Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Travel Credit Card Review

If you’re an avid traveler, the card_name may be a great addition to your wallet.

The Venture Rewards card offers a flat rate of two miles earned for every dollar you spend with the card, which makes it really easy to pile up rewards for your next vacation while conducting your everyday business.

Team Clark considers it one of the top travel credit cards on the market. But does it belong in your wallet?

In this review, I’ll take a deep dive into the Venture Rewards offering and help you decide.

What Is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?

card_name Annual Fee: $95 Rewards Program Details: 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This Is the Card for You If: You want a travel credit card that rewards everyday purchases with an easy-to-understand structure.

Limited-time Offer: For a limited time, earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

The card_name is a rewards credit card that awards miles each time you spend with the card. These miles can then be redeemed on travel from vacation rentals, car rentals and more, or transfer miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs.

The Venture Rewards card made Team Clark’s list of best travel credit cards as the top pick for flat-rate rewards.

This card does carry a $95 annual fee, but Capital One also offers a Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. This stripped-down version has a smaller rewards structure.

Card Specs and Perks

If you’re signing up for this travel card, it’s likely because you want to take advantage of the rewards program that could land you free flights or hotel nights on your next getaway.

Let’s start there.

Rewards Program

Here’s a rundown of the rewards you can expect from this card:

• Unlimited 2x Miles per Dollar on Every Purchase, Every Day: The flat-rate rewards for this card are perhaps the top reason to apply for it. No matter how you spend your money, you’re going to earn two miles for every dollar spent — no caps, limits or categorical restrictions.
• Use the Miles To Redeem Travel Rewards: The miles that you accumulate through everyday purchases are tracked in your Capital One account. You can save them up for redemption on travel when the time is right.
• The Redemption Options Are Good: There aren’t many restrictions here. Capital One says you can redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel with no blackout dates. You can also transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs.
• These Miles Don’t Expire: You don’t have to worry about losing your miles as long as your credit card account is open and in good standing.
• Miles Can Be Used for Non-Travel Purchases, But Be Careful: Capital One touts the ability to use your miles on purchases with your PayPal account or at Amazon.com, but be careful. Using your miles for non-travel purchases may result in a reduced valuation of your miles. The standard for travel is one cent per mile, so evaluate your offers to spend based on that.

Top Cardholder Benefits

• Generous Welcome Offer: For a limited time, earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
• TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry Credit: Use your Venture card to receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. You’re eligible to get reimbursed for this once every four years. Since this is a travel card, this perk should be useful for most cardholders.
• Auto Rental Insurance Protection: If you pay for your rental car with this credit card, you will be able to avoid buying the insurance sold at the rental company counter.
• Extended Warranty Protection: This is one of the Capital One cards that offer extended warranties on qualified purchases that carry a manufacturer warranty. It can extend coverage for up to an additional 24 months.

Cardholder Fees

• Annual Fee: $95
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% if at a promotional APR, no fee if at regular APR
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $5

Final Thoughts

Are you considering adding the Venture Rewards from Capital One credit card to your wallet? Let’s review some of the major pros and cons of the card before you make your final decision:

Pros and Cons

Bottom Line

If you love to travel but don’t like to be tied down to specific airline or hotel brands, this card could be a great fit for your wallet.

The rewards program is easy to understand and straightforward to implement. You simply earn two miles for every dollar you spend with the card.

And if you regularly pay for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, being able to get a statement credit for that purchase is a nice perk.

There are cards out there that are going to be more flashy, with bonuses in certain travel-related spending categories, but this one will be the steady, everyday presence in your wallet.

Do you have this credit card? We’d love to hear about your experience with it in the Clark.com community.