The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a well-rounded credit card for travel with a reasonable annual fee in exchange for a lucrative initial offer and many valuable benefits.
Business Insider's personal finance team finds the Capital One Venture Rewards Card to be an industry leader among the best travel rewards credit cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure, beneficial travel perks, and generous welcome bonus.
Pro tip: Capital One waives foreign transaction fees on all of its cards, which makes Capital One credit cards great for travel in general.
$95
N/A
19.99% - 29.24% variable
Get $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year and earn 75,000 bonus miles
Good to Excellent
- $50 experience credit and free upgrades on Capital One Lifestyle Collection bookings
- Includes a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Other credit cards offer higher rewards in certain categories of spending
If you want an easy, no-fuss travel rewards credit card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great fit. For a moderate annual fee, it offers plenty of value, useful benefits, and a substantial welcome bonus.
- Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals 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 $120 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
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Pros and Cons
Advantages:
- Unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases
- Generous welcome bonus offer
- Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Unique experiences through Capital One Entertainment
Disadvantages:
- $95 annual fee might not be worth it for people who don't spend enough or travel often enough to maximize its benefits
- Flat-rate rewards — consider one of the best rewards credit cards if you'd prefer to earn more per dollar for a little more work
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Overview
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is one of the best Capital One credit cards for travelers seeking simple rewards and reliable benefits. This card works well whether you prefer the ease of earning cash back or redeeming rewards for free travel.
However, Business Insider's points and miles valuations estimate Capital One miles can be worth an average of 1.7 cents each when you transfer them to airline and hotel partners, since you can get better deals with rewards on business class flights and luxury hotels. That makes the welcome bonus offer miles worth around $1,275 in travel.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards
Welcome Bonus
New cardholders earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year.
Earning Rewards
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every other purchase.
Whether you're paying for groceries, dining out, or booking your next vacation, this card helps you quickly accumulate miles without the hassle of bonus categories or spending caps.
Redeeming Rewards
You can redeem Capital One miles for travel expenses or generic rewards such as gift cards.
You'll get significantly more value from your rewards if you use them for flights, hotel stays, and other big-ticket travel expenses.
Redeem for Travel
Redeeming Capital One miles for travel is really easy. You have several options:
Redeem as statement credits: This is the simplest way to redeem Capital One miles for travel. Simply use your card to book new travel through any airline, hotel, train, cruise, or travel agency.
After you make an eligible travel purchase, you can reimburse yourself with miles within 90 days of the transaction date.
Transfer to travel partners: You can transfer your miles to well over a dozen Capital One transfer partners. This is generally the best way to maximize the value of your Capital One miles.
You can transfer Capital One miles to the following airline and hotel partners, most at a 1:1 transfer ratio:
Capital One Transfer Partners
- Aeromexico Club Premier (1:1 ratio)
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
- ALL - Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio)
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
- British Airways Executive Club (1:1 ratio)
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
- Choice Privileges (1:1 ratio)
- Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio)
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio)
- EVA Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5 ratio)
- Finnair Plus (1:1 ratio)
- JetBlue (5:3 ratio)
- Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
- Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio)
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go (1:1 ratio)
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (1:1 ratio)
- Virgin Red (1:1 ratio)
- Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio)
Book travel directly: Redeem miles by booking flights, hotels, and rental cars through the Capital One travel portal.
Redeem for Non-Travel
Redeem for gift cards: Choose from popular retailers and restaurants.
Cash back: Convert miles to cash as statement credits or checks. Statement credits usually process within a few days, while checks can take up to two weeks.
Shopping with miles: Use miles directly for purchases at Amazon or through PayPal for more immediate value from your rewards.
Exclusive events: With Capital One Entertainment, you can redeem miles for access to unique experiences, from concerts and sports games to special events.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Benefits
This card also offers many benefits beyond rewards. Terms change from time to time, so consult your card's benefit guide to make sure you understand the limits and conditions.
$50 Experience Credit Through Capital One Lifestyle Collection
Capital One offers a proprietary collection of partner hotels and vacation rentals that provide exclusive discounts for Capital One Venture Rewards Cardholders who book through the Lifestyle Collection.
The Lifestyle Collection is available through Capital One Travel, and cardholders get a number of benefits, including:
- Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and vacation rentals in the collection
- A $50 experience credit on hotel or vacation rental bookings — this will vary at the property's discretion but may come in the form of a gift card, rooftop drinks, or room service
- Hotel room upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out when available
- Complimentary WiFi
50% Off Capital One Café
Capital One cardholders get 50% off handcrafted beverages at all Capital One Cafés when you pay with that card.
Dining and Entertainment
Capital One offers cardholders access to exclusive events, VIP packages, sporting events, and more through its Capital One Entertainment platform. Additionally, Capital One Dining can help you secure hard-to-get restaurant reservations.
Auto Rental Damage Waiver
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders get secondary car rental insurance coverage, which covers damage due to collision or theft on eligible vehicles when they use the card to pay for the rental. Some vehicles and countries aren't covered, so be sure to read the guide to benefits before you rent.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Application Fee Credit
The card comes with a credit of up to $120 toward your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee, available once every four years.
Global Entry is a federal program that allows participating travelers to skip traditional passport control lines when returning to the U.S. from international travel for expedited immigration processing. Meanwhile, TSA PreCheck® allows pre-screened travelers to pass through U.S. security screening more quickly while keeping their shoes and coats on, and their laptops in their bags.
Each program has an application fee, but Global Entry approval automatically includes TSA PreCheck® — so you can get membership in both programs thanks to this complimentary credit.
Extended Warranty
When you use your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to pay for an eligible new item, you can get extended warranty protection which doubles the time period of the original manufacturer's written U.S. repair warranty up to one additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Purchase Protection
If an item you've bought with your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase, you may be reimbursed for the cost of replacement or repair.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
If you paid for your fare with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and your luggage is lost due to theft or misdirection by the carrier, you can be eligible for expenses associated with replacing your lost items.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Fees
Annual Fee
Like many mid-tier travel rewards cards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a $95 annual fee — manageable for most households and the benefits it comes with.
APR and Other Costs
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a 19.99% - 29.24% variable APR. Unlike many competitors, this card doesn't offer a 0% APR introductory period. If you want to pay off a large purchase or existing credit card debt over time without paying interest, consider one of the best zero-interest period credit cards or one of the best balance transfer credit cards instead.
For balance transfers, the card has a 4% fee on amounts transferred at a promotional rate, but no fee for balances transferred at the standard Transfer APR. Late payments may also incur a fee.
The card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, making it an excellent choice for international travel and one of our best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Alternatives
While the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great travel card, it's not the only one available — even among other cards with the same annual fee.
Here are several other alternatives that may suit your lifestyle even better.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is Business Insider's top-choice travel rewards card for most people, and is ideal if you spend heavily on dining and travel.
It earns 5 points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2 points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point on all other purchases.
The card's welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening can be worth up to $1,800 when redeemed for travel purchases through Chase Travel℠.
Additional benefits such as robust travel protections, including trip cancellation insurance and lost luggage reimbursement, make the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card a compelling choice. Most notably, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers primary rental car coverage, which means drivers can file eligible insurance claims directly through Chase's underwriting partner instead of first going through their own insurance policy. This valuable benefit can save you a lot of money if you ever need to use it, and is rare from a card with an annual fee of just $95 .
Neither the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card nor the Capital One Venture Rewards Card charges foreign transaction fees, so both are great for international travel. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card maximizes points based on specific spending categories, while the Capital One Venture Rewards Card offers a more streamlined approach with unlimited 2 miles on all purchases outside Capital One Travel.
We recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card if you spend a lot on restaurants and streaming services, and the Capital One Venture Rewards Card if you value flat-rate rewards.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card are "siblings" that benefit slightly different people.
The VentureOne Rewards Card is great for people who want to avoid an annual fee or take advantage of a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (intro fee of 3% for the first 15 months, then 4% of the amount of each balance transfer at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time), then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR.
It earns rewards much like the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, just at a slightly lower rate: 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and unlimited 1.25 miles on every other purchase.
The VentureOne Rewards Card also offers a lower welcome bonus of 20,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases within three months from account opening, which requires far less spending. Like the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, the VentureOne Rewards Card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, which is a strong positive on a card with no annual fee.
You can read more about both options in our comparison guide to the Capital One Venture vs. VentureOne cards.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card Review
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
The $95-annual-fee Citi Strata Premier℠ Card offers new cardholders 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
The Citi Strata Premier℠ accumulates valuable Citi ThankYou points quite quickly: 10 ThankYou® points total per dollar spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per dollar on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Neither the Capital One Venture Rewards Card nor the Citi Strata Premier℠ charge foreign transaction fees.
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card's high earning potential in specific categories is a better fit for people who spend a lot on travel and dining, while the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card simplifies rewards with unlimited double miles on purchases.
Citi Strata Premier Card Review
Capital One Venture Rewards Card Cardholder Reviews
In addition to sharing our expert analysis, we looked at consumer feedback on the Capital One Venture Rewards Card by reading cardholder reviews online on Reddit and Facebook.
Current cardholders appreciate that there are no foreign transaction fees, but some dislike the card's annual fee and feel that other competitors in this space offer better value for the cost.
Specific cardholders commented on the Capital One Venture Rewards Card's complimentary car rental coverage, which offers peace of mind while driving a rented vehicle. (However, Business Insider's experts recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for superior rental car coverage.)
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card rewards system is easy to use for redeeming travel, and many Redditors say they get the best value from transferring credit card rewards to travel partners.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main benefits of the Capital One Venture Credit Card?
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card's top benefits include unlimited 2 miles per dollar on purchases, no foreign transaction fees, car rental collision damage waiver coverage, and the ability to transfer points to travel partners for additional value.
How does the Capital One Venture Credit Card compare to other travel rewards cards?
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card stands out as a travel rewards card because it offers a competitive welcome bonus, double miles on purchases, and perks like a complimentary credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fees.
Are there any downsides to the Capital One Venture Credit Card?
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card's downsides include its $95 annual fee and flat-rate earnings of 2 miles per dollar spent, which can be offputting for people who don't want to pay an annual fee or want to earn more per dollar spent.
How can I maximize the benefits of the Capital One Venture Credit Card?
Maximize your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card by using it for all purchases; meeting the spending requirement to earn its welcome bonus; and transferring points to Capital One's airline and hotel partners for increased redemption value.
What is the current introductory offer for the Capital One Venture Credit Card?
The current introductory offer for the is 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Business Insider evaluated the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card in comparison to competing travel rewards credit cards. We reviewed the card on various factors, including:
- Ease of use — Does the card have a straightforward earning and redemption structure that makes it easy for beginners and experts alike? Are there multiple ways to redeem miles?
- Rewards earning potential — Are there bonus categories that appeal to a wide range of consumers, or is there a strong flat rate of rewards? Are any bonus categories capped at a certain amount of spending?
- Annual fee — Is the card's annual fee worth it when you consider the value of the card's rewards and benefits?
- Benefits — Do the card's perks, especially travel benefits, compare favorably with similar cards?
You can find out more about how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.
***Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details. Travel Accident Insurance is not guaranteed, it depends on the level of benefits you get at application.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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