Capital One Limits Lounge Access for Venture X Guests and Authorized Users

We’ve got bad news for those with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Business Card. Lounge perks for your guests and authorized users will soon be on the chopping block, and Capital One has sent an email today to affected cardholders.

Capital One now joins the growing list of issuers restricting credit card lounge benefits — here’s what you need to know.

Restricting Lounge Access for Authorized Users and Guests

Starting on February 1, 2026, authorized users on the Capital One Venture X card will no longer get automatic lounge access privileges. Conversely, employee cards on the Capital One Venture X Business card never had lounge access options, but they will gain a path: through payment of a fee.

If you want additional cardholders to have their own lounge access privileges, primary account holders will need to pay $125 annually per card on the Capital One Venture X card (rates & fees) and the Capital One Venture X Business card. You can enroll a maximum of 4 cardholders for lounge access on the Capital One Venture X Business card, though no maximum number of enrollees is specified for the Capital One Venture X card.

To be clear, you’ll still be able to add authorized users to your account for no additional cost (rates & fees). However, those users won’t be able to access lounges unless they join you as a guest, which we’ll talk about more below.

But if you do pay the $125 annual fee, these additional cardholders do get access to Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings, and Priority Pass lounges. (Keep in mind that this does not include non-lounge Priority Pass benefits, which were discontinued for Capital One Venture X cardholders in 2023 and for Venture X Business cardholders who opened their accounts after May 2024.)

Upcoming Guest Policy Restrictions

Speaking of guests, we’ll see sweeping changes to these policies starting on February 1, 2026. With the Capital One Venture X card, cardholders will no longer be able to bring complimentary guests specifically into Priority Pass lounges. Cardholders and their authorized users with lounge access — those who paid the $125 fee (rates & fees) — will be able to bring guests into Priority Pass lounges at a per-visit fee of $35 for guests.

Fortunately, those with the Capital One Venture X Business card will still be able to bring up to 2 guests into Priority Pass lounges at no charge.

The change to the personal card is brutal — there’s no other way to say it. The Capital One Venture X card won’t be as highly ranked on our list of the best credit cards for airport lounge access.

If you want to bring guests after February 1, 2026, you’ll need to spend $75,000 or more on your card in a calendar year. For example, lounge access for 2026 will be based on spending in the 2025 calendar year. Guest privileges will apply to the remainder of the year in which you pass the $75,000 threshold and the full following calendar year. Unlocking this perk will allow you to bring up to 2 guests to Capital One Lounges and 1 guest to Capital One Landings.

Otherwise, cardholders will need to pay $45 per adult or $25 per child aged 17 and under to bring guests to Capital One Lounges or Landings. Children under 2 can enter for free with an eligible cardholder. (Check out all of the lounge policy access terms and conditions).

Overview of New Capital One Lounge Policies in February 2026

To recap everything above, here are the upcoming changes to note starting February 1, 2026:

Capital One’s Current Lounge Policies for Cardholders

The Capital One Venture X card launched in 2021 and has been immensely popular for its friendly lounge policies, though the 2023 launch of the Capital One Venture X Business card brought further excitement. Aside from their friendly earning structures, the cards earn valuable Capital One miles and a top-notch lounge policy with annual fees lower than the competition offers.

The Capital One Venture X card has a $395 annual fee (rates & fees), while many of its competitor cards charge annual fees of $550 to nearly $700. The same holds true for the Capital One Venture X Business card’s $395 annual fee (rates & fees) when compared to the competition.

What cardholders have loved most about these cards is their traveler-friendly lounge access policies. On top of allowing you to bring up to 2 guests into Capital One Lounges, both cards let you enroll in a Priority Pass Select membership for unlimited visits to even more airport lounges worldwide.

The Capital One Venture X card has had, until now, one of the friendliest guest policies for lounges, allowing you to bring an unlimited number of guests into Priority Pass lounges with you (subject to space constraints at the lounge) and add up to 4 authorized users on your card at no cost. Those authorized users also could visit Capital One Lounges with up to 2 guests and bring unlimited guests into Priority Pass lounges. This made the travel credit card incredibly popular.

It’s worth noting, however, that the Capital One Venture X Business card did not offer the same lounge access rights for authorized users (employee card holders) and didn’t offer the unlimited guests option with Priority Pass. Until now, those with employee cards haven’t had lounge access when traveling without the primary account holder.

And it’s also worth pointing out that these cards recently lost access to Plaza Premium lounges, at which cardholders previously enjoyed unlimited visits and could bring up to 2 guests into the lounge with them.

Why Capital One Is Making Major Lounge Changes

It’s no secret that airport lounges have become more popular as more people travel. This has created crowding at lounges and complaints about wait times. Capital One is taking steps to address this, knowing it won’t make everyone happy.

As airport lounges continue to grow in popularity across the industry, we’ve seen our customers increasingly encounter wait times to enter them. It is important to us that we maintain a great airport lounge experience for our Venture X and Venture X Business customers, while continuing to deliver best-in-class premium travel cards at an accessible price point.

To address this, we will be making some changes to lounge access for additional cardholders (authorized users and account managers) and guests. Venture X and Venture X Business primary cardholders will continue to receive complimentary access to over 1,300 lounges, including Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and Priority Pass lounges. We thought carefully about these changes, and we remain committed to delivering a differentiated premium travel card for our customers.

To address this, we will be making some changes to lounge access for additional cardholders (authorized users and account managers) and guests that will start to go into effect later this year. Venture X and Venture X Business primary cardholders will continue to receive complimentary access to over 1,300 lounges, including Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and Priority Pass lounges. We thought carefully about these changes, and remain committed to delivering a differentiated premium travel card for our customers.

Statement from Capital One about these changes

Capital One says it has “thought carefully about these changes,” but that doesn’t mean everyone will like it. Those with large families who could previously guest their spouse and multiple children into a Priority Pass lounge will be upset about the changes. Another disappointed group will be those who don’t spend $75,000 annually on their card, as they’ll no longer be able to bring guests into a Capital One Lounge.

This is a double-edged sword. People want shorter waits and smaller crowds at lounges, but that means stricter guest policies for everyone — including for guests and additional cardholders.

Previous American Express Lounge Access Changes

If these changes sound familiar, it’s because Capital One is largely mirroring what American Express has done.

In 2023, American Express implemented huge changes to its Centurion Lounge network, requiring those with The Platinum Card^® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express to spend $75,000 annually on their cards to unlock guest privileges at Centurion Lounges. That said, guest policies at other lounges these cardholders can access (such as a Priority Pass Select membership, which these cardholders can enroll in) weren’t affected.

Final Thoughts

There’s no way to create more space in the lounges by removing guest access for everyone else just to make room for you and your guests. Thus, all cardholders are affected, and changes will take effect in February 2026. Capital One Venture X cardholders won’t be happy they’ll no longer have any path to bringing complimentary guests into Priority Pass lounges.

Plus, you’ll need to spend $75,000 or more on your card each year to have guest privileges at Capital One Lounges and Landings, which is a tough pill to swallow. That means putting spending on these cards that you could put on other cards — cards that might have elevated bonus categories for your purchase or a card you opened recently to spend toward a big welcome bonus. There will definitely be an opportunity cost here, and you’ll need to weigh it carefully.