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Capital One Venture X Perks
Capital One Venture X rewards is now available. It was a little strange that the card was announced a week before launch, but it is now live. I thought I would share my thoughts on the Capital One Venture X perks and features, and the overall card. Is Capital One able to knock it out the park or do they have more success? The card is also discussed on the MtM Podcast this week with Richard Kerr. You can listen to that podcast on Thursday as well.
Capital One Application Rules
Before I get into the Capital One Venture X perks, there are a few things you should know about Capital One's application guidelines.
Capital One is a hard approval that pulls credit from all three bureaus. You should be aware that Capital One is a difficult approval and will pull your credit from all three bureaus. These rules also apply to them:
Maximum 2 personal cards per person at any given time
Only 1 card per 6 months.
You will be denied if you have applied for Capital One cards in the past 6 months.
Capital One Venture X Details
Before I dive into my thoughts, let me briefly outline what Capital One Venture X has to offer:
Receive a Special Offer
Enjoy a Welcome Offer: Get 100,000 Miles after you spend $10,000 within the first six months.
Spend $10,000 within the first six months to earn 100,000 miles. Cardholders may earn $200 in credit for purchases of vacation rentals like VRBO and Airbnb, but this offer is only available for a short time.
Cardholders can get up to $200 in credit for purchases of vacation rentals like Airbnb or VRBO. The annual fee is $395
It is $395 Learn More
Venture X – Earning Structure
Capital One Travel offers 10X earnings on hotel and car rental bookings
Earn on hotels and rentals cars booked through Capital One Travel 5X Earn on flights booked through Capital One Travel
Earn on flights booked through Capital One Travel 2X and earn on all other purchases
Earn on all other purchases. There are no limits to the amount of rewards you can earn and they never expire.
Venture X – Other Perks/Benefits
$300 in statement credit for Capital One Travel bookings
In statement credits for bookings on Capital One Travel 10,000 bonus mile each account anniversary (equal or greater than $100 towards travel)
Bonus miles for every account anniversary (equal or greater than $100 toward travel) Unlimited access Capital One Lounges
Priority Pass membership allows for two guests
Up to 4 authorized users cards are available at no additional cost. Authorized users receive a free Capital One lounge entry and Priority Pass entry, and may bring up to 2 guests.
Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status for primary cardholders or authorized users
Statement credits up to $100 for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry
In statement credits for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry
My thoughts on Capital One Venture X Perks
To be honest, I go back and forth with this card. Let's break it down by section.
Receive a Special Offer
It's a great offer, with 100,000 points as a welcome bonus. It is however more expensive than other cards, as you will need to spend $10,000 in order to obtain it. You have 6 months to complete the purchase, which is quite manageable for most people. It doesn't compare to the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000 points offer for $4,000 worth of spend, however.
The $200 Airbnb/VRBO credit can be added to the $395 annual fee. It is an attractive addition that will help you save some money.
The welcome offer overall is strong. When given enough time, I'm okay with higher spending requirements. It also helps me spread applications.
Earning Structure
If you are already using the Ultimate Rewards portal or ThankYou Points portal, then this card is for you. This card is a great way to book your flights. This card may not be for you if you hate portals the way I dislike Southwest's boarding procedures.
This card earns 2 points per dollar as a base earning level. This card is comparable to the Capital One Venture Rewards credit cards. The portal is the only place where you can earn more, which I find disappointing. If there are any issues with my travel bookings, I don't enjoy having to deal with a middleman. Although I have not used Hopper or their portal, their customer service might be better than we are used too.
Hotel Portal Bookings
Since you lose out on the loyalty points that you earn from the hotel, I don't think I will ever book a hotel through a portal.
Car Rental Portal Bookings
The card can be extremely useful for car rental. When renting a car, I'll often book via a portal. 10X earning is too tempting. You also get primary car rental insurance, so you don't miss out on that. This could make it a huge deal for road warriors if you add Hertz President's circle status.
Flight Portal Bookings
The portal doesn't offer much excitement for flights earning 5X. This could work for domestic flights that are not complicated or expensive if the portal is consistent with published pricing. The portal would still allow you to earn status and miles, so there is no loss. I would book international flights, etc. direct instead.
Card Perks
Capital One's premium card, this card must be all about the perks. Capital One Venture X is the premium card with the lowest annual fees, which is a nice feature. Even if you need to use a portal, the $300 travel credit should be easy to use. It should be easy to book a flight or a car rental. It's even better if it earns points for the purchase, as American Express does.
This card is a net negative for most because it offers $100 in points each year and a travel credit. This card is not for you if you don't want to use the portal. The Capital One Venture Rewards card may be a better choice.
The Priority Lounge access and authorized users perks are where the card really shines. Access to all Priority Pass lounges including restaurants is available for you and up to two others. This perk is also available to authorized user cards holders, which includes guest privileges. There is no additional fee for up 4 authorized user cards. This means you could easily get a small army to a lounge. Although access to Capital One lounges isn't very important right now, it could soon grow as Centurion Lounges.
A top-tier Hertz status, paired with 10X earnings on car rentals through this portal, is a nice touch. Capital One Venture X is a good option if you rent cars frequently.
Capital One Venture X Perks – Final Thoughts
Overall, I believe this card is good but not great. Many will find it difficult to complete the portal in order to earn bonus points. This may not be a problem if the portal is well-designed and offers good customer service. It will only be time.
This card is a great option for anyone who rents cars frequently or has Hertz status. It's hard to resist the opportunity to earn 10X on rentals and all the perks. This is a great option if you only have one Priority Pass loungecard. It is great that authorized users have the same access and guesting privileges as guests, but it is not likely that this will continue for long.
This card is better than the Capital One Venture Rewards card, which I will admit to being a proponent of. The $300 annual fee is more than the standard Capital One Venture Rewards card, but that can be offset by the $300 portal booking and $100 in points each calendar year. This means you will earn 2X on everything, versus $95 with the Venture card. It's a huge improvement, especially when you consider the lounge access and Hertz status. This assumes that you will use portal credit.
Current Venture cardholders can also access the Capital One Venture X. It is not yet available for product changes. I would sign up first and then grab the welcome deal. You could request a product modification if you are denied.
