Is the Capital One Venture X Credit Card Worth the Hype?

First off, I am not sponsored by Capital One (I wish I was!). However, I have been using my Capital One Venture X Card of almost 2 years, and I promise you, it is well worth the hype! So read on, for my honest review of the Capital One Venture X.

Mel’s Note: New customers who are considering the Capital One Venture X should know they can earn up to 75,000 miles (worth $750), after opening a new account. Which is an AWESOME signup bonus!

PROS:

Rewards Overview

10X the Points on Hotels & Rental Cars when booked via Capital One Travel Portal
5X the Points on Flights when booked via Capital One Travel Portal
2X the Points on all other Purchases
No Foreign Transaction Fees

These are overall GREAT rewards and they add up quickly!

Annual Bonuses & Credits

Every year, you will receive an annual travel credit of $300 PLUS 10,000 bonus miles. That is an additional $400 in travel rewards in total, which is a huge factor to consider. Not to mention, your annual fee is covered right away.

Price Match Guarantee

If you find a better price for travel bookings, Capital One Travel will price-match them. You simply book your travel through the portal, and if you find a better price within 24 hours, contact Capital One and they will reimburse you for the difference. I have used this feature so many times!

Airport Lounge Access

The Capital One Venture X comes with a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, plus lounge access to Capital One Lounges throughout the world. Having access to these lounges has helped me save over $40 per person on food and drinks per trip.

Additional Card Members

You can add additional card members to receive the travel perks! Such as airport lounge access and Hertz status.

Expedited Airport Security

Most travel cards offer this, but you can earn up to $100 in statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Hertz Status

Enjoy enhanced benefits and a complimentary upgrade to the Hertz President’s Circle Status. All you have to do is be a Venture X card member.

More Benefits of the Capital One Venture X

There are SO many more benefits. Below are a few more that stand out to me, but I have not personally used them, so I don’t want to make judgments on them yet.

Cell Phone Protection
- Protect your cell phone every time you pay your bill with your Venture X card. If your cell phone is stolen or damaged, you’ll be reimbursed up to $800.

Travel Insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which provides reimbursement if you need to cancel your trip or have to end your trip abruptly.
- Delay coverage. This covers meals and lodging if your trip is delayed.
- Lost luggage reimbursement. Capital One will reimburse you for damage or loss of your luggage, up to a certain dollar amount.
- Car Rental Insurance. This covers damage or theft of the rental car with no effect on your personal car insurance policy
- Again read the fine print on these items since I have personally not had to use them.

Price Drop Protection on Flights
- If you purchase a flight when Capital One recommends, they keep watching for 10 days. If the price drops, they will reimburse you up to $50 in travel credit.

CONS:

Annual Fee

The annual fee of $395 is on the higher side, however, if you do use the card frequently it pays for itself. Plus the annual travel credit is $300 and you receive 10,000 bonus points yearly (which equals $100). So all in all the annual fee is worth it.

Booking Travel

Unfortunately, you have to book travel through the Capital One Travel Website to receive the extra points, which can be a pain. Especially since I like to book directly with airlines for better customer service or flight issues. But every travel credit card I have used makes you book travel directly through their site as well.

I recently had to cancel a flight and Capital One held the airline credit for 1 year. Once I was ready to rebook, I called Capital One and they used my credit to easily rebook. I would just caution to always read the fine print when booking since each airline has different requirements.

Conclusion

So overall, with a generous welcome bonus, high earning rate on travel and regular purchases, a $300 annual travel credit, airport access, and a 10,000-mile annual anniversary bonus, the pros way outweigh the cons. If you are a frequent traveler and looking for a luxury travel credit card without paying an insane annual fee for no reason, then the Capital One Venture X is your best option!