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I have updated this post to say that you can earn Venture miles even on the portion of a travel purchase that is booked using the $300 credit, which is awesome. When you use the $300 travel credit, you will earn 1,500-3,000 Venture miles, which will add even more value.
If you use our link, you can apply for the Capital One Venture X rewards credit card, which is the best publicly available offer.
The new Capital One Venture X rewards credit card is a premium credit card from Capital One.
There are many reasons to get this card, from the welcome bonus of 100K miles, to the ongoing perks like a $300 annual travel credit, a Priority Pass membership, and access to Capital One Lounges. I applied for this card and it was approved in less than a minute.
I wanted to focus on the single benefit that should help offset the annual fee of the Capital One Venture X, which is the card's $300 annual travel credit. The details of how this works are given in this article.
How does the Venture X $300 annual travel credit work?
The Capital One Venture X offers a $300 annual travel credit, which can be redeemed through Capital One Travel. Here is what you need to know.
The credit applies to each cardmember year, including the year in which you open the card; the credit timing isn't based on the calendar year
The credit can be used in multiple transactions until the limit is reached.
There is no registration required to use the $300 annual travel credit.
You can use this credit on any purchase you make through Capital One Travel.
The credit will usually appear in your account within a few days of your eligible purchase.
If the Capital One Travel purchase is canceled, the statement credit may be removed from your account, but can be restored on any Capital One Travel purchase of up to $300.
You can use your $300 credit towards a hotel stay.
Capital One Travel has what travel you can book.
Capital One Travel is the travel portal of Capital One. Capital One is acting as the travel agent for the portal. Capital One Travel can be used to book everything from flights to hotels.
Capital One Travel is the best travel portal of all the major credit card companies, and I am not a fan of using travel portals. You can find flights, hotels, and car rentals.
There are some nifty features on the portal. When searching for flights, there is a calendar showing the dates with the best prices, which is something I wish airlines would show more often.
I think the option to filter results is better than any other portal.
If you wanted to apply your $300 annual travel credit towards a purchase, you would just want to make the purchase with your card, and the statement credit will post automatically.
You can earn a lot of miles for Capital One Travel purchases if you keep in mind that the Venture X is also rewarding. The card has something to offer.
Capital One Travel gives Venture miles on hotels and rental cars.
Capital One Travel gives Venture miles on flights.
You can apply your credit towards a flight.
Is booking through credit card travel portals annoying?
Some people think they don't want to book through a travel portal. I hear you. I rarely use travel portals. There are drawbacks to using a travel portal.
It can be easier to book direct if you want to cancel a flight in the event of schedule changes, especially in an era where airlines often allow free ticket changes.
When booking through a third party, you don't usually get elite perks or earn points.
If you book through a portal, there are often discount codes that can't be used.
I still value this credit close to face value, and have no issues using it. What is my strategy? To keep things simple, my general plan is to book a single flight that costs $300 or more at least once per year, which will get me a $300 credit.
When booking flights through a portal, you still earn points and receive elite perks, but the pricing is almost always the same. The cost to book this way is limited.
I don't see how having to book through Capital One Travel is a big deal or anything that prevents this from being maximized.
Booking a flight through a portal is not a big deal.
Do you earn Venture miles when you use the travel credit?
I used my Capital One Travel credit and learned something. I used the credit to book a $458 airline ticket through Capital One Travel, which was the same price as it was through the airline. The credit was posted to my account three days after the purchase.
Here is a pleasant surprise. Capital One Venture X offers bonus points on purchases through Capital One Travel.
Capital One Travel gives Venture miles on hotels and rental cars.
Capital One Travel gives Venture miles on flights.
I had 5x Venture miles post for the entire purchase amount, plus the amount for which I am receiving a travel credit. When you redeem your $300 travel credit, you will earn Venture miles for every dollar you spend, depending on what you spend.
I followed up with Capital One to make sure this wasn't a glitch. When using the $300 travel credit, cardmembers will earn Venture miles for the cost. That sets this card apart.
I used my travel credit to book a flight.
How does this compare to other cards?
How does the Capital One Venture X $300 annual travel credit compare to other premium cards? Just to compare.
I think the Capital One travel credit is easier to use than the American Express travel credit. The fact that you earn Venture miles even if you don't get credit for purchases makes the card different.
This doesn't tell the full story of the card's value proposition.
The Venture X has the lowest annual fee of the three cards.
The card also offers a $300 annual travel credit, 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, and can be used to transfer to airline and hotel partners at a ratio of up to 1:
The $300 travel credit plus 10,000 bonus miles should be worth more to savvy travelers than the card's $395 annual fee.
10K bonus anniversary miles are offered by the Venture X.
The new Capital One Venture X is very lucrative. The Capital One Travel card has a $300 annual travel credit that can be applied towards virtually any purchase with Capital One Travel, and it is one of the reasons why the card has a $395 annual fee. You earn Venture miles for booking through Capital One Travel.
This shouldn't be hard to maximize on a flight, hotel, or car rental, even if there is a slight hassle factor. I plan on booking a $300+ flight every year through the portal and getting a $300 statement credit.
What is your plan for using the $300 annual travel credit?