Key takeaways
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn a generous welcome bonus, elevated rewards on hotels and rental car purchases through Capital One Travel and a flat 2X miles on other purchases.
- The Discover it® Miles comes with a nice flat rewards rate, an excellent introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers and no annual fee.
- When choosing between the Capital One Venture and Discover it Miles travel credit cards, consider whether you prioritize higher rewards on purchases or no annual fee.
If you’re on the hunt for your first travel credit card, you’ve probably run into everything from premium cards with near-$800 annual fees to low- and mid-tier options with significantly lower annual fees.
The Discover it® Miles and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two cards that fall into the latter category. Plus, they have a lot of similarities as two cards with generous flat-rate rewards and no major bonus categories to manage.
However, before you choose one, consider their key differences, as well as the fine print that spells out how to use your perks and rewards.
Main details
| Discover it® Miles | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Unlimited Bonus: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles. | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel |
| Rewards rate | 1.5X miles on all purchases |
|
| Intro APR |
|
|
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 |
| Foreign transaction fee | N/A | N/A |
Discover it® Miles vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card highlights
Which of these two travel credit cards will leave you better off? That depends on what you value more — a welcome offer, a higher rewards rate or no annual fee. Read on to learn which of these two cards wins in the most important categories.
Welcome bonus winner
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The Discover it Miles offers a mile-for-mile match, where it will match all of the miles you earn in your first year as a cardholder. This limitless earning potential is usually what makes it the winner when it comes to welcome bonuses, so why does the Venture Rewards card take the crown? Because of the spending requirements.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. These miles are worth an average of 1.7 cents each, although you can potentially get more value if you transfer them to Capital One airline and hotel partners.
You’d have to spend $50,000 on your card within a year to earn 75,000 miles total with Discover’s Mile-for-Mile Match program. Compared to just $4,000, that’s a lot of extra spending — making the Venture Rewards card the clear winner.
Rewards rate winner
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The Capital One Venture also wins in terms of its rewards rate:
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
The Discover it Miles only offers 1.5X miles for each dollar you spend.
Intro APR winner
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The Discover it Miles wins this round because the Capital One Venture Rewards card doesn’t offer an intro APR period at all. In fact, most travel rewards cards don’t offer this benefit, making the Discover it Miles a rarity.
The Discover it Miles offers a 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (17.99% – 26.99% Variable APR thereafter). This kind of offer can help you save money as you pay down large travel purchases, such as international flights or hotel stays, over time.
If you’re looking to pay off some credit card debt before starting your travel adventures, you can also use this card to consolidate debt from other cards. Just don’t forget about the intro balance transfer fee of 3 percent, which rises to up to 5 percent on future balance transfers.
Annual Fee winner
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The Discover it Miles wins due to its lack of an annual fee. Meanwhile, the Capital One Venture charges $95 per year, and this annual fee is not waived
Foreign transaction fee winner
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Neither of these cards charges foreign transaction fees, so they’re both suitable for international travel.
Which card earns the most?
Since the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a higher earning rate on purchases, you’ll always earn more with this card than you would with the Discover it Miles assuming equal spending.
That said, how much more you’ll earn in the first year depends on how much you use your card and whether you book travel through Capital One.
Discover it® Miles vs. Capital One Venture Rewards spending example
Imagine you have a family of four: two children between the ages of 9 and 11 and a husband and wife under the age of 50. Your average food spending would work out to $1,383.80 per month (or $16,605.60 per year) on a moderate plan, according to the USDA.
Let’s also imagine you spend $400 per month ($4,800 per year) dining out, $300 per month ($3,600 per year) on miscellaneous purchases and $1,000 per month ($12,000 per year) on hotels and rental cars. Here’s how each card would compare:
| Rewards categories | Miles earned with the Capital One Venture card | Miles earned with the Discover it Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery purchases | 33,211 | 24,908 |
| Dining | 9,600 | 7,200 |
| Hotels and rental cars | 18,000 | 5,400 |
| Miscellaneous purchases | 24,000 | 18,000 |
| Welcome bonus | 75,000 | 55,508 (Mile-for-Mile match) |
| Total rewards earned | 159,811 | 111,016 |
With the Capital One Venture, you would earn 84,811 miles in the first year. Add the 75,000 welcome bonus, and you’d earn 159,811 miles, worth about $1,598 if redeemed for a 1-cent-per-point value. However, the Venture Rewards card comes with a $95 annual fee, so you’d have to subtract that from your earnings for a total of $1,503.
With the Discover it Miles, on the other hand, you would earn 55,508 miles on spending during the first year. Discover would then match your miles for a total rewards haul of 111,016 miles, worth about $1,110. That’s $393 less than you’d earn with Venture Rewards even when you take annual fees into account.
Why should you get the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card?
There’s no denying the Capital One Venture offers a better rewards rate in every scenario. However, there are additional reasons this card is well worth it.
Why should you get the Discover it® Miles?
Most travelers consider the Discover it Miles because they don’t want to pay an annual fee. Here are some additional reasons you might like the card:
The bottom line
If you’re ready to choose a travel credit card and are looking closely at the Capital One Venture and Discover it Miles, you should stop and think about what you want most. Do you prefer having more perks and the chance to earn higher rewards, or do you want a simpler credit card with no annual fee?
If neither of these cards fit the bill, compare additional travel credit cards from Capital One, Discover and other major issuers. By comparing all your options, you can find a travel credit card with the earning rate, redemption options and perks you want the most.
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