Capital One Credit Card Guide
Capital One has been on a rapid rise within the Credit Card market. Launched in 1994, it’s over 100 years younger than many of its competitors that trace their roots back to the 1800s.
And no cards have had a more rapid rise than their travel line, Venture. Just a few years ago I had no Capital One cards in my wallet, but they’re now the true backbone of my wallet!
Just like the Chase Ecosystem we have discussed previously, Capital One has its own Travel Portal, where cardholders can book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel-related items. The points can also be transferred to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio, providing added flexibility for maximizing the value of your Cap One points.
Capital One has 3 different reward currencies: Venture, Savor, and Spark. We’re going to focus a lot on Venture later in this article as it’s widely considered the premier rewards program at Capital One.
However, if you currently have a Savor or Spark card don’t fret all these reward programs can be pooled together. Venture and Spark miles are virtually identical, as they can be used in the same ways and can be combined at any time. Savor cards only earn cashback but if you have a Venture card as well you’ll have an option on your Rewards screen to ‘Move Rewards’. You will then be able to move your cashback to venture points at a 1:1 ratio.
In this Article
Venture Cards
The first Venture card I want to talk about is the OG Venture Rewards Credit Card:
Capital One Venture Rewards
One of the most popular credit cards on the market due to its high sign-up bonus and earning 2x on ALL purchases!
Annual Fee
$95
Credit Score Range
690 – 850
Welcome Offer
75,000 Miles
- 2x miles on everything
- 5x on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- 75,000 miles welcome offer (After $4,000 spend within 3 months of account opening)
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Transfer miles to more than 15 partner airline and hotel programs
This is an excellent rewards card for both those starting out and the seasoned traveler. Having a card that earns unlimited 2x miles is a great way to fill holes in your wallet. The only knock is its big brother the Venture X does everything better at the same cost point.
A fantastic beginner travel card that gives you 2x Miles on ALL purchases and has an excellent welcome offer. The card does come with a $95 fee but can be offset initially with a $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Capital One Venture allows you to use your points in multiple ways. You can book flights, hotels, and rental cars through Capital One Travel. Or use your points to redeem gift cards, shop on Amazon, or cover travel purchases. One of the most unique things Capital One offers is allowing you to use your points in Capital One Entertainment where you can redeem your points for thousands of sporting events, concerts, and more!
The best value for your points though is to usually take advantage of Capital One Transfer Partners. Capital One currently has 18 different loyalty programs to select from:
Capital One has two hotel transfer partners, Choice Privileges Rewards and Wyndham Rewards. Choice has 22 distinct brands and more than 7,400 hotel locations. Redemptions can start as low as 6k points a night.
Wyndham Rewards offers even more with 24 brands across 9,500 different hotels. Redemptions for hotel rooms start at 7.5k points per night. Wyndham also offers a fantastic program that allows you to book vacation homes through Vacasa, which has over 35k vacation homes for rent.
Redemptions follow a standard formula of 15k points per bedroom, per night. This can offer exceptional value, as many one-bedroom vacation homes near golf resorts often sell for well over $300 per night.
Capital One’s 16 Airline partners allow you to travel to just about every part of the world without paying a cent!
The Capital One Venture Rewards is an all-around great card. However, it has been outshined by its new baby brother, the Capital One Venture X.
Capital One Venture X
The newest premium credit card on the market may just be the best with its seemingly endless perks and 2x miles on ALL purchases!
Annual Fee
$395
Credit Score Range
740 – 850
Welcome Offer
75,000 Miles
- 2x miles on everything
- 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 10x on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- 75,000 miles welcome offer (After $4,000 spend within 3 months of account opening)
- 10k miles Anniversary Bonus every year, starting on your first anniversary
- $300 Annual Travel Credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Transfer miles to more than 15 partner airline and hotel programs
- Access to the new Capital One Lounges for you and 2 guests per visit
- Global Lounge Access with Priority Pass & Plaza Premium Group. Access for you and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges worldwide
- Hertz President Circle Status
- No fee for up to 4 authorized users
- Complimentary Cell Phone Insurance
This is a premier travel card through and through. If you use the credits and points rewarded for holding the card it completely wipes out the annual fee. Making this the best deal for a premium travel credit card!
Now at first look the Venture X may seem like a terrible deal. You can get the same 2x miles on everything with the Venture Rewards for just $95 versus $395. That is a lot to pay for a credit card, but the card can more than pay for its self.
First, you have the $300 annual travel credit which if you’re booking at least one flight or hotel stay a year can easily be used in full. Then when you combine the annual 10k anniversary bonus miles which at a minimum is worth $100. Most people value Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each. Which easily surpasses the $395 annual fee, plus you get these other amazing premium travel perks:
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Access to the new Capital One Lounges for you and 2 guests per visit
- Global Lounge Access with Priority Pass & Plaza Premium Group. Access for you and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges worldwide
- Hertz President Circle Status
- No fee for up to 4 authorized users
- Complimentary Cell Phone Insurance
The Venture X in my opinion is the best premium travel card on the market. It gives you all the perks of a $500+ card for essentially free if you are taking a couple of trips and can use the provided credits.
The Ultimate Sidekick: SavorOne
Capital One SavorOne Rewards
The ultimate Venture card sidekick. Earning you 3% cash back on Groceries and Dining Out all for no annual fee.
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Score Range
690 – 850
Welcome Offer
$200 Cash Bonus
- 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores
- 5% on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- 1% cash back on everything else
- $200 cash back offer (After $500 spend within 3 months of account opening)
- Earn 10% cash back on Uber & Uber Eats through 11/14/2024
- Plus get yout Uber One monthly membership fee covers ($10/month credit
- No Foreign transaction fees
This is the perfect card to pair with a Venture card. Allowing you to maximize your spending on key categories and turning the cash back earned into even more valuable Venture Miles.
The no-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne is one of my newest cards and one I’m using quite a bit with its generous 3% back on groceries and entertainment. On top of maximizing my spending on key categories, the partnership between Capital One and Uber provides great value for a no-fee card.
Uber One ordinarily retails for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Here are some of the key perks Uber One offers:
- 5% off eligible rides and orders of food, groceries, alcohol, and more
- Being matched with top-rated drivers
- An Uber One Promise, whereby on eligible deliveries you’ll get $5 in Uber Cash if the latest arrival estimate (shown after the order is placed) is wrong
- Unlimited $0 delivery fees on eligible food orders over $15 and grocery orders over $30
- Access to premium member support, special offers and promotions, and invite-only experiences
The partnership between Capital One and Uber doesn’t just offer a complimentary Uber One membership, but it offers another perk that I’m even more excited about. Through November 14, 2024, the Capital One SavorOne offers 10% cash back on purchases with Uber and Uber Eats.
For these reasons, I think the Capital One SavorOne combined with the Venture X is the best combo of cards on the market today.
Capital One Business Cards
Capital One offers multiple variations of Spark Business cards. However, unlike Chase Business Cards it can be more difficult to get approved for Capital One Business Cards. For most cards, you will need a good personal score, at least 3+ years of credit history, and sufficient business income.
If you have all of these things Capital One just came out with a new business card, the Venture X business, that has one of the best welcome bonuses you’ll ever see. If your business can meet the spend that is.
Capital One Venture X Business
The newest premium business credit card on the market with one of the best welcome offers if you can hit the spend.
Annual Fee
$395
Credit Score Range
740 – 850
Welcome Offer
300,000 Miles
- 2x miles on everything
- 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 10x on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- 300k miles welcome offer (150k after you spend $20k in the first 3 months, and an additional 150,000 miles once you spend $100k in the first 6 months)
- 10k miles Anniversary Bonus every year, starting on your first anniversary
- $300 Annual Travel Credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Transfer miles to more than 15 partner airline and hotel programs
- Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection with a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits on every booking
We like the personal Venture X more, but if your business spend allows the 300k point welcome offer is not one to be missed!
For a long-term hold, Venture X is a better value. The Business version is missing some key perks like lounge access and Hertz President Circle. But if your business spend allows the 300k welcome offer may be the best will ever see!
Other Useful Capital One Information
- Sign-Up Rules
- Capital One only allows you to get one credit card every 6 months. This applies to both business and personal cards
- Capital One limits you to two personal cards. You can have additional business cards
- Welcome Bonus, you can receive a welcome bonus every 48 months.
My Optimal Strategy
I hold both the Venture X and SavorOne cards. I think it’s the best one-two punch in the credit card space currently. If you can use the credits offered by these cards you have access to some of the best travel perks in the game for little to no cost.
