Capital One Venture Rewards
Capital One's Simple Travel Card
Practical Recommendation
Venture is the "set it and forget it" travel card: 2x on everything, with easy 5x when you book hotels or cars through the portal. Redemptions are flexible—erase travel charges, book in the portal, or transfer to airline and hotel partners.
New in 2026: Capital One added a $100 annual credit for hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel. It renews on your cardholder anniversary with no enrollment. If you book even one hotel night a year through the portal, that credit more than covers the $95 annual fee—which changes the math on this card considerably.
If you travel more than a couple times a year, consider Venture X instead: the $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles can offset most (or all) of its $395 fee, plus you get lounge access (though guests and authorized users now cost extra there). Bottom line: Venture is simple and now essentially free if you use the hotel credit; Venture X is the better deal if you'll use the bigger credits and the lounges.
Credits
Practical Advice
This is what makes or breaks a card for you. If you can use these credits in your normal spend, the perks and protections are all bonus for you. We have a calculator at the bottom of this section to help you calculate that. Below we break down exactly what every credit is to show you if it's easy or if they're going to make you jump through 17 hoops to redeem it.
- $100 annual hotel credit – Added in 2026. Each cardholder year you get $100 back on hotel and vacation rental bookings made through Capital One Travel. No enrollment needed—it renews automatically on your anniversary date. One portal hotel booking a year turns the $95 annual fee into a net positive. The catch is the same as always: it's portal-only, so bookings direct with the hotel don't count. — See card details
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit (up to $120 every 4 years) – Pay the application fee with Venture and get statement credits up to $120 (first program charged, once every 4 years). Enrollment/payment with this card required; posts within two billing cycles. Great if you haven't enrolled yet; $0 if you don't need it. — See benefit
| What It Is: | $100 each cardholder year toward hotel and vacation rental bookings made through Capital One Travel. Added to the card in 2026. |
| How It Works: | No enrollment. The credit sits in your Capital One Travel account and applies at checkout; it renews automatically on your anniversary date. |
| Gotchas: | Portal-only and hotels/vacation rentals only—flights and rental cars don't count. Use it or lose it each year; no rollover. Compare portal pricing against booking direct, and remember direct bookings usually earn hotel elite credit. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | Anyone who books at least one hotel night a year and doesn't care about hotel loyalty status. |
| Practical Value: | Easy $100 that more than covers the $95 fee—if you'll book through the portal. |
| What It Is: | Up to $120 in statement credits once every 4 years for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. |
| How It Works: | Enroll, pay the fee with Venture; a credit posts within two billing cycles for the first eligible charge. |
| Gotchas: | Only one credit per account each 4-year window; must pay with Venture; fees and program rules can change; no rollover. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | Flyers who haven't enrolled or need to renew and value faster ID lines. |
| Practical Value: | Real ~$78–$120 once per 4 years if you enroll; otherwise $0. — Benefit details |
This is effectively what you are paying for this card. It is now up to you if the perks, protections, and earning rates are worth this fee to you over other cards.
Perks
- Earning: 2x everywhere; 5x portal hotels/cars – Use Venture for general spend to bank 2x miles, and for hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars via Capital One Travel to earn 5x. Capital One Entertainment purchases also earn 5x. — Earning & terms
- Lifestyle Collection perks – Book a Lifestyle Collection property through Capital One Travel and you get a $50 experience credit plus extras like room upgrades, early check-in, and late checkout when available. Stacks with the $100 hotel credit if the property qualifies. — Capital One Travel
- Miles transfer partners – Move miles to 15+ airline/hotel programs for potentially higher value than erasing charges; transfers are usually 1:1 to major partners. Good for award flights when you're flexible. — See partners
- No foreign transaction fees – Use abroad without the typical 3% surcharge. — See policy
- Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required) – Complimentary status for eligible cardholders; can help with better selection and skipping the counter at participating locations. — Benefit on Venture page
Protections
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver – Coverage for damage or theft of a rental car when you decline the agency's collision waiver. Liability not included.
- Travel accident insurance – Automatic coverage for a covered loss when you buy your fare with the card.
- Extended Warranty – Adds extra warranty time on eligible purchases beyond the manufacturer's warranty.
- Purchase Security – Coverage for theft or accidental damage on eligible new purchases for a limited time after purchase.