I get asked a lot about points and miles and where to start. The biggest question is, “Which card should I get?” and I’m here to tell you that the simplest way to start in points and miles is to start with a simple strategy. That includes earning more than 1 point or mile per dollar on every purchase.
This is where the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card shines. It earns a minimum of 2 miles on every purchase, has a low $95 annual fee that’s easily offset by its benefits, and right now it has a limited-time welcome offer worth $1,000+ in travel.
Limited-time offer
New cardholders can earn 75,000 Capital One miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus get a limited-time $300 Capital One Stays credit to use toward eligible hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year.
Simple redemptions
The simple strategy I mentioned earlier? Capital One makes it easy by letting you use the miles you earn 1:1 in the travel portal and cover eligible travel purchases charged to the card. The 75,000 bonus miles are equal to $750, and when you add in the $300 hotel credit, you have $1,050 in travel value.
I’m a big fan of the Capital One travel portal — it’s really intuitive, and I’ve always had great customer service. Flight prices can be high, and one of my favorite features is built right into Capital One Travel — flight price protection. It will automatically monitor the price of any flight you book through the travel portal and provide a flight credit.
Want to get even more value from the miles?
I leverage Capital One’s many transfer partners, such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue, to book incredible deals like 60,000-mile business-class awards to Europe — especially if there’s a transfer bonus to stretch my miles even further. The new British Airways Club 20% transfer bonus can help you get to the U.K. and beyond.
How Venture fits into my points and miles strategy
I use my Capital One card (I have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card) for categories that aren’t covered by any of my other cards, so I’m guaranteed at least 2x miles per dollar spent (think baby items, insurance payments, etc.).
If you’re curious about how the Venture Rewards compares to the Venture X, check out this side-by-side comparison. While Venture X has a higher annual fee, I actually come out ahead on that card because the benefits more than offset it.
Bottom line
Whether you want simple travel rewards or you’re looking to boost your earnings, this is a great starter card and a no-brainer, especially if you’re new to points and miles. If you’re in the market for an easy-to-use rewards card, I always recommend applying when there’s a limited-time offer.
Have a great weekend,
BK
Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, and this may impact how or where they appear. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Photo Credit: JONNO RATTMAN.
You are receiving this email because you opted in atthepointsguy.com.
Where to find us:
The Points Guy 100 5th Ave., 16th Floor New York, NY 10011 USA USA
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.
Advertiser Disclosure:
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
