As an influencer or small business owner, having the right credit card isn’t just about making purchases—it’s about maximizing rewards and getting the best perks possible. If you travel often for work, whether for brand deals, networking events, or client meetings, the Capital One Venture X Business might be the perfect fit for you.
Big Bonus, Big Value
Right now, the Capital One Venture X Business (Go here for OFFER) is offering a massive welcome bonus: Earn 150,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 within the first three months.
If you’re making regular business purchases—whether that’s ad spend, inventory, or travel expenses—hitting that threshold might be easier than you think. Plus, we value Capital One miles at around 1.7 cents per mile, meaning those 150,000 miles are worth $2,550. You can redeem them for travel purchases or transfer them to airline and hotel partners for even more value.
Who’s Eligible?
Capital One is known for having fewer restrictions on credit card applications compared to other issuers. However, there are some important rules to keep in mind:
You can’t get this card if you already have it.
You aren’t eligible if you’ve had the Spark Travel Elite Card or currently have the Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
You can still get this card if you have the personal version of the Venture X card.
Pro Tip: If you’re unsure about eligibility, check out our guide on getting approved for the Venture X Business card.
Why the Capital One Venture X Business is Worth It
At $395 per year, this card does have a premium annual fee—but the benefits make up for it in a big way: ✅ Earn 2x miles on all purchases—ideal for business owners with high spending across different categories. ✅ No foreign transaction fees—perfect if you travel internationally for work. ✅ No preset spending limit—helpful for growing businesses that need flexibility. ✅ $300 annual travel credit—usable on flights, hotels, or rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. ✅ 10,000 bonus miles every year—worth at least $100 but potentially much more. ✅ Airport lounge access—including Priority Pass, Capital One Lounges, and Capital One Landings. ✅ Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit—get through security faster every four years.
For frequent travelers, the $300 annual travel credit and the 10,000 annual bonus miles more than cover the cost of the annual fee—everything else is just extra value.
Bottom Line
The Capital One Venture X Business is one of the best credit cards out there for influencers and small business owners who spend heavily and travel often. Between the massive welcome bonus, high earning rates, and premium travel perks, this card can provide huge long-term value.
If you’re ready to level up your business spending while earning amazing rewards, this might just be the perfect credit card for you.
Southwest Airlines has a few co-branded credit cards with Chase to choose from but one sticks out for us. Of the three personal cards, our favorite one is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card.
This card offers some exceptional perks for anyone who flies Southwest frequently or a few times a year. We have to say it is the best Southwest Airlines Visa Card to have in your wallet or at least attached to your Southwest Airlines account to book flights.
50,000 Bonus Southwest Points with the Priority Card
The Southwest Priority Card is offering a welcome bonus of 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $1,000 within the first three months.
Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program,valued at around 1.2 cents each. So basically, the 50,000 Rapid Rewards points are worth $600+.
Earning Points With The Southwest Priority Card The Southwest Priority Card offers the following points for credit card spending:
3x points on Southwest purchases
2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Happy Baby Companion flying A-list on Southwest Airlines flight
One of the very best values in travel is the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. With Southwest Companion Pass you can have someone travel with you for the entire year (whether on a cash ticket or award ticket), and just pay taxes and fees for them. This is such an incredible deal, and basically doubles the value you can get from flying Southwest.
Southwest Companion Pass requires earning 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year, though you get a boost of 10,000 points toward that just for having a co-branded Southwest card.
Only certain types of points accrual qualify, including Southwest credit card spending, as well as Southwest credit card welcome bonuses. So this bonus would get you a good way toward earning Companion Pass.
Earn Southwest A-List Status
In addition to being able to earn Companion Pass through spending on the card, the Southwest Priority Card also lets you earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). Specifically, you can earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent on the card.
A-List is Southwest Airlines’ version of status, and offers perks like priority boarding, a 25% points bonus, same-day standby, priority check-in and security lane access, and a dedicated phone number.
A-List status requires earning 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year, so spending on a Southwest Priority Card could help you earn that. This is the only personal Southwest card that offers that feature. Whether or not that’s worth it depends on how much you’d otherwise fly with Southwest.
Major Perk: No Change fees with Southwest airlines ever!
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Southwest Priority Card has no foreign transaction fees, so this could be a useful card for your spending abroad. This is a Visa as well, and Visas are accepted pretty widely around the globe.
Incredible Southwest Priority Card Perks
Free Drink Coupons get mailed out to Southwest airlines patrons now and then just to reach out.
The reason to get the Southwest Priority Card (beyond the welcome bonus) is because of the perks, including anniversary bonus points, upgraded boardings, a $75 annual Southwest travel credit, 25% savings on eligible inflight purchases, and more.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know about each of these perks.
On your cardmember anniversary each year you’ll receive 7,500 bonus points. For context, Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program, and generally speaking you need to redeem 83 points per dollar of airfare. That means each Rapid Rewards point gets you roughly 1.2 cents toward the cost of an airline ticket.
In other words, you can get around $90 worth of Southwest airfare with those 7,500 points, and that recoups almost two-thirds of the annual fee on an ongoing basis.
Get anniversary bonus points with the card every year
Southwest Priority Card $75 Annual Credit
The Southwest Priority Card offers a $75 credit every anniversary year. While the 7,500 point anniversary bonus only kicks in after 12 months, this credit kicks in immediately.
The way this works, the first $75 in Southwest flight purchases each cardmember year will be reimbursed. The statement credit should post as soon as the eligible charge posts to your account. Assuming you spend at least $75 per year on Southwest Airlines tickets (or even taxes and fees, if redeeming points), then this should more or less be worth face value.
Between this benefit and the 7,500 point annual bonus, we’re talking about $165 worth of value, which is more than the annual fee.
Southwest Priority Card Upgraded Boardings
Just for having the Southwest Priority Card, you get four upgraded boardings per anniversary year (starting with your first year), when available. The way this works, you’ll be reimbursed for the purchase on the day of departure of up to four upgraded boardings in positions A1-15.
The upgraded boarding fees will be reimbursed within eight weeks, though in reality generally post much faster than that. Since the price of upgraded boardings varies by flight, it’s hard to put a dollar value to this benefit.
Southwest Priority Card Drink & Wi-Fi Savings
If you pay with your Southwest Priority Card you can save 25% on inflight Wi-Fi and drink purchases. You’ll receive statement credits for the 25% within two billing cycles of your purchase (though usually much faster than that).
Southwest Priority Card Travel & Purchase Protection The Southwest Priority Card offers a variety of travel & purchase protection benefits, including:
Auto rental collision damage waiver coverage; it’s secondary within the United States, and primary internationally
Baggage delay insurance, which can reimburse you up to $100 per day for three days when your bag is delayed by at least six hours
Lost luggage reimbursement, which reimburses you up to $3,000 if your bag is damaged or lost
Travel accident insurance, with the maximum coverage ranging from $250,000-500,000, depending on the situation
Extended warranty protection, which extends your United States manufacturer warranty by a year on eligible warranties of three years or less
Purchase protection, which covers you for up to 120 days for damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account
The Cons of Applying for Chase Southwest Credit Cards
Chase and Southwest have some pretty strict rules when it comes to who is eligible for the card. The card is not available to anyone who currently has a Southwest Rapid Rewards personal card, or anyone who has received a welcome bonus on a Southwest Rapid Rewards personal card in the past 24 months. However, you are eligible if you have a Southwest business credit card.
This is in addition to Chase’s general application rules, including the 5/24 rule, whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months.
Southwest Priority Card $149 Annual Fee The Southwest Priority Card has a $149 annual fee. As a point of comparison, the other personal cards have annual fees of $69 and $99, so the annual fee on this card is a bit higher. However, as I’ll explain below, the benefits justify the premium annual fee.
No Question The Southwest Priority Card Is Worth It for You and Your Family
If you’re eligible for the Southwest Priority Card and fly Southwest with any frequency, then this card is absolutely worth it. I’d argue this card is a better value all around than the two other Southwest personal cards.
Many people love flying Southwest for the ability to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, the lack of change fees and vouchers that don’t expire, and the two free checked bags. For others, Southwest a practical airline to fly on occasion, given its massive route network. Regardless, there’s lots of value in having points and benefits on Southwest.
For the card’s $149 annual fee you’re getting a 7,500 point anniversary bonus annually, a $75 Southwest credit, and much more. Let’s look at a few other things to consider regarding this card, and Southwest cards in general.
If you’re looking to complement your Southwest Priority Card with a Southwest business card, consider the incredible Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (review). This card has outstanding perks, including:
A welcome bonus of 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months
A 9,000 point anniversary bonus
Four upgraded boardings per year
Up to 365 $8 Wi-Fi credits per year on Southwest, which could get you a lot of Wi-Fi
$500 toward points transfer fees per anniversary year
A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
The ability to earn A-List status or Companion Pass with spending
This card is the single best Southwest card because of the Wi-Fi credit, as far as I’m concerned.
How Do Southwest’s Personal Bonus Cards Compare?
In addition to the Priority Card, Chase and Southwest also have the $69 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and the $99 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. All cards have the same welcome bonuses, but the perks are significantly different.
Why do I think the $149 annual fee Priority Card is almost universally better?
Neither the Plus nor Premier offer a $75 annual Southwest credit, which should more or less be worth face value; so to do a direct comparison, that’s almost like lowering the “out of pocket” on the Priority Card from $149 to $74.
The Priority Card offers 7,500 anniversary bonus points, while the Plus offers 3,000 bonus points and the Premier offers 6,000 bonus points. Those two perks alone should show why the Priority Card is worth the annual fee by comparison, and that doesn’t even account for upgraded boardings, a better rewards structure, the ability to earn A-List status through spending, and more.
The Chase Freedom Flex Card is easily one of the best no annual fee cards out there, as it offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, for up to $1,500 of spending per quarter. Most people use this as a cashback card, meaning the 5x points really translates into 5% cashback in these categories.
$200 Bonus when you make a purchase for spending $500 in the first 3 months
5% cash back on Lyft rides
5% cash back on Amazon, Hotels, & Restaurants starting in April 2024! 5% back on GAS is coming back for another quarter but for now Discover offers 5% back.
1.5% cash back on all other purchases
0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
No annual fee
No minimum to redeem for cash back
Standard offer on both has typically been $150/$500, so this is a small boost. There are occasionally targeted or branch offers of $300 for either of the cards.
Casey’s Gas Rewards – Play a game to win each day savings on snacks and gas!
What’s included with Chase Freedom Flex Q2 2025 bonus categories?
There’s often some confusion about what purchases qualify with the bonus categories, so let me recap Chase’s definitions.
Here’s what’s included with the gas station bonus category:
Merchants in the gas stations category sell automotive gasoline that can be paid for either at the pump or inside the station and may or may not sell other goods or services at their location. Merchants that do not specialize in selling automotive gasoline are not included in this category; for example, truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies.
Here’s what’s included in the car rental agencies bonus category:
Merchants in the car rental agencies category rent vehicles for the purpose of driver and passenger transportation. Car rentals not booked directly with the car rental agency will not qualify; for example, car rentals purchased through travel agencies, discount travel sites, vacation clubs, tour operators, or as part of a package offered by merchants such as cruise lines and railways. Merchants that provide RV rentals or vehicle rentals for the purpose of hauling are not included in this category. Qualifying car rental agency purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards® will only earn a total of 5%.
Here’s what’s included in the movie theaters bonus category:
Merchants in the movie theaters category show motion pictures to an audience, including at drive-in theaters. Theaters that provide live entertainment and merchants that sell and rent movies or provide movie subscription or streaming services are not included in this category. Purchases other than your tickets will not be included in the category unless they classify as a movie theater; for example, in theatre dining, food and beverage, or merchandise purchases.
Here’s what’s included with the select live entertainment bonus category:
Merchants in the Select Live Entertainment category sell tickets for in-person entertainment such as major sporting events, zoos and aquariums, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, tourist attractions and exhibits, amusement parks, circuses, carnivals, bands, and entertainers. Ticket agencies selling on behalf of the entertainment venue are included. Some merchants that sell tickets for in-person entertainment are not included in this category; for example, movie theaters, bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance hall/clubs. Purchasing from a hotel/concierge is not included nor excursions or purchases as part of a travel package.
My take on Chase Freedom Flex Q2 2025 bonus categories
Everyone has different spending patterns, though I can’t say I’m terribly excited about the Q3 2022 bonus categories:
Gas is a legitimate expense for many, so it’s great to be able to earn 5x points on that
I wouldn’t put a rental car purchase on the Chase Freedom, since I’d want to use a card offering primary rental car coverage
Both the movie theater and select live entertainment bonus categories are pretty niche, and personally don’t have much appeal for me
Of course we’re not all going to love all these bonus categories equally, but for me Q3 will be a tough one to maximize.
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Flex is one of the best no annual fee cards out there, thanks largely to the ability to earn 5x points in rotating quarterly categories. Registration has just opened for the Q3 2024 bonus categories, and as of July 1 you’ll start to be able to earn 5x points on the first $1,500 spent with gas stations, car rental agencies, movie theaters, and select live entertainment. This is a great opportunity for maximizing your spending.
We recently saw the introduction of the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which is Capital One’s new premium credit card. May travel experts are saying this is the card you should be replacing your American Express Platinum and Sapphire Chase travel cards with as the best card. This card builds on the basics of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (review), which has long been Capital One’s flagship travel credit card.
With many Capital One Venture cardmembers trying to make sense of the Capital One Venture X and compare to see which card is better and if you are you eligible for the Venture X if you have the Venture we are looking to address some of these questions here.
Both cards offer 2x Venture miles per dollar spent with no foreign transaction fees, making these the best cards for everyday spending. They both offer a TSA Precheck or Global Entry fee credit once every four years.
Capital One Venture cards are one of the best overall for travel rewards
The Venture X is such a no-brainer over the Venture. The card’s annual fee is $300 higher ($395 vs. $95), but for that you’re getting
A welcome bonus of 100,000 Venture miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit upon completing minimum spending, rather than a bonus of 60,000 Venture miles A $300 credit valid through Capital One Travel every cardmember year, which you can apply towards flights, hotels, and rental cars 10,000 Venture bonus miles on your account anniversary every year, which you can transfer to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners, or can be redeemed for one cent each towards a travel purchase A Priority Pass membership plus Capital One Lounge access (the DFW lounge is amazing); these benefits apply not only to the primary cardmembers, but also to up to four authorized users, which you can add to your card at no cost Hertz President’s Circle status, which will score you upgrades and more when renting with Hertz A variety of protection benefits on account of this being a Visa Infinite Card, including cell phone protection 10x miles on hotel and rental car purchases through Capital One Travel, and 5x miles on flight purchases through Capital One Travel
The math works out very favorably here. For the Venture X you’re paying an extra $300 per year over the Venture, and the $300 Capital One Travel credit should cover that. Then you’re receiving endless incremental perks, like the anniversary bonus miles, lounge access for you and up to four authorized users, and so much more.
Access the Capital One Lounge DFW with the Venture X How should you acquire the Venture X if you have the Venture? Say you have the Capital One Venture, and you decide that you want to pick up the Capital One Venture X. What’s the best way to go about it? You have two options — you can either apply outright, or you can potentially upgrade your card. Let’s go over the details, as well as the pros and cons, of each of these options.
Apply outright for the Venture X and receive the bonus Even if you have the Capital One Venture, you can still apply for the Capital One Venture X, and be eligible for the welcome bonus. This is no doubt the most lucrative path to getting the card:
You’d be eligible for the welcome bonus of 100,000 Venture miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit You don’t have to pick up the phone, as you can apply for the card directly online The downside to this method is that this would be like any other credit card application, so your credit would be pulled, and you’d have to be approved for the card; that being said, there are lots of reports of instant approvals on the card, and you may even end up with a significantly higher credit line than you have on the Venture
Redeem your Venture miles for Emirates first class Product change & upgrade to the Venture X Most credit card issuers will let you product change between cards in the same “family,” assuming you’ve had a card for at least 12 months (generally product changing isn’t possible within the first year). This will be an option for many, but generally isn’t as lucrative:
You don’t receive the welcome bonus if you product change or upgrade from the Venture to the Venture X Some Venture cardmembers are being targeted for an upgrade offer of 50,000 miles if upgrading from the Venture to the Venture X; however, this is targeted (so check your email or online account), and for that matter that’s still a far cry from the standard welcome bonus of 100,000 miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit The benefit of this option is that there’s generally no credit pull when product changing (though you’ll want to officially verify when you make the request, based on your situation); so this could be useful if you don’t think you’d be approved, or if you’re trying to stay under Chase’s 5/24 limit
You may be able to upgrade to the Venture X The strategy I’d take for acquiring the Venture X If it were me, I’d try to apply outright for the Capital One Venture X, given the exceptional welcome bonus being offered. Unless you have a specific reason that this would be problematic, that seems like the best bet. Personally I value Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each, so that welcome bonus is worth around $1,900 to me, which is massive.
We recommend you apply outright, even if I had the Venture Card. However, in the event that you get denied or have issues with approval, you can always later try to product change from the Venture to the Venture X. Even if you get rejected for the application, that wouldn’t impact your odds of being able to product change to the card in the future.
Bottom line The new Capital One Venture X is a highly lucrative travel rewards credit card. It’s a no-brainer to get this card over the Capital One Venture. While the annual fee is $300 higher, there are so many incremental perks that should prove worthwhile for anyone who travels with any frequency.
For those who already have the Venture, there are a couple of ways you could acquire the Venture X. You could apply outright, which is what I would do, since you’re eligible for the massive bonus on the card. Alternatively, you may also be able to product change. The catch is that you won’t be eligible for the full bonus — you may be targeted for some sort of an upgrade offer, but it will be at most 50,000 Venture miles.
Chase just announced a new limited-time offers for its Southwest consumer credit cards, allowing cardholders to earn the #1 rated airline’s amazing Companion Pass plus 30,000 bonus points when they meet a minimum spending requirement.
If you frequently travel with a plus-one, the Companion Pass allows you to add them to any Southwest flight for just the cost of taxes and fees.
Free Companion Pass to bring a bestie or your family or anyone you choose for a year!
How to Qualify for the New Southwest Companion Pass Offer
Credit card issuers often offer increased sign-up bonuses for a limited time, and this one is no different. To qualify, you’ll need to do the following.
Visit the offer page: The offer is currently not available when you visit the card landing pages on Chase’s website, so be sure to use one of the above links to apply.
Apply by the offer deadline: The limited-time offer won’t be around for more than a few weeks, so be sure to apply as soon as possible if you’re interested.
Meet the spending requirement: You’ll need to spend $4,000 in the first three months. Keep in mind that the clock starts when you open your account, not when you receive the card.
Once you meet the spending requirement, you’ll earn a Companion Pass, which will be valid through February 28, 2026 (NEW!), along with 30,000 Rapid Rewards points.
The Southwest Companion Pass could be your ticket to amazing family adventures. It lets you bring a kiddo (or any companion!) for free (just pay taxes and fees) on any Southwest flight you book. Sounds awesome, right? Remember that each Southwest credit card has its own benefits, so compare them to find the one that suits your family’s travel style.
Do your research, weigh the pros and cons, and then jet set to incredible memories with your loved ones!
Also keep in mind they do these amazing special offer via Chase Offers such as below 10% back at Panera and 10% on Jersey Mike’s and Walmart:
