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3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: A great pick for simple travel rewards

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71 reviews from Intuit Credit Karma members

4.3

Rating: 4.3 out of 5.

Great for high flat-rate travel rewards

Annual Fee: $95

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit limit range

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $15,361, with $5,000 being the most common.

Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit score range

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 712, with 810 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

Member stats

Updated daily

26.3%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

41 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

$104,938

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.

Pros and cons

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Big sign-up bonus can help you cover the cost of your next trip

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Straightforward rewards program is easy to use
Earn miles on every purchase

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Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

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Annual fee could eat into rewards for cardholders who don’t spend much

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Airline transfer partners leave a lot to be desired

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Other travel rewards programs offer more bang for your buck

5 things you should know about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

1. The big sign-up bonus could help you pay for your next trip

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with a 75,000-mile sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 on purchases during your first 3 months after opening the account.

That’s enough miles to cover $750 worth of airfare or hotels.

Before you apply for the card, though, it’s important to figure out whether you spend enough money on a regular basis to earn the sign-up bonus. Otherwise, you might find yourself spending more than you can afford and end up paying interest that can eat into the value of the offer.

2. The rewards are simple to earn and redeem

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers one of the most straightforward rewards programs around.

You’ll earn two miles for every $1 you spend on purchases, plus five miles per $1 spent on hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel. If you prefer simplicity, you’ll appreciate that you don’t have to spend time planning out your purchases to maximize your rewards — just swipe to earn.

Redeeming your miles is just as simple. You can book your trip through Capital One’s website or make your travel purchases first and then go back and ask to be reimbursed with a statement credit within 90 days of your purchase.

It doesn’t get any easier than that.

3. You could get more value with another travel rewards program

Capital One Venture rewards miles might be easy to use, but they’re nothing fancy.

When redeemed for travel through Capital One, they’re worth a rather bland 1 cent each, according to our valuations.

By contrast, depending on the card you have, you could get more value from a program like Chase Ultimate Rewards®, where your points can be worth up to 1.5 cents each when you redeem toward travel.

4. You can transfer miles to airline partners

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card features a number of transfer partners – but unfortunately, there are no U.S. airlines to choose from.

Compared to redeeming through Capital One, you might be able to get a much better value by transferring your points. But some people may have no interest in traveling overseas, while others may not be comfortable entrusting their rewards to a foreign airline they’re not familiar with.

For those who are, if you transfer your points to Air Canada’s Aeroplan rewards program, they’re worth an estimated 1.08 cents each, according to Credit Karma’s point valuations. There are also a number of other international airlines and a couple of hotel brands to choose from.

5. Don’t forget about the annual fee

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of $95.

It’s worth considering if you’d earn and redeem enough points to offset that cost before you apply for the card.

Other things to consider about this card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a few more perks travelers may appreciate.

• When you’re ready to book your trip, you don’t have to worry about blackout dates. Some airline and hotel rewards programs prevent you from using your points on certain days that are popular with travelers, but the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card lets you travel where you want, when you want, with any airline or hotel you want.
• If you’re flying, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card will help you breeze through airport security by giving you up to a $120 statement credit to pay for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. Of course, Capital One has no control over whether you’ll qualify for this safe traveler program that’s operated by the federal government — that’s up to the Department of Homeland Security.
• You can feel free to use your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card when you travel overseas because there are no foreign transaction fees.

Understanding your points and redemption options

Capital One Venture rewards miles could be worth 1.08 cents each, according to Credit Karma’s point valuations.

There are three ways to redeem your Capital One Venture rewards miles for travel.

1. To get the best value, you can transfer your miles to one of Capital One’s international airline partners like Air Canada.
2. You can also redeem your miles for flights, hotels and car rentals booked directly through Capital One’s website.
3. Or you can get reimbursed for travel purchases made within the previous 90 days on your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. The travel category includes purchases made from airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, trains, cruises, buses, taxis, limousines, travel agents and time shares. Capital One gives you a statement credit on your credit card bill.

You can also redeem your miles for gift cards or cash back via a check or account credit.

Who this card is good for

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers some amazing options for people who enjoy flying internationally.

But it’s also a solid choice for people who don’t want to jump through hoops to earn and redeem their rewards for travel. If you’d rather not spend time figuring out a complicated rewards structure or researching flights and hotels to get the most possible value, then this card could be the right pick for your wallet.

Not sure this card is right for you? Consider these alternatives.

If the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doesn’t seem like a good fit for you, one of these other travel cards might have what you’re looking for.

• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card:
This card is good for travelers who value a simple rewards program but don’t want to pay an annual fee.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card:
This card is a great choice for travelers who want more perks and benefits — and don’t mind paying an expensive annual fee.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card:
This card is a nice option for travelers who want to get more value from their points.