Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If you’ve been looking for a robust travel card, your search is over.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) is one of the best travel cards we’ve seen, far exceeding competitors in value and flexibility as it gets rid of the complexity seen in most travel cards.
With a huge bonus valued at $750, high rewards rate on all purchases (not just travel related), and flexible redemption options it’s easy to see why beginner and expert rewards travelers are flocking to this card.
Here are the details:
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. That equals $750 in travel!
- High rewards rate on everyday spending . Earn 2X miles on everything, not just travel purchases. Plus, 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- Flexible mile redemption. You can redeem miles at $0.01 each for statement credit on travel purchases you’ve already made or book directly through Capital One Travel (no black out dates or airline restrictions). You can also transfer miles to any of Capital One's 15+ travel partners.
- Luxury perks, including up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
You aren’t going to find many other travel cards better than this. We calculate that cardholders can secure a $1,542 value in the first-year alone! (See how below.) Not bad for a relatively low $95 annual fee.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
5.00 out of 5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor5.00 out of 5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorIntro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.
2X-5X miles
Annual Fee
$95
Welcome Offer 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
75,000 Miles
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Why our experts rate this a top travel card:
Huge 75,000 Miles bonus when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. That equals at least $750 in travel since Venture® miles are worth $0.01 per mile when you redeem them for travel purchases. However, they could be worth even more when transferring to Capital One’s 15+ travel partners.
Earn 2X miles per $1 spent on all purchases, not just travel. Rewards are unlimited and you don’t have to pay attention to bonus categories. This is the highest baseline rewards rate we’ve seen for a travel rewards card.
Earn 5X miles per $1 spent on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel.
Flexible, fixed-rate redemptions. Venture® miles are worth at least $0.01 per mile when you redeem them as a statement credit against travel expenses. The redemption process is a breeze, and Capital One classifies many types of transactions as travel, giving you ample opportunity to use your rewards. Plus, you can transfer miles to Capital One’s 15+ travel partners for potentially even higher value.
Up to $100 Global Entry/TSA Pre✓® credit when you pay $100 for a Global Entry membership or $85 for a TSA Pre✓® membership, Capital One automatically credits you back. You can use this credit once every four years.
No foreign transaction fee Have no fear of using your card internationally, as this is a no foreign transaction fee credit card. (See rates and fees.)
Modest $95 Annual Fee
For the amount of premium benefits packed in this card, the $95 annual fee is very reasonable
How to potentially secure $1,542 of value
You'll be hard-pressed to find a travel card that offers as much value as this one. That's because of the combination of a high unlimited rewards rate (2X-5X miles), huge welcome bonus of 75,000 miles, and the secondary perks. Here's how the value adds up:
- Earn $750 from welcome bonus miles — You can receive 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth at least $750, since miles can be redeemed for $0.01 when used to reimburse travel purchases or book a trip through Capital One Travel.
- Earn $743 on your everyday spending - The average American* spends $2,673 per month on expenses that are commonly paid with a credit card. That would result in 74,344 miles earned each year (worth $743).
- Receive $100 Global Entry/TSA Pre✓® credit - When you pay $100 for a Global Entry membership, or $85 for a TSA Pre✓® membership, Capital One automatically credits you back. You can use this credit once every four years.
- Earn a $50 experience credit - When you book a hotel stay through Capital One's Lifestyle Collection.
These categories tally up to $1,542 worth of value. Keep in mind that the value for cardholders depends on your exact spending habits and the value could be far higher. Plus, miles could be worth even more when transferred to Capital One’s 15+ travel partners.
Final Take
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is an excellent choice for any traveler. The ease of earning miles through normal everyday spending and the flexibility to choose where you redeem your miles (instead of being stuck with one airline) make it a rare find that is not to be missed.
Suggested credit score
Good to excellent credit -- typically a FICO® Score of 670 or higher -- is suggested when applying for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Capital One describes excellent credit as:
- You've never declared bankruptcy
- You've never defaulted on a loan.
- You've never paid a credit card statement, medical bill, or loan more than 60 days after it was due.
- You've held a credit card or loan at a limit (or amount) over $5,000, for at least three years.
Our Credit Cards Experts
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*Average American budget per https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-monthly-expenses/
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