capital one travel rewards redeem

Cashing in Capital One miles? How to get the maximum value when redeeming miles

Editor's Note

With an impressive list of 15-plus transfer partners for select Venture and Spark cardholders, Capital One miles transfer to many of the same valuable travel partners as Chase Ultimate Rewards points , Citi ThankYou Rewards points and American Express Membership Rewards points .

Capital One also allows you to combine fixed-rate miles earned on other credit cards to maximize transferable miles . Here are the best strategies for maximizing your return on Capital One miles.

Earning Capital One miles

Here are the five Capital One cards that earn Capital One miles:

The information for the Capital One Spark Miles Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Best Capital One credit cards

How to redeem Capital One miles

You have two broad options for redeeming your Capital One miles: for a fixed value or transferring them to airline and hotel partners .

Transferring will usually get you a better value. Still, the ability to mix and match redemptions to suit your travel needs gives Capital One a unique edge over the competition.

Fixed-value rewards

Capital One provides a few options for getting a fixed-value return when you redeem your miles. However, not all options will provide an equal return.

Redeem for Amazon and PayPal purchases

When you use your points to pay with Amazon and PayPal, you'll get 0.8 cents per mile. You can link your Amazon account here and your PayPal account here .

Redeem for recent travel

You can use your miles to redeem for recent eligible travel purchases made in the last 90 days on your Venture or Spark card at a fixed rate of 1 cent each. There's no minimum redemption amount. You can redeem for purchases made with airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rental agencies, limousine services, bus lines, cruise lines, taxi cabs, travel agents and timeshares.

Book new travel

You can book new travel through Capital One and redeem your miles at the same value of 1 cent each, but this would prevent you from double dipping with any rewards program offered by an online travel agency. Remember that booking hotels through a third-party site (including Capital One) would likely prevent you from earning points and enjoying applicable elite status perks. As a result, you're likely better off booking travel directly and then redeeming miles toward those charges.

Redeem for gift cards

You can use your Capital One miles for gift cards at the same rate of 1 cent per mile, but since gift cards can often be purchased on sale, redeeming miles to cover travel purchases is a better option.

Redeem for cash back

You should do everything possible to avoid this option, as it will only provide a redemption value of 0.5 cents per mile.

The Premier Collection

The Premier Collection , available exclusively to Venture X and Spark Travel Elite cardholders, provides premium perks like room upgrades, free breakfast and a $100 on-property credit at boutique and luxury hotels when booked through this platform. If you redeem your points for a Premier Collection hotel, you'll get just 1 cent per point, though the on-property perks may make for a better redemption. While Capital One doesn't guarantee you'll earn points and status qualification through hotel loyalty programs, you can always try to add your loyalty number ahead of (or at) check-in.

If you don't want to play with transferable points, consider redeeming your Capital One miles at a fixed value. The process is relatively easy and doesn't require jumping through any hoops.

Here's a step-by-step guide showing how to use your Capital One miles at a fixed value .

How to redeem Capital One miles at a fixed value

First, sign in to your Capital One account and click on your mileage balance. There, you'll see several fixed-value redemption options — you can use your miles for travel, gift cards, cash, Amazon, PayPal and experiences, or transfer them to another account.

When redeeming miles for travel, you can either book new travel or use the miles as a statement credit against previous travel purchases. Regardless of your route, the redemption rate when using Venture miles for travel is 1 cent per mile.

Transfer to airline and hotel partners

If you want higher value for your miles, transferring to airline partners may be your best bet. Select "Convert rewards." From here, you can transfer your rewards to more than 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Here's an overview of the program's airline transfer partners, most of which have a 1:1 transfer ratio .

Given the earning rate of 2 miles per dollar on the Spark and Venture cards, you can effectively think of them as earning 1.5 or 2 partner airline miles per dollar spent on every purchase, depending on the partner. Remember that these partners have variable transfer times, so check out our guide to Capital One transfer times so you know how long you'll have to wait for your miles to post.

Meanwhile, here's an overview of the program's hotel transfer partners:

Since Accor is a revenue-based program, there's no way to get outsize value from those rewards. Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards do offer some solid redemptions, though other hotel programs tend to be more rewarding .

Redeeming miles for travel vs. transferring to airlines

Capital One's Venture and Spark cards have always allowed cardholders to redeem miles for travel; you can redeem your miles for 1 cent each as statement credits toward any travel purchase you've made within the last 90 days. So, how do you decide when to transfer miles and when to redeem for travel to book a domestic flight, for instance?

• Cost : If you find any domestic fares for $120 round-trip or less, it's probably best to redeem miles for travel as a statement credit instead of transferring them to the airline that will charge 12,000 miles for the same ticket.
• Award availability: Next, look for award availability at the lowest mileage levels using the major domestic carriers' websites ( American Airlines , Delta Air Lines and United Airlines ) or ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures). When you find saver-level award space, you can use the chart above to see how many airline miles it will require.
• Factor in mileage earning and upgrade opportunities: When you redeem miles for travel, you can book tickets as you normally do. That means you can earn miles from the flight and credit toward elite status. If you currently hold elite status, you should still enjoy all of your elite status benefits, including being eligible for upgrades. When transferring your Capital One miles to a partner, you may not receive those benefits.
• Consider taxes and fees: All frequent flyer programs will add Transportation Security Administration taxes, a minimum of $5.60 each way on nonstop, domestic flights. However, some programs tack on hefty surcharges on top of that.

Maximizing Capital One's airline transfer partners

TPG values Capital One miles at 1.85 cents apiece, thanks to the value you can get by transferring to a handful of partner programs.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air Canada's loyalty program, Aeroplan, has long been one of the most popular options for booking Star Alliance awards , especially in premium cabins. After United switched to dynamic award pricing , it's been more important than ever to leverage foreign partners with award charts that set fixed mileage prices, and Aeroplan is a great option.

The program's award chart underwent a major overhaul, and it eliminated fuel surcharges for partner redemptions, bringing mostly positive changes to the program. Sweet spots include short-haul economy flights under 500 miles for just 6,000 Aeroplan points. Or, you can book transcontinental business-class awards from just 25,000 points each way — well below what United would charge if you booked through its MileagePlus program.

Additionally, you can book Emirates award tickets using Aeroplan points .

Avianca LifeMiles

Despite its IT and customer service woes, Avianca LifeMiles offers many bargain-priced award tickets. One of its biggest advantages is that it doesn't pass on fuel surcharges from partner airlines, so you can book Lufthansa first-class awards for 87,000 miles and just $53 in taxes from 15 days before departure (more seats may be released at the very last minute as well).

LifeMiles also has the odd but consumer-friendly policy of discounting mixed-cabin awards, such as the one-way business-class award on All Nippon Airways below from Ontario International Airport (ONT) near Los Angeles to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND). The LifeMiles award chart says the transpacific flight should cost 90,000 miles, but because of the mixed-cabin award, you effectively get two free positioning flights and save 4,390 miles.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles offers several sweet spots for Star Alliance-operated flights and has gotten more user-friendly with the addition of an online booking tool.

The program prices award flights according to region-based award charts . Since Hawaii is included in the North America region, you can book United flights to the Aloha State for the same amount as any other domestic flight — just 7,500 miles each way in economy or 12,500 miles each way in business class. Alternatively, you could fly on United's premium transcontinental routes at the same prices. These rates are a fraction of what United normally charges for these flights if you were to book your awards directly. However, award availability on all these flights is extremely limited.

Other gems include flights from the U.S. to Mexico on United for 10,000 Turkish miles one-way in economy and 15,000 in business class. Or, you can head to Europe in business class for just 45,000 miles one-way on Star Alliance airlines. Turkish doesn't charge fuel surcharges on United flights, though they can be high on other partners like Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa.

Related: The complete guide to the Turkish Miles&Smiles program

Transferring Capital One miles to hotels

You can also transfer Capital One miles to the following three hotel loyalty programs:

• Wyndham Rewards : 1:1 (1,000 Capital One miles = 1,000 Wyndham Rewards points)
• Accor Live Limitless : 2:1 (1,000 Capital One miles = 500 ALL points)
• Choice Privileges : 1:1 (1,000 Capital One miles = 1,000 Choice Privileges points)

This could be an appealing option if you plan on staying at an Accor property, including one of its higher-end Fairmont hotels. The program uses a fixed-value redemption scheme where you can redeem 2,000 points for a 40-euro discount on your hotel stay (about $44). Since you'd need to transfer 4,000 Capital One miles to get 2,000 ALL points, transferring points will give you a slightly higher redemption value (1.07 cents apiece).

We peg Wyndham points at 1.1 cents apiece, though you might be able to get a better redemption by following our guide .

Meanwhile, Choice Privileges can provide solid value as well. The program generally charges between 6,000 and 35,000 points for a free night, though some hotels can cost up to 75,000 points per night. You usually won't get great value for your points when redeeming at these high points costs. In addition, you can only reserve a room using points within 100 days of your stay.

Related: Your ultimate guide to Capital One's airline and hotel transfer partners

Bottom line

Capital One miles have become much more valuable over the last few years thanks to new transfer partners, improved transfer ratios and elevated welcome bonuses on its credit cards. Almost all airline partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio, which is phenomenal, considering the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per dollar on everyday purchases.

With 15-plus transfer partners, Capital One offers one of the most diverse transferable points programs. The beauty of Capital One miles comes from the ability to combine transfer partner redemptions with fixed-value redemptions to suit your travel needs.

Capital One Main Navigation

Travel and miles rewards credit cards, unlimited miles you can actually use.

From hotels and car rentals to flights and more, get rewarded for the way you travel with unlimited miles.

Your travel credit card miles can take you wherever you want to go.

You can use your travel rewards credit card to book any airline, anytime, anywhere with no seat restrictions or blackout dates. You can also redeem your travel rewards for rental cars, hotels, ride sharing apps, cruises and more. Miles don’t expire for the life of the account.

Not what you’re looking for?

Travel credit card faqs, which travel cards offer bonus miles.

There are several Capital One travel cards that offer the opportunity to earn bonus miles*:

• Capital One VentureOne Rewards : Earn 20,000 in bonus miles once you spend $500 in the first 3 months. 
• Capital One Venture Rewards : Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.  
• Capital One Venture X Rewards : Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary..

*Card offers with a cash or miles rewards bonus are subject to change. See the terms for each offer for the current bonus, if a bonus is available. If offered, the bonus may not be available for existing or previous accountholders.

Which travel card is the best for earning miles?

If you’re looking for a Capital One travel rewards card that will help you earn the most miles, consider the Venture Rewards card or the Venture X Rewards card.  With Venture Rewards, you can earn 2X miles on everyday purchases, plus even more on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. And with Venture X, you can make your miles go even further. When you book through Capital One Travel, you can get unlimited 5X miles per dollar on flights and 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars, plus 2X miles on every other purchase.

Is there a travel credit card that offers no annual fee?

Yes, Capital One offers travel rewards credit cards with no annual fee. VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit offers unlimited 1.25 miles on everyday purchases and even more miles on travel booked through Capital One Travel. And with VentureOne Rewards , you can earn miles rewards on everyday purchases and travel, plus 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within the first 3 months from account opening.

How do travel credit cards work?

Travel rewards credit cards allow you to earn miles each time you make a qualifying travel or everyday purchase. Once enough miles have accumulated on your account, you can redeem them for travel-related expenses like flights, hotel stays, rentals or vacation packages.

How do travel miles work?

With Capital One travel credit cards, you earn unlimited rewards for every dollar you spend. As you accumulate miles, here are a few ways you can use them:

• Book a trip with miles through Capital One Travel, or use miles to get reimbursed for recent travel purchases made elsewhere.
• Use miles to purchase exclusive event tickets on Capital One Entertainment.
• Book a flight by transferring miles to your choice of travel loyalty programs with partner airlines.
• Transfer miles to a loved one who also has a Venture card.
• Redeem miles for cash or gift cards.

Travel miles earned with a Capital One travel credit card don’t expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. There’s also no limit to the number of miles you can earn.

How do I choose the best travel credit card?

The “best” travel credit card for you depends entirely on what you’re looking for. Here are a few questions you can ask to compare your options. 

• Is there an annual fee?
• How many miles can I earn, and on which types of purchases?
• Is there a sign-up bonus?
• Which travel perks am I most excited about?  

Are travel credit cards worth it?

Whether or not a travel credit card will be worth it to you will likely depend on how often you travel and how often you plan to use the card each month. Frequent travelers may find that a travel rewards card will provide them with useful benefits and ways to save on travel expenses.

But, for those who travel less frequently, it can be worth exploring other credit card options. A cash back card , for example, may be better suited to fit their needs. Knowing which card option is right for you ultimately comes down to the way you intend to use it.

This one-time bonus is available by clicking the "Apply Now" button on this page, and may not be available if you navigate away from or close this page. Existing or previous cardmembers are not eligible for this product if they have received a new cardmember bonus for this product in the past 48 months.

To receive a statement credit up to $100, you must use your Venture or Venture X card to either complete the Global Entry application and pay the application fee, or complete the TSA PreCheck® application and pay the application fee. Credit will appear within two billing cycles, and will apply to whichever program is applied for first. One statement credit per account every four years, and your account must be open and in good standing when the credit is applied. Fees charged to a VentureOne card are not eligible. Refer to the Application or Account Terms for additional details.

Lounge access is not guaranteed and is subject to space availability. Prices and benefits are subject to change. For Priority Pass™, receive a complimentary Priority Pass membership as part of your Visa Infinite® benefits. Enrollment required. Certain terms apply .

Premier Collection hotel booking experience credit will be applied at checkout by hotel to qualifying charges up to $100 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability, and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay; contact the hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences. Advance reservations recommended for certain experiences.  In addition to the $100 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Premier Collection hotel bookings include: daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout. Premier Collection booking must be made through Capital One Travel in the eligible cardholder’s name, with the cardholder as a member of party traveling, to qualify for benefits. Benefits applied per room, per stay. Hotel terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the hotel for booking. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers unless specified. Participating properties and benefits are subject to change. Offer valid for customer use only unless otherwise permitted. We may disqualify any cardholder from participation and benefits at our sole discretion. Additional terms apply; see travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service/ for details. Capital One Travel Capital One Travel bookings include services such as price freeze, change a flight after you book, price prediction, price watch, price drop protection, and price match guarantee. Additional fees may apply. The availability of these services varies by account and they may not be available on all bookings. Terms apply. See travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service/ for details.

Lifestyle Collection experience credit will be applied at checkout by hotel to qualifying charges up to $50 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability, and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay; contact the hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences. Advance reservations recommended for certain experiences. In addition to the $50 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Lifestyle Collection bookings include complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout. Lifestyle Collection booking must be made through Capital One Travel in the eligible cardholder’s name, with the cardholder as a member of party traveling, to qualify for benefits. Benefits applied per room, per stay. Hotel terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the hotel for booking. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers unless specified. Participating properties and benefits are subject to change. Offer valid for customer-use only unless otherwise permitted. We may disqualify any cardholder from participation and benefits at our sole discretion. Additional terms apply; see  travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service/  for details.

Annually, eligible Venture X primary account holders will receive a $300 Capital One Travel credit (“Credit”) to use toward purchases made through Capital One Travel . Each annual Credit will expire on the next account open date anniversary. The Credit will be available within Capital One Travel and can be applied to purchases at checkout. The Credit may be used in whole for a single purchase or in part over multiple purchases. Rewards will not be earned on the Credit. If the purchase using the Credit is canceled, the Credit will be restored if it is not expired. An expired Credit will not be restored upon cancellation. A Venture X card account must be open and in good standing to receive or use the Credit.

How does my anniversary bonus work? You will earn 10,000 bonus miles after your anniversary each year, starting with your first anniversary. Once you qualify for this bonus, we will apply it to your rewards balance.

Some cardholder benefits are only available to the primary cardholder and not authorized users.