The Capital One Venture Card is a very good travel rewards credit card for people with 700+ credit scores who don't want to be tied down to a single travel provider. With an initial bonus worth $750 in travel, double miles on all purchases and a reasonable annual fee, it’s clear why the Venture Card is so popular.
One of the keys to the
Capital One Venture Card’s success is the fact that you can use Venture miles to pay for any travel-related charges once they post to your account. This policy is great for people who like to shop around for the best deals on travel comparison sites. It also gives you a lot of booking freedom relative to most travel rewards cards.
You can learn more about the Venture Card’s unique benefits below.
Capital One Venture Card Review Highlights
Initial bonus worth $750
That’s how much
Capital One Venture’s
75,000 miles are worth when redeemed for any travel-related purchase that appears on your statement. All you have to do to earn this bounty is spend at least
$4,000 within
3 months of account opening.
Up to 2% back on all purchases
The
Capital One Venture Card gives you
2 miles / $1 spent on most purchases, which equates to 2% cash back when you redeem for travel. Miles are worth less when redeemed for anything else. Plus, hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel yield
5 miles / $1 spent.
No foreign fee
None of Capital One’s credit cards charge foreign-transaction fees. And it is one of only two major issuers to take that step. This will save you
1.56% on all purchases processed outside the U.S., whether you’re traveling or simply buying something from an international merchant.
Reasonable annual fee
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card's
$95 annual fee might scare some applicants off, but it’s a bargain when you consider the card’s rewards. The initial bonus alone covers more than seven years of annual fees.
Travel-booking flexibility
Unlike many other rewards cards, the Venture Credit Card doesn’t force you to book rewards travel through Capital One. Instead, you can book wherever you want and then simply use your miles to pay for the purchase when it appears on your statement.
Generous ‘travel’ definition
The fact that Venture rewards are worth less if you don’t redeem for travel could be a major drawback, depending on how “travel” is defined. Fortunately, Venture views the term pretty broadly. You’ll get full value for your miles by redeeming them for any of the following types of travel expenses:
- Airfare
- Hotel reservations
- Cruise reservations
- Train tickets
- Taxi, bus or limo fare
- Travel agent fees
- Time shares
Travel Insurance
Capital One Venture currently offers lost luggage reimbursement and rental car insurance. If you charge your transportation, lodging, and other travel expenses to the card, these types of insurance may protect you from having to pay for lost or stolen bags, damage to a rental car, or theft of a rental car. Just remember: The benefits are available to accounts approved for the Visa Signature product and they are subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the Visa Signature Guide to Benefits (see account terms or application terms for more details). Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Built to be paid in full
Like most rewards cards,
Capital One Venture sports a rather high APR. In fact, you’re likely to receive an above-average rate for your credit standing. So it’s best not to carry a balance from month to month with this particular plastic.
It’s fair to say that the
Capital One Venture Card is an elite option for anyone with even a bit of travel on their itinerary. You just need to make sure you have the good or excellent credit needed to qualify. You can
check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub to find out.
Learn More About the Capital One Venture Card
Capital One Venture Card credit scoreYou need at least good credit to get approved for the
Capital One Venture. That means applicants must have a credit score of 700 or higher for good approval odds.
Capital One Venture Card credit limitCapital One assigns Venture Card credit limits based on each applicant’s credit history and ability to pay.
Capital One Venture Card annual feeThe
Capital One Venture annual fee is
$95.