Why I Love the Capital One Venture Card: Easy, Flexible, and Rewarding

Why I Love the Capital One Venture Card: Easy, Flexible, and Rewarding

If I could a great card to start earning travel rewards with to recommend to a beginner—or even a busy parent who just wants one card that does it all—it would be the Capital One Venture card.

It’s one of my personal favorites, and here’s why: it’s simple, powerful, and flexible, with just enough perks to make you feel like a travel pro—without making your head spin.

Let’s break down why the Venture card deserves a spot in your wallet (and how we’ve used it to travel for nearly free!).

1. The Rewards Are Straightforward

You earn 2x miles on every purchase, every day. No rotating categories, no complex tracking—just simple, flat-rate earning.

For our family of five, that adds up fast: groceries, school supplies, gas, dance recital fees, family dinners—you name it, it earns miles.

2. Use Miles to Erase Travel Expenses

This is what makes the Venture card magical for families and first-time point users. You don’t have to worry about award charts or blackout dates.

Just book your travel (flights, hotels, Airbnb, Uber, park tickets, even Disney!) with your Venture card, then go into your account and erase the charge using your miles.

✅ Example: $300 Disney ticket purchase = 30,000 miles to erase it
✅ Simple math: 1 Venture mile = 1 cent when used this way

This “purchase eraser” feature is what makes Venture so flexible—and perfect if you don’t want to stress over the “perfect” redemption.

3. Big Welcome Bonus = Big Travel

Most of the time, the Venture card offers a sign-up bonus worth 75,000 miles or more, after meeting a reasonable minimum spend. That’s $750 in free travel—or more if you get creative with redemptions.

We once used our Venture bonus to cover:

• 4 nights at a Vacasa in Park City, Utah

• Disney Park Tickets

• Disney DVC Hotel Stay

4. Great for Park Tickets + Hotels

Here’s a trick we love: We use Venture miles to erase park ticket purchases, hotel taxes, and even offsite resort bookings. We’ve used Venture miles to cover Universal tickets, Disney’s ticket add-ons, and more.

It’s the card I recommend to families who say, “We’re not sure where we’re going yet—we just want a card that gives us options.”

5. Global Entry Credit + No Foreign Transaction Fees

The Venture card includes a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, which is a huge win for travel ease.

It also has no foreign transaction fees, making it perfect for international trips (Thailand, anyone? 😉).

6. Advanced Users Can Transfer Miles Too

If you’re more experienced with points, the Venture card also lets you transfer miles to airline and hotel partners like Air Canada, Turkish, British Airways, or Wyndham (hello, Vacasa homes, How to book Vacasa!).

I love combining Venture with Chase or Amex cards to maximize flexible travel redemptions.

7. 2 Annual Passes to the Capital One Lounge

Though the card does not get you full time lounge status, it does get you 2 yearly passes into the Capital One Lounge, which is a true treat if you have time at a airport that has one of these lush lounges.  Dallas/Fort Worth is our home airport and we are blessed to have a lounge, our kids love eating a meal the lounge before heading out on a trip.

Final Thoughts: Simple, Flexible, and Family-Friendly

There’s a reason I always come back to the Venture card—it just works. Whether you’re just getting started with points or want a solid backup to your main card, this one earns a gold star.

Want to learn how to use Venture miles like a pro? I teach this (and more) in my Miles Mindset Travel Course, where I walk you through how we book trips like Disney, Italy, and Hawaii—mostly on points.

Have a question about how to use the Venture card best? Drop it below—I love helping families unlock the world without breaking the budget.