With all the information and opinions out there, it’s hard to know which credit card is best for you. If you’ve read the title, which would only make sense, then you know we’re big fans of Capital One. In this case, we’re big fans of the Venture and Venture X cards. We’ve used them from the beginning, and they’ve always been great to work with. If you’re here first and don’t know why travel credit cards are so important, check out our other post.

Of the dozens of Capital One cards, the Venture card was our first travel card and credit card outside of our initial bank card. While that probably makes us a little more biased than your average person, there are many great reasons to add it to your wallet. Countless articles go in-depth about the Capital One Venture and Venture X card, so this will be as simplified as possible.

Currently, we have both cards, but I’ll start with the Venture card as we had it first. It’s also the simpler of the two cards.  

(For simplicity, I will ignore all interest and finance specifics. If you’re always paying off your balance, none of it should matter anyway.)

The Venture card.   

• Earns 2 miles per every dollar spent. Other cards may have different earnings for different rates, but for simplicity, it’s a great way to go. Earn and use without care at a constant rate.  
• 75,000 miles bonus after you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months (at the time of those post.) It may seem daunting if you’re new to the miles game, but it’s pretty average and attainable. (Don’t ever spend more than you normally do. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose.)
• Not sure what those miles are worth? Where Will Your Miles Take You?
• No foreign transaction fees. You can spend outside of the country and not be hit with fees.  
• Great fraud alert and security. No need to inform when traveling.  
• Car rental insurance, travel accident insurance, and other travel protection.  
• Easy redemption. Use miles to erase travel purchases at a 1:1* rate or transfer to airline partners.  
• Early Access to sporting events, concerts, and more with Capital One Entertainment.
• Access to Capital One dinning
• Access to the Capital One travel portal for booking flights, hotels, and cars. Earns 5 miles when booking through the portal.  
• $95 annual fee.
• Hertz Five-Star Status.
• Tons of discounts and other benefits through partners and sponsors.  
• $85 toward Global Entry or TSA Precheck.  
• It’s metal which is great in all aspects.  
• It does require good-excellent credit, so be aware when applying.  
• Two yearly visits to Capital One Lounges  

Why we love it!  

It’s all about simplicity. The Venture card is a great card for beginners or the advanced. Miles are super easy to earn and redeem and very little effort has to go into using any of the travel features. We received the card back in 2018, and after a few months, we flew ourselves to Puerto Rico for a flight and hotel-paid adventure. With just a $95 annual fee, you easily get your miles worth for what it costs. Especially when you consider travel insurance and Global Entry.

There are a good handful of other competitive travel cards, but the simplicity can’t be beaten and it’s easy for everyone.

It’s simple, rewarding, will fund your trips, and it’ll be your next favorite card. Don’t delay and get yourself earning miles for your next adventure!

Convinced? Use our link!

The Venture X card

All benefits listed above also apply to the Venture X.

Venture X only

• $395 annual fee. That may seem like way too much, but as you look at the benefits, you’ll realize they outdo the fee. (more below)

• $300 annually in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel.  
• 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.  
• Earns 10x miles when booking hotels and rental cars through Capital One Portal  
• $100 credit statement toward Global Entry and TSA Precheck  
• Priority Pass. Access to 1300+ lounges across the world. Plus unlimited guests for free. $429 value.
• Access to Plaza Premium lounges as well as Virgin Atlantic clubhouses.
• Primary car rental insurance, top-of-the-line travel insurance, and other travel protection.
• Hertz presidential and five-star status  
• Access to Hotel Premier Collection.
• Cell Phone insurance.
• Unlimited Capital One lounge access with unlimited guests.  
• Authorized users can enjoy many of the same benefits. This is a huge deal if you consider what is available for you and your family/friends.

Why we love it!  

This card has been life-changing! Our favorite perk has been lounge access all over the world. Not all airports are created equal, but we can almost always find somewhere to chill out and get free food during layovers.

We’ve also used both the Venture and Venture X cards to get us both free Global Entry/Pre-check which has also been life-changing. No more lines and no more dealing with Customs. With our love of the Venture card already existing, this card has taken it to the next level for us.

As briefly mentioned above, Venture X allows up to 4 authorized users. All of which are able to enjoy the same benefits! Each cardholder can have a lounge membership and each is allowed unlimited guests. This can allow you to bring your entire family to lounges with you! Most cards on the same level charge fees for authorized users so this is a huge perk.

The annual fee may seem daunting, but hopefully, you’ve seen that the benefits far outway the fee. To break it down, as a cardholder, we receive $300 a year if we book through Capital One. 10,000 miles every year just for having the card. That right there is already $400. Priority pass normally costs $430 a year. Global Entry is typically free with the majority of Infinite travel cards, but that’s another $100 value. So as you can see, if you travel here and there and often have layovers, this card is great to have! Plus, most cards like it have much higher fees making this the winner for sure.

So, for an annual fee of $395 you get $400 toward travel, your entire family and/or 4 authorized users get lounge access, you get tsa-precheck and global entry, and dozens of other benefits. It’s worth it for anyone. Even if you don’t think you travel enough.

Conclusion

We have loved our Venture and Venture X cards and all they have to offer. Whenever we’re asked about our free travel it always leads back to these cards. They’re simple, easy, and great for anyone! Get these cards, get the miles, and get out and travel!  

If you’re ready to join in the fun, consider supporting us by using these links to get the ball, or should I say miles, rolling!  

* It wasn’t covered in this article but transfer ratios are important when getting the most dollars for your miles. When using Capital One miles to erase travel purchases, the miles will be used at a 1:1 conversion. This means 1 mile is equal to 1 cent. So that opening bonus of 60,000 miles would erase $600 worth of expenses. If you want to get better rates you can transfer those miles to partner airlines. Most are 1:1 as well, but that’s a mile to mile. Those airline miles can then be used to book flights with the said airline or their partners. With this in mind, when you purchase flights using miles you can often get 1:1.5-3. This means that 1 capital one mile, or 1 cent, can be equal to 1.5-3 cents. Turning that $600 bonus into a $900 bonus or more.

Learn more about What Miles are Worth.

For questions or clarification on the Venture and Venture X cards, don’t hesitate to comment below or to reach out through social media!  

Check out our other post on credit cards and our Additional Thoughts and Tips section!