When it launched, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card shortly gained reputation for its beneficiant lounge entry insurance policies. However beginning in 2026, lots of these advantages are altering or going away.
On Feb. 1, 2026, licensed customers will lose their complimentary airport lounge entry. That’s a serious shift for the premium journey rewards bank card, which boasted of its skill to share advantages with licensed customers when it first launched in 2021.
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card holders can even lose complimentary entry for company to lounges within the Precedence Cross community. Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise cardholders won’t be affected and can nonetheless have the ability to convey two company to Precedence Cross lounges.
“As airport lounges proceed to develop in reputation throughout the business, we’ve seen our clients more and more encounter wait occasions to enter them,” Capital One mentioned in a press release explaining the modifications.
These card updates mirror steps that American Specific has taken to restrict the variety of folks in its Centurion lounges.
How do these lounge entry modifications have an effect on me?
If you happen to journey with others …
Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, you’ll not have the ability to use the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card to convey company to lounges without cost.
To regain free visitor entry for Capital One Lounges and Landings, you’ll must spend a minimum of $75,000 in your card in a single calendar 12 months. After that, you’ll have the ability to herald two company at no cost to Capital One Lounges via the next calendar 12 months. For visits to Capital One Landings, you’ll be restricted to 1 visitor. (Landings are sit-down eating places, not conventional lounges.)
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card holders can even lose complimentary entry for company to lounges within the Precedence Cross community.
If in case you have (or are) a certified consumer…
Whereas major cardholders on the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card will nonetheless have the ability to add or hold licensed customers without cost, these extra cardholders received’t get complimentary lounge entry (even when they’re an account supervisor). As a substitute, you’ll must pay an annual lounge entry charge of $125 for every extra cardholder. This may grant them entry to Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and Precedence Cross lounges.
If you happen to presently have extra cardholders in your account, speak to them and determine what the fitting strategy is. Your licensed consumer could also be prepared to pay you $125 to cowl the charge, or they could determine to get a Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card (or one other journey card) of their very own.
If in case you have the Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise…
Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, you’ll not have the ability to convey company in without cost to Capital One Lounges and Landings, until you spend $75,000 in your card in a calendar 12 months. If you happen to hit that spending requirement, the visitor coverage is similar as earlier than: two for Lounges and one for Landings. You’ll nonetheless have the ability to convey two company without cost into Precedence Cross lounges as soon as the brand new guidelines go into impact.
On the Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise, as much as 4 extra cardholders can obtain lounge entry at an annual charge of $125 per individual. They’ll get their very own Precedence Cross memberships and have the ability to convey two company without cost. Beforehand, licensed customers didn’t get any complimentary lounge entry.
If you happen to’re prepared to pay for company…
Capital One is reducing its pricing for minors at its areas for each Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card and Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise holders.
If you wish to herald extra company past these included without cost, you’ll proceed to pay a reduced charge of $45 per grownup visitor per go to. (The usual charge is $90 per go to.)
Efficient instantly, Capital One will decrease the speed for every visitor 17 and underneath to $25. Youngsters underneath 2 can enter without cost.
Extra company for Precedence Cross lounges are $35 every.
Is the Enterprise X nonetheless price it?
The Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card has at all times stood out for its beneficiant lounge entry insurance policies for licensed customers in addition to company, and sadly, I am not stunned by the modifications. It was solely a matter of time earlier than Capital One adopted within the footsteps of American Specific and Chase, which require an extra charge for licensed customers every year for their very own flagship journey bank cards.
Until you are a solo traveler, these modifications are a serious blow to the worth proposition of the cardboard, and it could be time to rethink.
For one factor, Capital One doesn’t have that many areas to start with. In the meantime, American Specific and Chase associate with Delta Air Traces and Air Canada, respectively, to supply cardholders much more lounge entry when flying with these airline companions — one thing that Capital One additionally lacks.
However at $395 a 12 months, Capital One’s premium journey card nonetheless provides compelling worth for vacationers — even with the diminished lounge entry advantages. The cardboard comes with a $300 annual journey credit score that can be utilized in Capital One’s journey portal, in addition to 10,000 bonus miles on every account anniversary. Plus, it earns 2 miles per $1 on each buy. That’s stable, particularly in the event you solely need one card in your pockets and don’t get pleasure from determining which one provides one of the best rewards for every buy.
Miles will be redeemed at 1 cent per mile within the journey portal or transferred to one in all Capital One’s resort or airline companions. In comparison with different premium journey playing cards, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card remains to be comparatively straightforward to make use of. Capital One hasn’t adopted American Specific’ “coupon ebook” mannequin, the place the issuer justifies a sky-high annual charge with onerous credit which are troublesome to make use of and hold monitor of.
So long as you utilize the annual journey credit score and bonus miles, that helps recoup the price of the whole charge.
Enterprise X different: Chase Sapphire Reserve
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If lounge entry is your prime precedence and also you’re able to ditch your Capital One card, you may take into account the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which has its personal community of well-regarded lounges. Cardholders can convey two company without cost into Precedence Cross lounges, together with its Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Membership.
The cardboard does include a hefty $550 annual charge and costs $75 a 12 months for licensed customers, who will get their very own Precedence Cross memberships. Different advantages embody incomes 3 factors per $1 spent on journey and eating purchases, in addition to a $300 annual credit score for journey purchases. In contrast to the Capital One journey credit score, this doesn’t include the restriction of getting to make use of Chase’s journey portal.