I have several premium credit cards that offer airport lounge access.
The most affordable one, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card with an annual fee of "just" $395, is quickly becoming one of my go-to credit cards for two specific reasons: complimentary airport lounge memberships for my siblings and parents, and earning 2 miles per dollar on therapy expenses.
Here's why this card, which also earned Business Insider's nomination for one of the best credit cards for frequent travelers, is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
$395
N/A
19.99% - 29.24% variable
Earn 75,000 bonus miles
Excellent
- Excellent welcome bonus and miles earning
- Premium perks including airport lounge access and credits for certain purchases
- Visa Infinite benefits including travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Annual travel credits only apply to Capital One Travel purchases
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for frequent travelers, with top-notch benefits and a wide range of built-in protections. It comes with a generous welcome bonus and credits that can help offset the annual fee — which is much lower than similar premium cards.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
The Capital One Venture X benefit that saves me $2,000 a year
The Capital One Venture X comes with many great benefits, including a $300 annual credit for travel booked through the Capital One travel portal. I also get a 10,000-mile bonus each year when I renew my card, which is worth at least $100 in travel credit.
But I didn't open this credit card for these perks. After all, the $300 annual travel credit from my Chase Sapphire Reserve® is far easier to use, since it automatically applies to any eligible travel expense.
Airport lounge memberships for five people
Instead, I primarily opened this card for its incredible airport lounge access benefits for up to five people.
My family and I split time between the U.S. and Taiwan, and it isn't uncommon for all six of us to be in different countries or even different continents at the same time. Given the amount of time we spend in airports every year, lounge access makes a huge difference when we travel.
The Capital One Venture X comes with complimentary airport lounge access to several programs worldwide: Priority Pass™ and Capital One's own lounges.
Furthermore, I can gift airport lounge access to four additional people by adding them as authorized users on my credit card without paying additional fees each year.
I've gifted close friends this benefit in the past, and currently share my benefits with my parents and two of my three siblings. The Capital One Venture X doesn't allow cardholders to add more than four authorized users, even if you're willing to pay for them.
While many of the best premium credit cards also come with lounge access, few allow you to add authorized users with no additional fee, and none of the others include complimentary lounge access for authorized users.
A comparable membership package from Priority Pass alone costs $469 a year, making the card's $395 annual fee a no-brainer in terms of value, even just for one person. Meanwhile, Capital One lounges cost $45 per visit for adults who hold other Capital One credit cards, or $90 for non-cardholders.
How much would Priority Pass cost for my family through Chase and Amex?
For comparison purposes, here's how much I would pay to gift my family airport lounge access if I added them to my other premium credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has an annual fee of $550 and charges $75 a year per authorized user, who then gets complimentary access to Priority Pass. I used to pay for five authorized users, which cost me an additional $375 yearly on top of the $550 annual fee.
The Amex Business Platinum Card has a $695 annual fee, and charges $350 a year per authorized user with lounge access privileges. However, that cardholder then receives credits for CLEAR expedited security screening and Global Entry in addition to Priority Pass and Centurion Lounge access after enrollment.
So if I went all-out for my parents and three siblings to share my suite of travel benefits, I'd pay a whopping $1,750 a year on top of the hefty $695 annual fee.
Read more about both cards in our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review and our Amex Business Platinum card review.
$395
N/A
19.99% - 29.24% variable
Earn 75,000 bonus miles
Excellent
- Excellent welcome bonus and miles earning
- Premium perks including airport lounge access and credits for certain purchases
- Visa Infinite benefits including travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Annual travel credits only apply to Capital One Travel purchases
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for frequent travelers, with top-notch benefits and a wide range of built-in protections. It comes with a generous welcome bonus and credits that can help offset the annual fee — which is much lower than similar premium cards.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
How I earn and redeem Capital One Venture X rewards
I have more credit cards than I'd admit to most people, so I only use my Capital One Venture X when I can earn more with it than I would get from another card.
How I spent my Capital One welcome bonus
The Capital One Venture X offers a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This benefit is worth $1,275 in travel, based on Business Insider's points and miles valuations.
I recently redeemed my welcome bonus points to cover the down payment on a venue rental for a personal event.
I could have gotten much more value by transferring my miles to Capital One transfer partners, but I have plenty of points in other transferable credit card reward programs (Chase Ultimate Rewards points are my favorite).
Instead, Capital One's unique redemption opportunity allows me to use my rewards to "erase" certain travel expenses from my statement balance.
I paid $1,000 for my down payment, which earned me 2,000 Capital One Venture Miles at 2 miles per dollar (worth $20 when redeemed as a statement credit).
Those 2,000 miles, combined with my existing stash of rewards, allowed me to cover the four-figure venue expense without paying a penny out of pocket.
I earn 2 miles per dollar on therapy with my Capital One Venture X
I primarily use my Capital One Venture X on transactions that don't earn bonus miles on another card. Many of my credit cards earn at least 3 points per dollar on restaurants and travel, so I use those when dining out or paying for flights and hotels.
However, I pay for therapy with my Capital One Venture X, earning 2 miles per dollar on every $165 session (plus $3 for credit card fees). My therapist is out-of-network, which means my insurance plan doesn't cover my visits, and I don't have any credit cards that earn extra rewards on healthcare bills.
A $3.36 return isn't a lot of money, but it's better than nothing — on top of strengthening my mental health, of course.
Transfer points to Capital One transfer partners
Capital One has one of the largest portfolios of transfer partners in the travel rewards ecosystem.
Capital One miles transfer to:
- Aeromexico Club Premier (miles transfer at a 1:1 ratio)
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
- ALL — Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio)
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
- British Airways Executive Club (1:1 ratio)
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
- Choice Privileges (1:1 ratio)
- Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio)
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio)
- EVA Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5 ratio)
- Finnair Plus (1:1 ratio)
- JetBlue (5:3 ratio)
- Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
- Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio)
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go (1:1 ratio)
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (1:1 ratio)
- Virgin Red (1:1 ratio)
- Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio)
Capital One Venture X benefits and features
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with several other noteworthy benefits that save me a lot of money and stress each year.
$300 in annual travel credit through Capital One Travel
Capital One Venture X cardholders get access to Capital One Travel, a booking platform for flights, hotels, and rental cars. You'll earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars, and 5 miles per dollar when you use your card to pay for flights and vacation rentals when booked through the portal.
You can also redeem miles through the portal at a rate of 1 cent each to pay for your bookings. Finally, you'll have access to useful tools including price prediction, price watch, and a price match guarantee.
Each year, Capital One Venture X cardholders also receive up to $300 in credit toward travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal. The portal lets you book flights, hotels, and car rentals and offers several pricing benefits including price prediction, price watches, and price drop protection.
However, I don't find this $300 credit quite as easy to use as the annual credit from the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. The Capital One credit only applies to travel booked through the portal, and I typically prefer buying flights and hotels directly from the company.
The Capital One portal offers some additional options I haven't seen elsewhere, such as luxury vacation properties I'd otherwise have to book via Airbnb or Vrbo. But rates are higher through the portal, at least from my personal experience, so I often have to decide if I want to pay more for the privilege of using my travel credit.
Thus far, I've used my annual credit on short-hop domestic flights where I don't care about earning miles or worry about potentially getting stranded in the event of poor weather. I'd be happier if I could purchase flights the way I usually do, and have the $300 credit automatically apply to eligible transactions.
Access to Premier Collection hotels
Capital One Venture X and Capital One Venture X Business Card† cardholders can also book hotels through the Premier Collection, Capital One's luxury hotel booking program.
This collection competes directly with the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program and The Edit by Chase Travel, and includes access to hundreds of upscale hotels worldwide.
Cardholders who book via the Premier Collection get exclusive, elite-esque hotel benefits such as:
- A $100 experience credit toward dining, spa, and other hotel activities
- Daily breakfast for two
- Complimentary WiFi
- Early check-in and late checkout when available
- Room upgrades when available
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Once every four years, Capital One Venture X cardholders can receive a statement credit of up to $120 for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee.
I hold several credit cards that offer credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® enrollment, so I typically share this credit with friends and family members.
Global Entry allows you to use the expedited immigration lane when returning to the U.S. from international travel, and it includes enrollment in the TSA PreCheck® program. As a result, I usually advise people to sign up for Global Entry instead of settling for just TSA PreCheck®.
Rental car elite status and primary coverage
Capital One Venture X cardholders, account managers, and authorized users receive automatic Hertz President's Circle elite status, which comes with perks like guaranteed upgrades, skip-the-counter and e-return, a free additional driver, and more.
One of the card's best benefits is that it includes primary rental car coverage when I use it to pay for my rental. This means I don't have to buy insurance through my rental car company or rely on my personal auto policy for coverage.
If I use my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to rent a car and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver, the card's primary car rental insurance will cover me for damage due to collision or theft on most vehicles worldwide.
Some countries are excluded, so be sure to read the full guide to benefits for the details.
Cellphone protection
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with cell phone protection for the primary cardholder and any authorized users.
This benefit doesn't even require that I buy my phone with this card; as long as I use it to pay my cellphone bill, I'm eligible for up to $800 in coverage per eligible claim for damage or loss.
Travel insurance and purchase protection benefits
This card comes with a slew of powerful travel insurance benefits including travel accident coverage, insurance for trip cancellation or interruptions, trip delay reimbursement, and lost luggage reimbursement.
I can also take advantage of extended warranty and return protection if I buy large-ticket items with the Capital One Venture X.
I have yet to use any of these benefits on this credit card, primarily because I have several other cards with overlapping benefits. But since I'm keeping this one for the long haul, I'm considering downgrading some of my other credit cards to cut down on annual fees, and relying on the protections from this one.
$395
N/A
19.99% - 29.24% variable
Earn 75,000 bonus miles
Excellent
- Excellent welcome bonus and miles earning
- Premium perks including airport lounge access and credits for certain purchases
- Visa Infinite benefits including travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Annual travel credits only apply to Capital One Travel purchases
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for frequent travelers, with top-notch benefits and a wide range of built-in protections. It comes with a generous welcome bonus and credits that can help offset the annual fee — which is much lower than similar premium cards.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Capital One Venture X annual fee and other costs
The Capital One Venture X has a $395 annual fee.
Not only is this my most "affordable" premium credit card, but as I've demonstrated, I also get thousands of dollars in value from my investment every year.
This card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees — a must-have benefit when traveling internationally. Like many other cards, I incur fees for late payments, balance transfers, and cash advances.
Capital One Venture X frequently asked questions
Is the Capital One Venture X worth it?
The Capital One Venture X is absolutely worth getting if you travel enough to maximize its travel benefits including airport lounge access. It has a lower annual fee than premium cards with similar benefits, so it offers terrific value. But if you don't travel that often, you might be better off with a lower-fee card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.
Can you have a Capital One Venture and a Venture X card at the same time?
Yes, it's possible to get approved for the Capital One Venture X if you already have the Venture Rewards Card. You may also be able to upgrade the Venture Rewards Card to the Capital One Venture X, but you won't earn the welcome bonus. Our Capital One Venture vs. Venture X credit card comparison might help you decide which card is best for you.
Is the Capital One Venture X a Visa or Mastercard?
The Capital One Venture X is a Visa Infinite card.
Can you add authorized users to the Capital One Venture X?
You can add up to four authorized users at no additional cost to your Capital One Venture X account. This is a great deal because authorized users receive their own Priority Pass membership and Capital One airport lounge access, cellphone protection, and rental car elite status.
Is the Capital One Venture X metal?
Yes, the Capital One Venture X is a metal card that weighs around 17 grams.
Why you should trust me: How I reviewed the Capital One Venture X
I compared the Capital One Venture X to other premium travel credit cards and looked closely at these factors:
- Ease of use — Is the card's rewards program accessible to beginners and experts alike? Are there many options for using miles or points?
- Potential rewards — Are there useful bonus categories that can accelerate rewards earning, and are any of them capped at a certain amount of spending?
- Annual fee — Is the annual fee justified based on the card's rewards and benefits?
- Benefits — How do the card's benefits, especially travel and premium benefits, compare to similar cards?
For an in-depth look at Business Insider's credit card methodology, here's a guide to how we rate credit cards.
$395
N/A
19.99% - 29.24% variable
Earn 75,000 bonus miles
Excellent
- Excellent welcome bonus and miles earning
- Premium perks including airport lounge access and credits for certain purchases
- Visa Infinite benefits including travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Annual travel credits only apply to Capital One Travel purchases
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for frequent travelers, with top-notch benefits and a wide range of built-in protections. It comes with a generous welcome bonus and credits that can help offset the annual fee — which is much lower than similar premium cards.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.
***Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details. Travel Accident Insurance is not guaranteed, it depends on the level of benefits you get at application.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply
