Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, deta...
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little ca...
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Capital One is a unique credit card issuer offering a large collection of cards with options appropriate for every credit rating. Perhaps you’d like to get started on the path toward securing a rewards-earning credit card, for example, but your credit history is not quite there yet. There’s a Capital One card right for you.
Conversely, if you’ve worked hard to improve your credit history, you’ll find several card options that will allow you to earn rewards on every purchase you make.
We’re comparing 3 Capital One cards today, each designed for a consumer with a specific level of credit history. We’ll cover what it takes to qualify for each card, compare the features and benefits, and if applicable, how you can earn and redeem rewards.
Join us as we discuss the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Capital One Platinum Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Card and Capital One Venture Card — Overview
First, let’s take a side-by-side look at our 3 featured cards. You’ll notice that each level of card comes with additional reward-earning potential and greater features/benefits.
Earn 20,000 miles when you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning
No rewards program
5x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
1.25x miles on all other purchases
5x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
2x miles on all other purchases
Redemption Options
No rewards program
Transfer points to airline and hotel partners
Purchase travel via Capital One Travel
Redeem for gift cards, shop with Amazon, redeem via PayPal, statement credits
Additional Benefits
Available to those with fair credit
None
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee reimbursement, up to $100, every 4 years
Annual Fee
$0
$0
$95
The Value of a Welcome Bonus
While the Capital One Platinum card does not offer a welcome bonus, the Capital One VentureOne card and Capital One Venture card each offer a welcome bonus in the form of Capital One miles earned when you complete minimum spending requirements within the first 3 months after card approval.
Keep in mind that welcome bonuses can change, but we’ve shown a snapshot above of the current applicable welcome bonuses and spending requirements.
Miles can generally be redeemed for 1 cent each, so a 75,000-mile welcome bonus would equal $750 in travel value. However, you could receive potentially greater value when utilizing the option to transfer miles to travel partners and use them for flights or hotel nights. We’ll cover more on redemption options shortly.
Capital One is known for its simplistic earning structures, so you’ll always know how many Capital One miles you’ll earn on every purchase you make.
Let’s look at how our 3 featured cards compare when it comes to earning rewards:
Card
Annual Fee
Earning
Capital One Platinum card
$0
No rewards program
Capital One VentureOne card
$0
5x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
1.25x miles on other purchases
Capital One Venture card
$95
5x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
2x miles on other purchases
Bottom Line: The no-annual-fee Capital One Platinum card is designed primarily for building credit and does not earn rewards. The Capital One VentureOne card earns modest rewards but does not charge an annual fee. The Capital One Venture card charges a $95 annual fee but has the highest earning level of at least 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase.
Redemption Options
While the Capital One Platinum card doesn’t earn rewards, miles earned on the Capital One VentureOne card and Capital One Venture card offer several redemption options.
Purchase Travel via Capital One Travel — Receive 1 cent per mile in value when purchasing travel via the Capital One Travel portal.
Additional Redemption Options — Redeem miles for gift cards, shopping at Amazon, statement credits, and more. However, not all options provide good value. Strive for no less than 1 cent per mile in value.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Each of our featured cards has its own specific requirements to get approved for the card. Let’s look at the level of recommended credit you would need to qualify for each card.
Capital One Platinum Card
The Capital One Platinum card encourages at least a fair credit score. The definition of afair credit score, according to leading credit score creator FICO, is a score between 580 and 669. Additionally, Capital One describes the typical qualifying applicant as “having defaulted on a loan in the past 5 years” or “having a limited credit history, owned a credit card or other credit for less than 3 years.”
Capital One VentureOne Card
If your credit score is considered good to excellent, you might want to apply for the Capital One VentureOne card. According to Capital One, in order to qualify for the card, you “have not declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan in the past 5 years” and “have a credit card or loan that has not been more than 30 days late on any payment in the last year.”
Capital One Venture Card
The Capital One Venture card recommends a good to excellent credit score which is generally defined as between 670 and 850. Capital One states that the ideal applicant “has never declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, not been more than 60 days late on any credit card, loan, or medical bill, in the last year, and has had a loan or credit card for 3 years or more with a credit limit above $5,000.”
Next Steps
Prior to applying for any card, you’ll want to know your credit history and credit score. You can obtain a credit report from each of the major credit bureaus via AnnualCreditReport.com and there is no cost for the service. Reviewing your credit report for accuracy is always a good first step.
Should you find any errors on your credit report, you’ll want to submit a dispute to the credit bureau and resolve the issue prior to applying for a card.
Once you’ve determined where you stand and have corrected any errors, you can access any available card offers risk-free with the CardMatch tool. There is no inquiry on your credit report and very little information is required to utilize the tool. Capital One also has a risk-free pre-qualification tool, but it does require you to provide more information.
These tools provide a list of card offers you may qualify, for but do not guarantee that you will be approved for the cards.
Final Thoughts
Capital One is a good place to start building or rebuilding your credit. The variety of cards offered can serve as stepping stones to elevate your creditworthiness to a point where you may have an endless choice of rewards-earning card options.
If your credit is fair, starting with the Capital One Platinum card could help you improve your credit and ultimately qualify you for a next-step card such as the Capital One VentureOne card and then the Capital One Venture card. For information on additional Capital One miles- and rewards-earning cards, you’ll want to check out this list of some of the best cards from this issuer.
Once you’ve achieved a good to excellent credit score, you’ll have your choice of some of the best travel rewards cards.
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.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
The Capital One Venture card is the best card among these cards but isn’t necessarily the one you’ll qualify for. If you have fair credit, you will not qualify for the Capital One Venture card or Capital One VentureOne card. You may, however, be able to qualify for the Capital One Platinum card.
If you have good to excellent credit you may be able to qualify for one of the Venture cards.
Prior to applying, you should obtain a copy of your credit card, verify it for accuracy, and know where you stand. You can also use the CardMatch tool to see if you have card offers available.
The Capital One Platinum card is designed for building or rebuilding credit and does not earn rewards.
Capital One miles earned on the Capital One VentureOne card and Capital One Venture card are not frequent flyer miles that can be redeemed directly for flights. However, you can transfer Capital One miles to airline partners and then use the airline’s frequent flyer miles to purchase award flights.
You can also redeem Capital One miles for flights via Capital One Travel at the value of 1 cent each.
It’s recommended you have excellent credit to qualify for the Capital One Venture card. While the definition of an excellent credit score varies, it is generally defined as one that is at least 740 or better.
Capital One describes the ideal applicant for the Capital One Venture card as one who “has never declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, not been more than 60 days late on any credit card, loan, or medical bill, in the last year, and had a loan or credit card for 3 years or more with a credit limit above $5,000.”
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
0 comments
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
0 comments
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.