To preface, I have the Venture X and it is a great card. However, a common phrase "They are paying you $5 to hold the card.", has been lurking around this sub for too long. As of 2026 this is now regurgitated marketing slop from a time long gone and fake news!
Back before the year 2023, the card offered a $300 travel reimbursement and 10,000 anniversary points for a $395 Annual Fee (Net -$5 assuming a 1 CPP value for the A-Points).
Since 2023, the $300 travel reimbursement was changed to 300 C1 Fun Bucks redeemable through their travel portal.
You now prepay $300 for a travel credit through your annual fee and receive no points. That same $300 paid directly for travel would have netted you (at the least) 2x points. That's 600 points which equals $6 (using same 1 CPP).
$6-$5 is $1.
Therefore, the actual annual fee is $1!
Enough with the "Venture X is paying you $5 to hold the card"
byu/Round-Kangaroo6059 inCreditCards
Posted by Round-Kangaroo6059
12 Comments
They are. It’s just simple math if you know how to use the card. You don’t have to like facts but they are facts all the same.
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
this sentiment is fine for the credit card power users, but it’s dangerous for the vast majority of people.
a credit card with an annual fee costs the annual fee. no exception.
These credit cards are coupon books. If you don’t already travel, you’re spending $395. Its only for the people who happen to already be traveling that they can subsidize their costs with the benefits of the card, and then they can receive a net (or in your case, -$1) return.
I like your way of thinking for myself personally, on avenues where a credit card benefit may provide credit towards something I am actively spending money on.
But as someone who recommends credit cards in my personal life to friends and family, I’ll just tell them the card is $395.
Sorry for being a downer! I just want to make sure people don’t purchase coupon books!
You’re not wrong
A dollar is too expensive for my blood. I think it’s finally time to cancel
sub needs to add a shitpost flair
They’re paying you 5 dollars though
Actually you’re wrong. While the math above is correct, you fail to consider that the venture card itself has value. It costs about $2.00-2.50 to produce. Assume you sell this recycled material at half the production cost, you get paid $0.00-$0.25 to hold the card.
Interesting point, but by forcing you to use the travel portal, you may be earning a higher rate than what you would normally have if the card offered a statement credit instead of C1 rewards dollars.
But that may also be countered by overpaying in the travel portal, although you may be willing to overpay for the convenience of not having to navigate multiple websites to book a full trip?
Wouldn’t it be more like $6+$5=$11?
I see how the points earned amounts to $6 pre-change, but I don’t see how that necessarily cancels out the current math, which is $300 that you don’t earn points on, plus $100 worth of points against a $395 annual fee working out to a $5 credit.
So, pre-change you just had a slightly better deal. The only difference being you earned points on the $300. That doesn’t subtract from the current value, it adds to it.
I know this is a shit post so I want to contribute. Basically you prepay CapOne your annual fee to get fixed reimbursement, if you keep your annual fee in $400 in HYSA assuming 3.5% interest rate, you are missing out on $14 interest.
So your effective annual fee is $15 😝
A dollar?!? In this economy ?!?