Point Systems Capital One Miles

Transferable
Points are relatively easy to collect, though we don't love the bank partners or transfer options as much.
Capital One Miles

Capital One Miles

#6 Among Transferable Points

Point Value

1.30 ¢

Hobby Score

6.3

View Ratings

Sweet Spots

International Airfare Transfers
International Airfare Transfers
U.S. Domestic Airfare Transfers
See More Sweet Spots

Top Transfers

1:1
Air Canada Aeroplan
108% Value Retained
1:1
Singapore KrisFlyer
100% Value Retained
See More Transfers

Booking Tips For This Reward Program

Link airfare loyalty accounts
Book large (non-airfare and hotel) travel purchases with your Capital One card
Avoid These Pitfalls

Key Takeaways

Capital One is a flexible point system we use for travel items that other systems don't cover

  • Partner transfers are niche airlines and hotel brands, making the points more difficult to maximize
  • Using an award search tool such as PointsYeah makes finding flights with those airlines more realistic
  • Simple redemptions for erasing travel can be useful for cruises & rental cars (at 1¢/point so value isn’t maximized)
  • Capital One is particularly attractive to businesses with large spending

Reward Program Ratings

1.30¢
Point Value
No
Points Expire
Yes
to Spouse
Yes
to Friends

Hobby Score

6.3
Brand Footprint 6
Real World Practicality 6
Earn/Redeem Efficiency 6
Policy Fairness 6
Ease of Holding 8
Transfer Partners 6

Travel Partner Transfers

Transfers In

No direct transfers into Capital One Miles. Capital One Miles generally cannot receive transfers from other point programs.

Transfers Out

Air Canada Aeroplan
108% Value Retained
1:1
Singapore KrisFlyer
100% Value Retained
1:1
Flying Blue (Air France-KLM)
100% Value Retained
1:1
Avianca Lifemiles
100% Value Retained
1:1
Qantas Frequent Flyer
92% Value Retained
1:1
Qatar Airways' Privilege Club
92% Value Retained
1:1
British Airways Avios
85% Value Retained
1:1
Cathay Pacific
85% Value Retained
1:1
Etihad Guest
85% Value Retained
1:1
Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles
85% Value Retained
1:1
Accor Live Limitless
85% Value Retained
2:1
Japan Airlines (JAL)
81% Value Retained
2:1.5
Wyndham Rewards
77% Value Retained
1:1
Cash in Cents
77% Value Retained
1:1
TAP Air Portugal (Miles&Go)
77% Value Retained
1:1
Preferred Hotels and Resorts
77% Value Retained
1:2
Finnair Plus
69% Value Retained
2:1.5
Emirates Skywards
69% Value Retained
1:1
Aeromexico Club Premier
62% Value Retained
1:1
JetBlue TrueBlue
60% Value Retained
5:3
EVA Air (Infinity MileageLands)
58% Value Retained
2:1.5
Choice Privileges
54% Value Retained
1:1

Points Transfer Guide

5,500 Capital One Miles Points

Transferable Points

Transfer to
Spouse
5,219,403
19,000
74% Value Retained
No
125,000
45,000
85% Value Retained
Yes
34,950
2,000
12% Value Retained
Yes
Total Points Available Including all transfers
30,480

How to Earn Points

There are several ways to earn Capital One miles. The easiest is through select credit cards offered by the bank. Capital One has many different cards, but only a few earn transferable miles, which are the ones you want to open first. Points earned from one of these cards can be used to book travel with any of Capital One’s partners.

They also have a variety of cash back cards, both business and personal. If you have a cash back card, you can convert those rewards into miles only by transferring them to one of Capital One’s miles-earning cards, which is why it's important to have one of those first.

Our Favorite Cards

Other Cards for this Point System

Capital One Venture X Business
Capital One Venture X Business
Signup Bonus 200,000
Min. Spend $30,000
Capital One Spark Cash Business
Capital One Spark Cash Business
Signup Bonus 100,000
Min. Spend $10,000
Capital One Spark Miles
Capital One Spark Miles
Signup Bonus 50,000
Min. Spend $4,500
Capital One Spark Miles Select
Capital One Spark Miles Select
Signup Bonus 50,000
Min. Spend $4,500
Capital One Spark Cash Select
Capital One Spark Cash Select
Signup Bonus 75,000
Min. Spend $6,000
Capital One Venture X
Capital One Venture X
Signup Bonus 100,000
Min. Spend $10,000
Capital One VentureOne
Capital One VentureOne
Signup Bonus 20,000
Min. Spend $500

Annual Bonuses & Big Spend Bonuses

Capital One Venture X

  • Spend requirement: Earn 10,000 bonus points on your account anniversary each year. The bonus is automatically added to your points total. With Capital One miles valued at 1.3¢ each, that’s about a $130 annual bonus.
  • Our take: A solid recurring perk that helps offset the card’s annual fee.

Capital One Venture X Business

  • Spend requirement: Earn 10,000 bonus points on your account anniversary each year, automatically added to your balance. At an estimated 1.3¢ per point, this equals about $130 in value annually.
  • Our take: Identical to the personal card’s bonus. A nice perk that adds steady value over time.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus (year one bonus)

  • Spend requirement: Earn a $2,000 cash bonus after spending $500,000 in the first year.
  • Our take: The spend required is excessive. You could earn far more value by pursuing welcome bonuses on other cards instead.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus (ongoing bonus)

  • Spend requirement: Earn a $200 cash bonus each year you spend $200,000 or more.
  • Our take: This perk offers poor return on spend and is not worth the effort to unlock.

Breaking Points

Special Offers Related to Capital One Miles. Click the arrow to see more.

How to Redeem Points

You’ll get the highest value for your Capital One miles by redeeming through their travel partners. There are also several other ways to redeem, most of which are simple and require little effort. These redemptions typically earn 1 cent per point (sometimes less). That is the bare minimum we recommend and should only be used in limited situations.

Capital One Travel Portal

You can book travel through the Capital One Travel Portal at 1 cent per mile. When used strategically, you can often get better value by transferring miles to partners. However, there are a few situations where booking through the portal makes sense:

  • Capital One Venture X (personal and business) cards include $300 annual travel credits that can only be used through the portal. Always use these credits first, then top off with points (at 1:1) or cash if needed.
  • If you can’t find a good partner redemption for a trip, you can use the Venture X to book through the portal and earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars or 5x miles on airfare and vacation rentals.

You can still earn airline loyalty points when booking through the portal by entering your loyalty number. However, hotel loyalty points are not earned, and nights stayed won’t count toward elite status.

Cover Travel Purchases

You can use your miles to cover any travel purchase made in the last 90 days. “Travel purchase” is broad and includes more than airfare and hotels. While this redemption is 1 cent per point, it can be valuable for vacation rentals, car rentals, and cruises that lack transfer options.

What You Shouldn’t Do

The following are ways to redeem your Capital One miles, but they offer poor value and should be avoided:

  • Gift cards: Only 0.8¢ per point
  • Experiences: Through Capital One Entertainment, usually 0.8¢ per point for sports, music, comedy, or theater
  • PayPal: Checkout redemptions at 0.8¢ per point
  • Amazon: Checkout redemptions at 0.8¢ per point
  • Cash: Statement credit or check at just 0.5¢ per point

Sweet Spots Finder

Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.

Booking Tips

You can connect your airline loyalty account to earn miles when booking airfare through the portal. However, this does not apply to hotel bookings, which won’t earn loyalty points or count toward elite status

Who is it best for?

We rank Capital One Miles third among credit card reward systems, behind Chase and American Express. The program is simpler than those two, with easier-to-understand earning structures, fewer application restrictions, and more straightforward redemption options. However, that simplicity also means you may not find the same high-value redemptions available with Amex or Chase, which is why we rank it below both.

Capital One strikes a good balance between beginners and experts in the hobby. It offers simplicity for newcomers or those who prefer a more hands-off approach, while still allowing savvy users to maximize redemptions through its travel partners.

What to Know Before Canceling

You will lose your miles if you close your account. Since some Capital One credit cards have no annual fee, consider keeping the card or downgrading instead of canceling.

If you do decide to cancel your account, do one of the following first:

  1. Transfer miles to another Capital One account — this can be a friend or family member.
  2. Transfer miles to a travel partner — we’ve found Avianca offers the highest retained value.

FAQs

How much is 150,000 Capital One Miles worth?
Capital One miles are valued at about 1.3¢ per point, making 150,000 miles worth roughly $2,250. The exact value depends on how you redeem them. Transfers to travel partners can make miles worth more, while cash back redemptions reduce their value.
Are miles or cash back better?
Miles are far more valuable than cash back in this hobby. Using travel partners and sweet spot redemptions can raise each mile’s value to 2–3¢ or even higher, while cash back is fixed at about 1¢ per point with no opportunity for outsized redemptions.
Which credit card is best for miles?
The Venture X and Venture Rewards cards are best for earning miles. The Venture X offers the most perks and a higher annual fee, while the Venture Rewards has a lower annual fee but the same signup bonus. Both allow you to transfer rewards across Capital One cards and to transfer partners.
How many credit cards are too many?
Each bank has its own rules on card limits and bonus eligibility. Capital One’s 1/6 rule states you can’t get two Capital One cards within six months. Other limits may apply, but many are unwritten and inconsistently enforced.
Is Chase Travel or Capital One Travel better?
Both travel portals are similar, but card benefits set them apart. The Venture X includes a $300 annual portal credit, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred offer “points boosts” on select bookings, making points worth up to 1.5-2x more.