When so many premium credit cards are increasing the annual fees and adding a bunch of coupons and credits for you to keep track of, Capital One is keeping their credit cards simple and straightforward.
Elevated offers were just announced and this article will explain all the details and recent changes!
If you have any questions send me a DM and I’d be happy to help!
SUMMARY OF CURRENT OFFERS
A full breakdown of each card and its benefits is included later in this post.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
100,000 mile bonus when you spend $10K in the first 6 months (twice as long as most card offers)
This is the highest offer since the card was introduced in 2021!
After meeting the spend requirement you’ll end up with 120,000 miles!
Annual fee of $395 – loads of travel perks!
Earns 2x on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of!
Capital One Venture X Business Card
200,000 mile bonus when you spend $30K in the first 3 months
and an additional 200,000 miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 months
After meeting the spend requirement you’ll end up with 260,000-700,000 miles!
Annual fee of $395 – loads of travel perks!
Earns 2x on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
75,000 mile bonus when you spend $4K in the first 3 months
After meeting the spend requirement you’ll end up with 83,000 miles!
Annual fee of $95
Earns 2x on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of!
Capital One VentureOne and Savor Cash Rewards Credit Cards
20,000 miles bonus when you spend $500
PLUS a $100 credit to use on travel booked in the Capital One travel portal during the first year (no spend necessary)
NO ANNUAL FEE
ORDER MATTERS!
Capital One recently changed their welcome bonus policy to encourage cardholders to work their way up the Capital One Venture card family ladder instead of down.
This means if you’d like to earn a bonus on all cards in the Venture family you’d need to apply for the personal cards in the following order.
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
You may decide that the bonus on the VentureOne isn’t worth taking a 5/24 spot and start with the Venture card instead.
You may decide you want a premium travel card with lounge access and loads of travel perks and jump right up to the Venture X.
Capital One offers several business cards that can help you replenish your stash of Venture miles so don’t feel like you need to apply for each of the personal cards above, but these new family rules are something to be aware of.
CAPITAL ONE RULES
In addition to the family rules (aka moving up the ladder) discussed above, Capital One has implemented a 48 month rule which means you can’t earn a bonus on the Venture or Venture X card if you already earned a bonus on that same card in the last 48 months.
Also be aware, Capital One will only approve you for one card every six months.
Some suggest that Capital One will only allow you to hold two personal credit cards at the same time, but we have not found that to be the case. My husband had three at one time.
A few examples…
If you have the Venture card and it’s been more than six months since you applied, you can apply for the Venture X card as long as you haven’t earned a bonus on the Venture X in the past 48 months.
If you had the Venture X card and it’s been more than 48 months since you earned the bonus AND it’s been more than six months since you were approved for any Capital One card you are eligible for the current Venture X welcome offer. I do not recommend applying for the Venture X if you still have your original Venture X open.
In summary…
You can move anywhere up the ladder of personal Capital One cards as long as you wait six months between applications.
WHAT CAN YOU USE CAPITAL ONE MILES FOR?
When you log into your Capital One account you will see these three options for redeeming your rewards for travel.
BOOK A TRIP
This option gives you the ability to use your miles to book flights, hotels and car rentals through the Capital One Travel portal.
100,000 miles will pay for $1,000 of travel in the portal
TRANSFER REWARDS
This option gives you the ability to transfer your miles to any of the 20+ Capital One travel partners.
You’ll likely get the most value out of your miles by transferring them to a travel partner and booking through the partner website.
I typically use my Capital One miles for flights through transfer partners and value miles at 2 CPP (cents per point).
100,000 miles at 2 CPP = $2,000 of travel
CURRENT CAPITAL ONE TRANSFER PARTNERS:
Airline Partners
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Air France-KLM / Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Airways
- EVA Air
- Finnair Plus
- Japan Airlines
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red / Virgin Atlantic
Hotel Partners
- ALL – Accor Live Limitless
- Choice Privileges
- I Prefer Hotel Resorts
- Wyndham Rewards
Capital One will offer transfer bonuses periodically which is a great way to further increase the value of your rewards when you’re ready to redeem them. For example, there is currently a 20% transfer bonus to British Airways (BA) which means 1,000 Capital One miles transferred to BA will become 1,200 British Airways miles.
COVER TRAVEL PURCHASES
This option gives you the ability to get reimbursed for any travel expenses you charged to your card in the last 90 days.
100,000 miles will cover $1,000 worth of travel expenses
This is an easy way to cover the cost of Airbnbs, cruises, car rentals and more. You can even cover the cost of Disney park tickets as long as they are booked through a 3rd party website.
WHICH REDEMPTION METHOD SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
If your goal is to eliminate as much of your travel costs as possible then getting reimbursed is a great option.
If your goal is to maximize the value of your rewards, you can typically get more value by transferring your miles to travel partners.
There’s no right way to redeem your miles!
APPLICATION PROCESS
Capital One has one of the most unpredictable approval systems out there – even those with excellent credit scores can be denied (including yours truly). Don’t take a denial personally and don’t let it stop you from applying for future cards – aside from a temporary ding, getting declined for a credit card does not have a lasting impact on your credit score.
Capital One is sensitive to recent credit inquires so I recommend starting a relationship with Capital One early in your credit card journey.
If you’d like to improve your chances of approval you can choose to limit any credit inquiries in the few months leading up to submitting an application for a Capital One card.
When you submit a credit card application with Capital One, or go through their pre-approval process, Capital One may offer you an alternative card option if they feel it would be a better match. You can choose to accept or decline that alternative offer.
REFERRAL RULES
You will NOT earn a referral bonus if you refer someone who has had a Capital One card before. They MUST be a new Capital One customer in order for you to earn a referral bonus.
If you’re unable to earn a referral bonus, I’d be grateful if you use my affiliate links instead which help support my small business and the FREE resources provided at no cost to you.
CARD DETAILS & ELEVATED OFFERS
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the most popular Capital One cards:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One has increased the welcome bonus on the personal Venture X card which is Capital One’s premium personal credit card.
100,000 mile bonus when you spend $10K in the first 6 months (twice as long as most card offers)
This is the highest offer since the card was introduced in 2021!
After meeting the spend requirement you’ll end up with 120,000 miles!
Annual fee of $395 – loads of travel perks!
Earns 2x on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of!
In addition to the welcome bonus, the Venture X card comes packed with perks including:
- $300 credit when you book travel through the Capital One travel portal (hotel, flights or car rentals). You’ll earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights through the portal.
- Capital One, Plaza Premium, AND Priority Pass (PP) lounge access for the cardholder (see note below).
- Complimentary TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credit every 4 years
- Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle Status which you can match to other car rental companies
- BONUS 10,000 miles on your anniversary (worth $100+)
- Car rental protection – Primary insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption reimbursement
- Cell phone protection – you can read more about this perk HERE
- Lost luggage insurance and additional travel protections!
With the $300 annual travel credit and the 10,000 point anniversary bonus (worth $100+), the $395 annual fee is more than covered and that’s ON TOP of all the card perks – they basically pay you to keep the card long-term!
No additional credits or coupons to manage and the Venture X earns a straightforward 2x miles on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of either.
The Venture X is a great card to use at Costco instead of accepting just 1x point per $1 spent on other credit cards. Even if you have the Citi Costco card that earns 2% cashback at Costco, you are better off earning 2x miles that can be redeemed for more value. Cash is limited to face value.
NOTE: Lounge Access changes as of February 1, 2026 for the personal Venture X Rewards Card
- Authorized users (AU) can have unlimited Capital One and Priority Pass lounge access with a $125 annual lounge fee
- Capital One Lounge guest access is $45 per visit and $25 per visit for guests ages 2-17, children under two remain free
- If you spend $75K or more per calendar year you can bring two complimentary guests into Capital One Lounges and one guest into Capital One Landings
- Priority Pass guest access will cost $35 per visit
- Guest access will continue to be allowed free of charge until February 1, 2026 so if you have some winter travel coming up you can still take advantage of this generous lounge policy for a few more months.
My husband and I have had the Venture X card since it was introduced and it continues to be one of our favorites.
The Venture X is great for travelers who want premium perks and appreciate a straightforward card that earns 2x points on everything. The annual fee is easy to “make-up” with the $300 annual travel credit and the 10,000 miles anniversary bonus each year.
If you decide to apply for the Capital One Venture X card, please use THIS LINK
Capital One Venture X Business
Capital One has increased the welcome bonus on the Venture X Business card. This card is a fantastic option for a business that doesn’t want to change credit cards regularly and doesn’t want to manage a bunch of credits and coupons.
200,000 mile bonus when you spend $30K in the first 3 months
and an additional 200,000 miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 months
After meeting the primary spend requirement you’ll end up with 260,000-700,000 miles! Even just the first tier of the offer is incredible.
Annual fee of $395 – loads of travel perks!
Earns 2x on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of!
In addition to the welcome bonus, the Venture X Business card comes packed with perks including:
- $300 credit when you book travel through the Capital One travel portal (hotel, flights or car rentals). You’ll earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights through the portal.
- Capital One, Plaza Premium, AND Priority Pass (PP) lounge access for the cardholder with guest privilages (see note below).
- Complimentary TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credit every 4 years
- BONUS 10,000 miles on your anniversary (worth $100+)
- Car rental protection – primary insurance if used for business, secondary if used for personal
With the annual $300 travel credit and the 10,000 point anniversary bonus (worth $100+), the $395 annual fee is more than covered and that’s ON TOP of all the card perks – they basically pay you to keep the card long!
No additional credits or coupons to manage and the Venture X Business card earns a straightforward 2x miles on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of either.
NOTE: Lounge Access changes as of February 1, 2026 for the Venture X Business card
- Authorized users (AU) can have unlimited Capital One and Priority Pass lounge access with a $125 annual lounge fee
- Capital One Lounge guest access is $45 per visit and $25 per visit for guests ages 2-17, children under two remain free
- If you spend $75K or more per calendar year you can bring two complimentary guests into Capital One Lounges and one guest into Capital One Landings
- Cardholders and authorized users will continue to be able to bring two guests into Priority Pass lounges after February 1, 2026, additional guests will be charged $35 per visit
If you decide to apply for the Capital One Venture X Business card, please use THIS LINK
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture card is a solid card for anyone interested in an a no-fuss card with a low annual fee of just $95.
75,000 mile bonus when you spend $4K in the first 3 months
After meeting the spend requirement you’ll end up with 83,000 miles!
Annual fee of $95
Earns 2x on EVERYTHING so no spending categories to keep track of!
The Venture card includes a Complimentary TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credit every 4 years and earns a straightforward 2x miles on EVERYTHING so no spending categories or additional coupons or credits to keep track of.
With the new card eligibility rules, you are NOT eligible for the welcome bonus on the Venture card if you earned a bonus on the Venture or Venture X personal card in the past 48 months.
If you decide to apply for the Capital One Venture card please use THIS LINK
Capital One VentureOne and Savor Cash Rewards Credit Cards
These two no-annual fee cards have similar welcome bonuses; however, the card structure and earnings rates are different.
Both offer a $200 (20,000 mile) welcome bonus when you spend $500 in the first 3 months
PLUS a $100 credit to use on travel booked in the Capital One travel portal during the first year (no spend necessary)
Both cards have NO ANNUAL FEE
The VentureOne is considered a travel card and the bonus is awarded as 20,000 points. The VentureOne earns 1.25x miles on all purchases.
With the new card eligibility rules, you are NOT eligible for the welcome bonus on the VentureOne card if you’re earned a bonus on the VentureOne, Venture, or Venture X personal card in the past 48 months.
The Savor Cash card is considered a cash back card and the bonus is listed as $200; however, that $200 bonus can be moved to any Capital One card now or in the future as 20,000 miles. The Savor card earns 3x on groceries and dining which are likely two of your biggest expenses. For that reason I give the Savor card a slight advantage over the VentureOne card if you’re looking for a beginner card with a low spend requirement and no annual fee.
I’ve included the Capital One Savor Cash card in my top three recommended cards for beginners. You can read that post HERE
You can apply and/or learn more about each card through my affiliate links below:
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
CONCLUSION
Capital One is one of the top points and miles currencies in the market. It’s recommended to introduce Capital One cards into your credit card strategy early to increase your chances of approval.
You are eligible for the elevated 100,000 mile offer on the Venture X personal card if you have not earned a bonus on the Venture X in the past 48 months and you haven’t applied for a Capital One card in the past six months.
You are eligible for the elevated 200,000-400,000 mile offer on the Venture X Business card if you haven’t applied for a Capital One card in the past six months. If you have some big expenses coming up the business card offer is HUGE and is a no-fuss card you can keep long-term. The Venture X Business card is a great option if you’re looking for a card that will continue to include lounge access with guest privileges.
Both the Venture X personal and business cards are ideal if you want premium travel perks without juggling multiple statement credits and a $700+ annual fee.
Both Venture X cards charge an annual fee of $395, but that $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 mile anniversary bonus more than make up for that cost and you’ll have all the card perks as well.
If you have any questions about the Capital One application terms or card perks send me a DM and I’d be happy to help!
Thank you so much for supporting my small business by using the links included in this post when you apply for a new card. It costs you nothing to use an affiliate link and helps support the FREE resources and guidance provided.
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