Capital One Venture X Business Card: Up to 300K Bonus, $300 Travel Credit & $395 Fee

Capital One Venture X Business Review

Capital One has decided to rebrand the Spark Travel Elite business card, a premium travel rewards product that launched last summer exclusively through relationship managers. The news first came out on February 2, 2023, and now the card is finally available.

When the card first launched, it was easy to see the resemblance to the popular Capital One Venture X card. So the rebranding makes total sense. Starting next week, Capital One will expand the Venture X family and rename Spark Travel Elite to Venture X Business.

With this name change, Venture X Business will continue to offer the same great rewards and capabilities as Spark Travel Elite, enabling business owners to maximize their rewards by earning unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, with no preset spending limit. Venture X Business is a premium metal card with new card art, and existing cardholders will see the name change on their account next week.

Everything about the card remains the same. Here are some more details on this travel rewards product designed specifically for business owners: 

• Venture X Business is a pay-in-full charge card, with no preset spending limit. 

  • No preset spending limit provides flexible purchasing power that adapts to a business’ needs, which can enable cardholders to potentially spend more than they could on a traditional credit card and earn even more travel rewards.  

• Venture X Business cardholders have access to leading business-grade capabilities, including free employee and virtual cards to make secure business purchases and keep earning rewards on all transactions. 

  • Cardholders can also sync transaction data with their accounting software, and have the ability to pay vendors through the card (even if they do not accept cards). 

• In addition to unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, Venture X Business cardholders earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights when booked through Capital One Travel. 

  • Additionally, cardholders will receive up to $300 in statement credits annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel and up to 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 toward travel) every year after their first anniversary. Cardholders have flexible redemption options and can redeem miles on flights, hotels, vacation rentals and more, with no restrictions or blackout dates. Business owners can also get a statement credit for travel purchases made with Venture X Business or transfer miles to any of our 15+ travel loyalty programs. 

• Capital One is continuing to find new ways to bring our cardholders best-in-class travel products and experiences. 

  • Capital One Travel’s new Premier Collection makes it possible for Venture X Business customers to find and book stays at a thoughtfully curated group of luxury hotels and resorts while also delivering top-tier benefits on every stay and 10X earn on bookings. Additional travel benefits available to Venture X Business cardholders include access to all-inclusive amenities at Capital One Lounges; complimentary access to our Partner Lounge Network; and up to a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry every 4 years.

Signup Bonus

As of May 1, 2023, you can now apply for the Venture X Business through a relationship manager. This is the current offer on the card:

• Earn up to 300,000 miles when you apply and are approved for the Capital One Venture X Business card:
  • Earn 150,000 miles after you spend $30,000 within the first 3 months
  • Plus an additional 150,000 miles when you spend a total of $500,000 within the first year
• Annual Fee: $395
• DIRECT LINK (Venture X Business is only available to clients of Capital One Relationship Managers for the time being.)

Card Details

• Earn:
  • 2x miles on all purchases.
  • 5x miles on flights when booked through Capital One’s travel portal.
  • 10x miles on hotels and rental cars.
• $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel.
• 10,000 bonus miles every year after your first anniversary.
• Unlimited access to Capital One lounges as well as Priority Pass and other Capital One partner lounges. Employee cards do NOT get lounge access.
• $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every four years.
• Redeem miles on flights, hotels, vacation rentals and more, with no restrictions or blackout dates.
• Pay vendors through the card using Melio (2.9% fee), even if they do not accept credit cards.
• This is a charge card, which means that you must pay the balance in full to avoid a monthly 2.99% late fee.

Venture X Business vs Venture X

As I mentioned above, Venture X Business is almost identical to the Venture X card. But there are some difference worth highlighting, which can help you decide on which one is best for you:

• Venture X Business is obviously a business credit card and a charge card. That means that you must pay the balance in full to avoid a monthly 2.99% late fee.
• Venture X Business doesn’t report to personal credit bureaus, making it a better option if you care about your Chase 5/24 count.
• Capital One removed access to restaurants and some other non-lounge experiences for for Venture X cardholders. But Venture X Business cardholders have access to both Priority Pass Lounges and non-lounge airport experiences.
• Venture X Business employee cards NOT not get Priority Pass access. Venture X additional users get Priority Pass.

Capital One Transfer Partners

Customers will need to transfer a minimum of 1,000 Venture X, Venture X Business, Venture or Spark Miles at a time to travel loyalty programs, and will need to transfer in 100 mile increments.

Partner Ratio Accor Live Limitless 2 : 1 Aeromexico Club Premier 1 : 1 Air Canada Aeroplan 1 : 1 Air France KLM Flying Blue 1 : 1 Avianca LifeMiles 1 : 1 British Airways (Avios) 1 : 1 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles 1 : 1 Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges) 1 : 1 Emirates Skywards 1 : 1 Etihad Airways Etihad Guest 1 : 1 EVA Air Infinity MileageLands 2 : 1.5 Finnair Plus 1 : 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer 1 : 1 Qatar Airways Privilege Club 1 : 1 Singapore Airlines Krisflyer 1 : 1 TAP Air Portugal (MilesGo) 1 : 1 Turkish Airlines (MilesSmiles) 1 : 1 Virgin Red 1 : 1 Wyndham Rewards 1 : 1

Application Rules

For now you can only apply for the Capital One Venture X Business card exclusively through relationship managers. I was told that at this time, Spark Cash Plus cardholders are unable to apply for Venture X Business. However, existing cardholders of other Spark cards are eligible to apply. 

However, the terms note that the bonus may not be available for existing or previous Capital One Business cardholders. 

Capital One business credit cards normally report to personal credit bureaus. But assuming everything stays the same as with Spark Travel Elite accounts, Venture X Business card will not report to personal credit bureau reports (provided that the account remains in good standing).

Capital One pulls your credit report from all three credit bureaus when you apply. But you can freeze your TransUnion or Experian (only one of them) and still get approved.

Guru’s Wrap-up

The Capital One Venture X Business card is business version of the Venture X. Benefits are almost identical, but this is a business card and a charge card. The only differences seem to be that employees don’t get lounge access, and primary cardholder still has access to Priority Pass lounges and non-lounge airport experiences.

The first thing that stands out is the signup bonus of 300,000 miles. But this bonus comes with an insane spending requirement. You will need to spend a total of $500,000 within the first six months to earn that bonus. Yes that’s right, you need to spend half a million. This card earns 2x on all purchases (and up to 10x on travel). So you will end up with an extra million miles for the spending requirement.

With that said, I doubt many people will aim to spend an extra $470,000 just to get an extra 150,000 points. The first part of the bonus is more achievable, with $30,000 spend for 150,000 miles.

The card has a $395 annual fee which is not waived the first year. But also comes with extra benefits that make it a keeper long term. You get a $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles every year after the first anniversary. Plus there’s lounge access.