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You might have your eyes on a Capital One credit card to earn 50,000 Capital One Miles. The redemption value can vary widely, but there are several ways to make it worth $500 or more.
How to Earn 50,000 Capital One Miles
These two Spark Miles business credit cards currently have a 50,000 miles bonus:
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months. The introductory annual fee is $0 for the first month and then $95.
- Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months.
Learn more: Business Credit Cards
How to Earn More than 50,000 Miles
You can earn 75,000 Capital One miles as well.
- 75,000 bonus miles (when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months): Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
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For a limited time, new Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus they’ll receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit their first cardholder year. Earning the entire bonus is equal to $1,000 in travel!
50,000 Capital One Miles Travel Credit
Capital One Miles are most valuable when redeemed for travel. Each mile is worth 1 cent as a travel statement credit, making 50,000 miles worth $500 in travel reimbursements. You can request a credit for travel purchases made in the last 90 days.
Redeeming your miles as a statement credit provides the most flexibility as you are not restricted to what’s available in the Capital One Travel booking portal or the list of transfer partners.
Additionally, this redemption method allows you to earn more miles as you pay upfront for the purchase. There isn’t a redemption minimum, so you can use your points to partially offset your travel costs when your balance is relatively small.
Related: What Credit Card is Best for Getting Travel Points?
Booking Travel
If you’re striving to keep your out-of-pocket costs low, you may use your miles to book an upcoming trip through Capital One Travel. Your redemption options include flights, hotels, and car rentals, making your 50,000 points balance worth $500.
The booking portal has fare prediction tools that can help you time your redemption for the best time to book flights. However, you must be comfortable using a third-party booking site instead of booking directly, which can make for a sticky situation when you need a refund or itinerary change due to cancellations and delays.
Related: Credit Score Needed For The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Transferring Capital One Miles
The Capital One transfer partners can be an underrated redemption option as you can’t exactly pinpoint the redemption rate. Point values vary by loyalty program and itinerary, which can make each point worth between 1.0 and 2.0 cents in many cases. Your points can be worth as much as $1,000 with the best flights. Hotel redemptions are difficult to get above 1 cent consistently.
But it’s also possible that your points balance can be worth less than 1 cent in which case it’s better to pay for your trip upfront and redeem a statement credit.
Some of the transfer partners to consider first:
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1.5 to 1.9 cents)
- Emirates Skywards (1.2 cents)
- Etihad Guest (1.1 cents)
- Flying Blue Air France-KLM (1.3 cents)
- Virgin Red (1.1 cents)
Be conscious of carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on international travel. You may also be able to find good deals on alliance partner flights for domestic or overseas itineraries.
The hotel transfer partners include Accor Live Limitless, Choice Privileges, and Wyndham Rewards, which tend to have redemption values between 0.7 to 1.0 cents. If you frequently use these programs, you might be familiar with destinations and properties with great award night offers.
Related: The Best Airline Miles Credit Cards
Redemption Value for Capital One Entertainment
The credit card issuer has expanded its footprint with luxury travel and experiences. You can use miles to buy tickets through Capital One Entertainment for unique access to dining events, concerts, and sports games. Each point is worth 0.8 cents to make 50,000 miles, equivalent to $400 in entertainment purchases.
For example, you can meet and greet musicians and celebrities, enjoy private dinners, and enjoy exclusive events at festivals and concerts. In many instances, these exclusive cardholder-only packages are available at events where Capital One is a major sponsor.
You may decide to tack an entertainment-related redemption onto a trip if you want to keep your travel and lifestyle expenses as low as possible on an upcoming trip.
Related: 8 Best Credit Cards For Everyday Spending
Redeeming 50,000 Capital One Miles for Gift Cards
Your 50,000 Capital One miles can be worth up to $400 in gift card redemptions, as each point is worth 0.8 cents. Gift cards are usually your most valuable non-travel redemption option, and there are many retail and restaurant brands to choose from.
This option is better than requesting cash back if you already know where you’re going to shop. However, travel statement credits are still more valuable as most travel-related purchases qualify, and you can easily redeem points on road trips, to name one idea.
Related: Which Chase And Capital One Current Credit Card Offers Are Best?
50,000 Capital One Miles for Shopping Credits
You can also redeem points at checkout for Amazon.com and PayPal purchases. Once again, this option is better than straight cash back as each point is worth 0.8 cents. So, 50,000 Capital One Miles are worth $400 in shopping credits.
Simply link your Capital One credit card to your shopping account, and you will see a button to redeem your current mileage balance to offset the first portion of your transaction total.
Related: The Best Credit Cards For Amazon Purchases (Earn Rewards)
50,000 Capital One Miles Into Cash
As these are travel credit cards, you won’t want to redeem them for cash back. Still, it’s an option as a statement credit or check when you want ultimate flexibility. The redemption value is 0.5 cents making 50,000 miles worth $250.
Instead, consider cash-back credit cards if this is your preferred redemption option. Flat-rate cash rewards cards typically earn 1.5% or better for a similar earning potential as the personal Venture Rewards credit cards or the Spark Miles business travel credit cards.
If you’re loyal to Capital One, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of your best options as you earn unlimited 1.5% back on purchases. Additionally, you won’t pay an annual fee or a foreign transaction fee.
Summary of What Are 50,000 Capital One Miles Worth?
You can plan on 50,000 Capital One Miles being worth at least $500 in award travel. The airline transfer partners are also worth exploring when you want to fly to Europe or in a premium cabin as your points can be more valuable than the standard 1-cent redemption value, and how you can really stretch out the value of your Capital One miles.
How to Earn 50,000 Capital One Miles
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months. The introductory annual fee is $0 for the first month and then $95.
- Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months.
Learn more: Business Credit Cards
How to Earn More than 50,000 Miles:
- 75,000 bonus miles (when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months): Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- For a limited time, new Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus they’ll receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit their first cardholder year. Earning the entire bonus is equal to $1,000 in travel!
Johnny Jet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Johnny Jet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I don’t know if l am leaving this message that is or is not going to the right person. I have two questions;
1—l have more than a million miles. It has been a pain in the butt trying to use these. What is the best way to use these??
2–Capital One used to have a pamphlet with some nice gifts that we could purchase with our points? Do they exist any more?
3–l want to change from miles redemptions to cash back. How do l do this??
Thanks. John Coble