How to Pay for Anything with Points

When most people think of points, they picture airline miles. Maybe a hotel stay, if they’re fancy. If they’re really in the know, they might even think of transferable bank points.

But what most people don’t realize is that there is a magic points currency that will let you pay for ANY type of travel with points. And when I say any type, I mean it.  

Whether it’s a flight with RyanAir booked through the sketchiest third-party travel site you’ve ever seen, a hostel on HostelWorld.com, a train ticket booked directly at the ticket machine, or anything in between, there is a way to pay for these things with points.

And that secret weapon is… Capital One miles.

Why Capital One Miles Are Basically Magic

Yes, you can transfer Capital One miles to partners like Aeroplan, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines (and you should, when the value makes sense).

But the real win? You can use miles to cover any travel purchase on your statement at a flat 1 cent per mile — even if you didn’t book through Capital One.

No travel portal required.
No “only-this-airline” nonsense.
No waiting for award availability.

Just swipe your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Business anywhere that codes as travel, wait for it to post, use your miles, and move on with your life (happily, might I add).

Perfect for pretty much anything you'd reasonably consider travel:

• Flights (including budget airlines and third-party sites)

• Hostels and boutique hotels

• Rail passes, trains, buses, ferries

• Airport transfers, ride shares, car rentals

• Even taxes and fees on award tickets

Offers You Should Care About

“This sounds REALLY cool and so exciting, but how the heck do I even get Capital One miles in the first place?” 

Oh, great question, friend. 🙂 

It turns out there’s a ridiculously easy way to get tons of these miles, along with hundreds of dollars of other free travel. I know, it sounds too good to be true. But it’s not. It’s for real. 

Let me introduce you to the Venture X.

This beautiful piece of metal is one of the best cards on the market, and in my opinion, essential for any traveler’s wallet. 

That’s because you can earn a whopping amount of Capital One miles upon signing up for the card and meeting a designated spending requirement.

And, two of the best Capital One cards are running limited-time offers, both of which are… incredible

Venture X: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel.

That’s $1,000 toward travel, or potentially more if you transfer to partners.

Venture X Business: Earn up to 400K bonus miles (200K miles once you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 months).

That’s up to $4,000 in travel value, plus all the same premium perks.

👉 These offers haven’t shown up since 2021. We genuinely don’t know how long they’ll last. Don’t sleep on these.

How to Pay for Anything with Points

Here's your cheat sheet:

1. Use your Venture X or Venture X Business to book travel — literally anywhere.

2. Wait for the charge to post.

3. Redeem miles at one cent each within 90 days to cover it.

You can even use these miles to pay for the taxes and fees on a points ticket.

So if you use 30,000 points or miles (from any program) to book a flight and have to pay an additional $30 in taxes and fees, you can use Capital One miles to cover that $30, making the entire flight completely free.

Why the Venture X Is a Keeper Card

Let’s clear this up quickly — because yes, the $395 fee looks scary if you're new to travel cards.

What you get with the Venture X:

• 10,000 anniversary miles

• $300 annual travel credit through Capital One Travel

• Priority Pass and Capital One lounge access

• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every four years

That’s at least $400 in annual value — before you even swipe the card.

And to make things sweeter, you’re earning:

• 10x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

• 5x miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel

• 2x miles per dollar on all other purchases

Even if you never use this card for everyday spending (though you should), the annual benefits easily outweigh the fee. That’s why we recommend keeping it long-term — not canceling after earning the bonus.

How to Use the Venture X Well

Forget portals unless they’re genuinely showing the best deal. We recommend you:

• Redeem miles for any travel purchase posted in the last 90 days at one cent per mile.

• Book directly with airlines and hotels.

• Earn loyalty credit and still cover it with miles.

If you travel, even occasionally — the Venture X should live in your wallet.

If you book deals last-minute or through non-traditional channels, same deal.

If the idea of using points for a $14 bus ticket in Thailand makes you giddy, this card was made for you. And right now, with these offers back on the table… it's the best scenario we’ve seen in years.

Bottom Line

If you have $395 and good credit, then the Venture X is a no-brainer to me.

If your credit score is low and the fee is too scary for you, the lower-tier Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card would also be a good choice.

Feel free to browse our Top Credit Cards page that features our current favorite cards. We keep this updated each month in order to keep YOU in the know about the best of the best in the travel credit card world. ❤️