Capital One Shopping portal: What is it and how to use it to earn rewards
Online shopping portals allow you to earn bonus points, miles or cash back when you shop at select retailers. By logging in to your preferred portal, clicking on a store and making a purchase as usual, you can earn these bonuses on top of the rewards you get from your credit card.
Capital One Shopping is one such portal that helps you find deals and save money, even if you don't have a Capital One credit card. It offers targeted deals that differ from the Capital One Offers found in your account, and it will automatically add coupons to your shopping cart.
In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about using Capital One Shopping to save money on purchases.
Related: The beginners guide to airline shopping portals: How to earn bonus points and miles
What is Capital One Shopping?
Capital One Shopping is an online shopping portal that can save you money on your purchases. It's free and available to everyone, even if you don't have a Capital One credit card or bank account. However, features may be limited if you're based outside the U.S.
Unlike other shopping portals that give you points, miles or cash back, Capital One Shopping earns you credits that can be redeemed for gift cards. Although it's not the same as getting cash, many merchants are available for your gift card redemptions, including Walmart and eBay.
Capital One Shopping also provides a browser extension you can easily download after logging in. Once installed, the extension will prompt you to activate any available Capital One Shopping offers while you search online.
To use it, visit your desired retailer. You'll be prompted to activate the available offers in the top right corner of your screen. This extension is a convenient solution for simplifying the rewards-finding process and avoiding the need to manually search for them.
Related: Best credit cards for everyday spending
How to use Capital One Shopping
To use Capital One Shopping, start by visiting capitaloneshopping.com and creating an account. You can set up your own credentials or choose to log in via Capital One (if you're already a Capital One customer).
Alternatively, you might be able to use a referral to jump-start your earnings. Capital One Shopping has been known to offer referral bonuses when you join using a friend or family member's referral link. For instance, when you create an account using the referral link and download the browser extension, then spend $10 in the first 30 days, you and your referrer will both earn a one-time bonus of $40 in rewards.
Once you have an account, you can find what you're looking for using the search bar at the top of the page. From the individual merchant page, click "Visit Site" in the upper left box. You can also click "Activate" or "Get Coupon" on one of the offers below. You'll be redirected to the merchant's site to complete the purchase.
Like other shopping portals, you must click through the portal to receive rewards (unless you have the browser extension, which will prompt you to activate rewards when you open an eligible merchant's site). You should avoid navigating to other websites or shopping portals during the process and using coupon codes that aren't listed on Capital One Shopping, as this may cause your purchase to not be tracked properly with Capital One Shopping.
If you're not sure exactly what you're looking for, you can browse options by clicking the "Brands" or "Products" tab at the top or choose the "Events" tab to search current deals. Capital One Shopping now offers a wide variety of merchants, ranging from pet supplies and electronics to hotels and concert tickets.
When you search by product, Capital One Shopping will display the various merchants that sell your item, including the product condition, the estimated delivery time, the potential rewards and the final out-of-pocket cost after rewards. For example, when I searched for Apple AirPods Pro, I could save over $70 when buying them from Amazon instead of eBay.
Capital One Shopping has a similar price comparison tool for hotel reservations. Start by searching for your destination and dates, then click on a hotel that interests you and scroll down to see the available offers.
As you can see, booking with certain online travel agencies can save you money on your hotel stay. But remember that you generally won't receive elite status benefits or earn elite-qualifying points or nights unless you book directly with the hotel. If you find a lower rate at a Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton or IHG property than what's available by booking directly, you can submit a price match/best-rate guarantee request, and if approved, the lower rate will be honored.
Related: 9 things to consider when choosing to book via a portal vs. booking directly
How to redeem Capital One Shopping rewards
As mentioned, Capital One Shopping provides rewards in the form of credits that can be redeemed for gift cards at select retailers. This is different from programs like Rakuten, Dosh and TopCashback, which allow you to earn cash rewards (typically distributed via PayPal, check, automated clearing house service or Venmo transfers).
When you're ready to redeem your Capital One Shopping rewards, you can order gift cards by selecting "Redeem Now" under the "My Rewards & Savings" tab.
From there, you can see your redemption options. There are currently over 50 retailers to choose from.
Related: Use a shopping portal aggregator to maximize online purchases
What credit card should you use with Capital One Shopping?
You can use Capital One Shopping without using a Capital One card. However, many Capital One cards can be great options for these types of purchases, including:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 2 Capital One miles per dollar spent on every purchase.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business (no longer available): Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase.
- Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
For additional suggestions, check out our list of the best cards for online shopping.
The information for the Spark Miles for Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Capital One miles: How to earn, redeem and transfer rewards
Bottom line
The Capital One Shopping portal can help you save money, even if you don't have a Capital One credit card. Although it falls short of offering cash back, it rewards you with gift cards at various merchants, and it sets itself apart from many shopping portals with valuable price comparison functionality and the ability to search for and apply coupon codes to your transactions. Plus, the Capital One Shopping browser extension makes it easy to activate available offers and earn rewards while shopping online.
Overall, using Capital One Shopping is a simple and effective way to maximize savings on your purchases — so sign up today.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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.