Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards: Which card is right for you?
Editor's Note
Whether you're a beginner to points and miles or a seasoned pro, it's always a good idea to have at least one flat-rate earning credit card in your wallet.
Beginners can use these cards as a great jumping-off point for earning rewards because there aren't any bonus categories to worry about maximizing. In contrast, more experienced travelers can use them as a fall-back card for nonbonus spending.
No matter which category you fall into, you want to make sure you choose the right option. Let's compare two top flat-rate credit cards: the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card.
Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards comparison
| Card: | Capital One Venture Rewards | Bank of America Travel Rewards |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $95 | $0 |
Welcome offer | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening cardholder year | Earn 25,000 online bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening |
Earning rate |
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Rewards value | 1.85 cents per mile (per TPG's January 2025 valuations) | 1 cent per point |
Top benefits |
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Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards welcome offer
Currently, new Capital One Venture Rewards cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
TPG's January 2025 valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each. That makes this welcome bonus worth $1,388.
New Bank of America Travel Rewards cardholders, on the other hand, can earn 25,000 online bonus points after spending at least $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening. These points are worth $250 in statement credits toward travel and dining purchases.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards. It has a higher spending requirement, but the bonus is more than five times as much as the Bank of America Travel Rewards bonus.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular travel cards based on offer history
Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards benefits
The Bank of America Travel Rewards has no annual fee, so it comes with minimal benefits. However, it is a Visa Signature card, so cardholders receive some travel protections and benefits that come with this card type.
The Capital One Venture Rewards has a $95 annual fee and comes with some decent benefits for a mid-tier travel card, such as an up to $120 credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
Additionally, cardholders get access to hotel bookings through Capital One's Lifestyle Collection, 24-hour travel assistance and travel and shopping protections.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards. It offers more benefits and access than you'll get with the Bank of America Travel Rewards.
Related: 7 reasons to get the Capital One Venture Rewards card
Earning rewards with the Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards
A major benefit of both the Capital One Venture Rewards and the Bank of America Travel Rewards is that they offer the simplicity of flat-rate earning structures and allow you to earn solid rewards on all your purchases.
The Venture Rewards earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards earns 3 points per dollar on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center and 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases. However, if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards Program member, you'll earn an additional 25% to 75%, depending on your level.
The Bank of America Preferred Rewards program is available to Bank of America customers who have at least a $20,000 three-month average combined daily balance across Bank of America banking and Merrill investment accounts.
As a member, you get several benefits, including a certain number of no-fee ATM transactions at non-Bank of America ATMs, savings account boosts and a rewards bonus on Bank of America credit card earnings.
The program is organized into five tiers based on how much you have saved or invested with the company:
| Preferred Rewards tier | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Honors | Diamond Honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Required balance (three-month combined average across accounts) | $20,000-$49,999 | $50,000-$99,999 | $100,000-$999,999 | $10,000,000+ |
Rewards bonus | 25% | 50% | 75% | 75% |
Effective Travel Rewards earning rate | 1.88 points | 2.25 points | 2.63 points | 2.63 |
That rewards bonus significantly increases the value of the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card. If you're a Platinum, Platinum Honors, or Diamond Honors member, you'll actually start earning at a higher rate on this no-annual-fee card than you would on the Venture Rewards card.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards, except for Platinum, Platinum Honors, or Diamond Honors Bank of America Preferred Rewards members.
Related: Why you should get a fixed-rate rewards card
Redeeming rewards with the Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards
Both cards allow you to redeem your rewards directly for travel as a statement credit at a rate of one cent each.
Bank of America Travel Rewards allows you to redeem your rewards as a statement credit for travel and dining purchases (with a minimum redemption of 2,500 points). You can also redeem your rewards for gift cards or cash back, but these redemptions have a lower reward value.
The Capital One Venture Rewards has a wider range of redemption options. Like the Bank of America Travel Rewards, you can redeem your miles for a statement credit to cover travel purchases at a rate of one cent per mile. You can also use them to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal at the same rate.
However, you will get the most value by transferring your miles to any of Capital One's 15-plus hotel and airline partners.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards. It offers a wider range of redemption options, which allows you to get more value from your rewards.
Related: Quick Points: How to save 10% on all hotels and 5% on all flights with Capital One
Transferring rewards with the Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards
The Bank of America Travel Rewards does not allow you to transfer your rewards to travel partners.
The Capital One Venture Rewards, however, allows you to transfer your miles to any of Capital One's airline and hotel partners, including valuable options like Air Canada Aeroplan, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Wyndham Rewards.
TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt gets excellent value by transferring his miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue and using them to book business-class flights to Europe.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards. Since the Bank of America Travel Rewards doesn't offer a transfer option, the Capital One Venture Rewards wins by default.
Related: How to get maximum value from your Capital One miles
Should I get the Capital One Venture Rewards or the Bank of America Travel Rewards?
If you want to transfer your rewards to airline and hotel partners, the Capital One Venture Rewards is the easy choice.
However, if you want to avoid annual fees and be able to redeem your rewards for dining as well as travel purchases, the Bank of America Travel Rewards will serve you better.
Bottom line
Both of these cards have their merits. Suppose you are a loyal Bank of America customer with enough money stashed away to qualify for the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program. In that case, there is a lot of value to be had from the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card.
However, most travelers will likely get the most out of the Capital One Venture Rewards. With a higher earning rate, more perks and flexible redemption options, this $95 annual fee card is hard to beat.
To learn more, see our full reviews of the Capital One Venture Rewards and Bank of America Travel Rewards.
Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards
Apply here: Bank of America Travel Rewards
Updated 3/5/2025.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.