Capital One is a Virginia-based bank and credit card issuer founded in 1994. It has more than 107 million cardholders and currently offers more than 30 different credit cards.
The Venture Rewards card is a budget-friendly travel rewards card with a low $95 annual fee. It enables you to collect miles that you can redeem in the Capital One Travel portal. You’ll earn an unlimited two miles per dollar on every purchase, plus five miles per dollar on hotel, vacation rental, and rental car purchases in the portal. The Venture Rewards card also includes travel perks like lounge access, rental car collision coverage, and travel accident insurance.
The Venture Rewards card is best for occasional travelers. It’s a great middle ground between Capital One’s fee-free travel cards that offer lower mileage rewards rates and premium travel cards that carry hefty annual fees. With the Venture Rewards card, you get many of the same perks that high-end travel cards offer, but with an annual fee of only $95.
Capital One requires excellent credit to qualify for the Venture Rewards card—you’ll need a credit score of 700 or better to apply.
The Capital One Venture Rewards card has a $95 annual fee, which isn’t waived for the first year.
The card has no fees for foreign transactions. Cash advance fees are 5% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $5.
The Venture Rewards card has an interest rate of 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable) depending on your creditworthiness. You’ll receive your interest rate when you’re approved for the card.
Annual fee | $95 |
Interest rate | 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable) |
Balance transfer fee | $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you |
Foreign transaction fee | $0 |
The Venture Rewards card offers an unlimited two miles per dollar on every purchase, plus an unlimited five miles per dollar spent on hotel, vacation rental, and rental car purchases in the Capital One Travel portal.
Your miles won’t ever expire for the life of the account, and you can redeem them in the portal for hotels, rental cars, flights, or even statement credits. You can also redeem miles through PayPal for online purchases or transfer them to more than 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
You also get a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. These programs allow you to get through airport customs and security lines faster.
Other benefits include two free lounge passes per year, which are good at any Capital One lounge or partner network lounge. When you rent a car through the Capital One Travel portal, you receive coverage for damage caused by a collision or theft. You also receive insurance for travel accidents like lost baggage when you use your card to purchase your airfare.
You can apply for the Venture Rewards card online or by visiting a Capital One bank branch.
When applying online, you can check whether you’re pre-approved for the card before applying. The pre-approval process involves a soft credit check, which won’t impact your credit score. You’ll need to provide your name, address, email, phone number, social security number, employment status, and annual income.
If you’re pre-approved for the Venture Rewards card, you can then apply. Capital One will auto-fill your information from the pre-application, so the application step mainly requires you to review your information and agree to a hard credit check.
Capital One will issue an approval decision instantly in most cases. If you’re approved, you’ll receive your card in the mail in 7 to 10 days.
It’s easy to get help from Capital One. The company offers 24/7 phone support and access to a chatbot that can answer questions and direct you to support articles. The online help center is very detailed and fully searchable. You’ll find guides explaining your card benefits, how to make payments, and what to do if you suspect fraud in your account.
The Venture Rewards card has an in-built EMV chip to keep your data secure. Capital One also protects your account with SSL encryption and biometric and two-factor authentication.
You can activate alerts for suspicious transactions, and you’ll be able to freeze your card at any time using the Capital One mobile app. What’s more, Capital One offers a dedicated fraud hotline that’s available 24/7. You’re never responsible for paying for fraudulent charges on your account.
Capital One also offers CreditWise, a credit monitoring service that can alert you to changes in your credit score.
Note that while Capital One is a member of the FDIC, its credit cards are not FDIC-insured.
The Capital One Venture Rewards card is a low-fee travel rewards card that’s ideal for the occasional traveler. It offers travel benefits like lounge access, rental car collision coverage, and travel accident insurance, on top of an unlimited two miles per dollar on every purchase. You can apply online in minutes and even check if you’re pre-qualified without impacting your credit score.
This review is based on the Capital One website and online application.
Editorial disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Editorial disclosure: The credit card offers and information presented on this page are current as of the published date. However, credit card terms, including APRs, fees, and promotional offers, are subject to change without notice. Some offers listed may no longer be available or may have expired. Please refer to the issuer's website for the most up-to-date terms and conditions.
Michael Graw is a personal finance expert at BestMoney.com, specializing in online banking and insurance. His work has appeared in print magazines and on high-impact websites. With a passion for clarity and practicality, Michael helps readers navigate today’s financial landscape.