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I'm planning a trip to Italy with a friend from college -- and thanks to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees), I'll pay for my flight in miles, not cash. Most other travel cards only offer bonus miles for travel-related purchases. By contrast, this card earns miles on all my everyday spending, from Taylor Swift merch to toothpaste.
By turning my routine expenses into travel rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has effortlessly leveled up my vacation plans. Read on to discover if it's right for your next adventure.
5.00/5
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 = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
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 = Poor
Credit Score:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase. Earn unlimited 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.
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
This is one of our top travel credit cards overall, because of its highly lucrative, yet dead simple rewards program. Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and use them to get reimbursed for any travel purchase — or to book a trip through Capital One Travel. TSA PreCheck® credit and the opportunity to earn a massive sign-up bonus(equal to $750 in travel) make this credit card one of the best travel companions.
Excellent sign-up bonus
Unlimited miles on purchases
Travel credit
Multiple ways to use miles
No foreign transaction fee
Annual fee
No 0% intro APR offer
Low cash back redemption value
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, 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
Who should consider the Capital One Venture Card?
This credit card is perfect for people who love to travel -- but generally spend money on everyday, non-travel expenses like groceries, utilities, and online shopping. Where most travel cards earn extra miles on exciting purchases like hotels, airfare, and dining, this card earns 2X miles on every purchase (even the boring ones).
What I like about Capital One Venture Card
2X miles on every purchase -- even the boring stuff
I love this card because it rewards my everyday spending. Plenty of cards promise big rewards for flights or hotels, but let's be real: I'm at the grocery store far more often than the airport!
With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, I earn double miles on everything, from shampoo and Oreos to Hamilton tickets and even copays at my doctor's office. I'm often surprised at how many miles I've accumulated with my ordinary, day-to-day spending.
5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
With this card, you can earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This is on par with the best travel cards we've seen.
Use miles to cover any travel purchase
Capital One offers an extremely unique benefit: You can book travel directly with any airline, hotel, or other travel carrier, and pay for it with Capital One miles.
Here are a few travel expenses you could pay for in miles with Capital One that likely wouldn't be covered by other travel credit cards:
A night at a haunted bed and breakfast
A foodie walking tour advertised on Viator, Airbnb, or another travel site
A train ticket, so you can travel between cities in style
Capital One gives you incredible flexibility in how you spend your miles, allowing you to plan your trip without worrying about travel partners, portals, or conversion ratios.
TIP
Other ways to redeem miles
You can also transfer miles to airlines or book travel using the Capital One portal seamlessly. Those options are both incredibly easy -- but they have limited selection when it comes to flights, stays, and more.
You can earn a75,000 Miles welcome bonus. You earn the miles once you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after opening this card. The additional amount represents a one-time travel credit to use in your first cardholder year. As far as credit card welcome bonuses go, this is a pretty solid one.
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
4.50/5
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 = Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
1% - 5% Cashback
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
5.00/5
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 = Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending
$200 cash rewards
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
2% cash rewards
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Intro:
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
4.00/5
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 = Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases
25,000 points
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
1.5-3 points per dollar
Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.
Intro:
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers
may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
While some cards offer 5x or more on flights, this card only offers 2X. That didn't bother me -- I like to pay for my flights in miles, not cash. Still, if you're a frequent flyer laser-focused on airline rewards, you might want to explore airline credit cards or other travel cards.
No airport lounge access
This was a big one for me. While many travel cards throw in complimentary airport lounge access as a perk, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card skips it entirely. I did some soul-searching on this one, but ultimately, the card's ability to rack up miles outweighed any hesitations around lounge access.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers lounge access. However, its annual fee is much higher, at $395 (see rates and fees).
Is it worth the annual fee?
Yes, absolutely. Miles are worth about $0.01 each when redeemed for general travel purchases. You'll need to spend $4,750 to break even on the annual fee of$95 (see rates and fees) -- a fairly low threshold to meet each year.
And the double miles add up, especially over the course of a year. Add that to the generous welcome bonus and you have a card that can easily fuel your next trip to Paris, Quito, or whatever city is calling your name.
How to apply for the Capital One Venture Card
Applying for a Capital One credit card is a breeze. The application took me just a couple clicks because I'm an existing Capital One banking customer -- but even if you don't currently have an account with Capital One, the process is simple. You'll just need to give them some basic info, like your name, address, and income.
My approval was instant; some people may not hear back for a few days while Capital One verifies their identity and information. If you're approved, Capital One will give you access to a virtual card while you wait for your physical copy to arrive in the mail.
Final thoughts
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card allows me to earn miles every day, on all my spending. I don't have to juggle five different rewards cards or think about bonus categories -- I simply live my life, and the miles quietly accumulate in my account. If you're also looking for a low-effort travel card with big rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is definitely one of the best credit cards to consider. (See rates and fees.)
At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.
FAQs
Yes. Just charge the Delta flight to your Capital One card, then submit to Capital One for reimbursement within 90 days. Capital One will give you a statement credit in the amount of your flight and deduct the corresponding miles from your account.
This card is good for people who like to travel, but spend most of their budget on everyday expenses. It doesn't have bonus categories for airfare or dining, but it earns 2X miles on every purchase -- even boring categories, like groceries -- and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
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Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above 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.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Alice Hoekstra has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Target, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Capital One Financial. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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