My Deep Dive Into the Capital One Venture Business Credit Card: A Hard-Working Rewards Tool for Entrepreneurs

As someone who’s been running her own business for over 20 years now, I can tell you this: Financial separation is essential.

Whether you’re a gig worker, a sole proprietor, or have partners and employees, it’s important to get the right credit card for your business operations. 

For many entrepreneurs, that’s the Capital One Venture Business. It’s loaded with valuable perks, from a healthy rewards program to enticing travel-based benefits. 

Since I’m a longtime Capital One cardholder, I’m confident in sharing my very favorable opinion of the Capital One Venture Business card. Will it be a match for you? Here are the details you need to decide.  

Watch on

Capital One has many credit cards in its portfolio. There are dozens designed for personal use and eight for businesses. Some are cash back cards, while others reward you in miles. 

In the business card category, you’ll see a few other options, but the Capital One Venture Business might automatically rise to the top of your list if you only want to pay a reasonable annual fee. 

Capital One Venture Business

CardRates Expert Rating

Capital One Venture Business

4.7/5.0

About this rating

Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.

See Our Review»

Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

Close

★★★★★ 4.7/5.0

Our Review »

• Earn a one-time welcome bonus of 100,000 miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won’t expire for the life of the account
• Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
• Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
• Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
• $95 annual fee
• Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
• Top rated mobile app

Show MoreShow Less See application, terms and details »

Intro (Purchases) N/A

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR 24.49% (Variable)

Annual Fee $95

Credit Needed Excellent

See Rates & Fees »

If you’re seeking simplicity, this card will appeal as well. While a tiered rewards card may offer more miles based on what you buy, it requires a strategy.

With the Capital One Venture Business card, there are only two reward rates, one for regular charges and the other for certain travel purchases through the Capital One Travel Portal. 

Annual and Foreign Transaction Fees

Credit cards with steep annual fees can certainly be worth the price, but only when you get more out of them than they cost. If you don’t want to bother with calculating what you need to spend to come out ahead, the Capital One Venture Business card is worth a look.

There is a $95 annual fee that Capital One will charge to your account on the card’s anniversary date. 

But you’ll also get some valuable goodies alongside that relatively low annual fee. As long as you spend enough within the first few months to meet the bonus requirements, you’ll get a bulk of miles in your rewards bank.

You can also use its $120 statement credit for one of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s airport traveler programs, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, as soon as you enroll. 

With such a reasonable annual fee, you can easily turn a profit as long as you use the card for purchases. A regular $2,000 monthly charge will result in 48,000 miles, worth about $480 in travel redemption — a net gain of $385 after the annual fee is deducted (and assuming you pay off the bill in full so interest isn’t added).

Plan to take international business trips? The Capital One Venture Business card account doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, so it will keep costs down. 

Foreign transaction fees are typically 1% to 3% of the purchase price, so they can definitely add up.

For example, imagine you do a lot of business overseas and rack up $50,000 in annual expenses on your business credit card. If that card charges foreign transaction fees, that could cost you up to $1,500 extra just to use your card outside the U.S.

Employee Cards & Spend Limits

If you want to give your employees access to your Capital One Venture Business card account, you can do so at no additional charge. Just log in to your account, and you’ll see the option to add authorized users.

You’ll enter each person’s full name, date of birth, and phone number. Once done, you can instruct the bank to issue them a card with their name printed on it, but with the same account numbers as yours. 

I like that Capital One lets you, as the primary account holder, set specific spending limits for each authorized user. And you can change those limits at any time.

So if your card’s credit line is $30,000, you may choose to let Bob have a limit of $1,000 to buy supplies, but then adjust it to $10,000 when he attends a convention in Mexico City. You will have full access to their account activity, so you can monitor the spending at any time. 

Another advantage: As your employees charge with their cards, rewards will accumulate, and they’ll be yours to redeem. 

Savvy business owners take care to tease out a profit wherever possible, and this card will help with its easy and lucrative rewards program. The currency comes in the form of miles, and the more you charge, the more you earn. Each mile is worth at least one cent in travel redemption. 

With the Capital One Venture Business card, you will earn unlimited 2X miles on purchases. So if you charge $10,000 every month, you will rack up 20,000 miles. Keep that up for six months, and you’ll have 120,000 miles, worth at least $1,200 in travel bookings. 

However, this card bumps rewards up to 5X miles on hotel bookings and car rentals when you make the arrangements through the Capital One Travel portal. 

Introductory Miles Bonus

One of the most compelling reasons to open a new rewards card is to claim the introductory deal. As of the time this review was published, you can earn 100,000 miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening the account.

That is a massive amount of miles, and a reasonable amount of time to hit that threshold. Of course, you’ll want to check to see what the current deal is. While they do change from time to time, they typically provide a lot of value and achievable spending goals.

To avoid having an intro miles offer slip through your fingers, you should have a plan for what you plan to spend with the card before applying. Do you need new appliances for your café? Laptops for you and your team?

Whatever the case, think it through first, then make sure you meet the minimum spend and deadline.

Miles Boost Through the Travel Portal

I absolutely love the Capital One Travel portal. You can book flights, accommodations, vacation packages, car rentals, activities, and premium stays using your credit card or trading in your accumulated miles. 

You will get the 5X miles boost when you book regular and premium stays, as well as rental cars with your Capital One card through the platform. For example, let’s say there’s a three-day convention in San Diego at a golf resort that you and your staff need to attend.

You’ll be renting an SUV and booking a few hotel rooms, for a total cost of $8,000. If you booked through the Capital One Travel portal, you could earn 40,000 miles, worth $400 in future travel bookings. 

Be aware that flights are not included in the boosted-mile accumulation deal, but you will still earn 2X miles on those purchases.

Additional Credits and Perks

You remember that this is a travel card, right? Good. Then you will also appreciate saving a bit of money on programs that will help you speed through the airport. As I mentioned earlier, you will get a $120 statement credit for either TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry every four years.

TSA PreCheck will help you go through security screening faster for flights departing from the U.S., while Global Entry (which also includes TSA PreCheck) expedites the U.S. customs process when returning to the country. 

To get the statement credit, just pay the application fee for one of these programs with your Capital One Venture Business card. You will receive a credit within two billing cycles.

When you book a flight, you also want to get the best deal, right? Monitoring and price drop protection perks included with the Capital One Venture Business will give you confidence every time you book. For example, maybe you need to fly from Chicago to Miami. Just go to Capital One Travel and use the “Book Now” tool on the portal.

On the results page, you’ll see a booking recommendation, whether that be to get the tickets now because they are at the lowest price or to wait because they should drop. Either way, you can click “Watch Trip” to save the details and receive an alert if the price drops.

When you get the notice, you find the flight you want and can book it with confidence. But it gets better! Because Capital One offers price drop protection, you will be refunded up to $50 as a travel credit if the fare falls within 10 days of booking. 

And if you want to get the most out of your miles, you also have the ability to transfer them to Capital One’s airline partners. The redemption rates can be 1.8 cents per mile (or more) if you transfer to an airline’s loyalty program.

Not only will your miles go further, but you may also be able to book a premium ticket for the same price as an economy fare. 

Yet another benefit of this card is complimentary Hertz Five Star Status. This status often means you can go straight to your rental car instead of having to wait at the counter. It also makes you eligible for upgrades when they are available. 

Remember the purpose of this card: It’s not for household expenses or financing personal vacations. This is for work, and the Capital One Mobile app helps you run your business smoothly. It’s free to download and allows you to manage your business finances wherever you are, whenever you want.  

Through the app, you can view all your transactions and those of your authorized users in real time. If you need to make immediate adjustments to a user’s credit limits or accessibility, you can do so without delay.

You can set up autopay for your vendors and creditors so you never forget to send those payments. 

The miles you accumulate will be prominently displayed on your rewards dashboard, and you can easily redeem them through the app.

The app also helps with bookkeeping, since you can download your statements or export the data directly to a variety of popular accounting software programs. These include Quicken®, QuickBooks®, Excel®, Sage Intacct, NetSuite, and Xero. The app also provides access to year-end account summaries that help simplify your taxes. 

Via the mobile app (and on the website), you can get virtual cards to use for online purchases without having to share your real account number. You will see a “Get Your Virtual Card” option on the app when you open it. You can even choose to use it multiple times or for a single purchase. 

There isn’t a dedicated small business line for cardholders, but if you need phone assistance, you can call 1-800-227-4825. Representatives are available from 8 AM to 11 PM EST, every day of the week.

Getting through to a real person is usually swift. I have rarely waited more than a few minutes (after going through a series of prompts) to speak with someone. 

With Capital One’s AI virtual assistant, Eno, you can ask questions about your balance and transactions, but it won’t go into great detail about your account. 

One thing you certainly need to do before applying for the Capital One Venture Business card is to check your credit score. Capital One says you need excellent credit to qualify. That may mean your FICO® Score should be at least 800, and your VantageScore® needs to be over 780.

Capital One also stipulates that you can’t have ever declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan or have been more than 60 days late on any credit card, medical bill, or loan in the last year. You will need to have had a loan or credit card with a credit limit above $5,000 for a minimum of years. 

Bear in mind that this credit card, like almost all business accounts, also requires a personal guarantee. That means you are personally liable for the account and any debt you accrue.

So while it is a card for your business, qualification is based on your consumer credit scores, which are derived from your credit reports. You, as an individual, are responsible for paying it, and all activity on this account will be added to your consumer credit reports, too. 

As with all Capital One credit cards, you can check to see if you’re pre-approved with no credit score impact. You may want to go through that process first, because you can quickly find out if the Capital One Venture Business card is within reach. 

For the actual application, there is only one screen that you will need to fill out, but it’s a big one. You’ll have many forms to complete and selections to make. I’ve split it up into sections for this walkthrough to make it easier to discuss all the details.

Step 1: Detailed Personal and Income Data

After clicking “Apply Now” and landing on the application page, I scroll down to the section labeled “Personal Information.” Here is where I enter my email address, primary phone number, and first, middle, and last name. I also must fill in my date of birth, Social Security number, or ITIN, and my mailing address (a P.O. Box is not an acceptable address).

In the field titled “Business role,” I must select from a series of options, including Sole Proprietorship, Corporation, Partnership, Non-profit Corp., Single Member LLC, Multiple Member LLC, or Other. I chose Sole Proprietorship. 

After that, it asks if I intend to use the card for cash advances if I’m approved. I select”No”. In the next fields, I list my total annual income and my monthly rent or mortgage payment. 

After that, I am asked if I rent or own my own home, and can select own, rent, or other. This is an optional question, though. 

Step 2: Business Name and Contact Information

Instead of having to click another screen, I scroll down to see a similar form to enter all of my business information. 

The first field is a drop-down menu that asks about my legal business structure. I click on it to find these options: Sole proprietorship, Corporation, Partnership, Non-profit Corp, Single member LLC, Multiple member LLC, or Other. 

Underneath that, I am asked to write the legal name for my business, my business address, and business phone number inside a series of fields. 

Step 3: Business Ownership, Revenue, and Financial Info

Now I come to another section that requires additional business information. The first question is about my business ownership type, and I am given a series of options: Publicly Traded, Majority/Wholly Government-Owned, or Privately Owned. I selected Privately Owned. 

If my business has an employer identification number (EIN), I am to enter it at the top of this portion of the screen. 

In the next field, I enter the year my business was formed. Another field with the drop-down menu follows. It instructs me to find my business industry, so I start typing and then choose “Media Representative” when I see it pop up as an option. 

Four more fields remain in this section. In one, I enter my annual business revenue; in another, my monthly business spending. The third asks whether I plan to carry a balance, which is optional. 

The last field is also optional and asks about the largest purchase I plan to make with the card, with a drop-down menu of amount ranges. These include Less Than $4,999, Between $5,000 and $9,999, Between $10,000 and $19,999, Between $20,000 and $49,999, and Greater Than $50,000. I select the lowest figure and move on. 

Three questions remain, and I have to choose “Yes” or “No” for each:

• Is my business headquartered in the U.S.?
• Is it legally formed, incorporated, and/or registered in the U.S.?
• Is my business primarily based in the U.S.?

I select “Yes” for all three questions and move on.

Step 4: Card Mailing and Language Preferences

The next section asks where I would like my card to be mailed. Should it go to a residential address, a business address, or another address? I select the button for the residential address I provided earlier. 

Then, I see a header marked “Decision Maker” and a box underneath it. It says that if I check the box and submit my application, I am confirming that I have significant responsibility for managing my business. I check it.

I need to check another couple of boxes in a section titled “Additional information.” I read that I will be agreeing to receive, by electronic means only, communications regarding my application.

That includes notice of the issuer’s decision about my application as well as information regarding rates, fees, and other costs related to the credit card.

I am instructed to review the terms of the Electronic Communications Agreement, and then check the box confirming that I reviewed and agree to the terms. Also, I confirm that I have an active email address and can access, view, and print PDF files.  

The last question is whether I would like future communications from Capital One in English or Spanish. I select English and move on. 

Step 5: Account Disclosures and Capital One Terms

After making it this far, I see a headline reading “Important disclosures.” I am instructed to read through the information about the account.

A blue bar at the end notifies me that if I do not qualify for the account, I may be considered for other cards.

But I’m assured that my credit will be checked only once and will not affect my application for the Capital One Venture Business card.

Step 6: Review Information and Submit Application

Now, I move on to the final screen, which is really just a review of all the information that I entered earlier in one compact place. It asks me if everything looks right. 

If everything is in order, I have the opportunity to hit the final button: Submit. That’s when I’d find out, pretty quickly, whether I qualified for the Capital One Venture Business card.

Capital One doesn’t publish any credit limit information for the Capital One Venture Business card. Its website states that the limit typically depends on income, credit score, and other financial information, and it will vary from one applicant to another. 

Therefore, you will not know the credit limit that is attached to this card until your application is accepted. In general, though, the lowest credit line for this card can range from $2,000 to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on your credit history and scores, business revenue, and income and expenses. 

That said, if you start with a low limit, Capital One offers the option to increase your credit line. Once you have proven to be a responsible and prolific cardholder, you may want to request a higher limit.

The easiest way is to log in to your account online or use the mobile app to request a credit line increase. You can also call Capital One and ask a representative. 

If you are approved for a credit line increase, the higher limit will be available to you immediately. In some cases, though, Capital One will review your request, which can take up to 30 days, and you may have to provide additional documentation. 

Cashing in your miles is easy through the Capital One mobile app. Next to the image of your credit card, you will see the number of miles you have banked, and the redemption value for travel will be clearly noted.

For example, I just recently redeemed most of my miles, so I currently have 1,072 miles, which are worth $10.72. In other words, one cent per mile. 

In addition to trading them in for flights, accommodations, and vacation packages, you can also use your miles for activities. Depending on the destination, you’ll find a variety of experiences, including food and drink, tours, and cultural activities such as museum visits.

When you check out, you can apply your miles, charge it to your card, or use a combination of both. It literally couldn’t be easier. 

What’s also cool is that you can see how many miles you earn with a purchase if you charge it to your card. For instance, I found a very cool paddle boat tour in San Diego for $105. And I saw a blue box below notifying me that if I use my credit card for this purchase, I will earn 525 miles. Yes, that’s 5X miles. 

Capital One offers a few other ways to trade in your rewards. You can use your miles as a statement credit to cover travel expenses you charged to your Capital One Venture Business card within the last 90 days. 

If you want to transfer your miles to a Capital One airline or hotel partner loyalty program, just sign in to your account and look for the option to transfer miles. At that stage, you will see the list of partners. If it’s your first time doing this, you’ll have to link your account.

You will need at least 1,000 miles to transfer, and once you select an amount over that, you can complete the transaction. Just know that this process is irreversible, so make sure this is what you want to do.

Your miles will be added directly to the other company’s loyalty program, and you can use them there to book flights or accommodations. 

If you want to transfer your miles to a Capital One airline or hotel partner loyalty program, just sign in to your account and look for the option to transfer miles.

Although each partner’s loyalty program is different, in general, a Capital One mile is equal to one loyalty program point. The advantage? Those loyalty programs allow you to take advantage of dynamic pricing, which values those points higher than your miles. The value is often somewhere around 1.5 cents to more than 3 cents per mile.

Since this is a travel card, you’ll definitely get the most out of your miles with the redemption options above, but you can also redeem them for gift cards, cash back, or to use them when shopping online through Amazon.com or PayPal.

The value of your miles won’t be as great, often falling somewhere between 0.5 and 0.8 cents, but it is your choice. And if you happen to pay off your entire statement balance each month, it’s free money anyway.

There are plenty of positives and a few potential negatives associated with the Capital One Venture Business card. Here’s what rises to the top and bottom:  

When analyzing which credit card would be best for your business needs, focus on its benefits first. The Capital One Venture Business card will work well for owners who will be traveling both domestically and internationally.

But of course, there are drawbacks, too. It’s not great for everyone, especially those who have had credit problems in the past or want even more luxurious benefits.

Business owners are always calculating the ROI (return on investment) for new hires, equipment, or services. And a business credit card should be no different, as some may provide an even higher ROI depending on how you manage your company.

So, here are a couple of options to kick the tires on to see if they might match your spending and priorities better. Or, you may still determine that the Capital One Venture Business card is right for you. Either way, you will have done some more digging.

If you want no annual fee, this card can be attractive. Even better, you get a 0% Intro APR for 7 billing cycles for purchases. This could be a compelling feature if you have expensive business costs that you would like to finance for a few months with no additional fees.

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

CardRates Expert Rating

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

4.8/5.0

About this rating

Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.

See Our Review»

Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

Close

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

at Bank Of America’ssecure website

Our Review »

• 50,000 Online Bonus Points Offer: Earn 50,000 online bonus points after you make at least $5,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
• Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases everywhere, every time – no matter how much you spend, or join Preferred Rewards for Business for no fee, and earn up to an unlimited 2.62 points for every $1 spent on all purchases if you have a Bank of America® business checking account and qualify for our highest Preferred Rewards for Business tier.
• No limit to the amount of points you can earn and points don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
• No annual fee and no international transaction fees.
• Redeem points for a statement credit to offset travel and dining purchases, and for travel when booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center.
• 0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 7 billing cycles. After the intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 16.74% to 26.74% will apply.
• Contactless Cards – The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

Show MoreShow Less See application, terms and details »

Intro (Purchases) 0% Intro APR for 7 billing cycles for purchases

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR 16.74% – 26.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Annual Fee $0.00

Credit Needed Excellent

However, unlike the Capital One Venture Business card, which guarantees at least 2X miles, you only earn 1.5 points on purchases unless you have multiple accounts with the bank. 

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Business owners may also consider this Chase credit card. Its rewards program focuses on travel, and the annual fee is similar to the Capital One Venture Business card. You can score bonus points if you can hit the reasonable spending limit in the first three months of opening the account.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

CardRates Expert Rating

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

4.7/5.0

About this rating

Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.

See Our Review»

Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

Close

★★★★★ 4.7/5.0

Our Review »

• Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more – your points don’t expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Member FDIC

Show MoreShow Less See application, terms and details »

Intro (Purchases) N/A

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR 20.24% – 26.24% Variable

Annual Fee $95

Credit Needed Good/Excellent

But it may not be as appealing as the Capital One Venture Business card. One reason is that it has a more complicated rewards system.

You will earn an elevated point value for shipping, social media, search engine advertising, travel, and Internet, cable, and phone services. For everything else, you’ll earn a lower, regular rate. But those elevated categories max out at $150 in rewards. After that, you go back to the regular point rate for every dollar you charge. 

There are many reasons I would recommend the Capital One Venture Business card to business owners, both as an initial business card and in addition to other accounts. First, it’s a travel card, so it makes sense if you will be taking work trips.

You will earn at least 2X miles on everything you spend, so you won’t have to worry about selecting categories or exceeding your rewards limit. By using Capital One’s excellent travel portal to book your plans, you can easily redeem what you’ve earned at a great rate.

But you can also transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s travel partners, which can make your miles go even further. If you’ll be booking hotel stays or renting cars through the Capital One Travel portal, you’ll enjoy the 5X miles accumulation as well.  

With a modest annual fee, the miles you rack up will make the Capital One Venture Business card a smart choice when you need a card to get you around at a nominal cost.

As a business owner, you will appreciate the convenience of year-end statements for tax purposes and the seamless compatibility with popular accounting programs. If you have staff and want them to have access to your account, the free authorized user cards are another nice perk.

At any time, via the app or website, you can monitor their spending and adjust access and credit limits in real time. You have almost nothing to lose, too.

With a modest annual fee, the miles you rack up will make the Capital One Venture Business card a smart choice when you need a card to get you around at a nominal cost.