Quick Points: How to save 5% on all hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars with Capital One
Want to save even more money when booking flights and hotels with your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?
TPG values Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, per our March 2025 valuations, when you transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners such as British Airways, Turkish Airlines and Wyndham Hotels. But if you don't plan to transfer your miles to one of Capital One's 15-plus partners to maximize your rewards, here's an easy hack you can use.
With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you'll earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal and 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Currently, new cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
So, where do extra savings come in?
If you book through Capital One Travel, you can pay with miles at a fixed value of 1 cent per mile or with cash. For example, for this stay in Miami, at checkout (not including the hotel service fee due at check-in), you'll pay either $411.74 or 41,174 miles (a value of 1 cent per mile).
If you were to redeem your miles at checkout, your card would never be charged; therefore, you would not earn any additional rewards. However, if you were to pay with your Venture Rewards card, you would earn 5 miles per dollar spent on this purchase. That translates to 2,058 miles.
Since Capital One also lets you cover travel purchases from your statement within 90 days of the purchase date at a rate of 1 cent per mile, redeeming your rewards this way allows you to earn miles for your spending.
Therefore, once this travel purchase is posted to my account, I can still use 41,174 Capital One miles to remove it from my statement as though my card was never charged. Because I initially purchased my travel with cash instead of redeeming my miles, I'm 2,058 miles richer. That's around a 5% rebate on my hotel booking through the portal.
The downside to doing this? You likely will not earn hotel points or be able to use elite status benefits on bookings made through Capital One Travel. This is because the major hotel chains usually require you to book directly to receive these benefits. However, flights booked through Capital One Travel typically earn miles as usual and are eligible for all elite status benefits, so make sure you add your frequent flyer number before you fly.
Therefore, if you don't plan to transfer your Capital One miles to partners but want to redeem your rewards on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars, you can book through the Capital One portal and pay with your credit card, earning 5 miles per dollar spent. Then, redeem your miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile to effectively save 5% on all hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars.
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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.