Capital One Miles Program Review – Earning, Redeeming, and Transfer Partners

In 2018, Capital One joined the transferable points game by adding transfer partners to its Capital One Venture and Spark Miles cards line. This added more value to an impressive, existing lineup of credit cards and instantly made the mileage currency one that every travel enthusiast should consider.

Over the years, we’ve seen Capital One beef up the transfer partner list. The company has 15+ airline and hotel transfer partners and almost all of its transfer ratios are a favorable 1:1.

This move cemented Capital One’s place in the transferable points space and showed that the bank is continuing to work on enhancing its customers’ Capital One Miles experience.

But is earning Capital One miles right for you? And more importantly, are Capital One miles any good? Here’s a full review of Capital One Miles, Capital One’s transfer partners, and the cards that earn Capital One miles.

What Are Capital One Miles?

Capital One miles are the mileage currency earned by a handful of Capital One credit cards, both personal and business.

You must have an eligible Capital One credit card to earn these miles, and there is no way to acquire them without one of these cards. You can earn Capital One miles on all your purchases, though, and most Capital One credit cards earn more than 1 point per dollar spent on all purchases, in addition to other fantastic benefits.

The actual amount of miles you’ll earn per dollar spent varies from card to card. Don’t worry — we’ll run through how many miles each Capital One Miles credit card earns in the next section of this article. Just note that some Capital One cards earn up to 10x Capital One miles per dollar spent in specific spending categories!

You can redeem your Capital One miles in various ways, but we think transferring them to travel partners is the best. This is because you’ll get the most value for your miles and be able to book redemptions such as ANA first class, Emirates first class, and even tickets in Singapore Suites!

Capital One Miles Credit Cards

You can earn Capital One miles with various Capital One-issued personal and business credit cards.

Here’s a quick look at all of the credit cards that earn Capital One miles:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

The Capital One Venture X card is Capital One’s ultra-premium travel rewards credit card. It earns 10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases.

This card offers some exceptional perks, including a $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel, a bonus of 10,000 miles on each account anniversary year, airport lounge access including a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, access to Plaza Premium Lounges and the coveted Capital One Lounges, and up to a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.

Take note of the complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status, primary car rental coverage, cell phone insurance, travel insurance, and no foreign transaction fees, too (rates & fees).

Capital One Venture X Business Card

Capital One Venture X Business Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X Business card offers at least 2x miles on all purchases, and comes packed with premium perks.

Capital One Venture X Business Card

The Capital One Venture X Business card offers at least 2x miles on all purchases, and comes packed with premium perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

150,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$2,700

Annual Fee

$395

APR

All charges made on this account are due and payable in full when you receive your periodic statement. The minimum payment due is the New Balance as indicated on your statement.

Why We Like This Card

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Business card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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The Capital One Venture X Business card is a great all-around premium rewards card that helps you rack up miles on all of your business expenses.

From 2x miles per dollar on all purchases, airport lounge access, an annual travel credit, complimentary employee cards, and more, there is plenty to love about the Capital One Venture X Business card.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per dollar on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates and fees)
• 10x and 5x bonus categories are limited to Capital One Travel bookings

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
• This card has no preset spending limit, so you get purchasing power that adapts to your spending needs. The annual fee on this card is $395
• Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
• Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Earn unlimited 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get the best prices on thousands of options
• Every year, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
• Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
• Skip the lines with up to a $120 statement credit on TSA PreCheck^® or Global Entry. Then enjoy unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and a network of 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Priority Pass™ and Plaza Premium Group lounges
• This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  

Financial Snapshot

• APR: All charges made on this account are due and payable in full when you receive your periodic statement. The minimum payment due is the New Balance as indicated on your statement.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The Capital One Venture X Business card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. is a heavy-hitter. This card earns 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases.

Similar to its non-business counterpart, the Capital One Venture X card, the Capital One Venture X Business card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. offers up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. You’ll also receive 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 toward travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The Capital One Venture card is Capital One’s classic travel rewards credit card. It offers 2x miles per dollar on all purchases. It also earns 5x miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

This makes the card an easy go-to for many travelers — you don’t have to worry about using a specific card for bonus miles in a specific purchase category. Instead, you’ll earn 2x miles per dollar across the board, making it easy to rack up miles.

The card has some other neat benefits, too. Namely, it offers up to a $120 statement credit that you can use towards your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee. Simply charge the fee to your Capital One Venture card, and you’ll see the application fee refunded as a statement credit when your statement closes.

Further, the card has no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees). This means you can make purchases abroad or pay for purchases in a foreign currency without being penalized. Some cards charge up to 3% per foreign transaction, so a $100 purchase quickly becomes a $103.

You can also access secondary car rental insurance and no-additional-fee authorized users with this card (rates & fees).

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.

Welcome Offer

Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel.

20,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$360

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.74% - 29.74% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Interested in a travel rewards credit card without one of those pesky annual fees? Then say hello to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

In addition to no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card offers no foreign transaction fees.

But is this card worth its salt, or is it merely a shell of the more popular Capital One Venture card?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No annual fee (rates & fees)
• No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)
• Ability to use transfer partners

Cons

• Weak earn rate at 1.25x miles per $1 spent on all purchases
• No luxury travel or elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
• Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The Capital One VentureOne card is the Capital One Venture card’s little brother. The card has no annual fee but earns fewer miles and has fewer benefits (rates & fees).

Instead of earning 2x miles on all purchases, the Capital One VentureOne card earns 1.25x miles per dollar. It even earns 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel!

This isn’t the best no-annual-fee card we’ve seen — the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases — but it’s still better than a standard 1 point per dollar spent.

The card does not have foreign transaction fees (rates & fees). Because of this transfer ability, the Capital One VentureOne card is still worth a look for travelers who don’t want to deal with fees.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Spark Miles card is a low-annual-fee business card that earns 2x transferable miles on every dollar you spend. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles card is a low-annual-fee business card that earns 2x transferable miles on every dollar you spend. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Welcome Offer

Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$0 intro for the first year, $95 after that

APR

25.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a great option for business owners looking for an uncomplicated rewards card that earns double miles on every purchase they make and offers access to transfer partners, all for a low annual fee.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unlimited 2x miles per dollar spent on all purchases
• 5x miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2 complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge per year

Cons

• Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won’t expire for the life of the account
• Unlimited 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
• Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar from their purchases

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 25.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

On the other hand, we have the Capital One Spark Miles card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.. This card is similar to the personal Capital One Venture card, but it has business-specific benefits that make it useful for businesses of all types and sizes. Unlike the popular Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card*, it earns Capital One miles instead of cash-back.

Like the Capital One Venture card, businesses can earn 2x miles per dollar spent on all purchases and 5x miles on hotel bookings, vacation rentals, and car rentals booked through the Capital One Travel portal. Just note that these hotel stays may not be eligible to earn hotel points or use elite status benefits (if you have them).

Further, there’s an included TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit for the primary cardholder. As you’d expect, the Capital One Spark Miles card also has no foreign transaction fees, making it great for businesses that pay international invoices with a credit card.

There are some business-specific benefits that Capital One adds to all of its Spark business credit cards, too. These include easily exporting purchase records, generating year-end spending summaries, and requesting free employee cards with set spending limits. You can also elect account managers on your team to make payments, manage statements, and more.

Hot Tip: If you’re a business owner, familiarize yourself with this business-specific points and miles guide.

Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business

Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

(Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business

(Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Welcome Offer

Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$0

APR

18.49% - 24.49% Variable,

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business is an excellent option for business owners looking for straightforward earning with no blackout dates, no seat restrictions, and no minimum when redeeming your miles.

Card Highlights

• Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
• Get unlimited 1.5 miles on every purchase with your business credit card with no blackouts or seat restrictions, and no minimum to redeem.
• Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel.
• Use your miles on flights, hotels, vacation packages and more—you can even transfer miles to any of our 15+ travel partners.
• We’ve got you covered with zero fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen. Plus, get automatic fraud alerts via text, email or phone call.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.49% - 24.49% Variable,
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The Capital One Spark Miles Select card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. is the no-annual-fee version of the Capital One Spark Miles card. Like the Capital One VentureOne card is to the Capital One Venture card, this card earns fewer miles and has fewer benefits, but may be worthwhile for cash-strapped companies and other businesses that don’t want to lock up cash in card annual fees.

The card earns 1.5x miles per dollar spent on all purchases and has no foreign transaction fees. You’ll also earn 5x miles per dollar spent on rental cars and hotel rooms booked through Capital One Travel, making it easy to earn some bonus miles on employee travel booked through the portal.

Earning Bonus Capital One Miles With Capital One Travel

Beyond making purchases with your Capital One credit card, there aren’t many ways to earn bonus Capital One miles.

However, there is an exception to this: booking flights, rental cars, and hotel rooms with select cards through Capital One Travel, Capital One’s in-house online travel agency (OTA).

If you have a Capital One Venture card, Capital One VentureOne card, Capital One Spark Miles card, or a Capital One Spark Miles Select card, you’ll earn 5x Capital One miles per dollar when you book rental cars and hotels through the portal.

This can be especially lucrative for businesses that regularly charge client-reimbursable travel expenses to their business credit card.

If you have a Capital One Venture X card or the Capital One Venture X Business card, this number goes up to 10x miles per dollar for rental cars and 5x miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals.

These bonus categories can help you rack up some serious bonus miles if you have lots of paid travel expenses.

A $500 hotel stay could earn a whopping 5,000 Capital One miles. We recently valued Capital One miles at 1.8 cents per point, meaning that this miles haul is worth — at a minimum — a cool $90 for Capital One Venture X cardholders.

Earning Bonus Capital One Miles With Refer a Friend

Cardholders of the Capital One Venture X card, Capital One Venture card, and Capital One VentureOne card can earn bonus miles (that vary by card) through a personal referral link through the Refer-A-Friend program. So long as the person who signs up with your link is a new Capital One cardholder, you’ll earn bonus miles for each friend approved.

To find your link, sign in to your account or look in the app for the Refer a Friend tile on the account details page.

You will only be eligible for the program if all of your accounts are open and not in default.

Capital One offers a variety of ways for its cardholders to redeem Capital One miles. While we generally suggest sticking with moving miles to transfer partners, there are a few other ways Capital One miles can be redeemed, too.

To fully review your options, we’ll take you through all of your Capital One miles redemption options below.

Transferring Capital One Miles to Transfer Partners

The most lucrative way to redeem your Capital One miles is by transferring them to one of its numerous transfer partners. The bank’s list of transfer partners includes some of the most well-known airline mileage programs and hotel loyalty programs, and some of its transfer partners are exclusive to Capital One.

The upside to transferring to travel partners instead of using one of Capital One’s other redemption options is that you’re not restricted to a single point value. Rather, the value of your miles depends on what you’re redeeming them for after you transfer them.

For example, you can transfer your Capital One miles to Singapore Airlines’ Krisflyer loyalty program and book a ticket in the airline’s world-famous Suites first class product. Doing this will likely give you over 4 cents per point in value.

Most transfer partners are at a 1:1 ratio, though a couple still fall under the 2:1.5 or 2:1 ratio. An example is transferring Capital One miles to EVA Air Infinity MileageLands at 2:1.5. Transferring 100,000 Capital One miles to EVA Air would yield 75,000 miles. On the other hand, most other transfer partners like Avianca LifeMiles and Emirates Skywards process at a 1:1 ratio.

Here’s a quick look at all of the Capital One Miles transfer partners, along with their transfer rates:

Many transfer partners overlap with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and American Express Membership Rewards. However, some partners, such as ALL – Accor Live Limitless and Finnair Plus, are exclusive to Capital One Miles, so adding a Capital One card to your wallet could open you up to even more redemptions, even if you have a stash of other points.

Bottom Line: Before you transfer miles, find the ticket you want to book and ensure that award space is available. Doing this will prevent you from locking up your miles without a plan and potentially getting stuck with airline miles or hotel points you can’t use. Keeping your miles as liquid as possible until you redeem them is critical to ensuring you get the best value when redeeming them.

Turn Your Capital One Miles Into Gift Cards

You can redeem your Capital One miles for gift cards to popular merchants such as Applebee’s, AutoZone, and Macy’s. All gift card redemptions are processed at a value of 1 cent per mile, meaning that 50,000 Capital One miles are equal to a $500 gift card to a merchant of your choice.

We don’t recommend redeeming your Capital One miles for gift cards, as you’ll get a lower cent per point value than redeeming them through one of Capital One’s transfer partners.

However, if you don’t have any upcoming travel plans, gift cards are a better use of miles than if you were to redeem for cash-back or through Amazon.

Cover Amazon Purchases With Capital One Miles

Like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, you can use your Capital One miles to cover Amazon purchases at checkout. Add your Capital One card to your Amazon payment methods, and you can use miles to cover your Amazon purchases.

Remember that you’ll get a low-point valuation if you go this route. Capital One miles can be redeemed at a flat rate of 0.8 cents per mile spent. For reference, the 0.8 cent valuation towards Amazon purchases means 125 Capital One miles gives you $1 off your purchase.

So, with that in mind, stay away from this type of redemption. It may be a convenient way to use your miles to save money on everyday purchases, but you’ll lose tons of value in the process.

Redeem for a Statement Credit or Check

Finally, you can redeem your Capital One miles for cash-back through a statement credit or a check.

However, we don’t necessarily recommend doing this. You’ll get a flat 0.5 cents per point in value when redeeming miles this way. So 50,000 miles would be worth just $250.

With that in mind, we recommend avoiding cashing out your Capital One miles for statement credit or a check. You’re better off redeeming for a gift card or even redeeming miles through Amazon if you want to use your miles to cover everyday expenses.

Hot Tip: When your eligible card is linked to PayPal, you can checkout with PayPal and redeem your miles at a rate of 125 miles to $1. We’d recommend this only if you can’t use your miles for travel or as a statement credit.

Comparing Capital One Miles to Other Transferable Points Programs

As you know, Capital One Miles isn’t the only transferable points currency out there. Here’s a look at how these miles stack up to other transferable points programs like Amex, Chase, and Citi.

Capital One Miles vs. American Express Membership Rewards Points

American Express Membership Rewards is a premier transferable points program. There are more American Express transfer partners than Capital One, and its personal and business cards have more points-earning options, too.

For example, the American Express^® Gold Card earns 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year). When you consider that almost all Membership Rewards transfer partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio, many will find that Membership Rewards points are more valuable than Capital One miles.

Further, Capital One and American Express share many of the same transfer partners. There are some exceptions to this rule, though. For example, Amex does not offer ALL – Accor Live Limitless and Turkish Airlines.

On the other hand, many Membership Rewards-earning credit cards have higher annual fees than Capital One cards.

Capital One Miles vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Like Membership Rewards, Chase’s Ultimate Rewards points currency can be more easily earned than Capital One miles. This is especially true for business owners as the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card earns 3x points per dollar spent in select business spending categories, including travel, shipping, and online advertising.

Further, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to all of its Chase transfer partners. You can redeem your points at up to 1.5 cents per point in value towards paid bookings through the Chase travel portal. The value you’ll get depends on the Ultimate Rewards credit card you have, though.

We recommend starting with Ultimate Rewards points when you begin your miles and points journey. This is because Chase’s famous 5/24 rule makes those with over 5 new credit cards in the past 24 months ineligible for new Chase credit cards.

Capital One Miles vs. Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi’s ThankYou Points currency is another underdog of the miles and points world. It isn’t quite as well known as Amex or Chase’s options, but it’s worth a look if you’re over 5/24 and want to take advantage of exclusive transfer partners such as Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles. That said, we still value Capital One miles higher than Citi ThankYou Points (which we value at 1.6 cents apiece).

So, you may want to check out Capital One before Citi, but only after you’ve exhausted your options for earning more valuable points currencies such as Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Final Thoughts

Now you know the ins and outs of Capital One Miles. We started by discussing what these miles are, and then we examined how to earn and spend them and compared them to other types of transferable points.

Capital One miles are a solid addition to your points and miles portfolio. They may not be as valuable as Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards. Still, the unique set of transfer partners, lucrative earnings on non-bonus spend categories, and interesting credit card benefits make them attractive for specific uses.

We highly recommend you stick to redeeming your Capital One miles through transfer partners.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa^® or Mastercard^® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.