Why I’ve Kept the Capital One Venture X for 3 Years (And Still Love It)

Who is the Capital One Venture X For?

I rarely say a travel rewards credit card is for everyone because there are so many factors to consider but this is one that I think a majority of people would truly benefit from.

You do have to be based in the United States to get this credit card.

Apart from that, the Capital One Venture X is for someone who:

• Wants to easily earn miles without having to think too much about it
• Doesn’t want to open and close a bunch of cards (this card is designed to have a permanent place in your wallet)
• Is tired of having to track a bunch of benefits and perks just to justify the annual fee
• Is looking for a valuable welcome bonus without having to spend a lot of money
• Wants lounge access to lounges all over the world
• Wants a card that is widely accepted around the world
• Spends more than $300 a year on travel

Any of these sound like you? Keep reading.

Capital One Venture X Perks and Benefits

Look, even as someone who lives and breathes all things travel rewards, I still have to have a spreadsheet to keep track of all the different perks my credit cards offer me to ensure I don’t miss using any before they expire. 

At times it’s a bit exhausting and that’s one of the many reasons I LOVE this card. It’s so straightforward to keep track of the benefits. 

Here’s a quick overview of the main benefits you get with the Venture X card:

• $300 travel credit
• 10,000 anniversary bonus miles
• Unlimited lounge access for Capital One lounges and Priority Pass
• $120 Global Entry or TSA Pre Check Credit

$300 Travel Credit

You get this by booking travel via the Capital One portal. I don’t usually book travel in the Capital One portal outside of using this credit so this is the one perk I do track to make sure I use it but still, it’s very easy to use this every year.

For example, my husband and I love to make a trip to Asheville, NC a few times a year and so we will usually use this credit for booking a hotel via the Capital One portal. 

The best part about this credit? Unlike some competitors, this credit isn’t limited to a certain collection of hotels. It’s any travel period. You can use it on flights, hotels, car rentals, etc as long as you book it via the portal.

In fact, I just used this year’s credit the other day on our two flights to NYC for an upcoming trip.

To me this is a huge benefit since a lot of times with other cards, you have to almost go out of your way to use a perk, oftentimes spending more money than you normally would. 

It’s so incredibly easy to use this perk and just this one credit takes the annual fee from $395 to $95.

10,000 Anniversary Bonus Miles

Another perk I absolutely love. Not just because it’s an extra 10,000 miles but also because it just shows up in your account every year after your card opening anniversary. Boom. There’s nothing to do. 

These miles are generally valued at $100. 

So with just two perks you’ve more than made up your annual fee. 

Do you see why I love this card so much?

Unlimited lounge access for Capital One lounges and Priority Pass

I absolutely love the Capital One Lounges—they’re easily some of my favorite credit card lounges. 

One great feature that sets them above other lounges is the grab-and-go section, which is perfect if you don’t have time to sit down before a flight. 

Whether you are short on time or are able to stay awhile, don’t miss the barista who makes your coffee fresh to order. Many locations also serve La Colombe coffee, including draft cold brew, which makes me especially happy since I used to live in Philly.

The lounges themselves are tastefully decorated with ample seating space, great food, and delicious drinks — both alcoholic and non alcoholic. 

I don’t have a Capital One lounge in my home airport but it’s such a treat when I transit through an airport that does.

And not only do you get access to these lounges, you also get the Priority Pass which gives you access to 1,800+ global lounges. And let me tell you, there are some truly epic lounges that are part of this network. 

I went to a Priority Pass lounge in the Bengaluru airport (Airport code: BLR) and it was by far one of the most opulent lounges I’ve ever been in. 

Even if a lounge is on the more bare bones side, trust me when I tell you, that you’ll love having a quieter place to sit that’s not the busy terminal.

$120 Global Entry or TSA Pre Check Credit

This is another great perk of the card that’s again very easy to use. I recommend just going ahead and going for Global Entry because it includes TSA Pre check so there’s no reason to not get Global Entry. 

Once you go to pay for the application, just use your Capital One Venture X card and you’ll get  the fee refunded as a statement credit.

Easy peasy.

Oh and Global Entry is good for 5 years so you won’t need to worry about renewing for quite some time.

And if you’ve never had Global Entry before, trust me when I tell you this is going to make all the difference in your travel because you’ll get expedited clearance into the U.S.

When I was a little kid and I’d go to India with my family the most dreaded part of the trip would be the hours-long line to get back into the U.S. We’d usually miss our connection to our small town in South Carolina or we’d just be absolutely miserable after coming off a long flight.

I will literally never take Global Entry for granted. The ability to just breeze through in a matter of minutes is a true luxury. 

✈️ Want to get these perks + 75,000 bonus miles?
Learn more about the Venture X →

Immediate Spending Notifications

The moment my card is swiped or charged, I get a notification on my phone because I have the Capital One app downloaded.

I LOVE this feature especially when I am traveling because I can keep track of my spending and the alert is in USD so it takes the guesswork out of the currency conversion.

I also like this because I don’t have to worry about checking my statement and getting a nasty surprise with fraudulent activity or an unknown charge. I see all the charges in real time so there are no surprises later.

The Capital One Travel Portal

I don’t usually book travel via a credit card portal because a majority of the time you get the best value if you transfer your points to travel partners. However, I do find that the Capital One Travel portal is really user friendly and shows a lot of options with an easy to use filtering system. 

It’s also powered by Hopper so there are some really handy features such as price prediction which lets you know when is a good time to book. 

You can also purchase travel protections that can really come in handy such as the cancel for any reason insurance.