- How to earn the Capital One Venture X Business Card bonus
- Qualifying for the Capital One Venture X Business Card
- How to use the Capital One Venture X Business Card bonus
- Is the Capital One Venture X Business Card for earning points after the intro bonus?
- Ongoing benefits of the Capital One Venture X Business Card
- Conclusion
What are travel credit cards, and how do they work?
Travel credit cards are financial products that offer various rewards and benefits geared towards frequent travelers. They typically earn you points or miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases. These rewards can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Travel credit cards may also include perks like travel insurance, airport lounge access, and no foreign transaction fees.
How do I choose the best travel credit card for my needs?
Choosing the best travel credit card depends on your travel habits, spending patterns, and preferences. Consider factors like the type of rewards offered (points, miles, or cash back), the card’s annual fee, sign-up bonuses, earning rates, redemption options, and additional travel perks. Analyzing these features will help you find a card that aligns with your lifestyle and offers the most value.
What are the benefits of using a travel credit card over other types of credit cards?
Travel credit cards provide unique advantages for travelers, such as earning rewards specifically tailored to travel expenses. Additionally, many travel credit cards offer travel-related perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and travel insurance. Some cards also waive foreign transaction fees, making them ideal for international travelers.
What is a sign-up bonus, and how can I qualify for it?
A sign-up bonus is a promotional offer provided by the credit card issuer to entice new cardholders. To qualify for a sign-up bonus, you usually need to meet specific spending requirements within a certain timeframe after opening the account. The bonus can be in the form of points, miles, or cash back, and it’s a great way to jump-start your rewards earning.
Do travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees?
Not all travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees. Many of the top-tier travel cards waive these fees, making them ideal for international travel. However, it’s essential to read the card’s terms and conditions to confirm this before using it abroad.
How can I maximize the rewards earned with my travel credit card?
To maximize rewards, use your travel credit card for everyday expenses and large purchases. Take advantage of bonus categories and special promotions to earn more points or miles. Consider combining your travel credit card with loyalty programs to stack rewards and get even more value out of your purchases.
150,000 bonus miles
after you spend $30,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
The Capital One Venture X Business Card is a stellar choice for business owners who are looking for a top-tier travel card with airport lounge access. With its generous rewards program, you’ll get at earn at least 2X miles on all purchases, which can be transferred to various airline and hotel partners for huge value. Plus, the card offers a $300 annual travel credit and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus which more than offsets the cost of annual fee.
PROS
- The card has a great earning rate of 2X miles on all purchases, plus 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel, and 5x miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel
- Its huge intro bonus of 150,000 miles is worth well over $2,500 when transferred to partner airlines and hotels, or a flat rate $1,500 when redeemed on the Capital One Travel Portal.
- Cardholders get a bonus of 10,000 miles each year after their first account anniversary, with no requirement other than renewing the card. That can be worth around $200 (or more) when transferring to partners.
- The $300 annual credit for purchases made on the Capital One Travel Portal, combined with the yearly 10,000 free miles, more than offset the $395 annual fee.
- The cardholder gets complimentary access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world
- A generous offering of travel insurance, protections and reimbursements round out an excellent array of benefits.
CONS
- Capital One transfer partners are solid, but only include one US-based travel provider.
- For those who spend heavily in certain categories, other cards could provide more points with larger bonus multipliers compared to Capital One’s flat 2x miles on all purchases.
- $395 annual fee
Annual Fee: $395 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
How to earn the Capital One Venture X Business bonus
The card_name offers 150,000 Capital One miles after spending $30,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
That bonus is worth a minimum of $1,500 toward travel. And if you know what you’re doing, you can squeeze thousands more from it. However, unless you’re a big spender, that minimum spending requirement is probably a nonstarter. Capital One is clearly targeting businesses with considerable expenses.
When trying to meet a large spending requirement, we often advise that you wait to apply when you know you’ve got big bills around the corner; a new computer, car repairs, an upcoming trip, etc. You may also explore prepaying your insurance premiums, and paying rent with your card (only to earn the bonus, as this often incurs fees). But even with these tactics, $30,000 in three months is a toughie. You’d have to spend an average of $10,000 per month for three months to satisfy the requirement.
Depending on the nature of your business, this might not be a problem. For example, you may have a side-hustle of reselling items on eBay or through Amazon. A business like this may well have $10,000+ in expenses each month.
As you’ll see, the Capital One Venture X Business is worth a look even if you don’t think you can earn the bonus.
Qualifying for the Capital One Venture X Business is easier than you might think
The term “small business” is delightfully broad. It doesn’t mean you’ve got your own brick-and-mortar establishment or that you employ dozens of people. It simply means you earn money as your own boss. This can mean you do things like:
- Deliver for Instacart
- Sell items on Etsy
- Dog sit through Rover
- Babysit
- Freelance work
Even if it’s not your main source of income, it still counts as a business. To boot, many small businesses (like the ones listed above) are sole proprietorships, meaning you don’t need an EIN and your business doesn’t have to be registered. You can easily apply for the Capital One Venture X Business with your Social Security number!
You’ll be able to fill out a business card application with the same information as a personal credit card. When the application asks you to enter the business legal structure, you have the option to choose sole proprietorship. And when it asks for an EIN, you have the option to check the box saying that your business does not have an EIN.
How to use the Capital One Venture X Business Card bonus
You’ve got a variety of ways to redeem the card_name welcome bonus. Let’s take a look at the best uses of Capital One miles— and the worst ones, too (so you know what to avoid).Transfer to travel partners (the best option)
Capital One partners with 18 airline and hotel programs. You can transfer them to any of these loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio, with the exception of two (specified below):
Accor (2:1) | Cathay Pacific | Qantas |
Aeromexico | EVA Air (2:1.5) | Singapore Airlines |
Air Canada Aeroplan | Emirates | TAP Portugal |
Avianca LifeMiles | Etihad | Turkish Airlines |
British Airways | Finnair | Virgin Red |
Choice Privileges | Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) | Wyndham |
For the most part, transfers will be instant. However, Accor, Cathay Pacific, Choice, and EVA Air may take between one and two business days.
With 150,000 Capital One miles, you can go just about anywhere thanks to these partners. For example:
- Transfer 126,000 miles to Avianca for a roundtrip business class flight to Europe on United Airlines (worth $3,000+).
- Transfer 150,000 miles to Wyndham for 10 nights at a Vacasa one-bedroom vacation rental (potentially worth $3,000+).
- Transfer 100,000 miles to Virgin Red for a roundtrip flight via Virgin Atlantic between the US and Europe in Delta One business class (worth $3,000+).
- Transfer 150,000 miles to Turkish Airlines for ten roundtrip economy flights on United Airlines to Hawaii from United hubs (worth $7,000+ if you can find availability).
- Transfer 170,000 miles to British Airways—and then onto its sister airline, Qatar Airways, for a roundtrip flight between the East Coast and the Maldives in the ultra-fancy Qatar Qsuites (worth $5,000+).
There are plenty of other ways to redeem Capital One miles for massive value. Take a look at our guide to the best uses of Capital One miles for more ideas and inspiration.
–> Read more: The Best Ways to Use Capital One Miles
Offset paid travel
While not the best value, redeeming Capital One miles for paid travel is by far the simplest route. You can simply use your card_name to pay for travel (airfare, hotels, rental cars, tolls, parking, taxis, etc.) You’ll then have 90 days from the date of purchase to “erase” the transaction from your online account with miles at a value of 1 cent each. For example, if you made a $550 travel purchase, you could erase it from your balance for 55,000 miles. You can also use your miles to book airfare, hotel stays, and rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal—again, at a rate of 1 cent per mile. However, because your card will never be charged for the portion of travel that’s covered by miles, you won’t earn any rewards for your spending. So it’s an inferior redemption method over simply erasing your purchases later.Trade miles for cash or Amazon purchases
Technically, you can redeem Capital One miles for cash back—but you’ll get an awful value of 0.5 cents per mile. You can also redeem Capital One miles for your Amazon cart at a slightly less offensive rate of 0.8 cents each. If you’re routinely using your miles this way, you would certainly do better with a regular cash back credit card. There are plenty of credit cards that offer 2% cash back on all purchases, such as the Citi® Double Cash Card, which earns 1% back when you make a purchase and another 1% back when you pay off that purchase.Is the Capital One Venture X Business good for earning points after the intro bonus?
It’s easy to rack up rewards on the Capital One Venture X Business long after the welcome bonus is spent. You’ll earn:
- 10x miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals reserved through the Capital One Travel portal
- 5x miles per dollar on airfare reserved through the Capital One Travel portal
- 2x miles per dollar for all other eligible purchases
These return rates make it even clearer that you should not be redeeming miles through Capital One Travel. With airfare, hotel stays, and rental cars with such healthy bonuses, you’ll want to pay for those purchases and “erase” them later.
Ongoing benefits of the Capital One Venture X Business
The Capital One Venture X Business is business-first (that makes sense!) It appears to be catering to businesses with hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending each year. However, the card’s got loads of benefits that any traveler will love—and any small business should qualify. One of the most unique aspects of the card_name is that it’s a charge card. That is, it doesn’t have a preset spending limit. Instead, it notes your spending habits and learns to anticipate big purchases. Because of this, you can likely spend significantly more than if you had a regular credit card with a firm credit line. The tradeoff is that you must pay your entire balance each month. You aren’t allowed to float a balance on the Capital One Venture X Business. Another handy perk for businesses (or anyone, for that matter), is the automatic cell phone protection that comes from putting your monthly phone bill on the card. You’ll be covered for up to $800 (up to two claims per rolling 12-month period) against theft or damage. You’ll only pay a $50 deductible. Beyond that, the card offers a handful of excellent travel perks that can easily justify the card’s $395 annual fee, including:- Up to $300 annual credit after opening the card and each year after your account anniversary—this will reimburse travel booked through Capital One Travel
- Annual 10,000-mile bonus after each account anniversary—this is worth at least $100 in travel (and, as we’ve covered, potentially much more when transferred to partners)
- Access to over 1,300 airport lounges around the world (Priority Pass Select membership, Plaza Premium lounges, and unlimited access to Capital One Lounges)
- Up to $100 credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry—two programs that help you speed through airport security
- Topnotch travel insurance, including trip delay insurance, baggage delay insurance, and primary rental car insurance
- You’ll also receive return protection, purchase security, and extended warranty protection
The point
The Capital One Venture X Business card is a stellar option for frequent travelers who also operate a small business. It’s got a monster welcome bonus that, if you can achieve it, is an absolute no-brainer.
However, if you don’t think you can earn the bonus, or if you don’t have a small business, the (personal) Capital One Venture X is the perfect solution. Its bonus is solid, and its travel perks are nearly identical to the Capital One Venture X Business.
Just remember, you might qualify for this small business card with a simple side-gig like tutoring, driving for Uber, or delivering with DoorDash.
150,000 bonus miles
after you spend $30,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
The Capital One Venture X Business Card is a stellar choice for business owners who are looking for a top-tier travel card with airport lounge access. With its generous rewards program, you’ll get at earn at least 2X miles on all purchases, which can be transferred to various airline and hotel partners for huge value. Plus, the card offers a $300 annual travel credit and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus which more than offsets the cost of annual fee.
PROS
- The card has a great earning rate of 2X miles on all purchases, plus 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel, and 5x miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel
- Its huge intro bonus of 150,000 miles is worth well over $2,500 when transferred to partner airlines and hotels, or a flat rate $1,500 when redeemed on the Capital One Travel Portal.
- Cardholders get a bonus of 10,000 miles each year after their first account anniversary, with no requirement other than renewing the card. That can be worth around $200 (or more) when transferring to partners.
- The $300 annual credit for purchases made on the Capital One Travel Portal, combined with the yearly 10,000 free miles, more than offset the $395 annual fee.
- The cardholder gets complimentary access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world
- A generous offering of travel insurance, protections and reimbursements round out an excellent array of benefits.
CONS
- Capital One transfer partners are solid, but only include one US-based travel provider.
- For those who spend heavily in certain categories, other cards could provide more points with larger bonus multipliers compared to Capital One’s flat 2x miles on all purchases.
- $395 annual fee
Annual Fee: $395 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
by travelers, for travelers.
