Capital One Venture Card Review 2023

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The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for earning travel rewards at a moderate price point. While it does carry a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card annual fee, it offers plenty of value and useful benefits, and it's currently offering a substantial welcome bonus of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. 

Capital One Venture Card Review: Is the Capital One Venture the Best Credit Card for You?

The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card's welcome bonus offer is worth $750 in travel when you redeem miles at a fixed rate toward travel purchases — but you could get significantly more value when you transfer your miles to Capital One's airline and hotel partners for award travel. 

The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One travel, and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases with no spending caps. While you can do better in certain spending categories — such as dining and groceries — with other cards, if you value simplicity, earning at least 2x miles on your spending is a solid solution. 

There are some cards that might give you more value, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — which also has a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card annual fee — or The Platinum Card® from American Express, which comes with premium card benefits. 

Who should consider the Capital One Venture card?

The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is ideal if you're looking for an affordable all-purpose travel rewards card with a strong earning rate on every purchase and a range of redemption options. You can keep it simple and cash in your miles toward travel at a fixed rate, or dive a little deeper into award travel by transferring your miles to partners.

Because the card earns 2x miles on almost all purchases, it's a good choice if you don't want to keep track of bonus categories. And if you want a travel card that covers the main bases as far as benefits go, it's also a solid pick.

Who shouldn't consider the Capital One Venture card?

The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card charges a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card annual fee, so if you don't think you'll spend enough on the card or make use of its benefits to offset that cost, you'll likely do better with the card's no-annual-fee version, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

This is also not a card to open if you want to use rewards for cash back. While redeeming for cash is an option, you'll get a poor value for your rewards — just 0.5 cents per mile, versus a minimum of 1 cent per mile when you redeem for travel. If cash back is your priority, check out Insider's guide to the best cash-back credit cards for all the top options.

Conversely, if you're looking for upscale benefits like airport lounge access, travel credits, or broader travel protections, you could get a much better deal with the card's premium sibling, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It comes with a more comprehensive suite of perks, and while it charges a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card annual fee, it's possible to get significantly more value from the card if you can use its benefits. Here's our comparison of the Capital One Venture and Venture X to help you decide if the higher annual fee makes sense for you.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Capital One Venture Card Rewards

Capital One Venture welcome bonus

New Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - Intro Bonus. Again, when you redeem your miles to offset travel purchases made with the card or through Capital One Travel, they're worth 1 cent each, making this bonus worth $750 in travel.

However, Insider's points and miles valuations estimate Capital One miles are worth 1.7 cents each, on average, when you transfer miles to airline and hotel partners. That makes the welcome bonus offer worth around Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card in travel. 

How to earn miles with the Capital One Venture

This card offers a no-fuss earning structure. With the exception of 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One travel, all other purchases earn a flat 2 miles per dollar, with no limits.

How to use Capital One miles with the Venture

Redeeming Capital One miles is easy — much easier than some competing cards, in fact. Once you make an eligible travel purchase, you can redeem miles at a rate of 1 cent each to wipe out the charge through a statement credit within 90 days.

Just use your card to book new travel through any airline, hotel, train, cruise, or travel agency, then reimburse yourself with miles when the transaction posts. Alternatively, you can book new travel through the Capital One Travel portal, which works a lot like most big travel-booking sites online.

You can currently transfer Capital One miles to over a dozen airline and hotel partners, most at a 1:1 transfer ratio:

This means Capital One "miles" can be used like flexible points such as Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards® — and transferable points can often get you a higher value for your rewards.

You can also use miles for gift cards at the same rate of 1 cent per mile, but don't use your miles for cash-back redemptions. When you do, you only get half a cent per mile in value, which is just not worth it.

Capital One Venture Card Benefits and Features

The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card comes with a handful of good benefits, some of which are usually reserved for more premium travel rewards cards like Platinum Card® from American Express. These can help you squeeze even more value out of the Venture card beyond what you get in rewards.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit 

The card comes with up to a $100 credit toward the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. Global Entry, which fast-tracks your re-entry to the US when you travel abroad, includes TSA PreCheck, so it's the better choice.

Because Global Entry lasts five years, that's effectively a $20 per year value. If you already have a membership, you can use this benefit to pay for someone else's application fee, and you'll still be reimbursed.

Airport lounge access

Capital One recently opened its first lounge at the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport, with more to come at Washington Dulles (IAD), Denver (DEN), and Las Vegas (LAS) airports. 

Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card cardholders receive two one-time Capital One Lounge passes each year. Beyond that, you can purchase extra visits or bring guests at the discounted rate of $45 per person (non-cardholders pay $65 per visit).

In addition, instead of using these two one-time visits at Capital One Lounges, cardholders can redeem them at over 100 Plaza Premium lounges worldwide.

Car rental insurance

Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card cardholders can receive secondary car rental insurance which covers damage due to collision or theft on eligible vehicles when they use the card to pay for the rental. Some vehicles and countries aren't covered, so be sure to read the guide to benefits before you rent.

Extended warranty

When you use your Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card to pay for an eligible new item, you can get extended warranty protection which doubles the time period of the original manufacturer's written US repair warranty up to one additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less. Coverage is up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder.

Purchase protection

If an item you've bought with your Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase, the card's purchase protection can cover you for up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder. 

Lost luggage reimbursement

If you paid for your fare with the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and your luggage is lost due to theft or misdirection by the carrier, you could be eligible for coverage of up to $3,000 per trip.

Travel and emergency assistance services

Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card cardholders receive access to a travel and emergency assistance hotline that can help them if they run into problems on the road. It can arrange things like medical and legal referrals, translation services, and lost luggage tracing — but any third-party costs are your responsibility.

Roadside dispatch

The roadside dispatch hotline available to Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card cardholders can help you arrange services like towing, winching, jumpstarting, and fuel delivery for a set fee per service call. 

Visa Signature benefits

Because the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is a Visa Signature card, it offers additional discounts and benefits, including:

• Visa Signature Concierge (which can assist with things like hard-to-get restaurant reservations or event tickets)
• Access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
• Fine wine and food events
• Shopping discounts at select retailers
• Emergency card replacement and emergency cash disbursement

Exclusive events and dining

Capital One also offers cardholders access to exclusive events, VIP packages, sporting events, and more through its Capital One Entertainment platform. Additionally, Capital One Dining can help you secure hard-to-get restaurant reservations.

The benefits are not the very best you can find in the travel rewards card space, but at the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card-annual-fee price point they are pretty good and cover the most common needs for frequent travelers.

If you want the most comprehensive travel coverage for that price, though, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth a closer look. Unlike the Venture card, it offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance that can reimburse you if your travel plans are delayed due to a covered reason. Find out about all your options in our guide to credit cards with the best travel insurance.

Capital One Venture Card Annual Fee and Other Costs

The main cost of the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card annual fee. Like other cards, if you don't pay the card off in full every month (you should), you'll pay interest, with a current APR of Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Regular APR.

Like other cards, it charges fees for:

• Balance transfers: 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you (none for balances transferred at the transfer APR)
• Cash advances: Either $3 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
• Late payments: Up to $40

However, the card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, so it's a good choice for international purchases.

How the Capital One Venture Card Compares

Capital One Venture vs other Capital One credit cards

Capital One Venture vs other travel credit cards

Capital One Venture Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the Capital One Venture card worth it?

If you enjoy redeeming rewards for travel, prefer a straightforward earning and redeeming structure, and like Capital One's transfer partners, the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card can be well worth it. It's even better if you can use benefits like complimentary Capital One Lounge visits, a Global Entry/TSA PrecCheck credit, and various travel and purchase protections.

While all of this can more than offset the card's annual fee, these perks are only good if you make the most of them — it's not worth paying an annual fee otherwise. Instead, you might consider the no-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, which offers fewer benefits and a lower earning rate but still offers access to travel redemptions and partners.

Does the Capital One Venture card provide car rental insurance?

Yes, the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card comes with built-in car rental insurance. This coverage can protect you if your eligible rental vehicle is damaged due to collision or theft, as long as you use your card to pay for your rental and decline the rental agency's collision damage waiver.

Bear in mind the Venture's car rental insurance is secondary, which means it only pays out for amounts not covered by your personal automobile insurance policy. Some cards, including the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, offer primary insurance, which doesn't require you to file a claim through your personal policy first. Here's our guide to credit cards with primary rental car insurance for more options.

What credit score do you need to be approved for the Capital One Venture?

Most people who qualify for the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card have excellent credit, which Capital One defines as never having declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, been more than 60 days late on any credit card, medical bill, or loan in the last year, and having had a loan or credit card for three years or more with a credit limit above $5,000.

FICO considers excellent credit to be a score of at least 800. Be sure to read our guides on improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score if your score doesn't qualify you just yet.

Can you have both the Capital One Venture and Venture X?

It's certainly possible to have the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea for the long term. Many of the cards' benefits overlap, and they have the same redemption options — so paying two annual fees doesn't make sense.

A better play would be to choose the Venture card you prefer, and if you want a second travel card, open one from a different rewards program, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards. That way, you'll gain access to a different set of transfer partners, earning categories, and benefits.

Be sure to read our guide to the best rewards credit cards to help narrow down your options.

Apply for the Capital One Venture Card

Methodology: How we reviewed the Capital One Venture Card

Insider evaluated the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card in comparison to competing travel rewards credit cards. We reviewed the card on various factors, including:

• Ease of use — Does the card have a straightforward earning and redemption structure that makes it easy for beginners and experts alike? Are there multiple ways to redeem miles?
• Rewards earning potential — Are there bonus categories that appeal to a wide range of consumers, or is there a strong flat rate of rewards? Are any bonus categories capped at a certain amount of spending?
• Annual fee — Is the card's annual fee worth it when you consider the value of the card's rewards and benefits?
• Benefits — Do the card's perks, especially travel benefits, compare favorably with similar cards?

You can find out more about how we rate credit cards at Insider.