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Discover it Miles vs. Capital One Venture
Both the Discover it Miles and the Capital One Venture Rewards Card provide a solid value proposition to cardholders. Here’s how they stack up.
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| FinanceBuzz star ratings |
4.0
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4.7
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| FinanceBuzz value calculation | Year 1: $1,275
Year 2: $638 |
Year 1: $1,521
Year 2: $771 |
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 |
| Welcome bonus | Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. | Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening |
| Redemption methods |
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| Statement credits | None |
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| Intro APR | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases (then 18.74% - 27.74% Variable)
0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 18.74% - 27.74% Variable) |
None |
| Foreign transaction fee | 0% | None |
| Credit needed | Excellent, Good | Excellent, Good |
| Read full review | Read full review |
When to go with the Discover it Miles
- You want a $0 annual fee card
- You want to take advantage of intro APR offers
- You can maximize the welcome offer
Annual fees
The Discover it Miles has a $0 annual fee, while the Capital One Venture has a $95 annual fee. On annual costs alone, the Discover it Miles is the better option.
Introductory APR offers
Like many other Discover credit cards, the Discover it Miles offers an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.
- Intro APR on purchases: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases (then 18.74% - 27.74% Variable)
- Intro APR on balance transfers: 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 18.74% - 27.74% Variable) (3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*).
The Capital One Venture Rewards doesn’t provide intro APR offers, so if you’re looking to pay off a big purchase over time or work on paying off debt, the Discover it Miles would be the better choice.
Earning cash back
With the Discover it Miles, you can automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase. Although you’re technically earning miles and not cash back, you can only redeem your miles as a statement credit for travel purchases, as cash back, or at checkout on Amazon.com or PayPal. Your miles have a value of 1 cent per point, and there isn’t any way to maximize your value.
So, you’re effectively earning cash back on your purchases. This can be an excellent option for someone who is not interested in transferring miles to travel partners and wants a simple redemption method.
When to go with the Capital One Venture
- You have excellent credit
- You want a better rewards rate and more travel benefits
- You want to transfer your points to travel partners
Travel benefits
The Capital One Venture is the better option if you want more travel benefits. Cardholders get up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years, two complimentary visits to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges (benefit no longer available starting January 1, 2025), Hertz Five Star status, and a variety of travel protections.
Card protections
The Discover it Miles provides very few protections — it basically only provides online privacy protection. With the Capital One Venture, you get the following protection and insurance benefits:
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Travel accident insurance
- Extended warranty
- 24-hour travel assistance services1
Earning a flexible point currency
The Capital One Venture provides 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25. With a higher earning rate, especially on travel booked through Capital One Travel, you get more value by making the same purchases. The Capital One Venture Rewards also provides much more flexibility with its rewards program because you can choose from various redemption options. The Discover it Miles has a decent rewards structure but can’t quite match the Capital One Venture for redeeming miles toward travel.
To get the most value out of your Capital One miles, you have the option of transferring your miles to hotel and travel partners, most at a 1:1 ratio.
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada ‒ Aeroplan®
- Cathay Pacific ‒ Asia Miles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Choice Privileges®2
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Finnair Plus
- Flying Blue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red
- Wyndham Rewards
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (1.5:1)
- ALL (Accor Live Limitless) (2:1)
A closer look at the welcome bonuses
The Discover it Miles doesn’t have a traditional welcome offer. In lieu of an offer where you get a certain number of miles after meeting a specific spending requirement, Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. If you spend $2,000 on your card each month, you’ll earn 36,000 miles in one year. With the Discover match, you’ll earn another 36,000 miles, giving you a grand total of 72,000 miles. There’s no limit to how much you can earn, so the more you use your card, the higher the value of your welcome offer.
The Capital One Venture Rewards has a more traditional offer—new cardholders Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Although the Discover it Miles has unlimited potential, you’d have to spend a lot to get the same value as the Venture Rewards welcome offer.
FAQs
What is the difference between Discover it® Cash Back and Discover it® Miles?
The Discover it® Cash Back earns cashback rewards on eligible purchases, while the Discover it Miles earns travel rewards. They also have different rewards rates and a few different redemption options. Apart from these differences, they share largely the same features and benefits.
Is the Capital One Venture card good for travel rewards?
Yes, it's an excellent card for earning straightforward travel rewards. With its simple rate, you can 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25. Travel redemptions include covering past travel purchases, booking travel through Capital One Travel, and transferring rewards to travel partners.
What is the value of Capital One miles?
Capital One miles are typically worth one cent per mile. For example, 10,000 Capital One miles are worth $100 for some of the most common redemptions, such as covering past travel purchases and booking travel through Capital One Travel. Transferring your miles to a hotel or airline partner can potentially get outsized value.
Bottom line
We recommend the Capital One Venture Rewards over the Discover it Miles as it has more earning potential and additional travel benefits. However, the Discover it Miles is a solid option if you prefer a $0 annual fee and intro APR offers. Your spending habits, financial goals, and travel plans will influence the decision between these cards.
Earn 2 Times the Miles in Your 1st Year
Current Offer
Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase