Considering the popular *capital one venture card* earns unlimited 2x miles on all purchases, it's easy to rack up Capital One miles on your everyday spending.
But if you want to get a whole bunch of them in a hurry, there's no quicker way than this: Pick up a new Venture Card with its current limited-time offer and then refer your favorite travel buddy to the same card. Once you've both spent enough to earn your sign-up bonus (and a referral bonus), you can combine all your miles together to use them for the perfect vacation.
Whether you're planning a honeymoon or anniversary trip or just want to get away with a friend, using a “two-player system” like this will allow you to rack up over 175,000 Capital One miles & $500 in travel credits in no time.
With the ability to easily cover travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per mile this limited-time bonus offer is worth at least $2,250 worth of vacation … but you can likely do even better than that by transferring miles to one of Capital One's nearly 20 travel partners. No matter where you're dreaming of getting away to, Capital One miles can take you there.
Just remember: Credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card if you're already in debt, and never charge more than you can afford to pay off immediately. This is especially true for a strategy like this, which requires earning multiple sign-up bonuses in short order.
But if you're planning a dream vacation, there's no better way to rack up a big pool of Capital One miles (in a hurry) than this.
Who Is This Right For?
Before we get into the how, let's discuss the why … why you should want a big pool of miles and $500 in Capital One Travel credits.
Beyond the obvious value of these miles and credits – more than $2,250 worth of travel (if not more) – earning them in a hurry is a great strategy for anyone planning a big trip. Even with the Venture card's unlimited 2x mile-earning, it would likely take years of swiping your card for everyday purchases to build up a stash this big without a little help.
Over the years, Capital One miles have become a formidable competitor to travel titans like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. So whether you're planning a honeymoon, a monumental anniversary, or just something that's been on your bucket list, using a big stash of Capital One miles can greatly reduce your out-of-pocket costs and make your trip all the more memorable.
Sound like something you're interested in? Here's how to do it.
How to Earn 175K+ Miles & $500 of Capital One Travel Credit
Step 1: Apply for a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
First things first, you're going to need a new *capital one venture card*.
Right now, Capital One is out with a limited-time offer that allows you to bonus_miles_full
Beyond that big bonus, the Venture Card is one of the cheapest cards on the market for getting TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and earns unlimited 2x miles on all purchases. Plus, you'll earn 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
All this makes it one of the best travel rewards cards on the market for those looking to use miles to cover the cost of travel (in a variety of ways), while still paying a reasonable, $95 annual fee.
Step 2: Meet the Minimum Spending Requirement
Getting approved for your new card is just the first step. Now it's time to earn that big bonus … responsibly.
For some, spending $4,000 in the first three months will be no problem. Make your new Venture Card your go-to for all your purchases, and you'll earn the bonus in no time.
But for others, it might take a little creativity to hit that amount without overspending. Prepaying bills like car insurance, utilities, and even paying your taxes can be a great way to meet a big spending bonus without buying something unnecessary.
When all is said and done, you'll have at least 83,000 miles and a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit by the time you complete the minimum spending requirement. That's 75,000 miles from the bonus plus at least 8,000 miles earned from the $4,000 spending requirement.
Related reading: How to Hit the Minimum Spend (& Earn That Bonus) Responsibly
Step 3: Refer a Friend
You don't actually need to wait until you meet the minimum spending requirement to refer your friend. But if you're pooling expenses and working together to meet the cards' sign-up bonuses, not having the clock ticking on both offers simultaneously is a good idea.
That being said, these are limited-time offers, so they likely won't be around for too long.
To refer a friend, simply log in to your Capital One account online (or using the mobile app) and click on your card. Near the top, you may see a banner prompting you to refer friends to your card with a link to do so. If you don't see this option, you can click on the button below that says “I Want To…” where you'll find “Refer a Friend” listed under “Benefits and Rewards.”
Once you navigate to the Refer a Friend page, you'll just want to copy your referral link and send it to them to apply. You can paste it into an email or just send it as a text message and have them apply on their phone.
Thrifty Tip: Capital One is currently offering two different referral bonuses on the Venture Card, so you may instead see one for 100,000 miles after spending $5,000 in three months (like the one above). In that case, you're still getting more than $2,250 in travel with this strategy, albeit with slightly more spending required.
Capital One is generally quite quick at paying out bonus miles earned through referrals. Once your friend is approved using your link, you should see the 10,000-mile bonus (some cardholders may be targeted for an even higher referral bonus amount) hit your account within a matter of days.
At this point, you should have a minimum of 93,000 Capital One miles to your name. That's 75,000 miles from your sign-up bonus, plus at least 8,000 miles earned from the minimum spending requirement and the additional 10,000-mile referral bonus.
But be warned: This won't work if your friend is a current Capital One customer. This means if they already have a Venture Card or even a Capital One Quicksilver or Savor Card, you won't receive a bonus for referring them. Your friend will still receive a bonus for the card if they're approved though.
Step 4: Meet the Minimum Spending Requirement … Again
Once again, you'll need to spend a minimum of $4,000 in three months to earn that 75,000-mile bonus (plus another $250 travel credit). Timing your application around big expenses, like a wedding or home improvement project, can help make this easier.
After you've met the minimum spending requirement for your second Venture card, you'll now have a minimum of 176,000 Capital One miles between you and your travel buddy, plus $500 in Capital One Travel credits. That's 93,000 miles and a $250 travel credit from your initial sign-up bonus, minimum spending, and referral bonus, as well as 83,000 miles and a $250 travel credit from your friend's bonus offer and minimum spending.
Step 5: Combine Miles in One Account
While the other big banks restrict who you can send points to – or block it altogether – Capital One miles can be easily shared with any other cardholders.
There's no limit on the number of miles you can transfer or receive from another cardholder. There's not even a requirement that the person you are sharing miles with is related or lives at your address, as is the case when combining Chase points.
Here are the basics of sharing Capital One miles with another cardholder:
- You can transfer Capital One miles to other members as long as they have a credit card that earns Capital One miles
- There is no requirement that the person you are transferring miles to lives at the same address or is related to you in any way.
- There is no cap on the number of miles that can be shared with other Capital One cardholders.
- There are no expiration dates or other major restrictions on miles that are transferred to other cardholders.
To make these transfers, you must call the number on the back of your Capital One Card. There isn't a way to do this in your online account currently. You'll just need the name and card number of the person's account you are transferring to.
Read more: How to Combine Capital One Miles Between Cards & Other Cardmembers
Step 6: Sip Mai Tais on the Beach in Hawaii
You don't have to use your newfound fortune of Capital One miles and travel credit to go to Hawaii … but you could!
Just last year, Hawaiian Airlines began flying its excellent fully-enclosed first-class seats from the West Coast to the Hawaiian Islands and, soon, New York. While Hawaiian isn't a Capital One transfer partner, Virgin Atlantic is – and since Hawaiian and Virgin are partners, you can book these first class suites from just 40,000 points each way … or less if you're able to get in on a transfer bonus.
With more than 175,000 Capital One miles at your disposal, you'd have enough for two roundtrip tickets from the West Coast to Hawaii in first class. Or you could split the difference and fly one-way in first class and the other in economy, leaving yourself with a substantial stash of miles to help cover your lodging and other expenses. The added Capital One Travel credits will no doubt come in handy for renting a car or even booking a hotel stay.
This is just one example of what's possible with these limited-time bonus offers – and it's not even the only one for getting to Hawaii! No matter if you have your heart set on Mexico, the Caribbean, or even far-flung destinations like the Maldives … Capital One miles and travel credits can take you there.
Read more: The Best Ways to Redeem Capital One Miles
Bottom Line
Capital One miles and the *capital one venture card* is practically a must for any aspiring award traveler. If you and your favorite travel buddy are scheming a bucket list vacation, there's no quicker way to earn $2,250 worth of travel (or more) than this.
Learn more about the *capital one venture card*