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Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard

Capital One® Aspire Travel™ Platinum Mastercard® Review

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3.0

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1x Earn 1 Reward Mile for every $1 spent.

21.9% Purchase APR

21.9% Balance Transfer Rate

21.9% Cash Advance APR

$0 Annual Fee Add an authorized user for $0.

2.5% Foreign Transaction Fee 2.5% of the transaction in CDN

Fair Recommended Credit Score

3.0

Capital One® Aspire Travel™ Platinum Mastercard® Review

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Quick overview of Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard

The Capital One® Aspire Travel™ Platinum Mastercard is a great, no frills travel credit card with insurance benefits. We've thoroughly reviewed this Capital One credit card, so you can see if it fits your lifestyle. 

Who's this Capital One travel credit card for?

Travellers who want the simplicity of earning a flat rate of travel rewards on all their purchases, want to book their arrangements wherever they like, and dislike annual fees are well-suited to the Capital One® Aspire Travel™ Platinum Mastercard®. Those who appreciate flexibility will also enjoy the opportunity to spend their miles on cash back and gift cards as well.

Pros and cons

Pros

Pros

  • Earn 1 mile per $1 with no purchase ambiguity

  • Flexible miles for retroactive travel purchases

  • $0 annual fee

  • Price protection for marked-down items

  • Basic travel insurance coverage

  • Redeem miles for gift cards and cash back

Cons

Cons

  • Basic travel insurance compared to some competitors

  • $100/item limit on price protection

  • Limited features for high-end travel benefits

  • No specific travel perks or elite status

  • May not suit high-spenders seeking premium rewards

How to earn rewards with Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard

Rewards miles come at a steady and unrestricted rate of 1 Reward mile for every $1 spent. With no ambiguous purchase eligibility, cardholders can be confident that they’re earning rewards miles every time they use their card. The miles themselves are some of the most flexible travel rewards we’ve seen, and can be used retroactively to cover travel-related purchases that show up on a monthly statement. Travel can therefore be booked everywhere, and cardholders won’t be limited by in-house booking sites, seating restrictions, or blackout dates.

How to redeem rewards with Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard

The miles themselves are some of the most flexible travel rewards we’ve seen, and can be used retroactively to cover travel-related purchases that show up on a monthly statement. Travel can therefore be booked everywhere, and cardholders won’t be limited by in-house booking sites, seating restrictions, or blackout dates. can also be redeemed in other ways, like gift cards and cash back against the card’s statement. For more information on the nuances of Capital One miles, check out our Loyalty Rewards Bible.

Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard insurance coverage

1. Purchase protection: Purchases charged to your card are protected for 90 days incase of loss or accidental damages.

2. Extended warranty: This policy automatically extends original manufacturer warranties by up to 1 year.

3. Common carrier travel accident insurance: This coverage offers $250,000 in coverage in case of accidental loss of life or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier.

4. Car rental collision/loss damage waiver: This coverage allows you to waive the insurance policy of the car rental company and provides coverage for up to 31 days, with a maximum of $75,000.

Feature breakdown

  • Earn 1 Reward mile for every $1 spent on purchases
  • $0 annual fee
  • Book your own travel, pay with rewards miles
  • Price protection services
  • Solid array of insurance benefits

The peripheral benefits of the Aspire Travel Platinum card include Price Protection and insurance perks, both of which help cardholders save money. The Aspire Travel card comes with basic travel insurance as well, though the key word here is ‘basic’: it’s missing some of the more valuable travel coverage that is provided by some competing travel cards. Capital One® provides coverage for common carrier travel accidents, car rental collisions and damage, baggage delay, and travel assistance. While it’s logical that a no-fee card would only have the most basic insurance options, some other no-fee travel cards have managed to raise the bar a bit.

Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard compared

Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard vs. The Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®

The Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard® is a great option for travellers who are looking for more insurance coverage and cash back rewards. Here's how this card compares:

Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®

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4.2

Excellent

Suggested credit score

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Pros

  • Lucrative cash back rates on USD and CAD purchases, especially for Rogers, Fido or Shaw customers

  • No annual fee with valuable insurance benefits

  • Competitive against foreign transaction fee cards

  • Convenient cash back redemption options

  • Redemption bonus of 1.5x more cash back every time you redeem for Rogers, Fido or Shaw purchases

  • Travel insurance perks and airport lounge access

Cons

  • High income requirement: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household

  • Foreign transaction fee applies

  • Limited redemption options for statement credits

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Excellent

Required Annual Personal Income

$80,000

Required Annual Household Income

$150,000

Pros

  • Lucrative cash back rates on USD and CAD purchases, especially for Rogers, Fido or Shaw customers

  • No annual fee with valuable insurance benefits

  • Competitive against foreign transaction fee cards

  • Convenient cash back redemption options

  • Redemption bonus of 1.5x more cash back every time you redeem for Rogers, Fido or Shaw purchases

  • Travel insurance perks and airport lounge access

Cons

  • High income requirement: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household

  • Foreign transaction fee applies

  • Limited redemption options for statement credits

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Excellent

Required Annual Personal Income

$80,000

Required Annual Household Income

$150,000

Earn 3% unlimited cash back on purchases made in US dollars

3%

Earn 2% unlimited cash back on all eligible non-US dollar purchases if you have 1 qualifying service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw

2%

Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on everything else

1.5%

Get 1.5x more cash back every time you redeem for Rogers, Fido or Shaw purchases

1.5x Cash Back

Purchase APR

20.99%

Balance Transfer Rate

22.99%

Cash Advance APR

22.99%

Annual Fee

$0

Foreign Transaction Fee

2.5%

Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard vs. American Express Green Card The American Express

The American Express Green Card is a great no annual fee credit card that comes with a nice welcome bonus and flexible rewards redemption. You can transfer your rewards points to Amex travel partners like Aeroplan or Flying Blue. But when it comes to insurance coverage, the benefits are not as comprehensive as the Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard. Here are more details on the Amex Green card.

American Express® Green Card

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3.7

earn 10,000 pts

Welcome offer

Good

Suggested credit score

Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points*

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Pros

  • No annual fee

  • No income requirements (unlike many other no-fee cards)

  • Welcome bonus up to 10,000 points (a $100 value)

  • American Express® Experiences

Cons

  • The card only offers basic extended warranty and purchase protection insurance. No travel insurance or rental car coverage

  • Some places might not accept American Express®. However, most major retailers do (more small businesses are starting to as well)

  • Fewer perks: No specific benefits for travel or dining and no accelerated earning rates on grocery

  • Lower earn rates: The reward earn rates are lower than some other no-fee credit cards

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$0

Required Annual Household Income

$0

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • No income requirements (unlike many other no-fee cards)

  • Welcome bonus up to 10,000 points (a $100 value)

  • American Express® Experiences

Cons

  • The card only offers basic extended warranty and purchase protection insurance. No travel insurance or rental car coverage

  • Some places might not accept American Express®. However, most major retailers do (more small businesses are starting to as well)

  • Fewer perks: No specific benefits for travel or dining and no accelerated earning rates on grocery

  • Lower earn rates: The reward earn rates are lower than some other no-fee credit cards

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$0

Required Annual Household Income

$0

the points on Card purchases

1x

additional Membership Rewards® point for every $1 you charge to your American Express® Green Card on eligible hotel or car rental bookings made with American Express Travel

1

Purchase APR

21.99%

Cash Advance APR

21.99%

Annual Fee

$0

Foreign Transaction Fee

2.5%

Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard vs. Tangerine Money-Back Card

The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a great no annual fee card with cash back rewards and low minimum income requirements. Let's see how it compares with the Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard.

Card Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard Tangerine Money-Back Card
Annual fee $0 $0
Benefits 1 Reward mile for every $1 spent Earn 2% cash back on two categories of your choice (e.g. groceries, recurring bills, gas, drug stores, etc.)

Get a Tangerine Savings account and add a third 2% cash back category.
Insurance Purchase protection, Extended warranty, Common carrier accident insurance, baggage delay insurance, Car rental and collision insurance Purchase assurance, Extended warranty
Read review You are reading it. Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card review
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Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card

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4.0

10% back

Welcome offer

Good

Suggested credit score

Get 10% cash back on up to $1,000 in everyday purchases made within 2 months. Pay only 1.95% balance transfer interest for the first 6 months.

Expires

Nov 1, 2024

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Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Choose the spending categories where you want to earn the most cash back

  • Unlimited cash back—no maximum spending limit for any purchase category

  • Cash back is paid out monthly rather than annually

  • Periodically includes a special welcome offer where you can get extra cash back

  • 1.95% interest on balance transfers for the first 6 months (1% transfer fee applies)*

Cons

  • Regular cash back rates are still lower than what you can get from a card with an annual fee

  • Limited extra perks or benefits beyond the cash back and balance transfer promotion

  • Generally not a good fit for shopping at warehouse clubs or wholesale grocers like Costco or Walmart

  • Tangerine does not have any physical bank branches

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$12,000

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Choose the spending categories where you want to earn the most cash back

  • Unlimited cash back—no maximum spending limit for any purchase category

  • Cash back is paid out monthly rather than annually

  • Periodically includes a special welcome offer where you can get extra cash back

  • 1.95% interest on balance transfers for the first 6 months (1% transfer fee applies)*

Cons

  • Regular cash back rates are still lower than what you can get from a card with an annual fee

  • Limited extra perks or benefits beyond the cash back and balance transfer promotion

  • Generally not a good fit for shopping at warehouse clubs or wholesale grocers like Costco or Walmart

  • Tangerine does not have any physical bank branches

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$12,000

Earn 2% cash back on 2 categories of your choice (e.g. groceries, recurring bills, gas, drug stores, etc.)

2%

Get a Tangerine Savings account and add a 3rd 2% cash back category.

3

Earn 0.50% on all your other everyday purchases.

0.5%

Variable APR

19.95% - 24.95%

Balance Transfer Rate

1.95%

Cash Advance APR

19.95%

Annual Fee

$0

Foreign Transaction Fee

2.5%

If you're looking for more flexible rewards redemption, the Tangerine Money-Back is a great option, but it does have very low insurance benefits. So, the ultimate choice depends on your lifestyle needs.

Is this Capital One travel credit card worth it?

If you're looking for a travel rewards credit card with low eligibility requirements and insurance benefits, the Capital One® Aspire Travel™ Platinum Mastercard is definitely worth considering.

Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard eligibility

To be eligible for the Capital One® Aspire Travel™ Platinum Mastercard, you need to have a Fair credit score.

Lubna Umar Content Strategist

Lubna Umar has worked in the field of personal finance for over 5 years. She has produced a wide variety of content including personal finance guides and insurance reports for brands like RATESDOTCA and the Financial Post. In her free time, she can be found writing fiction or exploring the café culture in Toronto or any other major city.

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