Is the Venture X Business worth the $395 annual fee?
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. The Capital One Venture X Business is a great option for small-business owners who want to earn miles on their spending. It features a solid welcome bonus and many of our favorite features found on its consumer counterpart, the Capital One Venture …
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
The Capital One Venture X Business is a great option for small-business owners who want to earn miles on their spending. It features a solid welcome bonus and many of our favorite features found on its consumer counterpart, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
One such similarity is the $395 annual fee. This is a bargain compared to some other premium business cards, such as The Business Platinum Card® from American Express with its $695 fee (see rates and fees).
Still, it’s higher than the $375 annual fee on the American Express® Business Gold Card (see rates and fees) and the $95 annual fee on Chase’s Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees).
So, does the Venture X Business offer enough benefits and earning potential to justify its premium fee? Here’s what you need to know if you’re on the fence.
Welcome offer
Currently, new Venture X Business applicants can earn up to 350,000 bonus miles: 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus an additional 200,000 miles after spending $200,000 in the first six months from account opening.
This bonus is worth an impressive up to $6,475 when you factor in TPG’s April 2025 valuations of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents. If you can meet the steep minimum spending requirement, the full bonus alone is valuable enough to justify paying the card’s $395 annual fee.
Related: How to maximize your Capital One miles
Earning potential
Beyond the Venture X Business welcome bonus, you’ll earn:
- 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One’s travel booking site
- 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One’s travel booking site
- 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases
And when it comes to redeeming your miles, you have options. On one hand, you can redeem them simply for a statement credit to cover travel expenses. This option offers a value of 1 cent per mile.
To get more value out of your miles, you can also transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s 15-plus hotel and airline partners, including valuable options like Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Wyndham Rewards.
According to our April 2025 valuations, taking advantage of these transfer options usually yields a value of at least 1.85 cents per mile. Percentage-wise, this means you’re earning an effective 3.7% return on all nonbonus purchases that net you least 2 miles per dollar spent.
This makes the Venture X Business an especially attractive option for big-spending business owners who don’t want to worry about bonus categories.
With this card, you can feel confident knowing you’re earning valuable rewards no matter what you’re buying.
Related: Should you transfer Capital One miles to partners or redeem them directly?
Annual travel credit
Venture X Business cardholders receive $300 in statement credits each year for travel booked through Capital One’s travel booking site. This credit is automatic, making it relatively easy to use.
However, it is worth noting that since the credit is limited to travel booked through Capital One’s travel booking site, you’ll likely give up any hotel or rental car elite status perks. The drawbacks of booking through a portal can put a damper on the value of this annual credit.
Still, fully taking advantage of this perk will bring your effective annual fee down to just $95.
Related: How to decide whether to book travel directly or through a portal
Anniversary bonus miles
The travel credit isn’t the only annual perk you’ll get as a Venture X Business cardholder. Every year, on your account anniversary, you’ll also receive 10,000 bonus miles worth $185, according to our April 2025 valuations.
Even if you redeem these anniversary miles directly for travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile, this annual bonus is worth $100. This perk and the travel credit combined more than justify the card’s $395 annual fee each year.
Lounge access
As a Venture X Business cardholder, you get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges — currently open at:
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Capital One also operates a Landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
This card also includes access to Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges.
Note that, unlike the personal Venture X, lounge access does not extend to authorized users.
Without credit card access, you must pay $90 for a Capital One Lounge day pass. Five visits alone would cost $450 out of pocket, so you’ll make up the annual fee’s value quickly if you can take advantage of your Capital One Lounge access.
Related: Capital One Venture X vs. Venture X Business
Other perks
On top of these super-valuable perks, the Venture X Business includes additional travel benefits and protections:
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit: Up to $120 statement credit
- Hotel perks: Access to luxury hotel bookings and elitelike benefits in Capital One’s Premier Collection
These benefits are more difficult to quantify, but they’ll provide added comfort and peace of mind during your travels.
Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi
Bottom line
If you can take advantage of all the Venture X Business benefits, you’ll more than justify the annual fee year after year. The benefits are so valuable that you only have to utilize a few to make up for the card’s fee each year. However, if you can’t maximize the annual travel credit or airport lounge access, you may want to go with another of our favorite business credit cards.
To learn more, read our full review of the Venture X Business.
Learn more: Capital One Venture X Business
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
