The *venture x* and *venture x business* are so similar that you'd be forgiven for thinking the two cards are identical twins … and that's a good thing: They're two of the best premium travel cards, period. Each one comes with an annual $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.
But thanks to some recent changes, the Venture X Business sets itself apart with a gargantuan welcome bonus. Business owners can earn 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 in the first three months of card membership. Of course, to open the Venture X Business Card, you need a small business … but even a side hustle, buying and selling items online, or doing consulting work could make you eligible.
But beyond the application process and welcome bonus, there are a few other differences worth considering between these two premium Capital One cards. Let's a closer look at what you get with each of these travel rewards cards.
Venture X vs Venture X Business: Overview
No matter which version of the card you choose, you can't go wrong with either the *venture x* or the *venture x business* card.
Both cards earn an unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, everywhere. If you want to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal, it gets better: 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x on flights when using either card.
With both the Venture X and Venture X Business, you can simply redeem your miles through the Capital One Travel portal: Each mile is worth 1 cent towards travel. But it's almost always better to book directly with the airline or hotel, and both these cards make it easier to use miles than almost any bank. Just charge the purchase to your Capital One card and then go back and remove it from your statement using your Capital One Miles. While your miles are still worth 1 cent apiece towards travel using this option, you can use them to cover any travel-related purchase, from a bucket list golf trip to an Airbnb or Vrbo stay. It's one of the easiest ways to book travel using points or miles.
Additionally, both cards allow you to transfer miles to one of the 15-plus Capital One transfer partners. With travel partners like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, this is the best way to get outsized value from your miles.
Here's a breakdown of what you get with each card:
| Benefit | Capital One Venture X Credit Card | Capital One Venture X Business Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Offer | *Venture X Bonus* | *Venture X Biz Bonus* |
| Everyday Rewards Earning Rate | Unlimited 2x Venture Miles per dollar on every purchase | Unlimited 2x Venture Miles per dollar on every purchase |
| Travel Rewards Earning Rate | Unlimited 10x Venture Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5x Venture Miles for flights booked through Capital One Travel | Unlimited 10x Venture Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5x Venture Miles for flights booked through Capital One Travel |
| Annual Credits | $300 Capital One Travel Credit and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus | $300 Capital One Travel Credit and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit | Up to $120 statement credit every four years | Up to $120 statement credit every four years |
| Lounge Access | Unlimited complimentary visits for cardholder and two guests to Capital One Lounges or partner lounge network locations. Also includes complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. | Unlimited complimentary visits for cardholder and two guests to Capital One Lounges or partner lounge network locations. Also includes complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to Priority Pass Restaurants. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | None | None |
| Annual Fee | $395 | $395 |
These two cards are nearly identical to each other in the categories that matter most – and that's a good thing.
Learn more about the *venture x*.
Learn more about the *venture x business*.
Venture X vs Venture X Business: Welcome Offer
The welcome offer is often a big factor in deciding which new card to open. Meet the requirements and you'll get a big pool of points and miles to fuel your future travels.
Both the personal and business versions of the Venture X card come have great welcome offers right now that make either worth signing up for … even if one of them can get you up to four times as many miles as the other.
Capital One Venture X
With the Capital One Venture X Card, you’ll earn 75,000 Capital One Miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. Considering you earn at least 2x miles on every dollar you spend, that bumps your total earnings to 83,000 miles once you meet the spending requirement – worth at least $830 toward travel.
Capital One Venture X Business
Capital One is currently offering 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 in the first three months of card membership.
This is obviously a great bonus … that requires a whole lot of spending. But for many businesses, spending $30,000 over three months and earning the 150,000 miles won't be much of a stretch at all. That makes the Venture X Business a no-brainer.
Venture X vs Venture X Business: Similarities
Earning More Miles
With both cards, you'll get unlimited 2x miles for every purchase, everywhere – all without paying any pesky foreign transaction fees.
When it comes time to book travel, you can earn even more miles with either of these cards when booking through the Capital One Travel portal. You'll get 5x miles on flights and a whopping 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's portal.
Read more: How to Use the Capital One Travel Portal
Redeeming Miles
Redeeming your Capital One miles, you have three options.
You can use them to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal (but you shouldn't); you can use them to remove travel charges directly from your statement; or you can transfer them to one of Capital One's stable of transfer partners.
No matter which card you hold, the transfer ratios will be the same. Here's a look at what's available.
| Program | Type | Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Up to five business days |
| Emirates | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad | Airline | 1:1 | Up to 1 day |
| EVA Air | Airline | 2:1.5 | Up to five business days |
| Finnair | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qantas | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| TAP Air Portugal | Airline | 1:1 | Same day |
| Turkish Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Same day |
| Virgin Red | Other | 1:1 | Same day |
| Accor | Hotel | 2:1 | Up to two business days |
| Wyndham | Hotel | 1:1 | Same day |
| Choice Hotels | Hotel | 1:1 | Same day |
Using Capital One miles to cover recent travel purchases is one of the simplest ways to redeem travel rewards for free travel. Each mile is worth 1 cent, so you can use 50,000 miles to pay for a $500 flight, hotel, rental car, or any other travel purchase.
Annual Fee
Both the Capital One Venture X and the Venture X business have the same $395 annual fee. That might immediately make it a non-starter for some … but it's actually quite a bit cheaper than the other premium travel rewards cards that they compete with.
In fact, it seems like such a good deal that it recently got us thinking about whether or not a rate hike might be on the horizon. Only time will tell, but for now, $395 a year for everything you get with these cards seems like a bargain.
Annual $300 Travel Credit
Each year of card membership, Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders will get up to $300 in travel credit to use for Capital One Travel bookings. Just use your card to book flights, hotels, or rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal and you'll automatically get a $300 discount on your booking.
This travel credit used to be a reimbursement, issued as a statement credit a few days or weeks down the road. This meant that you'd also be earning rewards on the $300 of your travel purchase that got credited back. But those days are gone – Capital One changed the credit to a coupon or discount you apply on your booking.
10,000-mile Anniversary Bonus
In addition to the annual $300 travel credit, cardholders with both the Venture X and Venture X Business will get 10,000 Capital One Miles when they renew their card for another year, starting in their second year. Considering Capital One miles are worth a minimum of one cent each towards travel, these miles are worth at least $120. This benefit combined with the annual $300 travel credit can easily justify either card's $395 annual fee.
Capital One and Plaza Premium Lounge Access
The Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business cards both come with complimentary access to the new Capital One Lounges for the primary cardholder and two guests. The first of these lounges officially opened its doors in 2021 at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to coincide with the launch of the Venture X Card.
Until recently, Capital One had just a single lounge open. But after a series of delays, the bank's lounge at Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) began welcoming guests in September 2023 while the third Capital One lounge in Denver (DEN) opened its doors a couple of months later.
As of now, the only other confirmed Capital One Lounge in the pipeline is slated for Las Vegas (LAS), but an exact timeline for construction and lounge opening hasn't yet been announced.
Check out our review of the Capital One Lounge in Dallas!
Capital One also gives both personal and business Venture X cardholders access to Plaza Premium Lounges, opening the doors to dozens more lounges abroad and at home. The Plaza Premium name also includes several lounges at the Cancún (CUN) airport; and Avianca lounges throughout Colombia. Here’s the full list of Plaza Premium Lounges accessible with the Venture X and Venture X Business cards.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
Both of these cards give you up to a $120 credit to cover the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.
This benefit might seem a bit redundant, as a lot of travel credit cards offer a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck these days. But even if you're already enrolled in one of these trusted traveler programs, it could still be useful when it comes time to renew. Otherwise, you could even pay the application fee for a friend or family member and make their next airport experience a little less stressful.
Friends or family don't have TSA PreCheck? Here's what to do!
Here's how it works: Just pay the application fee with your card and poof – the credit kicks in to automatically cover the cost. Once enrolled, membership lasts for five years and that means as long as you keep either card open, you’re set to keep your enrollment up to date with either program.
Can’t decide which is best? Go for Global Entry, as that also comes with TSA PreCheck benefits as well as getting you into a designated customs and immigration line when returning to the U.S. from abroad.
Venture X vs Venture X Business: Differences
Priority Pass Membership
Both cards come with a Priority Pass membership that allows for unlimited complimentary lounge access to the more than 1,300 Priority Pass lounges around the world. With the personal Venture X, you'll get access for yourself and two guests! The Priority Pass on the Venture X Business isn't quite as generous as you'll only be able to bring in two guests with you.
However, the Priority Pass membership you get with the Venture X Business gets the edge for one big reason: It comes with access to Priority Pass Restaurants, something you don't get with the personal Venture X. When the Venture X initially launched back in 2021, it also included access to Priority Pass Restaurants, but that benefit didn't last long and was quietly stripped away to kick off 2023.
Over the years, Priority Pass has steadily added restaurants to its network of lounges as a way to provide additional value to travelers without access to a traditional airport lounge. When dining at one of these Priority Pass Restaurants, you'll get a $28 per person credit – which is typically enough for an entree and beverage of your choosing. While not entirely complimentary like the lounges, you'll usually get a more filling meal at these restaurants than what you'd find in the lounges.
Read more: Which Credit Cards Still Include Priority Pass Restaurant Access?
Authorized Users
Authorized users can be added to both cards, free of charge.
On the personal version of the Capital One Venture X, you can add up to four additional card members for free – and best of all, they'll get many of the same great perks as the primary cardholder. That's right: Authorized users get their own Hertz President's Circle Status (for now), travel protections, and airport lounge access. This is a big reason why we think the Venture X is the best card for families.
Read more: Capital One Venture X Set to Lose Hertz Benefit Next Year
With the Venture X Business, you can add employee cards for free … but they don't get the same travel perks and benefits. Crucially, this means no lounge access for anyone other than the primary cardholder and their guests.
Business Card vs Personal Card
It might seem obvious, but it's worth stating that the Venture X Business is a business card. That means that in order to get approved for it you'll need to have some sort of small business. But that doesn't mean you need to have multiple employees and six-figure revenue to qualify, although that would certainly help you meet the card's spending requirement.
Think your business isn't big enough? Think again!
While running a big business would obviously make you eligible to open a business credit card, you can also get approved for a small-business credit card like the Venture X Business with a part-time side hustle, a freelance job, a gig economy job, or even by selling goods on online marketplaces like Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and more. In fact, many Americans have what the banks would consider a small business and don't even realize it.
Read more: You Might be Eligible for Business Credit Cards & Not Know It
Credit Card vs Charge Card
The Venture X Business is a pay-in-full card – also known as a charge card. That means you need to pay your balance off each month in order to avoid a late fee.
In contrast, the personal Venture X is a credit card and allows cardholders to carry a balance from month to month, although you really shouldn't.
The fact that the Venture X Business is a charge card, similar to Amex's line of hybrid business cards like the *biz gold* and *biz platinum*, means that it doesn't come with a preset spending limit. This gives businesses the flexibility to increase their purchasing power based on previous spending habits.
For some businesses, this is a positive and for others, a negative. Not being able to carry a balance is good for minimizing expenses, but sometimes there is a lag between accounts receivable and accounts payable that can create a need for the added flexibility of carrying a balance.
Other Perks and Benefits
The personal version of the Venture X includes some added travel protections that the business version does not. These travel protections include things like trip delay and cancellation insurance, lost or damaged luggage insurance, and primary rental car coverage.
For the time being, the personal Venture X also includes automatic Hertz President's Circle status, which promises a one-category vehicle upgrade plus the ability to add an additional driver for no extra cost and skip the long check-in line and go straight to your car.
But this benefit is currently slated to expire on Dec. 31, 2024. Capital One confirmed to Thrifty Traveler that, at this time, there are no plans to extend it.
The Venture X Business provides additional tools geared towards small business owners that make monthly bookkeeping and expense management a much simpler task. This includes linking the card's purchase records with business software like Quickbooks and Excel, as well as giving business owners the option to add an account manager to make purchases, and payments, and review account records on their behalf.
Venture X vs Venture X Business: Which is Best?
Picking a favorite between the Venture X and Venture X Business is like asking a parent to choose their most loved child. It's impossible.
Unsurprisingly, the Venture X Business is likely the better choice for small business owners due to its bigger welcome offer, lack of preset spending limit, and added business tools. Having access to Priority Pass Restaurants is becoming a rarity amongst travel rewards cards, so if you frequent an airport with a good Priority Pass Restaurant, this could be a big plus as well.
On the flip side, the personal version and its smaller (but still substantial) welcome offer – with a lower spending requirement – is better suited for the everyday traveler. The personal Venture X also comes with some nice travel perks like trip delay and cancellation insurance, Hertz President's Circle status, and the ability to add up to four authorized users for free.
Bottom Line
The similarities between the *venture x* and the *venture x business* stretch far beyond their names – and that's a good thing. Both cards come with generous welcome offers, annual travel credits, bonus point-earning opportunities, and useful travel perks like airport lounge access.
If you're a business owner with large amounts of monthly spending, the business version of this card – and its giant welcome offer – will likely be the best choice for you. If you're a leisure traveler, or small business owner without high monthly expenses, you certainly won't be disappointed with the personal Venture X. Either card is worthy of a spot in the wallet of any savvy traveler.
Signed up — purchase limit (single item) was 10k, when most auto-aprove credit limits are much greater. It will make it hard to hit the SUB threshold.
CapOne is terrible. I’d stay away from them
A month ago my wife got immediate approved for a Venture X Biz. We were excited to spend the $30K requirement for the 150K SUB. Two weeks later our cards arrived however we couldn’t activate the card since CapOne put a restriction on the account. Customer service said further verification was need and asked for personal bank statements to be uploaded which she did immediately and the agent verified receiving. Agent said the review will take up to 10 biz days which was totally nonsense. We waited and waited and today, after the 10 biz days, CapOne says they need to call her bank to verify her identity. Total BS. What’s the point of approving a card if further investigation is needed. We canceled the card. Both of us have had CapOne bank accounts and credit cards for the past 8 years. CapOne should stop advertising their cards if they are going to treat their loyal customers like this.