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Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card review: A low-cost travel card with a few good perks

An affordable card for easy travel earnings on everyday purchases.

 /  10 min
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At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for . The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

Snapshot

4.1

Bankrate rating
Info
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5

Bottom line

The VentureOne Rewards card has just enough features to make it worthwhile for occasional travelers looking for a no-annual-fee travel card. But if you want bigger rewards, more perks and better long-term value, upgrading to the Capital One Venture Rewards card makes a lot more sense.

Image of Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Rewards rate

1.25 Miles - 5 Miles
Info

Annual fee

Intro offer

Info

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card Overview

If you’re an occasional traveler looking for a low-maintenance, low-cost travel rewards card, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card may be the right fit.

This no-annual-fee card earns a marginally competitive, unlimited flat rate on all purchases. It also earns elevated cash back rates on hotels and rental cars when you book through Capital One Travel, and the generous sign-up bonus helps boost your first-year earnings. If you want a chance to make interest-free payments for a short period, there’s an intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.

The card also comes with a lineup of Capital One benefits and other perks to help you save time and money. For travelers on a budget, this card has plenty of everyday value, which could help compensate for the low rewards rate.

  • Credit Card Cash Back

    Rewards

    • 5X miles on hotels and rental cars when you book through Capital One Travel
    • 1.25X miles on all purchases

    Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
    See our expert analysis

  • Rewards

    Welcome offer

    • 20,000 bonus miles if you spend $500 within the first three months

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card Apr

    0% Intro APR offer

    • 0 percent intro APR on purchases for the first 15 months
    • 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers for the first 15 months 
    • 3 percent balance transfer fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months 
    • 19.74 percent to 29.74 percent variable APR

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card Search

    Rates and fees

    • No annual fee
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • 3 percent balance transfer fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months 

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Congrats

    Other cardholder perks

    • Capital One Dining
    • Capital One Experiences
    • Capital One Shopping

    Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive 
    See our expert analysis

Capital One VentureOne pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark

    It has an attainable welcome bonus with a low spending requirement compared to other rewards cards.

  • Checkmark

    The intro APR offer on both purchases and balance transfers gives you time to save money on large purchases or past debt.

  • Checkmark

    The unlimited flat rewards rate allows you to earn travel miles on everyday spending, an ideal feature for infrequent travelers.

Cons

  • No big ticket travel insurances you’d see on higher-end travel cards like trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

  • The higher APR range could make it harder to pay off your debt if you don’t pay your balance in full each month.

  • Applicants must have a good to excellent (670 to 850) credit score for approval, which limits eligibility for this card.

Why you might want the Capital One VentureOne

The Capital One VentureOne is ideal for anyone who wants to earn travel rewards, but may not travel enough to warrant a premier card with a hefty annual fee. Its low-spend welcome offer, generous intro APR offers and overall affordability make this travel card worth a look. 

Welcome offer: Fairly low spend for a generous windfall of rewards

The VentureOne does have a welcome offer, another plus for a no-annual-fee travel card. You have to spend $500 in the first three months with the card to earn 20,000 bonus miles. This required spend is relatively low for a travel card, as many could require you to spend thousands in the same timeframe to earn a bonus.

If you redeem this bonus with Capital One, the average value is about $200 in travel. If you transfer your miles to one of Capital One’s partner programs, you could double the value of this welcome offer, based on Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations. That means your intro bonus value could end up being an average of up to $400 in travel if you transfer with the right partner.

Intro APR offer: Generous for a travel credit card

Premium travel credit cards — and many travel cards in general — aren’t known for lengthy intro APR offers. While the intro offer on the VentureOne isn’t the longest available, it’s still competitive, especially for a travel card. Paired with the lack of an annual fee, the intro offers on the VentureOne boost this card’s status as a cost-conscious travel credit card.

Rates and fees:  One of the most affordable travel credit cards 

Many of the top travel credit cards on the market tout annual fees up to over $600. If you don’t travel enough to warrant such a high price to hold a credit card, the VentureOne is a much more cost-effective alternative. Capital One also won’t charge you any foreign transaction fees, but that should be standard on a good travel credit card.

Why you might want a different travel card

With fewer costs comes fewer perks, benefits and other premium features. Outside of basic Capital One benefits, there isn’t much this card has to show for in terms of extras. If you’re a frequent traveler looking for the most luxurious, high-end experiences, you might want to look elsewhere.  

Other cardholder perks: Minimal outside of what’s exclusive to Capital One 

The VentureOne comes with many of the same perks you’d get on any Capital One card. Some of these features include Capital One Dining, Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Shopping. All of these perks are essentially Capital One’s version of your basic issuer shopping portals, offering you a few exclusive discounts for being a Capital One cardholder. Many other credit card issuers offer similar features for their own cards, so these Capital One features aren’t too unique or extensive. 

Rewards rate: Uninspiring flat-rate rewards

You’ll be able to earn travel rewards on everyday purchases like groceries and gas, but the unlimited rewards rate is one of the lowest flat rates for a travel card at 1.25X miles. Other travel cards similar to the VentureOne with no annual fee offer at least 1.5X miles on all purchases and you could even earn up to 2X miles as a base rate for a fairly low annual fee. Ultimately, while the chance to earn travel rewards on all types of spending is nice, this card’s flat rewards rate isn’t much to write home about. 

We tried it: Here’s what our experts say

Bankrate editor Ashley Parks chose the Capital One VentureOne as her first travel credit card. She maximized the card’s value during her post-grad travels, but she’s traveled infrequently since. The card’s affordability and emphasis on everyday spending to earn travel miles work well for her lifestyle.

“The Capital One VentureOne card has been a great introduction into the travel card space for me. I traveled frequently in my first year post-grad, making it very easy to earn the welcome bonus. I was then able to use that offer to get a decent discount on a hotel I booked for a friend’s wedding using the Capital One travel portal. I think the best part of the VentureOne is the ability to earn travel miles on everyday expenses without an annual fee. I use the card for all of my recurring subscriptions right now as an easy way to earn travel miles. Though I don’t think I travel enough to justify the annual fee of the VentureOne’s slightly more lucrative sister card, the Capital One Venture, I do hope to upgrade sometime in the future when traveling more often becomes a frequent part of my life again.”

— Ashley ParksBankrate editor

How the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card compares to other travel rewards cards

The VentureOne is a solid option for people who don’t travel often, but it doesn’t offer the best flat rate on purchases. Like most travel cards that don’t charge an annual fee, it’s light on the additional benefits and perks. Here’s a look at two options for people who want to earn a higher flat rate while still skipping the annual fee or feel ready to upgrade to a card with more features.

Image of Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Bankrate Score
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

20,000 miles
Info

Rewards rate

1.25 Miles - 5 Miles
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Image of Discover it® Miles
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Discover Match®
Info

Rewards rate

1.5X
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Image of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bankrate Score
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Annual fee

$95

Intro offer

75,000 miles
Info

Rewards rate

2 Miles - 5 Miles
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info

Best cards to pair with the Capital One VentureOne

A credit card with bonus categories that reward your personalized spending habits with higher rates would make a great partner for your VentureOne travel card. That way, you can earn higher rewards for purchases you make regularly, and then use your VentureOne card for all your other eligible purchases.

Who is the Capital One VentureOne right for?

Bankrate’s Take — Is the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card worth it?

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards credit card may be the right fit for you if you want a low-cost card to help you rack up a modest amount of miles. With no annual fee to pay, you don’t have to invest anything to start earning 1.25X miles on every dollar you spend, and you can get a sizable welcome bonus too. But if you don’t mind spending more to earn more, and if you have good credit, a higher-tier Capital One card or another one of the best travel rewards cards can potentially offer you better value.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply. 

Dig deeper: Is the Capital One VentureOne worth it?

Frequently asked questions

Written by
Ashley Parks
Credit Cards Editor

As a Bankrate credit cards editor, Ashley Parks is fascinated by the ways people can make credit cards work for them when armed with the right knowledge.

Co-written by
Tracy Stewart
Senior Credit Cards Editor
Reviewed by Editor

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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.