Guide
Summer Hull
Director of content
Summer Hull has been covering (and using) travel tips, rewards credit cards and loyalty programs for over a decade. She has flown close to a million miles, often on points and miles and with her family in tow.
and
Ryan Wilcox
Credit card writer
Ryan joined TPG in 2022 and works as a credit cards writer, overseeing refreshes of card reviews and updating card offers. He enjoys racking up cash back and helping readers maximize their points and miles for their next big trip.
June 25, 2024
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4 min read
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Editor's Note
This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.
When my family and I first landed the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, it was mostly about snagging a solid sign-up bonus. However, what I didn't know when we applied was that this card would quickly claim a prominent spot in my wallet and my husband's long after the bonus miles were spent.
Here are all the reasons why we're still using the Venture Rewards more than I expected.
solid earnings rates
My husband will never have lots of cards in his wallet and worry about keeping up with category bonuses for various transactions. He will, however, primarily use whichever card I indicate is best at the time. This card comes in clutch since there are no fees for adding an authorized user to your Venture Rewards account (see rates and fees).
When he isn't working on hitting a spending bonus, earning 2 miles per dollar everywhere by using the Venture Rewards Card isn't bad and is actually better than most of the cards on the market for non-bonus spending. If you maximize the miles via transfer partners, then TPG's June valuations say you can get 1.85 cents per mile. That might not be the absolute best return for everyday spending, but it's pretty darn close.
Related: Starter card showdown: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards
Flexible miles are simply the best
I can't give up earning airline miles, because there are times when the outsize value they provide can't be beat. But, as award charts continue to fade, flexible miles are the best type to have. And it seems that the international airline programs that are in the Capital One transfer partner lineup may turn out to be the best options for booking many awards since they largely still have traditional award charts in play.
With Capital One's list of transfer partners, there's even more reason to love this card. But here's the truth. I haven't (yet) transferred any of our Capital One miles to partners.
Maybe we will one day, as there are some great options out there, from Air Canada Aeroplan to Etihad Guest. But for now, I've enjoyed booking whatever travel we want and then redeeming the miles to offset the travel purchase with a few simple clicks.
For example, my husband wanted to meet our family in Hawaii a few summers back and needed to fly on a certain date, at a certain time and on a particular route to maximize his time with us. In this particular situation, it was best to buy a cash ticket and then reimburse ourselves with Capital One miles. Since he had no flexibility, traditional airline miles provided no value, even though Hawaii can sometimes be a great deal with airline miles.
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Related: To transfer or not to transfer: What to do with Capital One miles
Bottom line
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of my current favorite credit cards for families who travel — and that recommendation isn't just based on stats or bullet points.
If you don't yet have the Venture Rewards card, now is a great time to apply for one to protect yourself a bit from any devaluations and maybe even simplify your award travel strategy a bit in the process. It's a card well worth applying for for all types of credit card users.
Read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.
Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards
Featured image by
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
