This Might Be the Most Underrated Travel Card for Simplicity
If you travel regularly but don't want a card with a ton of hoops to jump through, here's a great solution for you.
Are you tired of juggling complex bonus categories and jumping through hoops to earn travel miles? Introducing the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
This card is refreshingly simple. You earn a flat rate of two miles per dollar on everything, giving you an effortless way to accumulate miles in a hurry. And it's your perfect travel-saving companion, earning you five miles per dollar on car and vacation rentals and hotel bookings through Capital One's travel portal.
Is it the right fit for your needs? I'll break down who this card benefits the most. I'll also recommend strategies to turn this card from a basic wallet staple into your ultimate travel cheat code.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Which travel perks does the card offer me?
Here's a breakdown of some of the card's main travel perks:
Feature | Detail | Benefit to Traveler |
|---|---|---|
Lifestyle Collection Stay | Receive a $50 experience credit on each stay | Late checkout, early check-in and room upgrades, when available |
Travel Booking Bonus | 5x Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. | Maximizes earnings on major travel expenses. |
Redemption Rate | Miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each against any travel purchase. | Versatile and simple redemption process |
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck | Statement credit up to $120. | Covers the cost of essential expedited security programs. |
Transfer Partners | Ability to transfer miles to over 15 airline and hotel partners. | Provides flexibility for maximizing value beyond 1 cent per mile. |
Here's another perk: You'll have flexible redemption. As long as your account is active and in good standing, your miles will not expire for the life of the account.
This card is best if you…
- Travel at least a few times per year
- Want simplicity in rewards
- Don't want a high annual fee (this card's is $95)
- Need the ability to transfer miles to airline and hotel partners
Meanwhile, this card won't be a good fit if you…
- Want a card with airport lounge access (consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for this feature)
- Need other incentives like shopping and streaming offers
- A jet setter who wants to maximize luxury rewards
If you fit the profile of someone who would use and benefit from the card, here are some strategies to get the most out of it.
How to transform your card into the ultimate travel cheat code
This card's strength lies in its flexibility and simplicity. Here are a few ways to leverage both to your advantage.
Strategy 1: Use it as your everyday card to achieve the intro bonus
The card comes with a generous introductory bonus of 75,000 miles (a $750 value) when you open the card and charge at least $4,000 in the first three months.
I recommend hitting this mark by shuffling purchases that make sense over to it. This could be streaming, groceries or other expenditures. Once you reach that bonus mark, not only will you have 75,000 miles, you'll also earn another 8,000 miles just for using the card as intended. This gives you $830 off the bat for trips.
Strategy 2: Travel wisely using the perks
Normally, I am not a big proponent of using credit card portals to book travel. They tend to be more expensive than purchasing directly through the airline. However, The Points Guy found Capital One's travel portal to be among the best rates.
When you book, make sure to do so through Capital One's travel portal for hotels and rental cars, where you'll earn five times the miles on every dollar spent.
Strategy 3: Redeem your way
Another perk of this card is that you can choose how to redeem your miles. You can do so by:
- Reimbursement for travel purchases: How this would work is you pay for a travel purchase, like a hotel booking, using your card. Once it processes, you can log in to your Capital One account to get reimbursed for the purchase or a portion of it, with the miles you have. Miles are redeemable at one cent per mile, giving you an easy way to pay off purchases.
- Maximize value: If you travel regularly and want to transfer your points to airlines or hotel partners, you're in luck. Capital One has more than 15 travel partners you can use. This is where the real value is, because in some cases (Air Canada Aeroplan or Turkish Airlines), you can earn higher redemption limits.
All told, the Capital One Venture Rewards card is a fantastic under-the-radar card for the occasional traveler who wants simplicity in rewards and flexible travel partners. While it won't be the right fit for every wallet, it does offer ample value, especially when you transfer to Capital One's travel partners.
Related content
