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The official travel-booking arm of Capital One, Capital One Travel, is a portal full of flexibility, points potential and breezy bookings for cardholders.

In 2022, Capital One has been expanding access to their travel portal. As of May 2022, all Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders will now earn 5 and 10 miles per dollar, respectively, when they book through the Turo website or mobile app.

There’s also some big news for lounge lovers that might make them consider converting over from whatever travel program they’re plugged into already. Capital One plans on adding new lounges in Washington DC and Denver, CO this year.

The emerging developments with the Capital One Travel portal make it necessary to talk about the program’s long-standing setup, recent changes and the changes that are being rolled out in the months to come.

In a world of loyalty programs and booking websites, it’s time to investigate if Capital One Travel is the one.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022

Who is it For

First, Capital One Travel isn’t a “replacement” for Expedia, Orbitz or any other booking platforms you’ve been using to book your annual vacation. This is a program for serious spenders who do some serious spending on travel.

What’s more, the best way to really maximize your miles with this program is to take advantage of 1:1 miles transfers with partner airlines. Many of the best transfer deals are with international partners. When all is said and done, Capital One Travel is for people who trot the globe! It’s especially beneficial if you rack up tons of miles on business travel.

The Basics of the Capital One Travel Portal

The concept behind Capital One Travel is nothing new in the credit card world.

Cardholders who sign up can reserve flights, hotel rooms and car rentals using miles, cash or a combination of miles and cash. People who use their cards the most stand to gain the most. However, where Capital One Travel stands apart is its flexibility. Let’s cover the basics of what life looks like once you’re flying, cruising and spending with Capital One.

You can book flights, hotels and car rentals using the same portal once you’re plugged into the Capital One ecosystem. However, being a Capital One Travel user hinges on the fact that you’ve already been approved for a Capital One credit card. You’ll need one of these cards to enter the Capital One Travel portal:

• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business.

Owning any of these cards comes with its own perks because you’re getting automatic bonuses like thousands of free miles if you spend a certain amount within the first few months of opening your card. However, the Capital One Travel portal brings the benefits to the next level by simply offering a very easy way to book your travel. It’s so easy to stay organized with your trip planning while also getting the perk of instantly applying your “free travel” in real time. No, the Capital One Travel portal isn’t really anything “brilliant” compared to most rewards sites and travel-booking platforms. However, it’s really great for what it is.

What You’ll Really Like

Let’s start with what is probably the top reason to choose Capital One Travel over another option.

Capital One miles earned come with a fixed value.

That means you don’t constantly feel like you’re on a game show where you have to strategize to actually make your points do something for you. Capital One’s fixed-value travel miles mean that you’re never dealing with blackout dates or reward restrictions. The points you’ve earned are fully and truly yours to keep, use and enjoy! 

Yes, Capital One still has lots of catching up to do with competitors that are already firmly entrenched in the travel category. Its recent announcement about new lounges that we cover further down shows that Capital One is ready to get in the ring. While it’s still working out some kinks in terms of providing good transfer options, the strength of the Capital One Travel program rests in the strength of what you can do with your Capital One miles. Offering the ability to combine your miles transfers with fixed redemptions, Capital One Travel is worth looking at. Its increasing list of transfer partners makes this program much more attractive than it was even just a year ago.

Capital One also does something really neat with its travel miles that you don’t see a lot. Cardholders can actually redeem previous travel purchases that they’ve made within the last 90 days. Yes, that means that you can retroactively apply miles to flights, hotel rooms and general travel-related purchases. In fact, Capital One is shockingly lenient about what it will consider a travel-related purchase. If you used your Capital One card to make the purchases on the road, things like food delivery, streaming services and Uber rides can all count!

Booking Accommodations With Capital One Travel

Let’s start by talking about how you book flights. You’re simply entering your travel dates, departure destination and arrival destination to check for availability. Capital One gives you the option to search by lowest price if you prefer. Love a specific airline? Capital One will let you search by airline when displaying your results. 

The price-comparison features in the Capital One Travel portal really make you feel like you’re not getting pushed toward the most expensive option. For instance, the default is the lowest fare based on the idea that you’ll be purchasing an economy ticket. It also offers the rare perk of actually giving you a quick rundown of price difference between fares. 

Booking a hotel is equally as easy. Again, you’re just searching for available rooms based on the dates and location of your stay. This next part is where Capital One’s portal really shines as a shopper’s companion.

The platform doesn’t just display how much a room will cost you per night. It also does the math to show you the full cost of booking each room for your stay.

Next, it displays TripAdvisor ratings next to each option to help you avoid the need to leave the portal to do your “investigative” work. If you’re really serious about getting specific amenities at a hotel, Capital One gives you the option to simply turn on a filter to only see hotel rooms with specific amenities and features.

Honestly, it’s easy to forget that you’re not shopping with a “real” travel-booking website when you hunt for your hotel room with Capital One. They clearly aren’t just resting on the idea that you’re stuck in the funnel based on the fact that you want to cash in points.

Lastly, we get to car rentals. Capital One Travel starts you off by asking about where you want to pick up and drop off your rental vehicle. If you’re a visual person, you can select the option to see a list of available rental locations on a map. Everyone else can just scroll down the list that’s provided. In addition to being able to sort by lowest price, you can check off boxes to narrow your search down based on rental company, car type and car features. It’s beautifully straightforward.

Can You Book Travel Packages?

No, Capital One Travel doesn’t let you book packages.

However, there’s speculation that this is something that will be coming down the pipeline in the future as the company devotes more time and money to its travel program. This is the one area where it’s really lacking compared to options like Hotwire and Expedia.

If you use either of those third-party booking sites, you know that they often advertise amazing deals that place your whole trip just one simple click away. You also often get rock-bottom rates on last-minute getaway deals that bundle everything together with very little “planning” needed on your part. That’s something you’ll really miss if you’ve booked some little trips that ended up being some of the best experiences of your life all because you saw a hot deal come through in your email.

Does Your Elite Hotel Status Carry Over to Capital One Travel?

Here’s another category where going with Capital One Travel loses a few points. Due to the fact that it’s technically a third-party travel company, you’re not able to use your elite hotel status the way you can when you book directly with your preferred hotel. As a result, you’re losing the ability to take advantage of package deals the way you are with most third-party booking platforms while also losing the benefit of booking directly with the hotel chain you have elite status with. It’s a bit of a lose-lose situation if you happen to have status at a chain like Hilton or Marriott.

Honestly, someone who books frequent hotel stays might do better by using Google Flight Matrix to simply zone in on getting the cheapest flight that can be paired with a hotel room that’s booked directly with the hotel chain.

What’s New With the Portal

Spring of 2021 marked a big sea change for Capital One Travel. The common theme is expansion. For cardholders with the Capital® One Venture® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Spark® Miles for Business Credit Card and Capital One Spark® Miles Select Credit Card, this is what’s coming:

• A new 1:1 transfer tier.
• Loyalty partnerships with more airlines.
• Access to new lounges.
• An updated, AI-powered booking app in partnership with Hopper.

Let’s start with that new 1:1 tier for miles transfers. What does it mean? For cardholders with Venture® and Spark® Miles cards, the living is already pretty easy with 2X miles dished out with every purchase made any day of the year. It’s about to get better. Under the updated policy, Venture® and Spark® Miles cardholders can now look forward to 2X travel loyalty points on every dollar they spend when transferring precious miles to any member on a long list of new partners.

A big piece of news for global travelers, this new 1:1 transfer ratio is good for major global brands like Avianca (LifeMiles), Etihad (Etihad Guest), Asia Miles, AeroMexico (Club Premier), Finnair (Finnair Plus) and Qantas (Qantas Frequent Flyer). In an exciting turn of events, it even applies for Wyndham Rewards.

This helps to take care of the “downside” covered earlier because it’s a nice loophole around not being able to use elite hotel points when booking through Capital One Travel due to the fact that it’s technically a third-party travel site. If you’re already a loyal Wyndham Rewards member, the news could not be bigger. 

Most of the partners on the 1:1 ratio list previously had ratios of 2 points to 1.5 points. With the new update, members are effectively getting a boost of 33 percent more miles when they choose to travel with the 1:1 partners. All of Capital One’s other hotel and airline partners will maintain their existing ratios that range from 2 points to 1.5 points to 2 points to 1 point. The way that point values and miles values work out means that these lower transfer ratios aren’t necessarily bad deals even though they don’t have the wow factor of 1:1.

New partnerships with the loyalty programs of British Airways (Avios), Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges), TAP Air Portugal (Miles&Go) and Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles) are making things even more exciting. If you’re already plotting some trips, here’s a glance at what ratios look like right now when you’re using hotel and airline transfer partners:

• Aeromexico Club Premier: 1:1
• Air Canada Aeroplan: 2:1.5
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue: 2:1.5
• Alitalia MilleMiglia: 2:1.5
• Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1
• British Airways Avios: 2:1.5
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 1:1
• Emirates Skywards: 2:1
• Etihad Airways Guest: 1:1
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands 2:1.5
• Finnair Plus: 1:1
• JetBlue TrueBlue: 2:1.5
• Qantas Frequent Flyer: 1:1
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 2:1
• TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go: 1:1
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: 2:1.5
• Accor Live Limitless: 2:1
• Choice Privileges: 1:1 (Pending)
• Wyndham Rewards: 1:1

The real superstars on Capital One’s list of partners are the partners that provide that 1:1 ratio while being members of major airline alliances. For instance, an airline with a 1:1 ratio like Cathay Pacific that also happens to be a member airline of OneWorld alliance opens up options for redeeming miles for flights booked with fellow OneWorld airlines like American Airlines. Similarly, a Star Alliance airline like Avianca allows you to book flights throughout the United States and Europe using sister carriers like United and Lufthansa.

How Will the Collaboration With Hopper Change Capital One Travel?

Of course, the big buzz is that Capital One is in the midst of revamping its travel portal app in collaboration with Hopper. Let’s rewind to discuss Hopper to demonstrate just how big this is for members.

Hopper is a travel-booking platform that uses data to get customers the lowest prices on flights, hotels and cars. This “smart” booking platform is also designed to help travelers make better booking decisions using data-driven insights. That means you’re more likely to get the right accommodations at the right prices if you believe Hopper’s “claim to fame” that its algorithms create a 95-percent accuracy rate for giving you the best travel choices based on your personal needs.

All of these customer-friendly perks are now coming to Capital One Travel members. In fact, Capital One has already revealed which dynamic features will be carried over once it integrates Hopper’s AI-powered tech into its own booking platform. Here’s a look:

• Price predictions.
• Price alerts.
• Dynamic pricing recommendations.
• Better integration of Capital One Travel and Capital One Rewards to make it easier to redeem rewards.
• Improved mobile app interface.
• Improved inter-app messaging and support capabilities that make it easier to change or cancel reservations.

The big takeaway is that customers are going to be able to book with more confidence. For existing customers, the temptation to “check rates” against what they can find on other platforms is likely to vanish. While it looks like lots of bells and whistles coming through, there’s really just one big point to focus on.

This new platform update that’s being done in collaboration with Hopper ultimately protects Capital One cardholders from price volatility. In an era when hotel chains and airlines are increasingly using dynamic pricing tools to adjust prices in real time based on demand, this is a big deal for giving customers peace of mind without the need to obsessively check rates before making booking decisions.

Did Somebody Say New Capital One Travel Lounges?

Yes! Capital One is peppering its news of an expanded and redesigned Capital One Travel portal with the announcement of two new lounges in the coming months.

The newest one is at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) which opened at the end of 2021. The second is set to open its doors at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) later this year. Designed to be state-of-the-art rest zones, both lounges will feature Wi-Fi, work spaces, private showers, luggage lockers, relaxation suites and workout rooms.

As Capital One enters the lounge arena to do battle with big names like American Express for the first time, there’s still a lot that’s not known. As of summer 2021, Capital One had not announced who would be eligible for lounge access. While all cardholders may be permitted to use the lounges, it’s possible that only elite cards will get you entry. It’s also very likely that cardholders will still need to pay to get in most of the time. The only thing that Capital One has revealed so far is that cardholders will be eligible for special entry rates based on card type. Of course, free lounge access may be a carrot that is dangled for some of the top-tier cards that charge higher annual fees. 

Tips for Using Capital One Travel to Book Trips

If you decide to jump into the Capital One Travel pipeline, it helps to know how you’ll be redeeming the miles you earn through spending for travel. Like all programs in this vein, Capital One Travel requires that you be intentional and strategic to get the best deals.

Begin by becoming familiar with the different loyalty programs you can transfer all of your points to when you want to book a trip. This isn’t as simple as just selecting an airline because it’s on the list of partners. You’ll need to look at each airline’s reward chart to see how much the value will be when you redeem your miles.

Next, search for any reward seats that might be open.

Lastly, you can transfer your Capital One points to the loyalty program you choose. Just make sure you’re verifying the price against the value of the reward miles you have to transfer. You should never transfer your miles unless you have a specific seat ready to book!

Final Thoughts

The truth is that Capital One Travel hasn’t exactly been an industry leader. While you could sometimes get the lowest price through the portal, that wasn’t something that was to always be expected.

In fact, airfare and hotel rates pretty much sat at average compared to other booking channels. However, that’s likely to change now that Capital One is revamping its usability with Hopper. As an AI-driven, predictive platform, Capital One Travel appears to be gearing up to become the savviest booking platform in terms of pricing among credit card travel portals.

The brand’s decision to ramp up partnerships really makes this a great time to hop on if you’ve been looking for a dedicated travel portal where you can easily compairson-shop while easily applying your miles.

The overall consensus is that Capital One Travel is a decent product that’s rapidly getting better.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022

Full disclosure: We may receive financial compensation when you click on links and are approved for products from our advertising partners. Opinions and product recommendations on FlyerGeek are those of our writers and have not been influenced, reviewed or approved by any advertiser. Learn more about how we make money.

If you’ve been a Hilton Honors rewards member for a while, you might remember that the program used to offer free breakfast to Diamond and Gold members. In fact, you could still get a complimentary continental breakfast during any Hilton stay back in 2020. 

Now, instead of free breakfast, these members get a food and beverage credit that can, but doesn’t have to, be used for breakfast.

Keep reading to find out more about the current breakfast credit rule at Hilton properties and why you just might prefer it to the old school system.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash back credit cards
• Best Overall in 2022

Current Breakfast Rule

As of 2022, Hilton uses a credit system for food and beverages. Gold and Diamond members used to get a complimentary continental breakfast with every stay. In place of this, they now receive a daily credit that can be used toward eligible food and beverage purchases made at participating Hilton properties.

The Hilton Honors member who arranged and is paying for the booking, and one additional guest in the room, receive the daily credit. There are no restrictions on what time of day you use your credit and the credit doesn’t come out of your Hilton Honors points balance.

Hilton launched this new system in July 2021 to replace the Continental Breakfast benefit given exclusively to elite members. The credit was only going to be available through 2021, but Hilton announced in February of 2022 that it would be extended through at least the end of this year. And along with extending the offer, increased the credit value and added locations.

The value of the credit and how exactly you can use it depends on the Hilton location you’re staying at. Luxury properties tend to have a higher credit value than less premium properties. We’ll go over which hotel brands participate and the credit for each in the next section.

This change does not do away with the free continental breakfast included with every stay at many Hilton properties. If you’re staying at a hotel or resort that offers free breakfast to all guests regardless of their loyalty status, this won’t change (in other words, you won’t receive a daily credit in addition to your complimentary breakfast, but you’ll still get your free food).

A lot of Hilton rewards members are actually pleased with these changes. These credits offer a lot more flexibility in terms of how and when you eat on Hilton’s dime, and the value is usually higher than that of a continental breakfast.

Which Hotels Offer Credits?

Not every hotel under the Hilton name participates in the new credit program. Out of 18 Hilton brands, only 11 offer the credit. The brands that participate are listed below.

Hilton brands that offer the daily F&B credit:

• Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
• LXR Hotels & Resorts
• Conrad Hotels & Resorts
• Signia by Hilton
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• Curio Collection by Hilton
• DoubleTree by Hilton
• Tapestry Collection by Hilton
• Canopy by Hilton
• Motto by Hilton
• Hilton Garden Inn

The Hilton Honors Daily F&B credit is not included with stays at all-inclusive properties or select discount brands that provide complimentary food and beverage to guests of any membership status. Brands that offer complimentary continental or buffet-style breakfast to all guests include Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton.

📍 Conrad, LXR, and Waldorf Astoria: $25 credit value per day for each guest, up to $50 daily.

📍 Canopy, Curio Collection, DoubleTree, Hilton Hotels, Motto, Signia, and Tapestry Collection: $15 or $18 credit value per day for each guest, up to $30 or $36 daily.

These values are market dependent with the higher value being offered in big cities. These include Boston, Chicago, New York City, D.C., Key Largo, Key West, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and all properties in Hawaii. All other locations offer the $15 credit.

📍 Hilton Garden Inn: $10 credit value per day for each guest, up to $20 daily

If you will be traveling with a guest and want them to receive a credit of their own, make sure you add them to your reservation prior to your stay. The person receiving your second credit must be the same person for the entirety of your stay.

How to Use Your Food and Beverage Credit

Your credit should be applied automatically to eligible stays. If you make a covered food or beverage purchase either in your room (i.e. room service), at a restaurant, or at a kiosk or desk that offers to-go options, the total for this will be deducted from your final bill up to the daily credit value.

In other words, if you and another person are staying at a hotel with a $15 daily credit and you use the full amount each day for three days, $90 will be knocked off your bill automatically (the credit is also applied to any tax and gratuity you pay). If for some reason this doesn’t happen, you’ll need to get in touch with Hilton to fix it.

Prior to a qualifying stay, you will receive an email from Hilton letting you know that your upcoming booking will include a Daily F&B Credit and the value of that credit for you and one guest.

📍 This is important: If you don’t use your credit, it will not roll over. So you can’t stockpile credits for future stays or save them all for one night of a booking. You just forfeit whatever you don’t use. You cannot redeem the Daily F&B Credit for cash.

Note that the Hilton Honors member who qualifies for the credit must be the one paying for the booking and also staying at the property. Other people cannot use your rewards account to get the food and beverage credit. That said, there is no rule stating that the awards member must be the one eating the food purchased with their credit.

If you’re not planning to use the credit, you can actually opt to redeem it as Bonus Points for your Hilton Honors account instead if you’re in the Gold tier. Gold members are eligible to choose Bonus Points in place of their Daily Food and Beverage Credit (point value differs by the property) and Diamond members actually receive 1,000 Bonus Points in addition to their Credit.

Only Hilton Garden Inn requires Diamond members to choose between the credit and points, with up to 750 Bonus Points available instead of the food and beverage credit.

If you plan to redeem the credit for points, go into your Hilton Honors account to change your preferences for your MyWay benefit from the credit to bonus points. You won’t be able to change your selection after arriving for a stay.

Note that credits reset at the end of every day and “expire” after you checkout. There are no restrictions on when you can use your credit as long as you use it within the day it was issued.

What Can the Credit Be Used For?

The Daily F&B Credit can be used at restaurants and bars, cafes and lounges, snack bars, and buffet-style establishments. Room service and in-room dining are eligible as well. The credit also covers alcohol purchases in most states and cities.

If dining or grab-and-go food is offered inside a qualifying hotel or resort (excluding vending machines), the Daily F&B Credit can be used. You can use the credit at as many different places as you like.

Check the email you receive prior to your booking for details about a particular stay.

How to Become a Hilton Diamond or Gold Member

Not a Diamond or Gold member? No worries. You can work up through the ranks to get that Daily F&B Credit with the following activities:

• Staying at Hilton properties
• Using a Hilton credit card
• Dining at qualifying restaurants
• Purchasing points for your account

For every $1 you spend on a booking, you will earn 10 points for your Hilton Honors account (note: this is the base rate and increases with each membership tier). 

Points can be redeemed for award nights, room upgrades, Lyft rides, car rentals, award flights, and more. And the higher your membership status, the easier it is to earn even more points with exclusive milestone bonuses. Look out for member-only opportunities to accelerate your points-earning on select stays as well.

You can also earn points for your Hilton Honors account or redeem points from it with partners like Lyft, Air France Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Delta SkyMiles, Qantas Frequent Flyer, United MileagePlus, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Gold status, which requires at least 28 qualifying nights, comes with an 80% points earning bonus on all stays, complimentary room upgrades when available (up to Executive Floor room types), the Daily Food and Beverage Credit, and milestone bonuses. You can also reach Gold with 21 stays of at least two consecutive nights each or 52,500 base points.

Diamond status, which requires at least 42 qualifying nights, comes with a 100% points earning bonus, executive lounge access, elite status extension, a 48-hour room guarantee, the Daily Food and Beverage Credit, and all the perks of Gold. You can also reach Diamond with 21 stays of at least two consecutive nights each or 84,000 base points.

If you’re not a member yet, sign up for free using this link to get more out of your stays with Hilton. Everyone begins at basic “Member” status and can achieve Silver status after staying for at least 7 nights. Silver members enjoy a 20% points earning bonus, a free fifth award night when you stay at least four consecutive nights, and elite rollover nights.

Is Elite Status Worth It?

And there are a lot more perks to loyalty than just free food and drinks, but is it really worth The answer to this question really depends on how often you travel and stay at Hilton properties. 

And when you do stay with Hilton, which hotel brands do you prefer? The most perks are going to come with more luxurious, full-service properties and resorts. Things like lounge access and room upgrades are best at more premium Hilton properties

We recommend that the average traveler choose and focus on one or two hotel rewards programs to achieve elite status. Hilton’s loyalty program is great in a lot of ways, but Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond status are not easy to achieve and might not be worth the trouble for you if you prefer other hotel brands.

Final Thoughts

At least until the end of 2022, Hilton Honors is a good loyalty program to be a part of if you like free food and drinks and Hilton Hotel brands. The new Daily F&B Credit program, as popular as it has been so far, might be extended again after this year or made permanent, but no one knows for sure. So take advantage while you can if you’re a Gold or Diamond rewards member.

Especially great for business or luxury travelers, as these properties offer better credits and redemption opportunities, the Daily F&B Credit is a perk to get excited about.

Full disclosure: We may receive financial compensation when you click on links and are approved for products from our advertising partners. Opinions and product recommendations on FlyerGeek are those of our writers and have not been influenced, reviewed or approved by any advertiser. Learn more about how we make money.

The American Express Membership Rewards program is one of the largest credit card rewards programs and the most established flexible points programs. Reward programs with flexible currency are very popular with travelers because cardholders can use reward points to purchase travel or they can be transferred to hotel and airline programs.

Many travelers prefer flexible redemption options because they don’t always have flexible travel plans. With flexible points, you can transfer points to over a dozen American Express travel partners or you can use your points to book travel directly through Amex. This is a great option when awards seats are limited or if you are not familiar with how airline programs work or don’t have the time to search for award space.

The Amex rewards program is also popular because the card issuer has a lot of credit cards that let you earn Membership Rewards. They range from ones with no annual fee to premium cards. Cardholders earn one point for every dollar spent and they earn bonus points on select categories depending on the card.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022

Which Cards Earn Membership Rewards?

Popular Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points include:

• the Amex EveryDay and Amex EveryDay Preferred cards,
• the American Express® Green Card,
• Blue from American Express,
• American Express® Gold Card and
• the The Platinum Card® from American Express.

For small business owners, the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, the American Express® Business Gold Card and the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are the most popular ones that earn Membership Rewards points.

Amex also issues a number of co-branded hotel and airline cards, but these cards earn miles or points in the associated airline or hotel loyalty program rather than the Amex Membership Rewards program. Amex also has a number of cashback cards which also earn points, but those are redeemed for cash and are not Membership Rewards points so keep that in mind when choosing a card.

All American Express cards that earn points in the Membership Rewards program earn 1x point per dollar spent. You can maximize the points you earn by using an Amex card that lets you earn bonus points in select categories. 

In this article, we’re going to cover some of the ways you can boost your Membership Rewards points balance by taking advantage of bonus points earning opportunities using both personal and business charge and credit cards issued by American Express.

12 Ways to Earn Amex Rewards Points Quickly

Take Advantage of Sign-Up Bonuses

1. Credit card sign-up bonuses are the best way to jumpstart your Amex rewards balance or build your points stash. There are five personal American Express credit cards that offer welcome bonuses to get you on your way. Amex will only allow you to earn one sign-up bonus for any particular card so it’s a good idea to apply when there is an elevated offer.

Two Amex cards are currently offering big bonuses for a limited time including the Platinum Card from American Express, which is currently offering a whopping 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in the first six months you have the card. The card does have a $695 annual fee though, so make sure the rewards and benefits are worth it for you before hitting the apply button. 

If that annual fee is too high for you, then you might want to consider the Amex Gold card, which has a $250 annual fee and an elevated sign-up bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $4,000 within the first six months. Most other Amex cards in the Membership Rewards program also offer sign-up bonuses, but these are the two largest bonuses currently available for personal cards.

Find Bonus Spending Categories that Fit Your Life

2. Bonus spending categories are a great way to maximize your points earning ability. It’s a good idea to make sure the card you are applying for rewards you in the areas where you spend the most.

For example, as part of its sign-up bonus, the Amex Platinum card lets you earn Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.. You’ll also earn 5x on flights and prepaid hotels, and one point per dollar on all other purchases. 

The Amex Gold card offers 4x per dollar on dining and groceries and 3x on flights. These are both good options for travelers. Other cards in the American Express Membership Rewards lineup also have bonus spending categories, but in general the better bonuses can be found on cards with an annual fee.

Book Flights Using Amex Gold or Platinum

3. Book a flight using the Platinum Card by American Express (see credit score requirements) or the Amex Gold Card (see credit score requirements) and earn 5x or 3x points respectively. Airline tickets purchased through third-party airline booking sites don’t trigger the bonus so be sure to book directly with the airline.

If you spend $10,000 a year on airfare and book it with the carrier using the Platinum card, you’ll earn 50,000 points a year. The same amount charged to your Gold Card would earn 30,000 points a year.

There is no limit on bonus points earned with the Gold Card, and the bonus is maxed out if you spend $500,000 on airfare annually with the Platinum card. Most people don’t spend that much money flying, but if you travel frequently, fly first class and bring companions, you might max out this bonus. If you do, that would earn you 2.5 million Membership Rewards points.

Use Amex Travel

4. Use Amex Travel to book your travel and earn bonus points. Most Amex travel cards offer bonuses on bookings through their portal. For example, the Platinum offers 5x per dollar spent on prepaid hotel bookings through Amex, and the Gold offers 3x per dollar spent on airfare booked through the Amex portal. The EveryDay Preferred card earns 3x points on all travel booked through Amex Travel.

Business cards in the lineup also offer bonuses for booking through the Amex portal. The Business Platinum Card for example offers 5x on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.

Use an Amex EveryDay card

5. If you don’t travel that frequently, there is a way to earn 20% or 50% extra points per month if you use one of the Amex EveryDay cards often. The no-fee Amex EveryDay card earns 2x on groceries and one point on everything else. The Amex EveryDay Prefered credit card, which carries a $95 annual fee, earns 3x per dollar spent on groceries and 2x at gas stations.

If you use one of these card cards 30 times or more per month, you’ll earn a bonus that month. The no-fee card has a 20% bonus and the Preferred version offers a 50% bonus every month you make the required number of charges. 

There is no minimum amount needed to qualify for the bonus, so even buying a pack of gum will count. But if the purchases are small the bonus will be as well, so keep that in mind. You can use the card every day to buy your morning coffee and to pay for your daily commute to work and easily hit the bonus, but be sure to take advantage of bonus earning categories like gas stations and supermarkets to maximize the points you earn.

Buy Groceries

6. Using an Amex card to buy groceries can be very rewarding. If you use the Amex Gold Card, you can earn 4x points on groceries at US supermarkets up to $25,000 per calendar year. If you spend $1,000 a month on groceries, you’ll earn 4,000 Membership Rewards points a month or 48,000 a year.

If you use the EveryDay Preferred card for your grocery shopping and you spend $500 a month on groceries which earn 3x with that card up to $6,000 a year, you’ll earn 1,500 points per month. If you make 30 purchases of any kind to get the 50% bonus, those 1,500 points from grocery spend will become 2,250 points.

After bonus categories are maxed out, you earn one point per dollar spent, so keep track of how much spend and switch to a new Amex card with a supermarket bonus if you reach the cap. 

Bonuses are only at US supermarkets and some stores that sell groceries may not be categorized by Amex as supermarkets. For example, Amex does not classify specialty food stores, superstores like Walmart or Target, or warehouse clubs like Costco as supermarkets. When in doubt, check your statement to see how the store is categorized.

Dine Out or Order Takeout

7. If you dine out or order takeout and you have the Amex Gold card, you can earn 4x points per dollar spent on those purchases up to $25,000 per year. If you max out that category by spending a little more than $2,000 per month at restaurants or for food deliveries, that adds up to 100,000 points a year.

Also, the Platinum card is currently offering 10x points on restaurant dining worldwide and at small business in the Amex Shop Small collection as part of its welcome bonus. That bonus is only good for new cardmembers in the first six months of holding the card, and it caps out at $25,000 in combined purchases. But if you max out that bonus, it’s worth 250,000 bonus points.

Several Amex cards also offer a monthly dining credit that will automatically appear on your statement the month the purchase is made. For example, the Gold Card offers up to a $10 credit every month on orders through GrubHub, Seamless, or at the Cheesecake Factory, Boxed and participating Shake Shacks. Other certain co-branded Delta, Hilton and Marriott Amex cards also offer dining credits from $5 to $20 so check the fine print to see if your card is eligible.

Fuel Up

8. Fuel up or get snacks at the gas station and you can also earn bonus Membership Rewards points with Amex cards. The Amex EveryDay Preferred credit card, which is a mid-tier card that has a $95 annual fee, will earn you 2x points on US gas stations.

The American Express Business Gold Card automatically gives you 4x points for the first $150,000 in combined purchases from 2 categories each calendar year. If you spend $500 a month in gas and it is one of your top 2 spending categories, you will earn 1,000 Membership Rewards points a month.

Use an Amex Business Card

9. Use an Amex business card to earn bonus points. If you have the Business Gold you will earn 2x bonus points on your top two spending categories up to $150,000 as noted above. The categories that can potentially earn double points are gas stations, airfare purchased directly from the airline, US restaurant dining including takeout and delivery, advertising online, TV or radio in the US, shipping and select technology like hardware, software and cloud storage.

The Blue Business Plus card lets you earn 2x points on business expenses up to $50,000 per year. That can translate to 100,000 points. You earn one point per dollar spent after you reach that limit.

If you have the Amex Business Platinum you can earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on big purchases over $5,000 up to a million points per year. A $10,000 purchase for example will earn you 15,000 Membership Rewards points.

Review your Amex Offers

10. Amex Offers are discounts and bonus earning opportunities on dining, shopping and travel. The offers are linked to your card, and you can find them by logging into your account and viewing your offers by card. If you have more than one Amex card, check offers for each card as the deals vary by card. And check often as offers expire and new ones are added frequently.

The offers typically have an expiration date, but there is no limit on how many you can add so if you think you might use an offer, go ahead and add it to your Amex card and be sure to use the associated card to make the purchase.

You can enable your location to view local offers, or you can find offers for online stores, restaurant chains, gas stations and retailers. For example, current offers on some cards include an extra bonus point up to 5,000 points on bestbuy.com purchases and two extra bonus points per dollar spent at Yard House, Longhorn Steakhouse or Capital Grille. There are also offers for BP, Amoco and Shell that earn two or three bonus points per dollar spent.

Shop through Rakuten

11. Shop through Rakuten, which was formerly known as Ebates, to earn bonus points. Rakuten offers cashback rebates for in-store and online shopping, and they have partnered with American Express and you can now earn Membership Rewards instead of cash.

You need to set up a new account to earn Amex points as you can’t convert your current account from cashback to Membership Rewards. You’ll verify your Amex account by using your American Express login.

Once you sign up, you can earn 3,000 Membership Rewards points if you make a purchase over $25 in the first 90 days after opening your account. When shopping online, be sure to go to the online retailer from the Rakuten site to get the bonus offer. If you plan to use an in-store offer, you need to link your card and activate the offer.

Add more Users or Refer a Friend

12. You can also earn Amex Membership Rewards points for adding an authorized user  or referring a friend to sign up for a card. The offers to add an authorized user are targeted or may be offered when you apply.

If you want to refer someone, go to the “Refer a Friend” section in your online account or in the app and share your custom link via text or email. The bonus points vary by card and the applicant has to be approved for you to get the points, but the Amex EveryDay and Blue Business Plus cards have a referral bonus of 10,000 points with a limit of 55,000 points earned by referrals each year.

Final Thoughts

American Express allows you to carry up to five of their credit cards at any time including business cards, so if you want to accumulate a boatload of Membership Rewards points to splurge on a first class ticket or take the whole family on vacation, you can apply for a few cards. Charge cards are not included so you can have the Amex Green, Gold or Platinum card plus five other personal or business cards.

Watch for elevated offers so you can get the biggest welcome bonus available since you can only get it once. Be sure to space out the applications to give yourself enough time to meet the minimum spend on each card. If your credit score is in the excellent range above 720, you can apply for the Gold or Platinum card. But if your score is borderline, you might want to start with the EveryDay card as it will be easier to get approved for.

When it comes time to spend, use the highest earning Amex card in your wallet for your spending categories, and be mindful of the caps on earning. You’ll be able to accumulate plenty of Membership Rewards points and reach your travel goal quickly with this strategy.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022

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Visa Infinite is an awards program at the top of Visa’s benefit levels. It was first launched in Europe and only came to the US in 2016. It remains relatively obscure in the states with little search volume for it on Google.

The program consists of three Visa tiers are Traditional, Signature, and Infinite, with Infinite being the top tier and Traditional the most basic. Every benefit encompassed within the Traditional and Signature tiers is included within the Infinite tier, with many additional perks on top of those at the Infinite level.

Visa Infinite members enjoy the best prizes and travel benefits Visa has to offer, and cards that qualify for this program are available through many banks. If your card is a Visa Infinite card, you’ll know—it’ll say “Visa Infinite” right on the front.

Here’s what the Visa Infinite program is all about and everything its awards package is likely to include.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022

What is the Visa Infinite Program and Which Cards Apply?

The Visa Infinite Program is a perks-packed Visa offering, structured in three tiers, that only individuals with certain Visa credit cards have access to.

Generally speaking, these cards cater to higher net worth individuals that travel frequently. This is because many Visa Infinite cards require high credit scores and incomes to qualify, and many of the benefits associated with Visa Infinite are related to travel, and more specifically high-end travel.

The Visa Infinite card is available through many carriers—Chase, Citibank, and U.S. Bank, to name a few. Specific, popular Visa-branded credit cards within the Visa Infinite Program include:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• United Club℠ Infinite Card
• Citi Life Visa Infinite Credit Card
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card
• UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card

Privileges and Benefits of the Visa Infinite Program

The features of a Visa Infinite credit card vary by carrier, as most of the privileges within Visa Infinite are set by the banks that carry these cards rather than Visa itself. Just understand that your own card might have more or less perks than what we’re outlining below as a general standard.

Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully for a thorough understanding of what your benefits package includes. 

For an in-depth look at what the Visa Infinite program generally includes, at its base level, continue reading…

Visa Infinite Luxury Hotels

Hotels within the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection give members the “ultimate hotel experience” when they travel. All participating hotels provide seven benefits:

1. VIP guest status,
2. room upgrades at check-in,
3. a best available rate guarantee,
4. complimentary in-room breakfast,
5. complimentary WiFi,
6. late checkout, and
7. a $25 food and beverage credit per stay.

Cardholders need to book through the Visa Infinite Hotels site to secure these benefits. 

200 hotels from the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection also include an eighth benefit, which might be either an additional $75 food and beverage credit (on top of the included $25) or a $100 spa, golf, or room rate credit. The hotels decide what the eighth benefit will be.

Keep in mind that some of these features look a little different from one hotel to another, and all of these bonuses are subject to availability.

Visa Infinite Concierge Status

Visa Infinite members will get all of the travel help and advice they need 24/7 with Visa Infinite Concierge Services. This digital concierge service, available 365 days a year, can help with everything from booking reservations to helping you find the best prices for your stay. You can even ask for dining and entertainment recommendations, and you’ll get exclusive access to deals and dates.

Global Entry Statement Credit

This perk is best for those that do a lot of international travel. Global Entry, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that grants expedited clearance into the United States to pre-approved returning travelers, will cost you $100 less when you’re a Visa Infinite member. 

Visa Infinite gives its users a $100 statement credit for Global Entry, the current price of the program’s application fee. This equates to free Global Entry, which you can apply for through the Trusted Travelers Program section of the Homeland Security site.

Visa Infinite Car Rentals

Visa Infinite car rental privileges are many, and they can be redeemed through Avis, Hertz, National, and Silvercar. The benefits are different for each rental agency. 

With Avis, cardholders can enroll in Avis Preferred Plus—a car rental rewards program much like a frequent flyer program—, take advantage of rate discounts of up to 30%, and get weekend rentals for free. With Hertz, cardholders enrolled in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards have access to special savings and speedier service. Visa Infinite cardholders receive complimentary Emerald Club Executive level membership with National and 25% off. Finally, cardholders save up to 30% with Silvercar.

Lounge Access and Priority Pass

Priority Pass lounge access is granted to Visa Infinite cardholders. This provides entrance to more than 1,300 airport lounges in 148 countries and over 600 cities. 

The credit card you have determines your access level, with Standard being the lowest, Standard Plus being the middle, and Prestige being the highest tier. Standard will get you the fewest free lounge visits annually and you’ll have to pay per guest, and Prestige will get you unlimited visits for yourself and a few free guest passes.

Airline Incidental Statement Credit

Airline incidental fees for checked baggage, flight changes, inflight amenities, etc. accumulate all too easily. But when you’re with Visa Infinite, you’ll get a statement credit in the form of rebates for some of these. How much and for what is determined by your card issuer.

Fine Wine and Food

The Fine Wine and Food benefit offered to Visa Infinite cardholders is great for foodies and wine aficionados. However, it is also available to Signature members and isn’t as all-inclusive as Visa makes it sound (“Enjoy world-class celebrity chefs and winemaker experiences”). 

With this feature, you’ll get two wine tastings for the price of one when you purchase one with your Visa Infinite card. You’ll also have access to preferred pricing on wine tastings and dining at select Sonoma wineries. Call the winery you’re visiting to find out what offers you’re eligible for.

Golf

Love hitting the links? Have a Visa Infinite card? Then you should probably join the Visa Infinite Troon Golf Rewards program. With this, you’ll receive premium benefits when golfing at over 115 courses across the United States. These include the ability to reserve tee times, bring guests at discounted rates, play private courses, and more.

Infinite Chauffeured Car Service

Visa Infinite, in partnership with GroundLink, offers the option of chauffeured car services to cardholders. The GroundLink chauffeured black car service, which includes professional drivers and high-tech rides, is 15% off when you have a Visa Infinite card. You’ll also get a $30 credit toward the service, which is accessible worldwide.

Protection

In addition to cost-cutting and luxurious privileges and benefits, Visa Infinite extends additional protection to its members. This purchase protection insures many different aspects of travel. Please note that many of the following benefits are not exclusive to Visa Infinite as they are actually included in the Signature package as well.

Auto Collision Damage Waiver

Use your Visa Infinite card to pay when booking a rental car and receive insurance coverage automatically. Visa Infinite Auto Rental Coverage covers not only collision damage but also theft, towing expenses, loss-of-use charges, and more.

Extended Warranty Protection

Extended Warranty Protection under the Visa Infinite program is applied to qualifying items with warranties of three years or less. This benefit extends a manufacturer’s warranty by one year. You do not need to register or pay for this addition as long as a purchase is made with your Visa Infinite card.

Roadside Dispatch

Roadside Dispatch, while not a complimentary Visa Infinite feature, could prove to be handy. Use this service when you’re in trouble and help, a locksmith or tow, will be dispatched right to your location. You will pay a predetermined price, set by your card issuer, per service call.

Purchase Security

The Purchase Security Visa Infinite perk can be thought of as an extended return period. If you purchase something with your Visa Infinite card and that something ends up needing to be replaced or returned within 90 days of purchase, this is no problem. Even if an item is stolen, this policy is in effect. This, like Extended Warranty Protection, need not be applied or paid for. It can cover $10,000 per occurrence.

Travel and Emergency Assistance Service

The Travel and Emergency Assistance Services rolled into the standard Visa Infinite package is a 24/7 helpline that can help with any of the following needs that one might have while traveling: 

• Medical Referral Assistance
• Emergency Transportation Assistance
• Emergency Message Service
• Emergency Translation Service 
• Emergency Ticket Replacement
• Legal Referral Assistance
• Lost Luggage Locator Service
• Prescription Assistance and Valuable Document Delivery

These helplines are devoted specifically to providing emergency assistance and are available to you and any of your dependents at no cost.

Return Protection

Similar to Purchase Security, Visa Infinite Return Protection lets you make returns within 90 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with an item and a return is refused. So long as you use your Visa Infinite card to make the purchase and the item you are buying costs less than or equal to $300, you are covered under this benefit.

Air Travel Reimbursement

If you ever get annoyed with being nickel and dimed by airlines’ never ending in-flight fees such as entertainment (headphones and television access), in-flight food purchases, checked baggage fees and the like, then Visa Infinite will alleviate some headaches. With Visa Infinite you’ll receive reimbursements for air travel fees including the things mentioned above and more. Just remember though that the card issuer sets the statement credit amount.

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Visa Infinite cardholders are eligible for reimbursement of lost or stolen carry-ons and checked bags—when a flight ticket is purchased with a Visa Infinite card, of course. This benefit is applied automatically.

Lost or Stolen Card Reporting

This benefit, which is really more of a necessity than a benefit, gives you access to global call centers that will initiate replacements and notify authorities for you in the event of a lost or stolen Visa Infinite card.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

Visa Infinite cardholders don’t have to pay out of pocket for fees caused by trip delays that are out of their control with Trip Delay Reimbursement. When members are stuck for more than six hours due to a covered hazard—equipment failure, inclement weather, strike, or hijacking/skyjacking—and they purchased their fare with their Visa Infinite cards, they are eligible to be reimbursed up to $500.

Zero Liability

Visa’s Zero Liability policy states that you will not be liable to pay for transactions that you do not authorize. This protects cardholders from identity theft and even purchases made with lost or stolen cards.

Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption Reimbursement

When you book a trip with your Visa Infinite card and you need to cancel at the last minute or cut it short, Visa will reimburse you for all or part of your non-refundable fare (your benefits package should cover this in detail). In addition to air travel, this covers trains, buses, ferries, and cruise ships.

Emergency Cash Disbursement

If a Visa Infinite cardholder is ever in a pinch and needs a wire transfer fast, Visa will arrange for this. If you are in need of emergency assistance because you lost a card and are waiting on a replacement, Visa can make a wire cash transfer to you to a local Western Union location within 2 hours of your request being approved.

Emergency Card Replacement

If your Visa Infinite card is lost, stolen, or damaged, Visa will work with your bank to have it replaced in as little as 24 hours and no more than 72 hours. Emergency Card Replacement can be applied no matter where you are in the world.

Visa Infinite VS Visa Signature

Because Visa Infinite was originally launched in Europe, the Visa Infinite suite has significantly larger market share there than here in the United States. The Visa Signature line of cards is much more prevalent in the U.S. That said, there are very little differences between the two.

The main difference lies with the luxury hotel chains included and the perks offered at each. In terms of perks for example, Visa Signature offers room upgrades if available, $25 food and beverage credit, free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi and late check out. Whereas the Visa Infinite offers all of that PLUS a $75 food and beverage credit (vs just $25 with Signature) and a $100 resort fee credit (not applicable at all hotels and destinations). In terms of luxury hotel chains, Visa Infinite has a larger roster of superior hotels to choose from with over 900 luxury hotels around the word.

Final Thoughts

The Visa Infinite program is like many other premium credit card rewards programs in that it offers a nice range of luxurious benefits to card holders. The top tier has elite benefits and securities that are going to be most attractive to a wealthier demographic, especially those that travel often and wish to do so in luxury. But there are many Visa Infinite perks provided to Visa Signature cardholders as well, which has much broader acceptance.

Just remember, the specific benefits you are entitled to can vary and change sporadically.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022