Capital One miles can be used to book travel, get cash back, buy gift cards and more. Users can earn points for their personal and small business spending. In this Capital One miles review, we’ll share how to earn miles, which cards are eligible and how to redeem your earnings. Plus, you’ll learn how much a mile is worth and how to maximize your rewards.
Keep in mind that not all Capital One credit cards earn miles, though they may still earn rewards. For example, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns cash back, not miles.
[Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.]
How Can You Earn Capital One Miles?
Capital One offers multiple ways to earn miles with eligible credit cards, including the following:
— Sign-up bonuses. Most of the Capital One credit cards that earn miles also come with a sign-up bonus that cardmembers can earn if they spend a certain amount in their first three months with an account. This is a quick way to earn a large number of miles.
— Eligible everyday spending. The miles-earning cards from Capital One offer flat rewards rates on most spending categories. This is ideal for cardholders who don’t want to remember which card to use at which store or who want to avoid activating special bonus offers before making purchases.
— Capital One Travel. Depending on your card and the type of travel you’re booking, you can earn 5 or 10 miles per dollar when using Capital One’s travel portal. But you’ll generally need to book directly if you want to earn “elite status benefits” with hotels, says Dave Grossman, a loyalty program consultant from MilesTalk.com. “Because of that, you should decide which rewards are more important to you and choose your booking channel accordingly.”
— Refer a friend or business. Capital One rewards customers when friends and family members use their referral link to open a new account. Bonuses vary depending on which card you have. Keep in mind that there is a cap on the number of miles you can earn from referrals each year.
— Add authorized users. Adding an authorized user to your personal or business credit card can help you earn more miles each month. There are no fees for adding authorized users or employee cards, and their purchases earn rewards for you. Business owners can set individual card limits and monitor each employee’s spending.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives users additional earning opportunities. For example, cardholders receive an anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles when they renew their cards. The bonus miles should post to your account within two billing cycles of when you pay your annual fee.
Which Capital One Credit Cards Earn Miles?
Six of Capital One’s credit cards earn miles — four personal cards and two business cards. These cards come with different rewards earning rates, benefits and annual fees. Review the cards below to determine which card works best for your lifestyle.
Personal Credit Cards
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
— Annual fee: $395
— Top rewards earning rate: 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Through May 16 2023, 10 miles per dollar on bookings with Turo, which provides peer-to-peer car sharing.
— Sign-up bonus: 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within three months of opening an account.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
— Annual fee: $95
— Top rewards earning rate: 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
— Sign-up bonus: 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within three months of opening an account.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
— Annual fee: $0
— Top rewards earning rate: 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
— Sign-up bonus: 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within three months of opening an account.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit
— Annual fee: $0
— Top rewards earning rate: 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
— Sign-up bonus: None.
Business Credit Cards
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
— Annual fee: $95, waived the first year.
— Top rewards earning rate: Five miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
— Sign-up bonus: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 within three months of opening an account.
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
— Annual fee: $0
— Top rewards earning rate: Five miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
— Sign-up bonus: 20,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within three months of opening an account.
The Venture X Card “is the most compelling option,” says Shawn Coomer, founder and credit card expert at MilestoMemories.com, citing its unlimited 2 miles per dollar base rewards rate, airport lounge access, $300 in annual travel credits, cellphone protection and card renewal bonus. “I feel the perks more than outweigh the annual fee,” Coomer says. But be sure to evaluate your own spending habits to decide which card is the best fit for you.
[Read: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.]
How Can You Redeem Capital One Miles?
Cardholders have several choices when it comes to redeeming Capital One miles.
— Travel through Capital One Travel. Redeem miles for flights, hotels and rental cars at a value of 1 cent per mile.
— Cover travel purchases. You can “erase” travel purchases with your miles for up to 90 days after the transaction posts to your account.
— Redeem for experiences. You can redeem miles to buy tickets for sporting events, concerts and experiences with Capital One Entertainment.
— Buy gift cards. Capital One has many gift cards available that you can redeem miles to purchase.
— Redeem for cash. Customers can request a statement credit or check to be mailed.
— PayPal at checkout. Capital One miles can be used at checkout with PayPal at millions of online stores.
— Shop with Amazon. After linking your Capital One card to your Amazon account, you can redeem miles at checkout.
— Transfer to partners. Capital One partners with 15 airline and two hotel loyalty programs. You can transfer miles at a 1-to-1 rate with 15 partners, a 2-to-1.5 rate with one partner and a 2-to-1 rate with one partner. There is a 1,000 mile minimum for all transfers.
Capital One Venture Rewards transfer partners
Coomer recommends transferring miles to get the most value. However, he cautions that “not all transfer partners are made equal, and it can take some homework to make sure that you’re maximizing value when transferring.”
Plus, some transfer partners can be more valuable. “Turkish Airlines is the best Capital One transfer partner. Using their miles, you can fly anywhere in the U.S. including Hawaii in business class for just 12,500 miles, if United Airlines has Saver Award (seats) available,” Grossman says.
Additionally, Capital One occasionally offers miles transfer bonuses. These can be appealing, but make sure you have a viable redemption in mind before transferring.
| Loyalty Program | Transfer Ratio (Capital One Miles to Loyalty Program Points) |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1-to-1 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 2-to-1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1-to-1 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1-to-1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1-to-1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1-to-1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1-to-1 |
| Choice Privileges | 1-to-1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1-to-1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1-to-1 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 2-to-1.5 |
| Finnair Plus | 1-to-1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1-to-1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1-to-1 |
| TAP Air Portugal TAP Miles&Go | 1-to-1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1-to-1 |
| Virgin Red | 1-to-1 |
How Much Are Capital One Miles Worth?
You can redeem miles for flights, hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel at a value of 1 cent per mile. However, not all redemption options carry the same value, and redemption rates for cash, gift cards and other options can vary. While you should strive to get the highest value for your miles, the best redemption option is the one that you actually use.
Miles do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing, so there is no rush to redeem your miles for subpar redemption options.
[Read: Best Cash Back Credit Cards.]
How Can You Maximize Capital One Miles?
With cards that offer few bonus categories and provide base rewards rates between 1.25 and 2 miles per dollar, it is simple to maximize Capital One miles. It starts with earning the sign-up bonus by meeting the minimum spending requirement within the allowed timeframe. Then, use your card for everyday purchases to earn miles throughout the month.
When booking travel, consider using the Capital One Travel portal to earn between 5 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars. If you have the Venture X Card, you can also earn 5 miles per dollar on flights.
Capital One miles won’t expire as long as your account is open, so you can take your time finding the highest-value redemption options. Capital One’s airline and hotel partners may yield the best value, depending on your priorities and how you use your rewards after transfer.
Should You Use Capital One Miles?
Capital One miles are valuable for travelers who prefer flexible rewards. The different cards offer varying levels of benefits and rewards, so you can choose one that matches your needs and budget. All cards earn at least 1.25 miles per dollar and you can redeem miles in a variety of ways, including for cash back, gift cards and travel.
Pros
— 17 airline and hotel transfer partners.
— Most cards have generous sign-up bonuses.
— All cards earn at least 1.25 miles per dollar, and you can earn 5 or 10 miles per dollar on eligible travel booked through Capital One Travel, depending on your card.
Cons
— No domestic airline transfer partners.
— Limited hotel transfer partners.
— Two transfer partners provide a transfer ratio worse than 1:1.
Capital One Miles Competitors
When evaluating credit card rewards programs, choose the one that offers attractive card benefits, earning and redemption options that match your needs and have relationships with your preferred transfer partners.
Like Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards also offer rewards redemption options including cash back, gift cards or travel. Additionally, each program has airline and hotel transfer partners that offer potentially higher value, and there is some overlap among transfer partners. Unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards, even the no-annual-fee miles-earning cards from Capital One are able to transfer miles to airline and hotel partners.
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Capital One Miles Review originally appeared on usnews.com
