How do capital one venture miles work

They're the rewards points you can use in the Capital One Venture Rewards program, and the word "miles" is just the branding that Capital One uses. You can earn Capital One Venture Miles with either of the following credit cards:. If you have one of these cards, you'll earn miles on your purchases. Your miles also won't expire as long as your credit card is open. If you transfer your miles to one of Capital One's travel partners, then their value will depend on how you use them after the transfer.

You can also redeem miles for cash back, gift cards, or purchases with Amazon. Click "View Rewards. This takes you to Capital One Travel, where you can book a flight, hotel, or rental car and pay using your miles.

There are two advantages to using this method instead of booking a trip through Capital One Travel:. With this option, you can transfer miles to one of Capital One's travel partners. Transfer time ranges from just seconds to a few days. With most partners, transfers process either right away or within 48 hours.

Here are the partners, the transfer ratios for each, and the number of miles you'd get in each partner's loyalty program by transferring 1, Capital One Venture Miles:. This option takes you to Amazon, where you can link your Capital One credit card and redeem miles towards purchases. You can buy gift cards using Capital One miles from many different retailers. The minimum gift card amount and the value you get per mile varies by retailer.

You can request cash back as either a statement credit towards previous credit card purchases or as a check. Cash back credit cards are a much better choice if you're interested in this type of redemption. Capital One lets you transfer your miles at a ratio, either to another one of your own accounts or somebody else's account. If you have multiple Capital One cards, such as a personal card and a business card, this feature lets you combine all your miles onto one account.

Here's an example of how you can check which option gets you the most value for your points. That gives you two options:. In that case, a transfer would be a much better deal. With the option to either transfer your rewards or redeem them for cash travel purchases, you can book just about any type of travel you want with Capital One Venture Miles. It doesn't take long to get used to the rewards page in your online account, and once you do, you'll be able to cash in your miles and get plenty of value in the process.

Capital One Venture Miles are the type of rewards that you earn when you have a credit card in the Capital One Venture Rewards program. This rewards program offers several different ways to use your miles for travel purchases. Depending on the card, you could earn miles every time you make a purchase and you could also potentially qualify for a sign-up bonus. When you're ready to redeem Capital One Venture Miles, go to your online credit card account and click on the link to go to your rewards page.

From here, you can choose one of the options and proceed with the redemption process. The most important way to maximize Capital One Venture Miles is to only use them for travel redemptions. Other redemption options typically offer less value.

Make sure you also check how much you'd spend if you booked it in cash using your miles, or if you transferred miles to a travel partner and booked that way.

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. Transferring your miles could give you access to a variety of valuable redemptions, depending on the airline.

Have you been dreaming of flying first class? This may be an opportunity to upgrade. Not planning a trip anytime soon? No big deal. You can redeem your Venture miles in the form of a statement credit or a check.

You can expect the statement credit to arrive in your account in as few as two to three business days. And checks are mailed within three business days and should arrive two to three weeks later. Qantas also partners with Israeli flag carrier El Al. Most of the value of Capital One miles comes from four transfer partners.

Sweet spots include short-haul economy flights under miles for just 6, Aeroplan miles. Or, you can book transcontinental business class awards for just 25, miles each way — well below what United would charge if you booked directly through its MileagePlus program. Avianca LifeMiles: Avianca LifeMiles once was a relatively obscure program that only the points pros knew about, but Capital One and Amex have helped bring it into the limelight. Etihad Guest: Despite not being a member of one of the three major alliances, Etihad has a partnership with American Airlines that allows for reciprocal mileage redemptions.

This means that — if you can find saver-level award space — you can fly from the U. American is also the last of the U. Etihad has several other niche partners as well, and its currency continues to be one of the most underrated out there. Etihad recently devalued Royal Air Maroc redemptions by pricing awards by segment, but nonstop routes from the U. The program prices award flights on 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, miles each way in economy or 12, miles each way in business class.

These rates are a fraction of what United normally charges for these flights if you were to book your awards directly. Other gems include flights from the U. Or, you can head to Europe in business class for just 45, miles one-way on Star Alliance airlines. Capital One has continued to grow its transfer partner list, adding two hotels to the mix last year. You can transfer Capital One miles to the following hotel loyalty programs:. If you plan on staying at an Accor property, including one of its higher-end Fairmont hotels , this can be a decent deal.

Wyndham redemptions also recently got more valuable now that the transfer ratio is , as opposed to Our valuations here at TPG peg Wyndham points at 1. Meanwhile, Choice Privileges can provide solid value as well. The program generally charges between 6, to 35, points for a free night.

The two exceptions to this are hotels in the Asia Pacific region, which can cost up to 75, points per night, and AMResorts all-inclusive resorts , which can cost up to 95, points per night. Just note that you can only reserve a room using points within days of your stay.

Capital One miles have become much more valuable over the last few years thanks to the introduction of new transfer partners, improved transfer ratios and elevated welcome bonuses on its credit cards. Almost all airline partners now transfer at a ratio, which is phenomenal considering the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns two miles per dollar on everyday purchases. With 18 transfer partners in total soon to be 17 , Capital One offers one of the most diverse transferable points programs out there.

The beauty of Capital One miles comes from the ability to combine transfer partner redemptions with fixed-value redemptions to suit your travel needs. Terms Apply. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser.

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