How to use Capital One miles

March 24, 2026|5 min read

You can earn unlimited miles on every purchase with a Capital One travel rewards credit card. And you can use them to cover airfare and other travel expenses. Even if you aren’t planning a trip, there are lots of other redemption options.

What you’ll learn:

You can earn Capital One miles with a Capital One travel rewards credit card.
Capital One miles can be used to book travel, cover recent travel purchases, get gift cards and more.
You can use miles to book trips through Capital One Travel and experiences through Capital One Entertainment.
You can use Capital One miles rewards to check out at Amazon.com or online through PayPal®.

How to earn Capital One miles

To earn Capital One miles, you’ll need a Capital One travel rewards credit card. Here are some ways you might earn miles with it:

Early spend bonus: Bonus offers typically require new cardholders to spend a certain amount within a set time frame. One example is an offer for the Capital One Venture card. You can earn 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 within three months of opening an account.
Purchases: You can earn miles by using the card to make purchases. Depending on the card, different types of purchases may have different rewards rates. If you have any authorized users on your account, their purchases will earn miles, too.

Here’s an overview of the rewards rates for each Capital One travel rewards credit card:

	Venture X	Venture	VentureOne	VentureOne for Good Credit
General purchases	2X miles	2X miles	1.25X miles	1.25X miles
Hotels through Capital One Travel	10X miles	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles
Rental cars through Capital One Travel	10X miles	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles
Flights through Capital One Travel	5X miles	2X miles	1.25 miles	1.25 miles
Vacation rentals through Capital One Travel	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles
Activities through Capital One Travel	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles
Purchases through Capital One Entertainment	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles	5X miles

How to redeem Capital One miles

When you’re ready, sign in to your Capital One account to redeem your miles your way. Here are five ideas to get you started:

1. Book travel or cover recent travel purchases

There are a few ways you can use your miles to cover travel expenses.

Capital One Travel: Book a flight, hotel, vacation rental, rental car or activity through Capital One Travel. If you’re a Venture or Venture X cardholder, you can also redeem your miles to book Lifestyle Collection hotels and vacation rentals. Venture X cardholders can also use miles to book Premier Collection stays.
Travel purchases: If you’ve made an eligible recent travel purchase, you can redeem your miles to cover the cost within 90 days of purchase.
Transfer miles: Transfer your miles to Capital One partners and book directly with them.

2. Get gift cards

You can redeem your miles for gift cards from popular restaurants, retailers and more. You can give the gift cards as presents, use them for regular purchases or put them toward big-ticket items.

3. Redeem miles for cash back

You can turn miles into cash and redeem them for a statement credit or a check. The statement credit should appear in your account in as little as two to three business days. Checks are mailed within three business days.

4. Shop with your miles

You can use miles to pay for purchases at Amazon.com or online through PayPal. You’re able to apply as many miles to your purchases as you have available. If you don’t have enough, you can use your Capital One card to pay for the rest.

5. Put miles toward exclusive tickets, event access and more

Capital One Entertainment lets eligible cardholders redeem miles for tickets to thousands of events, including exclusive experiences, VIP packages and more.

Capital One miles FAQ

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Capital One miles:

Can I use my Capital One miles on any airline?

You can use Capital One miles on many different airlines. And you have the flexibility to use miles your way. Capital One Travel gives you access to book flights on hundreds of airlines with your card or your rewards or a combination of the two.

You can also use your travel card to pay for flights directly with your airline of choice and then use your miles to offset the charge within 90 days. Plus, you may be able to transfer your miles to the loyalty program of one of Capital One’s transfer partners. Transfer rates vary, depending on which airline you choose.

Do Capital One miles expire?

Unlike some airline miles, Capital One rewards miles don’t expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. There’s also no limit to the number of miles you can earn.

But you could lose unredeemed miles if you close your account or your account is no longer active or in good standing—for example, if it’s suspended, restricted, delinquent or in default.

Key takeaways: How to use Capital One miles

Whether you’re planning your next adventure or shopping online for essentials, Capital One miles can get you there.

Capital One offers travel rewards credit cards with exclusive benefits and elevated rewards that can help make your travel experience more enjoyable.

Elevate your next adventure with the Venture X card, which offers premium travel benefits and more.
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day, and earn a one-time 75,000-mile bonus with the Venture card.

Footnotes

Learn more about FDIC insurance coverage.

We hope you found this helpful. Our content is not intended to provide legal, investment or financial advice or to indicate that a particular Capital One product or service is available or right for you. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, consider talking with a qualified professional.

The EMVCo Contactless Symbol and Contactless Indicator, consisting of four graduating arcs, are trademarks owned by and used with permission of EMVCo, LLC.

Capital One does not provide, endorse or guarantee any third-party product, service, information, or recommendation listed above. The third parties listed are solely responsible for their products and services, and all trademarks listed are the property of their respective owners.

By clicking on some of the links provided, you may be taken to a third-party website that is not hosted by Capital One. In those cases, the owner of the website is responsible for the website content. Their privacy practices and level of security may be different from Capital One’s, so please review their policies.

Capital One Travel bookings include services such as cancel your flight for any reason, price prediction, price watch, price drop protection, and price match guarantee. Additional fees may apply. The availability of these services varies by account and they may not be available on all bookings. Terms apply. See travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service/ for details.

15% savings represents the average savings based on price prediction and booking recommendation for flights. Savings may vary. Terms apply.

Participating miles transfer partners and loyalty programs are subject to change. Once you have transferred Capital One miles, they become subject to the receiving loyalty program and cannot be transferred back to your Capital One rewards account. All redemptions are final. Terms and conditions for the receiving loyalty program and Capital One Rewards program apply.

Purchases made from airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rental agencies, limousine services, bus lines, cruise lines, taxi cabs, travel agents and time shares are generally considered to be travel purchases, and availability for redemption is based on the merchant category code assigned to them by the merchant. Capital One is not responsible for how merchants assign these codes.

Premier Collection
Hotels: Premier Collection hotel experience credit will be applied at checkout by hotel to qualifying charges up to $100 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability, and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay. Contact hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences - advance reservations recommended for certain experiences.

In addition to the $100 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Premier Collection hotel bookings include: daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per room, per stay. Hotel terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the hotel for booking.

Vacation rentals: Premier Collection vacation rental experience credit will be applied at time of booking the experience by the host provider to qualifying experience charges up to $100 USD or the local currency equivalent. Experiences must be booked with a Capital One credit card. Qualifying experience credit options vary by location and are subject to availability. Contact the host provider directly to confirm qualifying experiences - advance reservations recommended for certain experiences. For certain properties, the experience credit will be provided in the form of a gift card.

In addition to the $100 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Premier Collection vacation rental bookings include: complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per stay. Back-to-back bookings of the same property within a 24-hour period will be considered one reservation and are not eligible for double benefits. Host provider terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the host for booking.

Both Hotels and vacation rentals: Premier Collection booking must be made through Capital One Travel in the eligible cardholder’s name, with the cardholder as a member of party traveling, to qualify for benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers unless specified. Participating properties and benefits are subject to change. Offer not intended for commercial use unless otherwise permitted. We may disqualify any cardholder from participation and benefits at our sole discretion. Additional terms apply; see travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service for details.

Lifestyle Collection
Hotels: Lifestyle Collection hotel experience credit will be applied at checkout by hotel to qualifying charges up to $50 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability, and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay. Contact the hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences - Advance reservations recommended for certain experiences.

In addition to the $50 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Lifestyle Collection hotel bookings include complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per room, per stay. Hotel terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the hotel for booking.

Vacation rentals: Lifestyle Collection vacation rental experience credit will be applied at time of booking the experience by the host provider to qualifying experience charges up to $50 USD or the local currency equivalent. Experiences must be booked with a Capital One credit card. Qualifying experience credit options vary by location and are subject to availability. Contact the host provider directly to confirm qualifying experiences - advance reservations recommended for certain experiences. For certain properties, the experience credit will be provided in the form of a gift card.

In addition to the $50 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Lifestyle Collection vacation rental bookings include: complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per stay. Back-to-back bookings of the same property within a 24-hour period will be considered one reservation and are not eligible for double benefits. Host provider terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the host for booking.

Both hotels and vacation rentals: Lifestyle Collection booking must be made through Capital One Travel in the eligible cardholder’s name, with the cardholder as a member of party traveling, to qualify for benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers unless specified. Participating properties and benefits are subject to change. Offer not intended for commercial use unless otherwise permitted. We may disqualify any cardholder from participation and benefits at our sole discretion. Additional terms apply; see travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service for details.

PayPal Pay with Rewards is available to eligible cardholders with accounts open and in good standing. Visit www.paypal.com/capitalone for additional details. PayPal.com and the PayPal logo are trademarks of PayPal Holdings Inc. or its affiliates. PayPal terms and conditions apply.

Amazon.com and the smile logo are trademarks of Amazon.com Inc., or its affiliates.

The availability of any specific gift card is not guaranteed. Rewards redemption rates vary and are subject to change.

Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform: To use the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform experience, you must be a Capital One cardholder with an eligible rewards-earning credit card, in good standing; at least 18 years old; and either a primary account holder or an account manager for an eligible consumer credit card, or a primary account holder for an eligible small business credit card. Eligible cards include US-issued, Capital One branded rewards-earning consumer and small business credit cards. Capital One debit cards, private label retail credit cards, and co-brand partner cards are not eligible for the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform. Capital One online account required; additional terms apply. Please see the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform’s Terms of Use for more information about ticketing policies and terms and conditions.

Capital One Cardholder Pre-sales: Capital One cardholder ticket and event offers are open to Capital One cardholders with an eligible credit card, as well as eligible Capital One debit cards and co-brand partner cards. Capital One private label retail credit cards are not eligible.

The number of tickets you may purchase for an event may be limited. Some events may have age restrictions and some offerings may have an additional cost or be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. By clicking on the links above, you may be taken to a site maintained by a third-party.

Eligible Quicksilver, QuicksilverOne, Quicksilver Secured, Quicksilver Student, Journey, Capital One Cash, Spark Cash Select, Spark Classic, Spark Cash, Spark Pro, Spark Cash Plus and Spark Business cardholders will earn 5% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Eligible Venture X, Venture, VentureOne, Capital One Miles, Venture X Business, Spark Miles, Spark Miles Select and Spark Classic Miles cardholders will earn 5 miles per dollar spent on Capital One Entertainment purchases.

The 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases includes tickets purchased directly through the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform only, paid for with an eligible Capital One Savor card. The 8% excludes: (i) tickets purchased through Capital One cardholder exclusive pre-sales; and (ii) tickets purchased directly through the Capital One Hall or Capital One Arena ticketing services. Your account must be open and in good standing to earn cash back and cash back earned will post to your account within 1-2 billing cycles. Cash back earned will be reclaimed if you cancel or return an eligible purchase, and the offer is valid for consumer, non-commercial use only. Cash back rewards are subject to the terms and conditions disclosed when you opened your account and any subsequent amendments. Online account required.

How to use Capital One miles

Unlock travel rewards