Points & miles can add up fast before your next trip and you want to make sure to maximize your rewards!
I use a small army of major credit cards to book my flights, accommodations and rental cars but my new favorite with a ign=up bonus of 75,000 miles is the Capital One Venture X.
Here is why:
Huge 75,000 Welcome Offer
With so many choices out there, it can be difficult to choose the best travel credit card. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of options out there — and so many of them seem to be the same!
How do you know which one is right for you? Or which one gives you the best rewards? Are the fees worth it? Which gives you the best perks?
For someone who isn’t deep into the credit card industry, it can be very confusing — and a bit nerve-wracking — to figure out which card to get.
But let me say this: there is no “best card.” The best travel credit card is the one that aligns with your travel goals.
New applicants (this means you) for the Venture X can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on the card within the first three months from account opening.
Let me rephrase this for you.
75,000 miles can get you to Barcelona or Athens or Rome on a roundtrip flight for FREE.
How do you pick a travel rewards credit card?
First things first!
Do not invest your time researching credit cards if you can’t pay your bill on time and pay it off on a monthly basis.
You will quickly find yourself in debt and buried under high interest rates and all your hard work of earning points will go to waste.
Enough disclaimers, let’s move into the first step.
Get the card(s) that matches your goal.
Obviously, the airline and hotel cards you’ll pick are going to be based on those you use a lot.
But, for those general points credit cards, some are way better than others. If you don’t have any specific goals in mind and are just looking for some you can use in your day-to-day life..
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you! win-win).
Introducing Capital One Venture X - A Premium Travel Rewards Credit Card
The launch of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in 2021 disrupted the travel credit card industry. It finally put Capital One on the premier travel credit card map. With its $395 annual fee (see rates and fees), the card is priced lower than Chase and American Express.
But here is the thing, it brings a ton of value for $395 a year.
And on this website, we love VALUE and the MOST BANG for your TRAVEL BUCK.
When you sign up for this card, you get:
Highlights:
- 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
- 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
- $300 travel credit when booking through the Capital One portal
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Unlimited complimentary access to Capital One, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium lounges
- 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation, luggage reimbursement
$300 Travel Credit
The $300 annual travel credit was previously delivered via statement credit. It will no longer be delivered as a statement credit as it is now directly redeemable through Capital One Travel.
How can I use my $300 annual travel credit?
Eligible Venture X primary account holders receive a $300 annual Capital One Travel credit available to use for bookings through Capital One Travel.
To use your credit, select the option to apply it at checkout when you’re ready to make your next purchase through Capital One Travel. The credit may be used in whole for a single purchase or in part over multiple purchases. You can view your annual travel credit and any other travel credits by navigating to My Travel Credits and Offers within Capital One Travel.
Each annual credit will expire on the next account open date anniversary. If the purchase using the credit is canceled, the credit will be restored if it is not expired. Rewards will not be earned on the credit. Your Venture X card account must be open and in good standing to receive or use the Credit.
10,000 Bonus Miles (Extra) Per Year
Capital One Venture X cardholders have a second annual benefit in addition to the $300 per year credit, which is 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary.
This means you receive these miles one year after opening your account and each subsequent year on that date, not at the start of a new year each January.
Capital One Travel Rewards Portal
A big perk with the Capital One Venture X card is earning unlimited 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5x the miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
With Capital One’s partnership with Hopper and their price prediction algorithm, tracking flights is super easy and you will know (roughly) the best time to purchase a fare
Read More: Maximizing Your Rewards with Capital One
Is this the right card for you?
Another bonus is that Capital One is continually adding more transfer partners (18 in total) which adds significant value to each mile you earn. Each mile is now estimated to be worth $1.85.
If you subtract the annual $300 travel credit (that you will use on a flight, hotel or rental car) and add the 10,000 point annual bonus, you are actually coming out on top $90 richer! That is why this card and this deal is so insane.
The $395 annual fee may be a sticker shock to you but the benefits make up for it! So get over the fee and reap the rewards!
Premium Travel Credit Card Comparison
Capital One Venture
- 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months
- 2x miles on every dollar spent
- 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Transfer miles to any of their 15+ travel partners
- Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2 airport lounge visits per year
- $95 annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 2x points on travel purchases
- 3x points on restaurants, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
- 5x points on travel purchased through the Chase travel portal
- 5x points on Lyft
- 10% anniversary points boost (earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year)
- Free DoorDash DashPass subscription
- $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
Capital One Venture X
- 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
- 10x miles on hotels and rental cars
- 5x miles on flights
- 2x miles on all other purchases
- $300 travel credit when booking through the Capital One portal
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Unlimited complimentary access to Capital One, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium lounges
- 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Travel insurance coverage
- $95 annual fee ($300 travel credit)
You're Approved... Now What?
Once you’re approved and get confirmation from the credit card company via email or snail mail, start thinking about meeting the spending requirement before you receive your physical card in the mail.
Usually any given card will take 5-7 business days to get to your mailbox.
Remember, most of the time you only have three months to meet the requirement, so activate the card and start spending immediately. Think about your spending and habits; groceries, gas, coffee, dinner, utilities, etc.
The faster you meet the spending requirement, the quicker you will receive your bonus miles and then you can book your next trip!
In Conclusion
The Venture X credit card is best for people that want a straight-forward card with a higher-than-normal earning rate on all purchases and that are happy to book through the Capital One travel portal in order to receive the bonus spend rates.
What other questions do you have about travel credit cards or travel rewards in general?
Book Your Trip Now!
Below are my favorite companies I use time and time again when I book my travel.
- Travel Coupons & Discounts – Get Cash Back at places like Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline and many more with Rakuten. Sign up today & get $30!
- My Favorite Travel Credit Card – Chase Sapphire Prefered. This is by far the best way to book travel and earn miles/points while doing so. Use the Chase Sapphire Prefered for booking 3x travel, 3x dining and 3x on streaming services.
- My Second Favorite Travel Credit Card – In my opinion, the second best travel rewards credit card, the Capital One Venture. Use the Capital One Venture card for 2x the rewards on everyday purchases.
- Rental Cars – Search, compare and save on the best rental car company brands all in one place using DiscoverCars.
- Booking.com – Booking has the widest selection of budget accommodation in the world. In our studies, they constantly found the cheapest rooms. I also like their easy-to-use interface and no-money-down policy.
- Hotels.com – Hotels.com is my second choice for finding hotels. I love their selection and easy to navigate website. Use it often for free hotel stays with OneKeyCash.
- VRBO – The most popular vacation rental site in the US. ✓+2 million rentals worldwide ✓19+ million reviews ✓Secure online payment
- Selina Hostel – This is the best hostel accommodation in the world. Their unique CoLive stays, artwork and location are the best. Not to mention, they are a great value travel brand!
For companies, check out my favorite travel companies section that includes even more of my favorite travel companies that will help you value travel!
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