Capital One Venture Rewards Card Bonus Now 40,000 Miles
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card has doubled its sign up bonus from 20,000 miles to 40,000 after $3,000 in spend within the first 3 months and the $59 annual fee is waived the first year.
While 20,000 miles was equal to $200 you can now get $400 in travel when redeeming those miles to cover expenses like airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and more. However, these miles cannot be transferred to any frequent flyer or hotel programs, but you can use them towards buying any flight/hotel you want.
Solid Earning
This card earns 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, so you don't have to strategically use it on special bonus categories. If you're redeeming your points for travel, this card gets you 2% back on everything you spend because every mile is worth 1 cent and you earn 2 per dollar spent on all purchases. Plus, when you redeem Venture Miles to cover your travel expenses, you also earn airline miles on your redemptions, which you normally do not get when you use normal airline miles, so using these miles to buy tickets can help you attain and retain valuable elite status.
Best Offer?
Capital One has had sign-up bonuses of 50,000 back in January and even up to 100,000 points with this card, but it's been nearly two years since we've seen an offer like that. This is the highest it's been for a while, so if you've been waiting to get this card, I don't foresee it going much higher anytime soon. Note: When you apply for a Capital One card, they will generally pull your credit from all three agencies, so the hard inquiry on your credit may be greater than with most other credit card companies that do one pull.
If you're interested in fixed value cards, another great option with a similar sign up bonus is the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World MasterCard which offers 40,000 Arrival miles after $3,000 spent within the first 3 month, equivalent to $420 in travel redemptions. The Arrival Plus card also earns 2 miles per dollar spent but one of the main benefits is that you will receive 5% of your miles back when redeemed for qualifying travel statement credits, thus getting you 2.1% back on all of your spend, which is slightly better than the Venture. The Arrival Plus card is also now available with Chip + Pin capability which strengthens security and improves the likelihood of acceptance when traveling abroad.
Fixed Value Vs. Transferrable?
Whichever card you decide is best for you, the fundamental strength of fixed value cards is that they allow you greater flexibility when using miles on any airline or hotel and you generally earn miles and elite miles on those redemptions. That being said, Capital One and Arrival Plus Miles cannot be transferred to frequent flyer and guest programs and their redemptions are tied to the value of the redemption, so they are generally not the best for super expensive flights and hotel stays. They're great though for covering costs not typically covered by traditional miles, like award ticket fuel surcharges, bed and breakfast stays, trains and taxis. The best strategy is to diversify your miles and points and with all of the frequent flyer program devaluations lately, I'm putting more and more of my spend on fixed value cards.
For more information, check out these posts:
Maximizing Fixed Value Travel Credit Cards
Barclaycard Arrival Bonus Hits 40,000 Miles
Details on the Barclaycard Arrival Travel Redemptions
Capital One Venture and VentureOne Bonuses Up To 20,000 Miles
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.