Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Review 2025—Effortless Travel Rewards

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Unlimited 2X Miles at a Reasonable Price
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Quick Facts
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards
• Capital One Venture Rewards Benefits
• Capital One Venture Rewards Fine Print
• Complementary Cards for the Capital One Venture Rewards
• Our Experience With the Capital One Venture Rewards
• How the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Stacks Up
• Is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for You?
• Methodology
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The straightforward earning rates of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card make it a love-it-or-hate-it card. While that does limit the potential somewhat, it makes scoring a pile of miles easy for those who don’t want to deal with tracking bonus categories or carrying half a dozen cards around.

On the flip side, redeeming Capital One rewards offers limitless opportunities. You’ll find several methods to redeem them, with all the highest yields centered on travel—book a trip through Capital One Travel, transfer points to airline and hotel partners or redeem them against a travel purchase already made with the card. If you aren’t looking for travel rewards, alternative no annual fee, 2% cash-back cards could be a better fit.

Assuming you’re a traveler at heart, though, the Venture card is one you’ll want to look into. Extra benefits when booking through Capital One Travel, including bonus rewards, experience credits from the Lifestyle Collection and smart tools like price prediction and price matching, are inviting. All cardholders get access to other travel perks regardless of how they book, including statement credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and select travel insurance.

• $95 annual fee
• Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening plus a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year.
• Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar spent on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and an unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on other purchases.
• No foreign transaction fee
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
• Transfer miles to over 15 participating travel loyalty programs

Earning Rewards

The Venture card earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar spent on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and an unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on other purchases. The base earnings on the card are above average compared to most cards, especially when you factor in their versatility. Travel and entertainment purchases must be made directly through Capital One’s respective portals to earn at the elevated rate.

First-time cardholders can earn a welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening plus a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year.

Redeeming Rewards

There are five main ways to redeem your rewards on the Capital One Venture Card:

1. Redeem miles to cover previous travel purchases
2. Make and pay for new reservations through the Capital One Travel Center
3. Transfer miles to Capital One travel partners
4. Redeem for cash back or gift cards
5. Shop with rewards on Amazon.com or PayPal.com

Unfortunately, redemptions for cash back, gift cards and paying with points at online checkout with Amazon or PayPal tend to be worth less than travel redemptions. This illustrates why we recommend focusing on travel reward redemptions or considering a different card.

For the easiest travel redemptions, booking travel via Capital One or reimbursing yourself for recent travel charges are uncomplicated. There are no blackout dates or other restrictions, so you can design your trip without compromise.

The option to transfer miles to travel partners sets the Venture card apart among 2% cash-back cards. Cardholders can transfer miles to over 15 travel partners, with most transactions completing instantly at a 1:1 ratio. The value you get per mile will ultimately depend on how you redeem those miles through the airline or hotel program, but the extra effort can bump your overall value to 1.5 to 2 cents per point—a nice boost compared to booking travel directly. Some redemptions could be worth even more.

Capital One Transfer Partners

Capital One miles can transfer to the following airline and hotel loyalty program partners.

Airline Partners

• Aeromexico Rewards (1:1)
• Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1)
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue(1:1)
• Avianca LifeMiles (1:1)
• British Airways Executive Club (1:1)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1)
• Emirates Skywards (1:1)
• Etihad Airways Guest Rewards (1:1)
• EVA Infinity MileageLands (1,000:750)
• Finnair Plus (1:1)
• Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1)
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (1:1)
• TAP Air Portugal Miles & Go (1:1)
• Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles (1:1)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1)

Hotel Partners

• Accor Live Limitless (1,000:500)
• Choice Privileges (U.S. accounts only) (1:1)
• Wyndham Rewards (1:1)

Rewards Potential

The following table represents an example of how many Capital One miles you could earn with the Venture card over a single calendar year.

We used estimated spending amounts based on data from multiple government agencies to calculate the card’s rewards potential. Our research showed that an average household earning in the 70th percentile in 2025 brings in $127,200 and charges $40,398 to credit cards. We encourage you to substitute your spending amounts to calculate your individual anticipated earnings.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Rewards Potential

Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Hotels and Vacation Rentals Through Capital One Travel	5X	$2,963	14,815
Rental Cars Through Capital One Travel	5X	$791	3,955
Entertainment Through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/25)	5X	$589	2,945
All Other Purchases	2X	$36,055	72,110
			Total: 93,825 Capital One Miles

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How To Maximize Capital One Venture Rewards

You can maximize your Capital One miles both when earning and redeeming rewards.

When earning miles, simply pay with your card whenever possible rather than using cash, debit or other payment methods that don’t earn miles. You can earn additional miles by making your hotel, vacation rental, rental car and entertainment purchases through Capital One. Double-check to ensure the prices are beneficial compared to purchasing something directly or through a different third-party site.

To maximize your Venture Rewards card when redeeming miles, consider transferring your points to airlines or hotel chains that partner with Capital One. Completing your award booking through a frequent flyer program has the potential to stretch your miles more than one penny each.

You can obtain additional value from your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card by using its included benefits, such as a statement credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fees and relying on your card for MasterRental insurance and other trip protections when applicable.

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit. Receive a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fees.
• No foreign transaction fees. You won’t pay an additional fee when you use your card abroad.
• Exclusive benefits at Lifestyle Collection hotels. Lifestyle Collection hotel and vacation rental bookings made through Capital One may be eligible for premium benefits and a $50 experience credit.
• Extended warranty. Doubles the time period of your covered purchase’s original warranty, up to a maximum of twenty-four months.
• Fraud coverage. Cardholders aren’t responsible for unauthorized charges.
• Travel protections. Eligible travel paid for with your card may be covered by MasterRental insurance and trip cancellation/interruption coverage. Terms apply.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $95
• Balance transfer fee: Balance Transfer Fee applies to balances transferred at a promotional rate
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is an excellent option for anyone who wants a single card to cover all their expenses, thanks to a stellar flat earning rate. But if you’d like to step things up, adding a second or third card could further enhance your earnings.

One fantastic card to combine with the Venture is the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees). The card has no annual fee and earns 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. Rewards earned on the Savor can be pooled with your Venture. That way, you’ll earn additional rewards on dining, groceries and other bonus categories with the advantage of transferring them to Venture travel partners.

Another excellent card to pair with the Capital One Venture is the Capital One Spark Miles for Business (rates & fees). This card has a nearly identical earning and annual fee structure to the Venture but is designed for business expenses. If you have a small business, this allows you to earn the same great rewards on those purchases and later combine miles from both cards to get to your preferred award faster.

I waffled for a long time between applying for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and its more premium cousin, the $395 annual fee Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees). Ultimately, choosing the more affordable option was the right choice for me. Both cards earn the same base rate of 2 miles per dollar spent.

I use my Venture Credit Card all the time. I make a number of purchases at random retailers that typically don’t earn bonus rewards—think Home Depot, Target or my local pet shop—so earning 2 miles per dollar adds up. By the end of each year, I’ve usually earned enough miles for a one-way international flight ticket in business class—my favorite type of redemption. I transfer Capital One Rewards to an airline with availability and often reap 5 cents or more per mile. That’s considerably more than the 1 cent per point value with other redemption options.

Admittedly, the Venture card isn’t the only credit card in my wallet. I pair it with other cards that offer earning rates in a few select purchase categories that play a big part in my budget. Although I can see how the Venture is an excellent single-card option, I’m willing to put in the extra effort to earn on multiple cards for even higher rewards.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are two of the best midtier travel rewards cards. The Sapphire Preferred also carries an annual fee of $95, has multiple transfer partners and no foreign transaction fees.

Sapphire Preferred cardholders don’t earn at a flat rate like Venture cardholders. Instead, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. That could be better or worse, depending on how you spend your money. The Sapphire is more flexible with redemptions: Cash rewards are worth a full penny each, and you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for 1.25 cents each through Chase Travel, which is a nice boost. The Sapphire Preferred also offers up to $50 in statement credits per anniversary year for hotels booked through Chase Travel.

Compare: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card’s $395 annual fee (rates & fees) is a little more than four times higher than the Venture’s annual fee. But for travelers chasing premium benefits, this card just about pays for itself.

The card comes with a $300 annual credit for Capital One Travel bookings, the Partner Lounge Network and Capital One airport lounge access, and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (starting on the first anniversary). Those are some hefty upgrades that could be worth it. Both cards earn at a similar base rate and have the same travel transfer partners.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Anyone who prefers a no annual fee card can access the same transfer partners with the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), but with no out-of-pocket cost of card membership. Unfortunately, the tradeoff means you’ll only earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles per dollar on every other purchase.

If you’re the type of person who uses your credit card for anything and everything, the Venture’s extra earnings make it a better choice. But if you only need to pull out your card for a few transactions, the VentureOne still offers good redemption options and an easy way to pay with no foreign transaction fees.

The Venture Rewards is a phenomenal card for someone who wants to earn flexible rewards at an easy-to-remember flat rate. Since it has an unpretentious annual fee and sticks to basic benefits, it makes sense for someone who might not travel frequently or have the ability to use premium travel perks yet still wants to earn rewards for a future trip.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. The Capital One Venture Rewards card was graded as a flexible rewards card on the following factors:

• Annual fee
• Welcome bonus
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel and consume benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

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.