No matter what time of year it is, if you’re like me, you can really use the extra cash, the extra miles, the extra anything free to help you out even just a tiny bit….
Enter the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the best miles rewards credit cards because it earns 2x miles per dollar spent on every purchase (not just airline or travel purchases) and comes with a generous sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
You’ve come to Money Under 30, which means you’re smart enough to choose a credit card that fits your needs perfectly.
Here’s our Capital One Venture card review to help you decide if this card—or it’s no-annual fee sibling, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card—is right for you (See Rates & Fees.).
Quick look: Venture vs. VentureOne
Capital One’s travel rewards credit card has two versions—one with an annual fee, one without.
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card annual fee is $95. It earns 2x miles on every dollar spent (See Rates & Fees.)
- The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee and earns 1.25 miles per dollar spent (See Rates & Fees.)
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card overview
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- 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®
- Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network
- 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
| Annual Fee | Intro APR, Purchases | Intro APR, Balance Transfers | Regular APR | Credit Needed |
| $95 | N/A | N/A | 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
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The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market right now. It earns 2x miles on every purchase and has a sign-up bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a $95 annual fee, which is competitive with other premium travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card features a slightly richer signup bonus and perks like an international concierge service, if you want the the most ongoing rewards from your travel card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card may be a better bet.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card overview
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card earns only 1.25 miles per dollar spent, but remains a decent choice for someone looking for a travel rewards credit card with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. See Rates & Fees.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card gives you 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase and has no annual fee. You can also earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
If you will spend less than $10,000 a year on your next travel rewards credit card, opt for the no-fee VentureOne version.
Venture and VentureOne Credit Card benefits
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card are appealing for consumers looking for a straightforward travel rewards card that can be easily used both at home and overseas without incurring foreign transaction fees.
Simple rewards
Many users say Capital One’s miles rewards programs have been living up to the card company’s “no hassles” tagline. For example, with these cards you earn rewards at a set rate (either 1.25 miles per dollar or two miles per dollar depending on the card).
Compare this to the Discover it® Cash Back, which pays higher rewards, but only on certain categories and changes those categories every three months.
No foreign transaction fees
Capital One international transaction fees are lower than most U.S. credit cards. They are among cards that do not charge foreign currency transaction fees.
Because that could save you between 2% and 4% on overseas purchases, some would say Capital One cards are among the best credit cards for international travel because of their lack of foreign currency transaction fees.
How do Capital One miles work?
Miles earned with the Capital One Venture and VentureOne can be automatically redeemed as a statement credit for any travel related expense, such as airline, hotel, cruise line and rental car transactions.
Alternately, cardholders can redeem miles by booking on any airline at any time, with no blackout dates, no advance booking required. Miles don’t expire for the life of the account.
When earning miles, there are no limits on when, where or how you earn 2x miles per dollar spent, no retailer specifications or spending categories, no separate rewards enrollment or re-enrollment requirements, and no limit on the number of miles cardholders can accumulate.
Compared to some travel credit cards—particularly airline cards that earn miles good for travel on just one airline, the Venture and VentureOne cards are attractive for their simplicity. If you have available miles, you can simply check boxes on your credit card statement next to travel transactions you want to pay for.
If there’s a downside to Capital One miles, it’s that you can’t stretch their value.
How much are Capital One miles worth?
The Capital One miles earned with the Venture and VentureOne cards are worth a penny a piece. 100 miles equals one dollar’s reward.
That’s exactly average as far as rewards miles go—no better, no worse.
For example, if you’re earning 2x miles with the Venture card, $15,000 in spending earns you 30,000 miles which can buy a $300 airline ticket. That’s better than some miles rewards cards that only give you one mile for every dollar spent and then require you to cash in up to twice as many miles to get a cash-value reward like a gift card.
What credit score do you need for the Venture or VentureOne card?
Both the Capital One Venture and VentureOne require a good or excellent credit score.
In most cases this means using credit for between three and five years, a FICO score of 700 or higher, and not having too much other credit card debt. Get your free credit score if you’re not sure. Other factors also determine credit worthiness.
Rates and fees
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Balance Transfer Fee | 3% for the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR | $0 at the Transfer APR, 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you |
| APR | 0% intro on purchases for 15 months and 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months. Then 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) | 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
| Welcome bonus | 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening | 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening |
| Cashback rewards | Unlimited 1.25 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases | Unlimited 2 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases |
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great Sign-up Bonus — Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
- Strong Rewards for All Purchases — Earn two miles per dollar spent on all purchases, with no limits.
- Easy Rewards to Redeem — Miles can be redeemed for travel statement credits or transferrred to airline miles.
Cons
- High Annual Fee — There’s a $95 annual fee
- Less Flexible Rewards — Travel statement credits aren’t as flexible as cash back.
Summary
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice for a hassle free rewards credit card. putting it among the best Capital One Credit Cards.
Despite it’s $95 annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the better deal if you’ll spend around $10,000 a year or more on the card. See Rates & Fees.