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How does the Capital One Purchase Eraser work?
July 1, 2025
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What Is the Capital One Purchase Eraser?
The Capital One Purchase Eraser is a feature that allows eligible cardholders to use their rewards (miles) to "erase" travel expenses on their credit card bill. In effect, you redeem miles for a statement credit that offsets a specific travel purchase at a rate of 1 cent per mile, provided the purchase was made in the last 90 days. For example, 10,000 miles can wipe out a $100 hotel charge on your statement.
Important: Capital One officially retired the name "Purchase Eraser" a few years ago, but only the name went away – the ability to cover travel purchases with miles is still available. On your Capital One account, this option now appears as "Cover Travel Purchases" or a similar phrase. The functionality, however, remains the same and is a big reason why Capital One's travel cards are so popular.
How to Use Capital One Purchase Eraser (Step-by-Step)
Capital One's website and mobile app make it simple to redeem your miles for recent travel expenses. Using the "Cover Travel Purchases" option, you can choose a transaction and apply miles to erase it, getting a statement credit for the amount.
Using Purchase Eraser is straightforward and can be done online or in the Capital One mobile app. Here's how it works:
- Step 1: Log in and go to Rewards. Sign in to your Capital One account (website or app) and navigate to the rewards section. Look for an option like "View Rewards" or "Redeem Rewards."
- Step 2: Select "Cover Travel Purchases." Choose the Cover Your Travel Purchases (formerly Purchase Eraser) option. You'll see a list of your recent eligible travel transactions (from the past 90 days) along with the miles required to erase each one.
- Step 3: Choose a purchase to erase. Pick the travel charge you want to offset. You can redeem miles for the full amount or even a partial amount if you don't have enough miles for the entire purchase. For instance, if you only have 5,000 miles ($50 value) but your airfare was $200, you can apply the $50 worth of miles and cover the rest out-of-pocket.
- Step 4: Confirm and redeem. Confirm the redemption and submit. The miles will be deducted from your balance immediately. You should see a statement credit for the travel purchase post to your account within 2–3 business days of redemption – effectively "erasing" that expense from your bill.
That's it! You've used your miles to cover a travel expense. This flexibility means you can book travel however you like (directly with airlines, hotels, travel sites, etc.) and then use miles afterward to pay for it. There's no need to fuss with airline award charts or wait for award seat availability – you simply charge travel to your card and wipe it out with miles later.
Not sure which travel credit card is right for you? Kudos is a free smart wallet that can help you compare top cards and discover hidden perks – making it easy to get the most out of your rewards every time you travel or shop online.
What Travel Purchases Qualify for Erasing?
Capital One uses a broad definition of "travel" for this feature. In general, most travel-related charges on your card can be erased with miles. This includes obvious expenses like flights, hotels, and rental cars, as well as things like cruises, train tickets, taxis, rideshares, and even vacation rentals.
Examples: Cardholders commonly use Purchase Eraser for expenses that other rewards programs might not cover. You could use miles to reimburse an Airbnb stay or a Disney World trip (e.g. park tickets coded as travel through a third-party site). Essentially, if a purchase is coded by the merchant as a travel expense (airlines, hotels, travel agencies, transit, etc.), it should be eligible. Just keep in mind you have 90 days from the purchase date to redeem miles for that charge – after that window, it can't be erased.
One thing to note: the redemption value is fixed at 1¢ per mile for travel purchases. This is a good value for Capital One miles because non-travel redemptions (like straight cash back or gift cards) usually fetch only 0.5¢ per mile. In other words, using miles to erase travel charges gives you double the value per mile compared to redeeming for a generic statement credit.
Which Cards Offer This Feature?
All of Capital One's travel rewards credit cards come with the Purchase Eraser (cover travel purchases) capability. This includes the popular consumer and business cards in the Venture and Spark lineups. Notable examples are:
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "2888", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint" : "Luxurious Travel Benefits" } ]]
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "438", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint" : "High Travel Rewards" } ]]
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "440", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint": "No Annual Fee"} ]]
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "3060", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint" : "Fee-Free Alternative" } ]]
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "3055", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Business Travelers", "headerHint": "Zero Transaction Fees"} ]]
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "434", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint" : "Transferrable Miles" } ]]
If you have one of these cards, you can erase travel purchases with your miles. The process works the same across them – the only difference is how many miles you earn per dollar (and any card-specific perks). If you don't have a Capital One travel card yet, getting one is the first step to take advantage of this perk.
(Note: Other issuers have similar features – for example, Bank of America's Travel Rewards card lets you erase travel purchases too – but Capital One's version is known for its simplicity and wide range of qualifying expenses.)
FAQs about Capital One's Purchase Eraser
Does Capital One still offer the Purchase Eraser?
Yes – although the name "Purchase Eraser" has been retired, the feature still exists. It's now usually labeled as covering travel purchases on your account, but you can still redeem miles to get a statement credit for travel charges.
Do you have to redeem Capital One miles within 90 days?
Yes. In order to erase a travel purchase with miles, you must redeem within 90 days of the purchase posting to your account. (Miles themselves don't expire as long as your account is open, but a given purchase won't remain eligible after 90 days.)
Can I erase only part of a travel purchase?
Yes. You can choose to cover a purchase in full or partially. If you don't have enough miles for the whole amount, you can apply whatever miles you have to offset part of the charge. You'll receive a statement credit for the portion you covered, and you'd pay the remainder as usual.
What counts as a "travel" purchase for Capital One?
Generally, purchases coded as travel by the merchant will qualify. This includes flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, ride-shares, tolls, parking, tours and more. Capital One is quite generous with this definition – even things like Airbnb stays or theme park tickets (if billed through a travel site) can count. If something doesn't code as travel (say, tickets bought directly from an amusement park that codes as entertainment), that charge wouldn't be erasable.
How much are Capital One miles worth with Purchase Eraser?
Each mile is worth a flat $0.01 when redeeming against travel purchases. For example, 50,000 miles = $500. This value is consistent across Capital One's travel cards. Redeeming for travel (either via Purchase Eraser or booking through Capital One's travel portal) gives the best value. By contrast, redeeming miles for non-travel cash credits or gift cards usually yields only $0.005 per mile (half the value), so it's far more rewarding to use miles toward travel costs.
Conclusion
Capital One's Purchase Eraser is a flexible and user-friendly way to get credit for your travel purchases. Instead of being locked into a specific airline or hotel program, you have the freedom to book travel however you want and then simply use your miles to wipe those expenses off your card statement. With eligible Capital One cards, it's as easy as a few clicks to cover a flight, hotel stay, cruise, or other getaway expense after the fact.
This makes Capital One miles especially valuable for travelers who want simplicity and solid value (a penny per mile) without the restrictions of complicated loyalty programs. Whether you're offsetting a big vacation package or just knocking out a $20 rideshare charge, the Purchase Eraser puts you in control of your rewards.
Ready to maximize every trip? Using tools like Kudos can further help you make smart use of your credit cards – from finding the right card to ensuring you never miss out on perks. With the right card and strategy, you can travel more and pay less, erasing costs along the way!
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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