The no-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a terrific option for thrifty travelers who shy away from annual-fee credit cards. The card offers a hearty welcome bonus and a simple rewards structure for ongoing spending, plus the miles you earn are easy to redeem. This means you don’t have to invest time learning about complicated award charts or face restrictions when you want to use your rewards to save on travel.
Ways to maximize the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Earn the sign-up bonus
Despite having no annual fee, the card still has a valuable welcome bonus with a relatively low minimum spending requirement: 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 bonus miles on every purchase
You’ll earn 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase with no limit. This is as straightforward as it gets, and it’s a favorable structure if you don’t want to bother with cards that have tiered rewards rates and different bonus spend categories.
Also, if you regularly use multiple credit cards to maximize the rewards you earn on each purchase, this card can come in handy when your alternate card only earns 1 mile per dollar on a purchase.
Understand redemption options and airline transfer partners
You’ll get the most value for your Capital One miles by using them for travel via one of the following options.
Use the Capital One Purchase Eraser
Simply pay for travel with your card then redeem miles for statement credit for some or all of the cost within 90 days from the date your travel purchase posts to your account. There’s no minimum redemption amount and miles are worth 1 cent each this way. That means 10,000 Venture miles can offset $100 of an eligible travel purchase.
Any expense that Capital One codes as “travel” is eligible for redemption, including airfare purchases, hotel stays, rail lines, car rental agencies, limousine services, bus lines, cruise lines, taxi cabs, travel agents and timeshares. Using miles this way means you won’t have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability.
Book travel through the Capital One travel center
The Capital One rewards travel center offers flights, hotels and rental cars booking options. You can pay upfront with your miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile. What’s more, if your travel transaction includes taxes, surcharges and fees, your points can cover those — you won’t need to pay out of pocket.
Transfer miles to partners
Cardholders may be eligible for transferring Capital One miles to 10+ select airline and hotel partners. Then, you can book an award directly through the external loyalty program.
Be sure to request eligibility for transfers after 10 days of your account opening.
Use your card when renting automobiles
Pay for your next rental car with your Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card and decline the optional auto insurance at checkout. This card will automatically cover your rental for damage due to collision or theft.
Keep the no-annual-fee card active to build your length of credit
Having a no-annual-fee card isn’t just beneficial for avoiding another out-of-pocket expense. It can also help build your credit history and boost your credit score. That’s because the calculation for your credit score includes the average of how long all of your card accounts have been open.
As a result, if you open a no-annual-fee card like this one, there will likely be a positive impact on your credit score over the long term (assuming you maintain a strong payment history and don’t have any other credit blunders).
The bottom line
Since you’ll pay a $0 annual fee for the credit card, it can be relatively easy to get value from the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. To make the most of it, take advantage of the card’s welcome bonus and use it to earn bonus miles on all purchases. The miles you earn with this card are easy to redeem to offset travel purchases using the Capital One Purchase Eraser or by booking through the Capital One travel center. Don’t forget to swipe this card for your next rental car purchase, either.
How to Maximize Your Rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2021, including those best for:
Source: nerdwallet.com