How good is the Capital One Venture Rewards’ welcome bonus?

Related Articles


The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has just announced a welcome bonus tied for the highest public offer we’ve seen in four years. New applicants can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Plus, upon approval, you’ll receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use during your first year.

The card’s annual fee is $95.

I love earning and redeeming valuable Capital One miles, having been a very satisfied Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holder for several years now. This limited-time offer on the Venture Rewards has me thinking hard about adding another Capital One card to my wallet.

With the card’s increased public welcome bonus, you may be asking: How good is it?

Here’s my take on why this offer is a great deal and why this card punches well above its weight.

How common is this offer on the Venture Rewards?

This is only the third time that the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has offered both 75,000 miles and a $250 Capital One Travel credit. It’s equal to the highest-ever public welcome bonus we’ve seen in the past four years.

In 2023 and 2024, targeted offers were available via QR codes at select airports for up to 100,000 Capital One miles; however, they required meeting a higher spending threshold to earn the welcome bonus and were not available to everyone.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

In other words, this offer is as good as it has been over the past few years. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to apply, this is it.

Who is eligible for the welcome bonus on the Venture Rewards?

TPG recommends a credit score of 670 or higher for approval for this product.

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Capital One won’t approve you for a new Capital One Venture Rewards card if you opened a Venture Rewards or Venture X card and earned a bonus in the last 48 months.

So, you’ll need to wait at least 48 months after earning a welcome bonus on either of these cards before you apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

If you’ve only opened or received a welcome bonus on the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card ($0 annual fee), you could still be eligible for the Venture Rewards and its great bonus.

If you’ve been approved for any Capital One card within the last six months, you’ll need to wait to be approved for the Venture Rewards card.

How much are 75,000 Capital One miles plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit worth?

Based on TPG’s January 2026 valuations, Capital One miles are worth 1.85 cents each. That means the 75,000-mile welcome bonus plus the $250 Capital One Travel credit could be worth an epic $1,638 in travel value, especially if you transfer your Capital One miles to any of Capital One’s 15-plus hotel and airline partners.

Having earned and redeemed lots of Capital One miles over the last three years, my favorite redemptions include:

  • Booking domestic flights within the continental U.S. and Canada for 11,000 Capital One miles (plus minimal taxes and fees) when flying Alaska Airlines by transferring Capital One miles to Finnair Plus at a 1:1 rate. Flights to Mexico and Hawaii are just 12,500 and 13,500 Capital One miles, respectively.
  • Flying business class from the Northeast to Western Europe for just 60,000 Capital One miles by transferring them to Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1:1 rate. There are plenty of great airlines to choose from, including Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines.
  • Booking Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite business-class product from Europe to Australia for just 90,000 Capital One miles one-way by transferring them to the Qatar Airways Privilege Club program at a 1:1 rate. If you’re based in the U.S., you can book nonstop business-class flights to the Middle East, including those from the West Coast, for only 70,000 Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios, which is an exceptional value for ultra-long-haul flights.

The $250 Capital One Travel credit can be redeemed for $250 worth of flights, hotels or rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal. I’ve found Capital One travel credits easy to use in the past because they don’t have to be used in a single transaction.

It’s also very handy to use a travel credit to book flights or hotels that can’t otherwise be booked with transferable points and miles.

Alaska Airlines departs Sea-Tac
DON WILSON/PORT OF SEATTLE/SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SEA)

Look out for occasional transfer bonus offers as well, as they’ll make it so you need even fewer miles to book these deals.

Related: Decisions, decisions: Choosing the best Lufthansa Allegris business-class seat

So, is the Venture Rewards’ 75,000-mile bonus and its $250 travel credit one of the best deals ever?

If you’re eligible, now is a great time to pick up the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — not because 75,000 miles is unprecedented, but because the $250 Capital One Travel credit adds to the appeal of a card with a low annual fee of just $95.

Beyond the huge welcome bonus, here are the top five reasons I want the Venture Rewards card:

  • Low annual fee: The card’s annual fee of $95 is much lower than some other rewards cards offering similar welcome offers.
  • Impressive travel portal earning rates: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.
  • Outstanding everyday earning: Earn an unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on everything else, an impressive earning rate for a card with a $95 annual fee.
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit: Receive up to a $120 statement credit every four years for the application fee for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
  • Hotel experience credits: Each time you make an eligible Lifestyle Collection booking through Capital One Travel, you’ll get a $50 experience credit to enjoy during your stay.

Bottom line

Here’s a recap of why this offer is so good:

  • This is equal to the highest public welcome bonus we’ve seen on the card in the last five years.
  • The bonus miles and the Capital One Travel credit in this welcome bonus are worth $1,638, according to TPG’s valuations.
  • The card earns at least 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, which is higher than competing products with steep annual fees.
  • You can transfer your Capital One miles to book flights on some of the world’s best airlines, as well as stays at luxury hotels.
  • The $250 Capital One Travel credit is super easy to use on flights, hotels or rental cars booked directly through the Capital One Travel portal and does not have to be fully redeemed in a single transaction.

We don’t know when this offer will end, so if you’ve ever considered applying for the Venture Rewards, now is the time to do so.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Venture Rewards.


Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card


More on this topic

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Popular stories