Why I keep the Capital One Venture Rewards in my wallet

I have a confession to make: I used to hate the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

I know, I know — it was quite a controversial opinion among my TPG colleagues for the longest time. I’d always been a Chase girlie (the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was my first travel credit card, and it still holds a top spot in my wallet), and the Venture Rewards always seemed overrated by comparison.

However, despite my misgivings, I applied for the card several years back to take advantage of a hefty 100,000-mile welcome offer. While that specific offer is no longer available, the current welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in the first cardholder year, is similarly tempting.

Since adding the card to my wallet, it’s actually become a mainstay favorite that I can’t imagine getting rid of. Here’s how the Capital One Venture Rewards changed my mind and became a favorite card of mine to recommend.

As someone who already had the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, I initially overlooked the benefit of earning at least 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases. With my Freedom Unlimited, I can earn at least 1.5% back on all purchases . But that extra 0.5 miles does add up over time and makes a big difference in how fast I rack up rewards.

Last year, I spent almost $18,400 on my Venture, which earned around 36,800 Capital One miles. With my Freedom Unlimited, I would have only earned 27,600 Ultimate Rewards points on that non-bonused spending.

That’s roughly $680 in value earned with the Venture Rewards versus $565 earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited (since I also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, my Freedom Unlimited points get the full value of Ultimate Rewards points), based on TPG’s March 2025 valuations. Even though TPG currently values Chase Ultimate Rewards points higher than Capital One miles, the additional rewards I earn with Capital One’s higher nonbonus spending rate more than make up for that difference.

Transferable points are a game changer for anyone who wants to save money on travel through points and miles. Capital One has really upped its game since first adding the ability to transfer miles to airline and hotel partners. Currently, Capital One has 15-plus transfer partners, most of which offer a 1:1 transfer ratio.

While my Chase, American Express and Bilt cards also allow me to transfer my rewards to hotel and airline partners, Capital One offers some unique options that my other cards do not, including EVA Air, Wyndham and Finnair Plus.

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Plus, the ability to funnel rewards from multiple cards into one account (such as British Airways or Singapore Airlines — transfer partners of all multiple credit card issuers I mentioned) helps me maximize earning categories across cards while still combining rewards for larger redemptions.

I didn’t have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck before I got this card, and it has been such a game changer for me. If you’ve been in an airport recently, you know that security and customs lines are no joke. I’ve saved hours with Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, and I cannot imagine traveling without them at this point.

The Capital One Venture Rewards is one of few mid-tier travel rewards cards that offer a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit. In the first year, this benefit alone made it easy to enough value from this $95-per-year card to make the annual fee worth it.

Related: The top 11 credit cards with annual travel statement credits

The benefits listed above are great, but the low annual fee solidifies this card’s value. I get multiple perks with this card that most other travel cards in that sub-$100 annual fee range don’t offer. As much as I adore my Chase Sapphire Preferred, for instance, it doesn’t save me time at the airport by covering my Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee or earn great rewards on non-bonused spending.

Some cards offer even more benefits, like lounge access, travel credits and higher spending rates for certain categories — but they also come with much higher annual fees. At this point in my life, I can’t justify spending thousands of dollars each year on high annual fees for multiple cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Thankfully, some great mid-tier cards out there make traveling much more convenient without breaking the bank — including the Venture Rewards. With only a $95 annual fee, it’s easy to justify keeping this card in my wallet for the long haul.

I can admit when I’m wrong, and I definitely misjudged the Venture Rewards for a long time before I realized how much value it could add to my wallet. Now, it’s one of my most recommended cards for newbies to the points and miles space looking for a card that’s easy to use and maximize.

The Venture Rewards is a great first travel credit card with a low annual fee, easy-to-use rewards and solid benefits you don’t get with other mid-tier cards. For points pros, it offers a great way to diversify your transfer partner options across cards and earn rewards on nonbonus purchases that other cards may not cover without adding hundreds of dollars in annual fees.

To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards card.

Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Related: Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X