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Annual Fee: $95
Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by products. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Capital One Rewards allow users to book travel or cover travel booked in the previous 90 days for one cent per mile. That means this card would cover over $1,000 on travel, even retroactively! Capital One miles can also be transferred to a number of airline programs at a ratio of 1:1, allowing for true flexibility in booking the best reward flights.
[.redeem] 5x [.redeem]per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
[.redeem] 2x [.redeem]per $1 on everyday purchases
And, your miles don't expire as long as your account is open.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by products. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
🏆 Daily Drop's Most Popular Card
🏆 Daily Drop's Most Popular Card
Annual Fee: $95
🏆 Best for restaurants
🏆 Best for restaurants
Annual Fee: $325
Annual Fee: $95
Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of those “keeper cards” we’re always talking about. Its simplicity in earning rewards makes it worth holding onto. The best part? This card only asks for a $95 annual fee. We talk about this card’s big brother (the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card) quite a bit, but today is all about the OG. And just like its older brother, it allows you to pay for pretty much anything with miles. Score!
Capital One Rewards lets users book travel or cover travel expenses from the past 90 days at one cent per mile. This means the Venture Rewards card can cover at least $1,000 in travel costs, even retroactively! Plus, Capital One Miles can be transferred to several airline programs at a 1:1 ratio (but more on that later). We love this card because of its close relation to the Venture X. Here, you’ll still earn 5X per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X per $1 on everyday purchases. And, you still have the ability to write off any travel purchases! The best part? You’re only paying a $95 annual fee as opposed to the Venture X’s $395 annual fee. Do you have the same luxury perks? Well, no. But this card is still a great place to start.
And if video learning is more your style, Brendan gives a run-down of all the best features of this card, including a look at the new $250 travel credit 👇
[.pro]You can pay for literally any travel with miles[.pro]
[.pro]Great welcome offer for a $95 annual fee card[.pro]
[.pro]Simplicity of at least 2x miles on all purchases[.pro]
[.con]This card does come with a $95 annual fee[.con]
[.redeem] 5x [.redeem]per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
[.redeem] 2x [.redeem]per $1 on everyday purchases
And, your miles don't expire as long as your account is open.
When it comes to Capital One Miles, the best way to maximize your miles is to redeem them with travel. And to take it one step further (because *ahem* this is Daily Drop), the Venture Card will let you pay for any type of travel with miles. Yeah, you heard me right — ANY type of travel.
[.dontreco] We don’t recommend: Turning your Capital One Miles into cash [.dontreco]
With a Capital One rewards card, you earn cash back or miles on every dollar you spend. The amount you earn varies based on the card and how you use it. However, this method simply doesn’t provide the best value.
[.sometimesreco] We sometimes recommend: Booking through Capital One’s portal [.sometimesreco]
Booking travel through Capital One lets you redeem miles at 1 cent each, but you won't earn extra rewards or elite perks. It's better to book directly and then use your miles to cover the cost.
[.alwaysreco] We always recommend: Redeeming your miles for travel [.alwaysreco]
The bottom line is — if a flight or hotel room can be bought with cash, you can use your miles to book it. You can redeem your miles at 1 cent each for travel purchases made in the last 90 days on your Venture Card. And, there's no minimum amount needed. This means you could redeem for airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rentals, limousines, buses, cruises, taxis, travel agents, and more — literally anything in your wildest dreams! Taking advantage of these $750 worth of credits is what makes the Venture Card (and its big brother) so freaking awesome. By redeeming your miles for travel, you’ll absolutely maximize their value.
But how can I actually transfer my Capital One Miles?
Transferring your Capital One Miles is a super simple process. Just follow these steps:
And you’re on your way! ✈️
Oh yeah, did we mention that the Venture Card has a pretty nice list of transfer partners?
In case you need convincing, here’s that list:
Kara and Nate paid $0 for a 10-hour luxury train, the Peru Rail Lake Titicaca Train, to be exact. And, they did so with Capital One Miles. And, if you want the full details on that redemption, check out this video 👇
Why? Speaking of “keeper cards,” the Gold Card most definitely falls into that category. Many travel experts would tell you the Gold Card would be one of their only cards if given an ultimatum. Pairing the Gold Card with the Venture Rewards Card is a solid strategy for maximizing rewards on everyday spending and travel. The Amex Gold card comes with 4x miles on dining at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1x after that), making it ideal for foodies and grocery shoppers. On the other hand, the Venture Rewards card earns 2x miles on every purchase, providing a way to rack up travel rewards on all other spending.
By combining these cards, you can optimize your rewards: use the Amex Gold for dining and groceries to earn significant miles, and the Venture Rewards card for everything else to earn consistent miles. Plus, the Venture card offers flexibility with its miles redemption, including the ability to erase travel purchases or transfer miles to travel partners. Now, onto the Amex Gold card. Yes, it has a $325 annual fee (rates and fees), but stick with me. You're getting up to $120 in dining credits and another $120 in Uber Cash (To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States.) – Basically, its credits outweigh its annual fee. So...it's paying for itself. Girl math. 💅
Why? Pairing the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card with the Capital One Venture Rewards Card is a brilliant strategy for maximizing both cash back and travel rewards. Here's why: The Savor card is fantastic for food lovers and entertainment seekers, offering 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 3% at grocery stores, and 1% on all other purchases. This makes it perfect for those who frequently spend on eating out, attending events, or stocking up on groceries.
Meanwhile, the Venture Rewards card earns a flat 2x miles on every purchase, making it a versatile option for all other spending. This card also offers flexibility in redeeming miles, whether it's erasing travel purchases or transferring miles to travel partners. By combining these two cards, you can strategically use the Savor card for dining, entertainment, and grocery spending to earn high cash-back rates. For all other purchases, you should use your Venture card. This dual-card approach not only maximizes your rewards across different spending categories but also gives you the flexibility to enjoy both cash back and travel benefits, making your spending work harder for you.
One obvious reason we love this card so much is because of its super-duper low annual fee (as mentioned earlier). Brendan actually reviewed seven of his favorite cards with super low annual fees, including the Venture Card. Check out that video here 👇
Are you just getting started with the miles and points game? At Daily Drop, we love to recommend the Venture card as a solid beginner option. Not only does it have a manageable annual fee, but its earnings from everyday spending are top-tier. There’s actually a little thing called the Credit Card Ladder. Brendan does an excellent job explaining it in this YouTube video. But here’s the quick version: When you start on your miles and points journey, you might not have a single open account or even an existing credit score. This was me in 2022. Because life isn’t fair sometimes, you have to start with baby credit cards and work your way up to the big boys (i.e. The Venture X, The Platinum Card® from American Express, etc.). At the start of your credit card quest, the Venture card is certainly a step on the ladder to miles and points success.This card comes with a few additional travel perks so without further ado 👇
Let’s face it — we can’t all travel around the world hopping from hotel to hotel (as much as we’d love to). But, we can maximize PTO for some pretty incredible trips. And when it comes time to book said trips, the Venture card is your BFFGT (best friend for great travel). Did we just do something there? Anyways. Let’s start with the welcome bonus. With the Venture card, you’re earning 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening (plus a $250 Capital One travel credit). Okay, so that’s super solid. In addition to those beautiful Capital One miles, you’ll also be given a travel credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and you’ll get two complimentary visits to Capital One Lounges yearly. If you only traveled twice a year, you could easily stretch those miles for multiple trips, and relax comfortably in lounges on said trips, making the Venture Card worth keeping around, wouldn’t you say?
Here’s a good rule of thumb: You probably shouldn’t own a credit card if you: (1) have a bad credit score, (2) are a non-U.S. resident (for this particular card), and (3) cannot control your spending.
If your credit score is below 670, you'll need to improve it before applying for travel credit cards, as approval for the best ones, like the Venture Card, is unlikely. Be honest with yourself: if a new credit card will tempt you to overspend, it's best to avoid it. Credit cards are crucial for earning miles and points, but they require responsible use.
A decent credit score of 670-850 is recommended for the Capital One Venture Card. But again, if you’re in a solid place with your credit and feel you are ready for a new card, don’t let the fear of being rejected keep you from applying. We’ve known several people to be rejected on their first application, use the reconsideration line, and be granted the Venture Card. The worst they can say is “no,” and more often than not, we’ve found these people want to help!
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