9 Reasons Why I Love the Capital One Venture as a Perfect First Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card might not get as much attention as other travel rewards credit cards, but it packs a big punch thanks to a hearty welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

In fact, the Capital One Venture card was perfect as one of my first rewards credit cards, offering a low annual fee and the ability to transfer Capital One miles to transfer partners. Here are 9 reasons why frequent travelers should have one.

1. Big Welcome Bonus Offer

One of the best perks about opening any new travel credit card is the welcome bonus offer you earn once you pay the $95 annual fee (rates & fees) and meet the minimum spending requirement. The Capital One Venture card is no different. 

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!

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% - 29.49% (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

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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% - 29.49% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The card comes with a solid welcome bonus: 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

2. Low Annual Fee

Opening your first travel rewards credit card is a big commitment, especially if you’re new to points and miles. The different credit cards, programs, and, in particular, paying annual fees can feel daunting.

When I started my points and miles journey, credit cards with high annual fees were entirely out of the question. While I had excellent credit, I didn’t make much money, which excluded me from many of the best cards, like The Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. While offering fantastic benefits, those premium rewards cards are probably best for your second or third — but not your first.

I remember looking for cards with no or low annual fees, such as the Capital One Venture card. The card has a modest annual fee of $95 (rates & fees), on par with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. Part of the reason I was okay with opening the card is that it wouldn’t make much of a dent in my wallet if I decided to open other travel rewards cards down the line when I began making more money.

While I’ve shifted my spending to other credit cards in recent years, I’ve decided to keep the card open because it is one of my oldest, boosting my credit score.

3. Earn Unlimited 2x Miles

According to our points and miles valuations, we value Capital One Miles at 1.8 cents each. While that’s lower than Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it is on par with Bilt Rewards points and even higher than Citi ThankYou Rewards points. 

The Capital One Venture card earns a whopping 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This makes it a fantastic card if you plan to use it for travel purposes, particularly if you’re starting out in earning rewards miles. 

Few travel rewards cards offer better earnings, especially on beginner cards. With the card, you can earn hundreds, if not thousands, of Capital One miles per month if you maximize the card’s bonus categories.

Most of my travel expenses go on my Capital One Venture card. It’s an easy way to earn miles, even if I’m not traveling as frequently anymore. On my twice-yearly trips, such as weeklong hotel stays in Paris and weekend rental cars booked in Cancun, I’ve been able to earn a ton of miles over time.

Hot Tip:

You’ll also earn 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases, making it 1 of the best credit cards for monthly bills. Putting much of your spending on this card can be a way to quickly rack up a ton of Capital One miles, even if you don’t travel frequently.

4. Excellent Transfer Partners

Capital One has a whopping 18 different transfer partners. Even if you aren’t a points and miles expert, you’re probably still familiar with some, like Emirates Skywards. Here are a few ways you can use 75,000 Capital One miles on flights when transferred to the program’s transfer partners:

• Swiss business class from the U.S. to Europe when transferring Capital One miles to Avianca LifeMiles for 70,000 miles
• ANA first class from the West Coast to Tokyo when transferring Capital One miles to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for 72,500 miles
• Air New Zealand business class from the U.S. to New Zealand when transferring Capital One miles to Air Canada Aeroplan for 75,000 miles

While big redemptions like the ones above may catch your attention, don’t discount domestic redemptions. I like to use the miles earned from my Capital One Venture card for domestic flights across the U.S. and flights to the Caribbean with programs, such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

Aside from airlines, Capital One has 3 hotel transfer partners: ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Choice Privileges, and Wyndham Rewards. Capital One’s hotel partners don’t get nearly as much attention as its airline partners, but there are some solid choices.

Of those, you’ll find the best redemption options by transferring Capital One miles over to Wyndham Rewards. That’s thanks to the program’s rather simplified award chart, where nights cost either 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points per night for all hotels worldwide. Wyndham is one of my favorite ways to use Capital One miles.

Here are some of the best options when you transfer Capital One miles to Wyndham:

• Ramada by Wyndham Los Angeles/Koreatown West (15,000 points per night)
• H4 Hotel Paris Pleyel (15,000 points per night)
• Wyndham Alltra Cancun All Inclusive Resort (30,000 points per night)
• Wyndham Grand Crete Mirabello Bay (30,000 points per night)

5. Miles Never Expire

This is true for all Capital One credit cards, but since we’re talking about the Capital One Venture card, it bears a reminder. As long as you keep your credit card open and provided it is in good standing, your Capital One miles will never expire.

6. No Foreign Transaction Fees

One of the worst things about traveling abroad is the numerous fees you can rack up on everyday purchases. Foreign transaction fees typically are between 1 and 3% of the transaction amount and average around 3%. While that may seem insignificant, these pesky fees can add up, especially on a longer trip. 

But you won’t be charged foreign transaction fees when using your Capital One Venture card (rates & fees).

When I first began traveling, I knew little about foreign transaction fees. I’d aimlessly swipe my debit card and return to the U.S. with a mountain of fees tacked on to every purchase I’d made. Once I learned about travel credit cards that waive foreign transaction fees, particularly the Capital One Venture card, I saved money by avoiding these charges entirely.

7. TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Credit

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are 2 benefits savvy travelers use to expedite the security screening process and entry back into the United States. 

TSA PreCheck costs a one-time fee of $77.95. However, if you apply for Global Entry (which we highly recommend), TSA PreCheck is included in the up to $120 fee, as of October 1, 2024. 

But did you know that you can get the charge wiped entirely? That’s right — when you use your Capital One Venture card for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees, you’ll receive up to a $120 statement credit, as of October 1, 2024. You can use this benefit once every 4 years.

This is similar to several premium credit cards that offer TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credits. However, the annual fee on the Capital One Venture card is hundreds of dollars cheaper than those cards. If you want travel benefits and credits like these — with a lower annual fee — you can’t go wrong with the Capital One Venture card.

8. Complimentary Travel Insurance

While you might not want to think about it, trips can and do go awry. That’s why you’ll want to book your travel with a credit card with travel insurance benefits, especially if this is your first credit card. Thanks to its status as a World Elite Mastercard, the Capital One Venture card offers many benefits.

Here are the travel insurance benefits that come with the card:

• MasterRental Insurance: You may be covered for physical damage and theft of the rental vehicle when you use your Capital One Venture card for the purchase and decline the car rental agency’s coverage. The card provides secondary coverage on car rentals in the U.S. You’ll receive primary coverage for collision damage and theft if you have no other insurance or your insurance does not cover you in territories or countries outside the United States.
• Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance: This benefit covers up to $1,500 per incident when you pay for the entire cost of your flight using your card.
• MasterRoad Assist: This is a 24-hour toll-free assistance line for towing, gas delivery, jumpstarts, and tire changes.
• Travel Accident Insurance: The card covers travel accident insurance for up to $1 million.

Thankfully, I’ve never had to actually use any of these benefits. But having them has made me feel much more secure when I book travel, knowing I’m covered if something unplanned happens.

9. Extensive Travel Perks and Benefits

While the Capital One Venture card doesn’t have the sheer amount of travel perks as the Capital One Venture X card, it still has an impressive lineup, especially for a low-fee card.

It’s one of the few low-annual-fee cards to offer any travel elite status. In this case, you’ll receive complimentary Hertz Five Star status through December 31, 2024. This is a fantastic benefit, as Five Star status usually takes 10 rentals (or $2,000 in spending) to earn. You’ll receive some sweet benefits such as upgrades, 1.25x points per dollar spent, and a wider selection of ultimate choice vehicles.

Five Star status has come in handy far more than I can count. A few years ago, I was waiting at the Hertz pick-up line at Norfolk International Airport (ORF) to pick up a vehicle for the Easter holiday. Norfolk is a small airport, and there weren’t many cars available, especially on a busy holiday weekend.

Thanks to my status, I could skip the line (ahead of non-status holders), secure one of the last cars available, and even score an upgrade! A friend from my hometown who was in the same line texted later that day to ask how I got a vehicle, and I was happy to explain travel credit cards, like the Capital One Venture card, to her.

The Capital One Venture card also has a fantastic hotel benefit. When you open the card, you’ll receive a $50 experience credit when booking a hotel or vacation rental from the issuer’s Lifestyle Collection. While you may not think $50 will go far, this credit can cover drinks, room service, on-property activities, and more.

Bottom Line:

If you aren’t familiar, the Capital One Lifestyle Collection is a collection of high-end, independent hotels and vacation rentals. When you book a Lifestyle Collection hotel, you’ll receive benefits like room upgrades and early check-in (when available). 

Who Should Get the Capital One Venture Card?

The Capital One Venture card is an excellent option for anyone who wants decent bonus earnings and travel perks without the hassle of a high annual fee. It is also a good option if you plan to open more expensive credit cards later on but want to keep a low-cost account open for your credit history.

Finally, this card makes sense for people who are new to earning credit card rewards and may be new to travel, as it offers helpful perks such as TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Bottom Line:

The Capital One Venture card comes with dozens of perks for travel and everyday purchases alike. Read our extensive guide on the benefits and rewards that come with the card.

Final Thoughts

The Capital One Venture card is a solid choice for anyone looking to open their first travel credit card. The card offers impressive earning capabilities, such as 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases. 

Although it doesn’t have as many travel perks as the more expensive rewards card, it is a fantastic option for a first credit card, especially with its low annual fee.

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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.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024.  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.