I know the discussion of rewards cards comes up here a lot. I'm not sure if this has been shared in an older thread or not, but CapOne just made some major changes to their Venture card rewards program.

I've had this card for a while and really like it, and these changes are a step to making it even better.

They are offering 75k points as a sign up bonus (up from 50k), and (starting in December) they are partnering with 12 airlines to transfer points. All international airlines for now, but I would hope to see this list expand at some point. Every $2 spent will get you 1.5 airline points. That 75k sign up bonus is worth $750 if you use it through their travel eraser program to get a travel credit.

As a cardholder, I'm surprised I haven't gotten an email about this.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/capital-one-venture-current-offer-pm/?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=native&utm_campaign=na_msnhp_na_ie11_rs1-rs-tpg-yellowcard-622-ie11-24-ie11-1

If you have the card currently, are you still eligible for the bonus?

ea1060 said:

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If you have the card currently, are you still eligible for the bonus?

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See my most recent post.

Edited to add - my current annual fee for this card is $59 (I paid it last in September). That article says the fee is $95. I'll be curious to see if my fee goes up next year.

I'm also wondering if the airline point transfers will apply to existing cardholders. I already get all the other benefits listed (2x points, no foreign transaction fees, TSA/Global entry credit, and VISA Signature).

So, I just called CapOne...here is what the rep said:

1) I can apply for a second Venture card. If I'm approved and spend $5k in the first three months, I get the 75k bonus points. I can then transfer the points for that account to my existing account.

2) Existing cardholders should be eligible for the new benefits (transfer of points to airlines).

3) Because I just paid my annual fee in September, she couldn't tell me if it will increase from $59 to $95.

I'm going to apply for a second card and see if I get approved.

Edited to add: Approved! Just earned myself $750!!!

The 1:1.5 transfer is ok, but it is not really competitive with the big boys in this realm

75k points is great, though, and worth it. I spun my card down to a Quicksilver card a long time ago when I switched to Chase cards. If I felt like dealing with more cards (I don't) and had some travel plans this year, I would totally jump on this.

I bet you can run the numbers on this vs. CSP or CSR

CSR: 50k rewards for a new user. $450 fee - $300 travel credit - $100 global entry + lounge access, and the CSR is still probably the better deal for the first year card holder.

Flaith said:

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The 1:1.5 transfer is ok, but it is not really competitive with the big boys in this realm

75k points is great, though, and worth it. I spun my card down to a Quicksilver card a long time ago when I switched to Chase cards. If I felt like dealing with more cards (I don't) and had some travel plans this year, I would totally jump on this.

I bet you can run the numbers on this vs. CSP or CSR

CSR: 50k rewards for a new user. $450 fee - $300 travel credit - $100 global entry + lounge access, and the CSR is still probably the better deal for the first year card holder.

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I like this card because I'm not loyal to any one airline. I don't ever fly on one enough to accumulate enough points. So, this transfer option is an added benefit (previously, I had just been cashing in points for refunds on travel on my cc bill).

I agree, this offer isn't on par with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but it's a good alternative if you don't want to cough up the $450 annual fee.

Flaith said:

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The 1:1.5 transfer is ok, but it is not really competitive with the big boys in this realm

75k points is great, though, and worth it. I spun my card down to a Quicksilver card a long time ago when I switched to Chase cards. If I felt like dealing with more cards (I don't) and had some travel plans this year, I would totally jump on this.

I bet you can run the numbers on this vs. CSP or CSR

CSR: 50k rewards for a new user. $450 fee - $300 travel credit - $100 global entry + lounge access, and the CSR is still probably the better deal for the first year card holder.

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Flaith, my wife and I are planning to travel sometime in June, most likely international for our 10 year anniversary.

I changed jobs and also started traveling for work. Typically fly United out of IAH. No real brand loyalty to Hotels.

What would you recommend to maximize points between now and say end of April for booking said vacation?

We both have a standard AMEX Gold and is the only card we have ever had, outside of debit cards.

I'm certainly no expert in cc hacking, but here is what I would do...

Get the Venture card and put all of your charges - including the vacation - on it for the next 6 months (up until your trip in June). You'll hit 100k points easy (only need to spend $12,500 to get there, since you get 2 points for every dollar spent). When you get back from your trip, you have 90 days to use the points to "erase" any travel expenses - hotel, flights, rental car, etc. Start redeeming those 100k points on your travel purchases and you will get $1000+ back as a credit on your cc statement. The $ you spend on your trip will earn you 2x points that you can then redeem to offset the cost of that very trip. So, you are kind of double-dipping.

I'm sure there are cards that could get you more, but considering the relatively short time frame, this is an easy way to get to $1000. Just with regular use (no sign-up bonus), it takes me about a year to accumulate 100k points, and that's with putting pretty much everything on my cc.

If you're flying out of IAH to Europe, KLM is a great option (through Amsterdam). You could also potentially use points that way, but my preference would be to pay for flights OOP and then cash in the points you get for that purchase.

The venture card has always been a 2 percent cash back card, with strings attached on how to redeem and an annual fee.

The Citi double cash card with 2 percent back, with no redemption strings attached and no annual fee is far superior.

The bonus did make the venture card worth getting the bonus for and chucking it once hitting the required spending.

An airline transfer option does throw a wrench into the equation. If good enough, could be a game changer to make the venture a good every day use card.

What do you do with the cards after 3 months? What about the points? Do you spend them all?

Ragoo, I think it really boils down to how you typically spend money on a credit card.

CapOne Venture is 2x points on everything, but you get 1.5x miles when transferred to travel partners, so the ratio is 2:1.5 or 4:3. And no lounge access.

Chase Sapphire Preferred gets 2x points on restaurants and travel and 1x on everything else, but it transfers 1:1 to (more) travel partners, including United and Southwest. Also no lounge access.

Here is a "professional" comparison:

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/capital-one-venture-card-review/

He makes a compelling argument for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card, especially since you're already an AMEX user.

For a single year of big travel plans, I think it's hard to beat the Chase Sapphire Reserve, though. Sure the $450 fee seems like a lot, but that includes $300 in travel credit (purchase eraser-esque), $100 global entry credit, and Priority Pass lounge access. Use the card for a year and then spin it down to a free Chase Freedom card or the cheaper Sapphire Preferred before the big fee hits again.

Since you're AMEX people, you may qualify for the 100k miles signup bonus for the AMEX Platinum which is a CSR fighter with tons of perks. I think the perks seem way too complicated and convoluted, and it's $550 per year. 100k miles, though, if you can get it is amazing.

Citi Prestige could be another contender, especially if you're able to pay for work travel with a personal card.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/citi-prestige-changes/

I am putting all of my work travel on my Amex and then doing an expense report. I am not required to us a T&E card.

TXTransplant, thanks for your posts. I just applied for a second card and got approved as well!

Tried to sign up for venture card and it's back down to 50K points. Any idea if they will bring back the 75K?