Capital One Venture Card Review: Top 5 Travel Credit Card

You can use all major airlines with Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Capital One Venture cardholders earn 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases. That includes airfare booked with any airline, and Venture miles can also be used to pay for flights on any airline – by booking through Capital One, transferring miles to airline partners, or covering the cost of recent flights.

In fact, Venture miles are redeemable for nearly any travel purchase made anywhere. There are no blackout dates and no limits, either.

How to Redeem Capital One Venture Miles for Any Airline Purchase

1. Log in to your online account.
2. Click the “View Rewards” tab on your account page.
3. Choose “Book A Trip” to schedule new flights or select “Cover Travel Purchases” to get a statement credit for previous purchases. Alternatively, pick “Convert Rewards” to send miles to an airline loyalty program.

The redemption rate for booking new trips or covering travel expenses is 1 cent per mile. The value of transferred miles differs between Capital One's airline transfer partners.

To log in to your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card account, go to the login page on the Capital One website or mobile app and enter your username and password in the appropriate fields. Then, click “Sign In” to access your online account. If you don't already have an account, you will need to start by clicking “Set Up Online Access” in order to set up a username and password.

How to Log in to a Capital One Venture Credit Card Account

1. Register your Capital One Venture credit card for online account access: Click “Set Up Online Access” and enter your last name, SSN or bank account number, and date of birth to verify your credit card account.
2. Choose your Capital One Venture username and password: The username must be between 6 and 12 characters. The password must be 8 to 32 characters long, with at least one letter, number and special character.
3. Log in with your new Capital One Venture card credentials. From the login page on the Capital One website or mobile app, fill out the “Username” and “Password” fields using your new credentials, and click “Sign In” to access your account.

After you have signed up and logged in, you'll be able to manage your Capital One Venture card account online. You can pay your credit card bill, see credit card statements, monitor account activity, and change account information such as passwords and automatic payments.

If you forget your login information, click “Forgot Username or Password?” on the Capital One login page. Then, just follow the prompts to reset or retrieve your username or password.

You can easily redeem Capital One Venture miles through the Capital One website, mobile app or customer service phone line. What's unique with this card, though, is that you can redeem miles either before or after you pay for your travel expenses. You can also redeem miles for gift cards and other non-travel rewards, but you'll get half the value if you do that.

Here's how to redeem Capital One Venture miles online:

1. Log into your account on either Capital One's website.
2. Click on your rewards balance.
3. Choose your redemption method. The options are: “Redeem travel purchases,” “Book a trip,” “Get gift cards,” “Get an account credit,” “Get a check by mail,” and “Transfer Rewards.”
4. Follow the instructions for the option you've chosen.

So, Capital One Venture's redemption process is one of its major perks. Plus, with 2 miles / $1 spent, along with a 75,000 miles initial bonus, miles build up fast. It's also useful to note that you can redeem through the Capital One app, too. Just log in with the same user name and password, click “Redeem Rewards” at the bottom, and select one of the options.

Here are the options for redeeming Capital One Venture miles:

• Redeem travel purchases: 1 cent per mile

  Capital One shows you what travel expenses you've made in the past 90 days, and you can use your miles to “erase” some or all of the cost from your credit card statement.

• Book a trip: 1 cent per mile

  The Capital One travel booking tool is powered by Orbitz, so you should have access to most major airlines, hotels and rental car companies.

• Get gift cards: 0.5 cent per mile

  90 stores are represented, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Lowe's, AMC and Best Buy. Gift cards for as little as $10 are available for many stores. But the denominations vary by store.

• Get cash back: 0.5 cent per mile

  You can get a deposit into your checking or savings account or receive a check by mail. You can also set up automatic cash redemption when you reach a certain number of miles.

• Transfer miles: Value depends on the partner

  If you have another Capital One Venture or other travel rewards credit card account, you may be able to transfer your rewards to it.

The most convenient part about redeeming Capital One Venture miles is that you don't have to decide to use them before making a purchase. You can pay for any type of travel expense charged to your card in the last 90 days. Capital One isn't stingy about what it considers travel, either. It includes everything from hotels, airlines and cruises to Airbnb and Uber. That flexibility, combined with Capital One Venture's top-notch rewards value, makes it one of the best cards available to frequent travelers.

Capital One Venture miles are worth 1 cent each when you redeem them for travel expenses. For example, you can either use miles to pay for travel-related purchases that appear on your bill or book travel with miles through Capital One. But each Venture miles is worth just half a cent or less each when redeemed for gift cards or cash back.

It makes sense that Capital One Venture Rewards miles are worth the most when redeemed for travel. It's a travel rewards credit card, after all. And there are clues everywhere, from “Venture” being part of its name to the fact that it offers rewards in the form of miles. So it's pretty straightforward: full value if you use the card as intended, half as much if you want the flexibility of cash. But continue reading if you'd like more details on all of the redemption options.

Here's how much Capital One Venture miles are worth:

• Travel purchase “eraser”: 1 cent. You can use miles to pay for travel expenses once they appear on your bill, instead of using money from your bank account.
• Travel booking tool: 1 cent. You can book airfare, hotels and rental cars through Capital One and pay with miles.
• Cash back: Half a cent. You can opt for either a statement credit or a check in the mail.
• Gift cards: Half a cent. Gift cards from 80+ retailers are available. They range from Amazon.com and Applebee's to Walmart and Wa wa.
• Donations: Half a cent or less (if available). In the past, Capital One has let you redeem miles for a charitable donation. But that option isn't available right now. And I don't know when (if) it will return.

Although Capital One provides a few different options for redeeming your Venture Rewards miles, they're worth most when used for travel. So if you don't plan to travel enough to make good use of the miles you earn, look for a card with cash back rewards instead.

The main Capital One Venture requirements are that an applicant must be at least 18 years old with a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number. Applicants must also have a physical U.S. address, enough income to make monthly minimum payments, and at least good credit.

Capital One Venture Requirements

• At least 18 years old
• Physical U.S. address (no P.O. boxes)
• Proof of enough income to make the monthly minimum payment
• Social Security number or ITIN
• Good credit or better
• Checking or savings account

If you apply for the Capital One Venture card, it's important that you enter all required information completely and accurately. Knowingly reporting false or misleading information on a credit card application is a federal crime.

The Capital One Venture has a $95 annual fee. Capital One Venture's $95 annual fee is higher than the average annual fee among new credit card offers right now. It's not the only fee you need to worry about with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, either.

Capital One Venture Fees

• Annual Fee: $95
• Cash Advance Fee: 3% (min $10)
• Foreign Fee: $0
• Balance Transfer Fee: $0 at this Transfer APR
• Max Late Fee: $40

Yes, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a metal credit card. The Capital One Venture Card is made of stainless steel and recycled materials and weighs around 16 grams, compared to 5 grams for a traditional credit card made of plastic. Functionally, the metal Capital One Venture Card doesn't work any differently than a plastic credit card, though it will be more durable.

Quick Facts About the Metal Capital One Venture Card

• Made of: stainless steel and recycled materials
• Weight: 16 grams
• Annual fee: $95
• Ongoing rewards: 2 - 5 miles per $1
• Notable benefits: Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit, Capital One lounge access, rental car insurance, travel accident insurance and extended warranty

Before applying for the Capital One Venture Card, make sure that it's a card that fits your needs and budget. While metal cards are flashy, they won't do you much good if they don't match your spending habits.

The Capital One Venture credit limit will be determined based on your credit standing, once your application has been approved. Factors such as your annual income, debts and liabilities, repayment history and length of your credit history are among the ones generally considered for determining credit limits.

If you're unhappy with your credit limit and would like to request an increase, Capital One allows you to submit your request online. Bear in mind that new accounts are generally ineligible for credit line increases. So, it's advisable to wait a few months before requesting one. Requesting a credit limit increase for Capital One Venture will probably not affect your score as Capital One typically uses soft pulls for these credit inquiries.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card credit score requirement is 700 or better. That means people with good credit or better have a shot at getting approved for the Capital One Venture Card.

You should note that while your credit score is an important factor, there are plenty of other things that will impact your chances of being approved for the Capital One Venture Card, too. Some other key criteria include your income, existing debt load, number of open accounts, recent credit inquiries, employment status and housing status.

If you excel in other areas, you might be able to get approved with a slightly lower credit score in some cases. But it's best to wait to apply until you meet the Capital One Venture credit score requirement. You can check your credit score for free on WalletHub.

It is quite hard to get a Capital One Venture card because you need a good credit score of 700 or higher to have decent approval odds. The Capital One Venture card also is beyond hard to get for anyone who has applied for a Capital One card more than once in the past 30 days or who already has 5 Capital One credit cards. Those things will get you denied.

That said, if you meet the credit score requirement and have enough income to pay credit card bills, the Capital One Venture card is no harder to get than other elite credit cards for people with good credit.