5 Things to Do When You Get a Capital One Venture Card

If you recently added the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to your wallet, you were likely motivated by countless commercials and celebrity endorsements over the years, luring you in with the promise of miles that can be used anywhere, anytime.

The opportunity to earn 2x miles on everything also sounds tempting. But the welcome bonus may have been the clincher in helping you decide to hit “apply.” Or maybe it was the 15+ airline transfer partners that put the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on your radar.

Perhaps it was all of the above that got you to apply for this particular card. But now that you have it, here is a list of five things you should do with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

1. Create an account or download the app

You should set up your Capital One account online so you can activate your new card, monitor your progress toward meeting the minimum spending requirement, track your rewards and ultimately redeem your miles.

It can also be a good idea to put your credit card account on auto-pay so you don’t miss a payment due date. We always recommend paying the full amount due each month so you don’t dilute the value of your rewards by paying interest.

2. Use the Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee credit

This card offers a $100 Global Entry or $78 TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years, which is pretty unique for a card with an annual fee of $95. Enrollment in these programs will help you get through airport security and immigration lines quicker. As long as you charge the application fee to this card, you will receive a statement credit.

» Learn more: TSA Precheck vs. Global Entry: Which is right for you?

3. Meet the minimum spending requirement to get the welcome bonus

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. You should set monthly reminders for yourself so you can make sure you are on track to spending approximately $1,000 per month. If you’re not sure of your original application date, call the bank to check when the spending requirement needs to be met. You may also want to spend a bit more than the minimum, as you never know when a credit or chargeback may land on your bill and throw off your calculations.

Try to think of a few big charges, like insurance premiums, that may help you meet a chunk of the minimum spend requirement quickly. If you usually pay your utilities with a credit card, switching those payments to your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card will help you meet minimum spending requirements and build up your balance at 2 miles per $1 spent. Most cards only award 1 point per $1 for utility charges, so the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option if you want more rewards.

And don’t forget about charging car payments (if possible) and subscriptions like Amazon, streaming services, Uber and Grubhub to this card if you need help meeting the minimum spending requirement.

» Learn more: Capital One Venture review: Easy earnings, effortless redemptions

4. Familiarize yourself with your travel redemption options

You should know the various ways you can redeem your miles so you can take advantage of last minute deals with your miles, if an opportunity arises. The base value of a Capital One mile is 1 cent per mile when redeemed for travel booked through Capital One’s portal or for statement credits against travel purchases.

» Learn more: Here's how much your points and miles are worth

Also, take a look at the Capital One transfer partners to see if transferring your miles will help you maximize value.

5. Remember your card anniversary

While you’re at it, set a calendar reminder a month in advance of your card anniversary. We know it’s a year away, but if you don’t track it somewhere, you’ll likely forget when the annual fee comes due. This is a good time to consider if the card has been worth the annual fee or not.