How Does the Capital One Venture X Stack Up Against Competitors?

With its longer list of perks — and a $395 annual fee — the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is taking a seat at the table with other big players in the premium travel rewards credit card market. Here’s what you’d get with this card:

Welcome offer and ongoing rewards:

• Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening, equal to $1,000 in travel.

• Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases.

• Earn 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel.

• Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

• Earn 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (equal to $100 towards travel).

Travel benefits:

• Up to a $300 credit annually for bookings made on Capital One Travel.

• Primary cardholders and authorized users get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges (along with 2 guest passes). Also, cardholders, authorized users and guests can access Priority Pass lounges worldwide.

• Up to $200 in statement credits for vacation rental purchases like Airbnb and Vrbo (for a limited time).

• Access to entertainment, sports and dining events through the Capital One Experiences program.

• Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.

Redeem miles toward Capital One Travel bookings, or toward recent travel purchases, at a value of 1 cent per mile. You can also transfer miles to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs.

That’s a substantial increase in benefits compared to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, though that card charges a more modest $95 annual fee. Here’s how the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card compares to other cards in its league.

Annual fee: $550.

Rewards: 

• Earn 5 points per dollar on flights purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

• Earn 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and Chase Dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

• Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel purchases, dining takeout and eligible food delivery services

• Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

• ​​Through March 2022: 10 points per $1 spent on Lyft (7 points per dollar spent on Lyft, plus 3 points per dollar spent on travel).

• You don’t earn points on travel purchases until you receive the full $300 travel statement credit.

Travel benefits:

• $300 in statement credits automatically applied to travel purchases, which include airlines, hotels, timeshares, car rentals, cruises, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds, trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.

• Transfer points to airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 value.

• Up to $100 in statement credits toward the cost of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

• Complimentary Lyft Pink membership for one year when you or an authorized user activates the benefit by March 31, 2022.

• Complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership. Chase Sapphire airport lounges are in the works, too.

• Trip delay reimbursement.

• Trip cancellation or interruption insurance.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

APR: The ongoing APR is 16.99%-23.99% Variable APR.

How it compares with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a long list of extras that help offset the $550 annual fee. It also has two distinct advantages: Points are worth 50% more (1.5 cents each) when you redeem them for travel through Chase, and the annual travel statement credit isn’t limited to travel booked a certain way. If you carry other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, you can transfer those points to your Chase Sapphire Reserve® to get the higher redemption rate for travel.

Annual fee: $695.

Rewards: 

• Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.

• Earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

• Earn 2 points per dollar on other eligible travel expenses booked with American Express Travel.

• Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

• Terms apply.

Statement credits:

• $200 annual statement credit for airline incidental fees for a single airline you choose when you enroll; you can change airlines once a year.

• $200 annual statement credit for prepaid Fine Hotels and Resorts® and The Hotel Collection® bookings through American Express Travel.

• $200 a year for Uber, issued as monthly credits when you enroll: $15 each month and $35 in December. Credits are good for rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S.

• Up to $100 in statement credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Enrollment required.

• $179 annual statement credit for Clear when you enroll.

• $155 annual statement credit for Walmart+ in the form of $12.95 each month.

• $300 annual statement credit toward select monthly Equinox memberships or Equinox+ — $25 per month. Enrollment required.

• $240 annual digital entertainment credit when you enroll — up to $20 back per month — toward Peacock, The New York Times, Audible or SiriusXM subscriptions.

• $100 annual statement credit for Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com purchases — up to $50 on a semi-annual basis. Enrollment required.

• Terms apply.

Other benefits:

• Book a stay of at least two nights at select The Hotel Collection® properties and you’ll get an automatic upgrade, if available, and a $100 credit for dining, spa, resort or other activities at the hotel.

• Book a stay at a Fine Hotels and Resorts® location and get automatic room upgrades, if available, early check-in, late checkout, complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi and amenities unique to each property.

• Get special access to reservations and events through Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your card to your Resy profile.

• Terms apply.

Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

APR: See Pay Over Time APR.

How it compares with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: As the massive list above makes clear, The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) throws everything but the kitchen sink at cardholders, which certainly helps make up for that hefty annual fee. But these statement credits don’t exactly save you money; they merely shave a small amount off the cost of luxury goods and services. If you’re a frequent traveler who prefers high-end experiences, however, The Platinum Card® from American Express delivers. One downside to note is that booking prepaid hotels with Membership Rewards points on American Express Travel yields a value of 0.7 cents per point, compared to the 1 cent per point you’d get booking a hotel with Capital One miles through Capital One Travel.

Annual fee: $400.

Rewards: 

• Earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center.

• Earn 3 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and mobile wallet spending.

• Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Other benefits:

• $325 annual statement credit toward travel and dining, including takeout and food delivery.

• Up to $100 in statement credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

• Complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership.

Sign-up bonus: Earn an enrollment bonus of 50,000 points worth $750 on travel. Just spend $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening.

APR: The ongoing APR is 16.99% – 23.99% Variable APR.

How it compares with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: The $400 annual fee is offset by a more flexible annual statement credit covering both travel and dining purchases, with no requirement to book travel through a specific portal. Plus, points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed for travel through U.S. Bank. (Other redemption options are available, including statement credits, gift cards and merchandise, at lower rates.) Mobile wallet spending is a notable bonus category, allowing any kind of purchase to earn 3 points per dollar, provided the merchant accepts mobile wallets. However, the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card has one major limitation not seen on any of the other cards listed here: To qualify for the card, you must have an existing U.S. Bank account open for at least five business days before applying. Eligible accounts include checking or savings, certificate of deposit, mortgage, select loan products or another U.S. Bank credit card.