In case you journey recurrently, you must have at the very least one journey rewards bank card in your pockets. The extra you journey, the extra specialised — and beneficiant — that card must be.
I’ve had a number of journey bank cards over time. Most have been general-purpose playing cards just like the Capital One Enterprise X rewards card, which rewards purchases with all journey retailers (airways, hospitality corporations, rental automobile corporations, and so forth) over others. Enterprise X arguably affords the very best worth of any journey card for brand-agnostic, moderate-frequency vacationers — individuals who take just a few holidays of various lengths every year and spend at the very least $2,000 on flights, lodging, and rental automobiles yearly.
Full disclosure: I’m not a Enterprise X consumer. However the extra I be taught concerning the card, the extra tempted I’m so as to add it to my assortment.
What Is the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Card?
The Capital One Enterprise X Card is a super-premium journey bank card that earns miles on each buy. Particularly, it earns:
- 10 miles per $1 spent (10x miles) on motels and rental automobiles booked by way of Capital One Journey
- 5x miles on airfare booked by way of Capital One Journey
- 2x miles on all different eligible purchases, together with journey booked by way of one thing aside from Capital One Journey
You may redeem miles to offset eligible previous journey purchases or present journey bookings (airfare, motels, rental automobiles, native transportation, and extra) at a price of $0.01 per mile. You too can switch miles to greater than 15 Capital One journey companions, together with main airways and hospitality households.
Enterprise X has different probably priceless advantages, together with a $300 annual journey credit score, 10,000 bonus miles in your account anniversary, and complimentary entry to greater than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide.
What Units the Capital One Enterprise X Card Aside?
The Capital One Enterprise X has quite a lot of helpful options, however three actually stand out:
- Extraordinarily Simple to Offset the Annual Payment. Enterprise X’s $395 annual payment sounds steep, nevertheless it’s straightforward for even low-key vacationers to keep away from. The annual journey credit score offsets as much as $300 in bookings by way of Capital One Journey every year, and the ten,000-mile anniversary bonus is price one other $100 on prime of that. That’s $400 in worth with little or no effort required.
- As much as 10x Miles on Eligible Journey Purchases. That’s about pretty much as good as you are able to do with a general-purpose journey bank card. Capital One limits the 10x miles fee to lodge and automobile rental purchases booked by way of Capital One Journey, however it’s also possible to earn 5x miles on eligible airfare booked by way of Capital One Journey — not dangerous, both.
- Discounted or Free Journey and Tradition Memberships Unavailable Elsewhere. Enterprise X is the one journey bank card that provides free or discounted memberships to Prior, The Cultivist, and Gravity Haus. These memberships don’t make sense for all vacationers, however when you can take full benefit of them, you’ll extract a number of hundred {dollars} in worth every year.
Is the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Card Price It?
Truthful query. The Enterprise X card has a $395 annual payment that’s not waived in the course of the first 12 months of membership. So it’s cheap to ask whether or not it’s actually price practically $400 each 12 months?
Sure, it nearly actually is. You solely have to do two issues yearly to offset Enterprise X’s annual payment:
- Make journey bookings price at the very least $300 by way of Capital One Journey to redeem the cardboard’s annual journey credit score
- Redeem your 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary
Collectively, that’s $400 in potential worth, or $5 greater than the annual payment. So long as you make different purchases together with your card and redeem earned miles, you’ll get nonetheless extra worth by way of Enterprise X’s rewards program. And when you can reap the benefits of complimentary airport lounge entry, free or discounted journey and tradition memberships, and the numerous different tangible advantages of Enterprise X, you’ll end up even additional into the black.
Key Options of the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Card
You’ve already gotten a style of some key Enterprise X options. Discover extra element on them (and a few others not but mentioned).
Early Spend Bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening. That’s a one-time bonus alternative price $750 if you redeem for eligible journey.
Annual Journey Credit score
Earn as much as $300 in credit score in opposition to eligible Capital One Journey bookings every 12 months. (Save your self a visit by way of the high-quality print: “Eligible” is a formality right here, and principally all Capital One Journey bookings are eligible.)
You have to make mentioned bookings by way of the Capital One Journey portal — the credit score can’t be retroactively utilized in opposition to prior bookings outdoors the Capital One ecosystem.
Anniversary Miles Bonus
Get 10,000 bonus miles — price $100 when redeemed for journey — yearly after your account anniversary. There’s no spend requirement to earn this bonus, which you get so long as your account stays open and in good standing.
Complimentary Airport Lounge Entry
Get pleasure from complimentary entry to greater than 1,400 airport lounges all over the world, together with:
- A handful of Capital One Lounges in main U.S. airports, together with Denver and Washington-Dulles — hopefully the community expands within the coming years as a result of it’s nearly not price mentioning proper now
- Greater than 1,000 Precedence Go lounges worldwide — you will get a complimentary Precedence Go Choose membership if you register your Enterprise X card on the Precedence Go web site
- Greater than 100 Plaza Premium lounges worldwide, together with choose Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses
See Capital One’s accomplice lounge community information for exclusions, restrictions, and a full listing of eligible lounges. Friends principally get in free as effectively.
TSA PreCheck or International Entry Payment Credit score
Stand up to $100 off the price of your TSA PreCheck or International Entry software payment. You solely want to use for these memberships each 4 years, so it isn’t a massively priceless perk, however each little bit helps.
Finest Value Assure on Journey Reserving With Capital One Journey
This isn’t a completely open-ended assure, nevertheless it’s fairly helpful (and probably beneficiant) for attentive, savvy travel-bookers. The important thing factors:
- Capital One sends worth drop alerts on flights you’re watching and recommends when to purchase.
- In case you e book airfare by way of Capital One Journey when Capital One recommends you achieve this and the value drops inside 10 days, you’ll get a journey credit score for the distinction (as much as $50).
- In case you discover a higher worth inside 24 hours of reserving any kind of journey by way of Capital One Journey, Capital One will match it and refund you the distinction.
- Capital One Journey’s lodge costs match the very best of rivals like Expedia and Travelocity in near-real time.
To make sure you get essentially the most out of Nos. 2 and three, set worth alerts on different standard journey reserving engines (together with Google Flights and Priceline) and watch like a hawk within the hours and days after you e book by way of Capital One Journey.
Transferring Miles to Journey Companions
Capital One has greater than 15 journey switch companions, together with:
- Aeromexico Membership Premier
- Aeroplan (Air Canada)
- British Airways Government Membership
- Selection Privileges (a serious U.S. lodge household and doubtless the very best worth for home U.S. vacationers)
- Flying Blue (Air France)
You may switch your miles in 1,000-mile increments, often at a 1-to-1 ratio (just a few have less-generous 1.5-to-1 or 2-to-1 ratios).
The benefit of transferring is that accomplice loyalty forex tends to be extra priceless than Capital One miles, that are all the time price $0.01 apiece when redeemed in opposition to prior or present journey purchases in your Enterprise X card. Typically, the distinction is critical: The proper redemption would possibly worth accomplice factors or miles at $0.03 apiece or extra.
The catch is that companions don’t all the time provide the very best deal on flights or motels. And it’s not sure your travels will take you someplace served by a accomplice that does provide a terrific deal. Most are worldwide airways that accomplice with U.S. airways solely on worldwide flights. So it’s extra work to make it work — although the hassle actually can (and often will) repay.
Complimentary or Discounted Tradition & Journey Subscriptions
I hadn’t heard of any of those subscriptions earlier than diving into the small print of this card. I wouldn’t use any, however that’s principally right down to way of life and journey patterns. I’m satisfied loads of frequent vacationers — Enterprise X’s core viewers — may get their cash’s price out of every.
- Prior. Half journey journal, half small-group excursion-and-experience firm. Instance experiences embody an eco-lodge within the Himalayas and the Day of the Lifeless Pageant in Oaxaca, Mexico. Enterprise X cardholders get the $149 annual subscription waived. It’s important to pay additional for excursions, in fact.
- The Cultivist. Principally a membership for artwork snobs However high-quality artwork is cool, and free entry to greater than 100 world-class museums is even cooler. Enterprise X cardholders get six months of membership on the Fanatic degree at no cost, then common membership charges apply ($440 per 12 months).
- Gravity Haus. A social membership and lodging community for outside adventurers who love the mountains. Members get full entry to lodging and facilities at a number of areas within the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountains. Enterprise X cardholders get $300 per 12 months towards an annual membership, which prices at the very least $1,200 per 12 months for people (extra relying in your bundle). Gravity Haus is dear, however (possibly) price it.
Right here’s extra element on Gravity Haus pricing and entry. You may see that it’s fairly costly, even for Enterprise X cardholders. It may very well be price the fee when you love the mountains although.
Different Card Advantages
Enterprise X comes with some nontravel advantages price writing residence about:
- Cellphone safety as much as $800 per incident if you pay your cellphone invoice in full with the cardboard
- As much as 100,000 bonus miles if you refer associates to Enterprise X (they need to apply and be authorised so that you can earn the bonus)
- Capital One Eating, which options hard-to-get reservations at prime eating places and tickets to unique culinary experiences (although you continue to need to pay)
- Capital One Leisure, that includes presale and VIP tickets to standard reveals and sporting occasions
Essential Charges
Enterprise X has a $395 annual payment from the primary 12 months. You may absolutely offset this payment when you take full benefit of the $300 annual journey credit score and 10,000-point annual anniversary bonus although.
Enterprise X has no international transaction payment, a pleasant plus for worldwide vacationers.
Credit score Required
Enterprise X requires glorious credit score to use. In case you have any important blemishes in your credit score report, you won’t qualify.
Benefits of the Capital One Enterprise X Card
In case you’ve learn this far, it ought to already be clear that the Enterprise X Card has a ton of probably priceless advantages. Right here’s an in depth recap.
- $300 Journey Credit score Practically Offsets the Annual Payment. Enterprise X has a $395 annual payment. That feels like an excessive amount of till you keep in mind it additionally credit the primary $300 in eligible Capital One Journey purchases yearly and delivers a ten,000-mile bonus ($100 worth) yearly too. Take full benefit and also you’ll greater than break even.
- Nice Return on Capital One Journey Purchases. You may in all probability break even after the credit by reserving your standard journey by way of Capital One Journey. You’ll earn 10x miles on eligible lodge and automobile rental bookings, or $100 for each $1,000 spent.
- Complimentary Entry to 1,400+ Airport Lounges Worldwide. Your Enterprise X card will get you free entry to greater than 1,400 airport lounges in three networks. Precedence Go Choose is the behemoth. Most main U.S. airports and lots of worldwide airports have at the very least one Precedence Go lounge.
- Wonderful Early Spend Bonus. Enterprise X has one of many higher early spend bonuses of any journey rewards bank card. Simply thoughts the spending requirement, otherwise you’ll get nothing.
- Annual Miles Bonus for Doing Principally Nothing. Talking of nothing: That’s what you need to do to get 10,000 bonus miles yearly with Enterprise X. Properly, nearly nothing. It’s important to hold your account open and pay your invoice on time, however that ought to go with out saying.
- Stable Lineup of Journey Switch Companions for Worldwide Vacationers. Capital One’s journey switch accomplice lineup leans closely worldwide. That’s superior when you recurrently journey overseas (which on this case consists of Canada and Mexico).
- Complimentary and Discounted Tradition Memberships Not Accessible With Comparable Playing cards. In case you’d heard of Prior, The Cultivist, or Gravity Haus earlier than studying this evaluate, congratulations: You’re cooler than I’m. And your Enterprise X card can internet you just about $700 in worth throughout your first 12 months when you be part of all of them (however ensure you’re match earlier than doing so).
- No International Transaction Charges. Enterprise X doesn’t cost worldwide transaction charges. Most premium journey playing cards don’t, however that is nonetheless notable in case your travels take you overseas typically.
Disadvantages of the Capital One Enterprise X Card
Does the Enterprise X Card have any drawbacks? Properly, sure — all bank cards do. These downsides give me essentially the most pause.
- No Mile Redemption Bonuses. Not like another superpremium journey playing cards, together with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you get no bonus from Enterprise X if you redeem for journey purchases. Against this, each Sapphire Reserve journey redemption is price 50% greater than customary redemptions.
- No Main U.S. Airways Amongst Switch Companions. Enterprise X additionally compares unfavorably to Sapphire Reserve on the switch accomplice entrance. Sure, it has extra companions than the Chase card, however there are not any main home U.S. airways amongst them (and only one home U.S. lodge household). So it’s not as helpful for home vacationers.
- Journey Credit score Restricted to Capital One Journey Bookings. The Enterprise X journey credit score solely applies to Capital One Journey bookings slightly than bookings made with different on-line journey companies or straight with the journey vendor. However that’s an inconvenience, in all probability not a deal-breaker.
How the Capital One Enterprise X Card Stacks Up
The Capital One Enterprise X Card bears a more-than-passing resemblance to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, one other superpremium journey rewards bank card. Which is a greater match for you? See how they evaluate, then determine for your self.
| Enterprise X | Sapphire Reserve | |
| 10x Earn Price | Resorts and rental automobiles booked by way of Capital One Journey | Resorts and rental automobiles booked by way of Chase Journey, eligible Chase Eating purchases |
| 5x Earn Price | Flights booked by way of Capital One Journey | Flights booked by way of Chase Journey |
| 3x Earn Price | None | Different journey and eating purchases |
| 2x Earn Price | All different eligible purchases | None (1x factors on all different purchases) |
| Redemption Bonus | None | 50% on journey redemptions |
| Switch Ratio | Typically 1-to-1 | Typically 1-to-1 |
| Annual Journey Credit score | $300 | $300 |
| Airport Lounge Profit | 1,400+ lounges worldwide | 1,300+ lounges worldwide |
| Annual Payment | $395, no approved consumer payment | $550 plus $75 per approved consumer |
Different Options to Think about
If neither Enterprise X nor Sapphire Reserve converse to your interior traveler, considered one of these options would possibly. I’d personally advocate all of them, however do take note of the core use instances we’ve referred to as out in the precise column — they’re not all applicable for all vacationers.
Ultimate Phrase
Folks ask me for premium journey bank card suggestions on a regular basis, often individuals who couldn’t care much less who they fly or stick with. For years, my response was all the time the identical: Chase Sapphire Reserve is the place it’s at.
Not anymore. Now that the Capital One Enterprise X rewards card is a factor, I tailor my suggestions to my viewers. To individuals with strong however not lavish journey budgets and restricted trip days, I current Enterprise X. To those that appear to spend extra day out of city than at residence, I nonetheless push Sapphire Reserve.
I haven’t heard any complaints but.
