(ish) travel than Capital One’s option to cover travel purchases– formerly known as the “Purchase Eraser.” With the Venture X, you can use your miles to cover nearly any travel purchase … and it only takes a few clicks.
Here’s how it works: Use your card to make a travel purchase – an airline ticket, hotel stay, or even a golf trip – then go back and use your miles to cover it once it finalizes on your account. When you use your miles this way, each one is worth 1 cent – so you could cover a $250 plane ticket with 25,000 miles or a $100 hotel room with 10,000 miles.
There’s definitely beauty in the simplicity of using Capital One miles to cover a travel purchase. If and when you’re ready to kick things up a notch, you’ll want to turn to Capital One’s stable of transfer partners. With nearly 20 hotel and airline partners to choose from, the world is your oyster with Capital One miles at your disposal.
Here’s the full list.
| Program | Type | Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Up to five business days |
| Emirates | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad | Airline | 1:1 | Up to 1 day |
| EVA Air | Airline | 2:1.5 | Up to five business days |
| Finnair | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qantas | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| TAP Air Portugal | Airline | 1:1 | Same day |
| Turkish Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Same day |
| Virgin Red | Other | 1:1 | Same day |
| Accor | Hotel | 2:1 | Up to two business days |
| Wyndham | Hotel | 1:1 | Same day |
| Choice Hotels | Hotel | 1:1 | Same day |
Read our guide to Capital One transfer partners and learn how you can transfer your miles!
It can get even better, as Capital One occasionally offers transfer bonuses, giving you a 15% to 40% bonus when sending your miles to select partners on this list. That’s a great way to stretch your miles even further.
Thrifty Tip: Unlike many other banks, Capital One allows you to fine-tune your transfers in increments of 100, so long as you transfer at least 1,000 miles. That means you can transfer (almost) exactly how many miles you need and not wind up with hundreds of extra miles orphaned in one of your airline accounts.
Bottom Line
The *capone venture x* might not be the best card for any one thing, but it is the best card for lots of things … and that’s what makes it the perfect one-card solution.
If you don’t want to hassle with hard-to-use statement credits, worry about which credit card to use at the gas station versus the grocery store, or juggle multiple cards, there’s no better choice than the Capital One Venture X.
Learn more about the *capone venture x*
