Free? Yes, you heard that right. Get Money to Spend Money? Count me in!
If you follow me on Twitter or know me in real life you know I constantly rave about my Capital One Venture Card. I first applied and received my card in February 2016. It was my first year post grad and I was not making that much money but I knew I wanted to find a way to keep traveling. Before I had this credit card I had my typical bank credit card. I had it for over 4 years and was saddened when I realized the rewards I had amounted in those 4 years was virtually nothing. So I began to do my research on which credit card would give me the best benefits and I came across the Capital One Venture Card.
Since I’ve had this card in February 2016, I have cashed out on free flights to these places, 2 roundtrip flights to NYC, Roundtrip flight to Denver, Roundtrip flight to Cancun, Roundtrip flight to Austin and now a future trip to Cabo in April. After two years of having the card I got my husband to jump on the credit card so we can take advantage of getting free flights together.
With the holidays around the corner, now is the perfect time to apply for a credit card that rewards you. You will be spending money from now till December, you might as well spend money and make some back for a future spring break or summer trip. I have a link at the bottom that allows me to refer people to sign up for the credit card.
There are many great Travel Rewards cards out there but these are the reasons why I think the Capital One Venture Card is the best.
- You are not restricted on where you can use your rewards. This is a big one for me especially because I book flights on different airlines. There are a lot of great travel rewards credit cards but many of them will only allow you to use your points/miles on that specific airline. Not only are you able to redeem your points on any airline, but you are also able to use your miles on Hotels, Airbnb bookings, car rentals, and anything deemed “travel”.
- You earn rewards miles on E V E R Y T H I N G, not just based on flights purchased, gas, groceries, and restaurants. There is also no cap on how much rewards you can earn, so charge everything on that card! You earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase you make.
- MY PERSONAL FAVORITE PERK of this card and why every new member should get it. There is a sweet sign on bonus for new members. If you spend 3,000 in the first 3 months you are given a $500 miles bonus. So pretty much spend $3,000 and earn $500 for a future trip.
- No foreign transaction fees. If you are traveling and want to use your card in another country you have the ability to do so without getting charged hefty fees, which definitely do add up over time. Just don’t forget to call their customer service line and notify them about your trip so you are able to use your card!
- ANNUAL FEE. Yes there is one. Typically with cards that reward you so greatly, there is an annual fee, but honestly the rewards heavily outweigh the $95 annual fee. But wait, there is a bonus, your first year your annual fee is waived!!!
- Other Perks worth mentioning: TSA Pre Check & Global Entry: Receive a credit of either $100 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck with your Venture card. –Travel Accident Insurance: Use your Venture card to purchase your flight, and you’ll automatically get travel accident coverage of up to $250,000 with Visa Signature Benefits. Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver-Rent a vehicle using your Venture Card and refuse the car rental agency’s collision damage coverage. You’ll receive secondary coverage for collision damage and theft on a domestic car rental and primary coverage for international rentals. Lost Luggage– Pay for your ticket with your Venture Card and receive up to $3,000 if your luggage is lost or stolen.
It’s 2019, do yourself a favor and get yourself a credit card worth using. Be the person that sets their card down for the group and take advantage of the points and collect their portions of the bill later.
One of the best ways to use this credit card is to simply charge everything on it. At the end of the week, add up all the expenses and transfer the money from your checkings to your credit card debt. This will help you keep your balance low.
Another tip to maximize your rewards earnings is to make any big purchases on your credit card especially if you already have the money in your account to transfer it over. For example, when I was taking classes at CSUDH, I would pay for my $800 classes with my credit card, then transfer the money I received from my loans to pay off the classes. Find any big expense you have been saving for, charge it on your card and then pay it off, in the end you earn miles and accumulate for a future trip.
My final note, upon applying for the credit card it says you need excellent credit. Don’t let that discourage you from applying. I applied for the card my first year of post grad I didn’t have a crazy high credit score and my income wasn’t super high. Another benefit this card will bring, is that it helps you build your credit tremendously. My husband’s credit score jumped up by 50+ points after 8 months of using this card consistently.
If you are ready to apply, click on the link below to take you to the application process via my referral. If you have any more questions, ask below and I will be glad to answer them!
Jessica Ochoa 