capital one travel cancellation refund

Everything you need to know about the Capital One travel portal

MSN has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. MSN and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.

Capital One’s new travel portal, launched in 2021, has significantly improved since its beta release. It now allows Capital One credit cardholders , including those with the issuer’s cash-back cards , to directly use their rewards for travel purchases. The portal also features updated flight search capabilities and the Capital One Premier Collection , the issuer’s luxury hotel program.

In this guide, we will explain what you need to know about the Capital One portal.

What is the Capital One travel portal?

Credit card issuers often provide bonus rewards when using their travel portals, but they can be frustrating due to poor customer service and user interfaces. However, Capital One differentiates itself by integrating technology from Hopper, a trusted app for predicting the lowest prices for flights and hotels. With access to vast amounts of data, Capital One claims a 95% accuracy rate in price predictions.

The portal also offers customer-friendly features like price drop protection, best price guarantee and price match with competitors. Suppose the portal advises you to book a flight. In that case, you will receive automatic price drop protection, ensuring a partial refund as a travel credit if the ticket price decreases within a specified time frame (generally up to $50 after booking).

Capital One has also addressed customer concerns by adding more support staff to reduce phone hold times. Three paid add-on features are available for users: cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) coverage, price freeze protection and rapid rebooking .

CFAR coverage allows you to cancel your flight up to three hours before travel and receive back 70-90% of the ticket price. On the other hand, price freeze protection lets you pay a fee to lock in a price, protecting against sudden price increases. Rapid rebooking lets you select a same-day or next-day flight for up to $5,000 on any airline if your flight is delayed more than two hours or you risk not making your connection.

Here’s a list of some top Capital One cards that offer access to Capital One Travel:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business (see rates and fees)

You can access the portal through this link .

Related: Best Capital One credit cards

How to book flights through the Capital One travel portal

To book airfare using the Capital One travel portal, log into your account and hover over the “Flights” tab to search for one-way or round-trip flights. Enter your desired departure and arrival cities.

When selecting departure and return dates, it’s not just a matter of merely selecting the convenient dates for you. Capital One brings in Hopper’s familiar, color-coded interface, allowing you to see which dates offer the lowest prices in economy class.

You’ll see Capital One’s booking recommendation and flight options on the next screen.

From the results page, you can narrow the parameters by:

• Fare class (cabin)

Then, you can sort your results by:

• Recommended
• Price (low to high)
• Departure time (earliest to latest)
• Arrival time (earliest to latest)
• Stops (least to most)
• Duration (shortest to longest)

There are a few other interesting features worth mentioning. Above all the options, you can see the price prediction tool come into effect with clear messaging on whether or not it’s a good time to book.

If the site’s algorithms advise you to book, that will trigger free price drop protection. You’ll get back up to $50 of the difference as a future travel credit if you book now and the price drops in the specified time period (10 days in the above example).

If you’re not ready, you can press “Watch This Trip” to receive emails about the best time to book whenever better prices become available. Unfortunately, this feature applies to the route and date, not the specific flight(s) you want to watch — though you can exclude basic economy and connecting flights.

Pay attention to the fare class when booking flights. Basic economy differs between airlines. For example, United Airlines does not allow full-size carry-on bags, but Delta Air Lines does. Additionally, cancellation policies vary across fare classes.

Capital One has tried to standardize fare classes across all airlines on its platform, making it easier for users. When searching through Capital One Travel, you’ll see the following labels:

• Basic : The best-priced options are often basic fares with restrictive policies and few amenities.
• Standard : Typically, main and economy fares include amenities like carry-on bags and seat selection.
• Enhanced : These fares include more legroom, priority boarding, and free beverages and snacks.
• Premium : These fares include cradled or reclined seats, priority boarding, and premium snacks and beverages.
• Luxury : These fares feature reclined seats with personalized services and premium meals. Priority boarding is also included.

After selecting your desired flight, Capital One Travel provides an extensive overview of what to expect during your journey. This includes detailed information on seat measurements, aircraft layout and onboard amenities like power outlets, fresh food options and whether lounge access is included. These comprehensive details surpass what you typically find on other travel portals or even when booking directly with airlines.

The payment side is quick and easy too. Enter the traveler information, with fields for frequent flyer numbers and Known Traveler Numbers (for instance, your TSA PreCheck number).

As a holder of the Capital One Venture card , I can apply my miles at a rate of 1 cent each toward the purchase. However, if you want to save your miles for later, press “Do not apply my rewards.” You can use your credit card to pay for your reservation instead.

Note that the Capital One Venture X card offers 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel.

Other options available in the booking process include purchasing the abovementioned add-ons: CFAR and price freeze. The price for these features will vary, depending on factors like your trip cost, how far in advance you’re booking, whether the price is rated as “low” or “high,” and other elements.

Related: Everything you need to know about Capital One’s new rapid rebooking feature

How to book hotels through the Capital One travel portal

There are fewer distinctive features when booking your hotels through the Capital One travel portal, but the process is similar to the above.

To find a hotel, hover over the “Hotels” tab on the landing page and enter your destination, dates and number of travelers. Unlike flight bookings, there is no color-coded calendar for prices.

You’ll then see a list and map format with various options. Filter your search by rating and price per night. Sort the listings by recommended, price (low to high) or star rating (high to low).

If your city has Premier Collection hotels, those options will appear toward the top. These hotels include benefits like an on-property “experience credit” of up to $100, daily breakfast for two people and complimentary Wi-Fi. Access is limited to those with premium credit cards from Capital One: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business card (a business credit card formerly known as the Spark Travel Elite card).

The information for the Venture X Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you click “All filters,” you can sort by the amenities that matter to you or even look up specific properties.

While the search features are more limited than booking flights, you’ll get a detailed description of each hotel and can find out about amenities, rates, location and cancellation policy.

The payment process for booking hotels is the same as for flights. You can redeem your Capital One miles for the trip or pay with your card.

Paying with your card may be the better option here, as multiple cards offer bonuses on hotels booked through Capital One Travel:

• Venture X: 10 miles per dollar spent
• Venture, VentureOne and Spark Miles: 5 miles per dollar spent
• SavorOne, Quicksilver and Spark Cash Plus: 5% cash back

However, if you book hotels in a major loyalty program — like Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors — through Capital One Travel, you likely won’t receive points. You also won’t enjoy any elite status perks.

Related: The best hotels in San Francisco for a golden getaway

How to book rental cars through the Capital One travel portal

The process for rental cars is straightforward. Click “Car Rentals” at the top and enter your search criteria. You’ll receive a list of options that can be filtered by car type, price per day, rental car company and specifications.

You can then reserve the car in a few clicks, with clear information about pick-up and drop-off.

With some rental car agencies — Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar — you can add your rewards number to the booking and likely enjoy the associated benefits. The option to add your loyalty number generally won’t appear for other companies.

This is particularly appealing for Venture X cardholders , as you can earn 10 miles per dollar spent on rental car bookings and still enjoy the complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status* that’s included on the card.

Note that these car rentals earn rewards at the same rate as hotels booked through Capital One Travel:

*Upon enrollment eligible cardholders will maintain Hertz President’s Circle status through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g., at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related: Stacking rental car perks with Hertz and the Venture X

Further things to consider about the Capital One travel portal

Capital One Travel packs a punch for cardholders, but there are a few additional things to remember.

First, consider checking alternative platforms like Google Flights for better prices or alternate routings before booking with Capital One. Credit card portals sometimes have higher prices and don’t always show all available flight options. Be sure you’re not paying more for the same itinerary.

Additionally, if you’re planning on using your Venture miles or Spark miles at a rate of 1 cent apiece , you should always book directly with the travel provider (whether it’s an airline, hotel or car rental company). Then, use the miles to cover that purchase. This ensures you get all of the benefits of booking directly while using your rewards at exactly the same redemption value.

Also, with 18 transfer partners , Capital One offers a range of options for transferring your miles at a 1:1 ratio. Before booking through the portal, compare prices against Capital One transfer programs. For instance, a $150 United flight can cost 15,000 Capital One miles through the portal or just 7,500 Avianca LifeMiles (plus minimal taxes and fees). In this instance, it makes more sense to transfer your Capital One miles to Avianca LifeMiles.

As noted, hotel and car rental reservations through Capital One Travel likely won’t be eligible for perks in a given loyalty program. If your elite status is important, it’s advisable to book directly with major chain hotels and most car rentals. However, if you’re booking independently owned hotels or elite status isn’t a concern, the Capital One travel portal may be a better option.

Finally, remember that Venture X cardholders enjoy  up to $300 in annual statement credits for bookings made via Capital One Travel. Unlike the $300 credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, this only applies to purchases made through the portal. As a result, even if you’d rather book flights, hotels or car rentals directly with travel providers, you should still spend at least $300 on your Venture X through Capital One travel each year.

Related: 7 tips to help keep an airline from losing your luggage

Bottom line

Capital One has made significant advancements in the travel space, including improved transfer partners, the introduction of a premium card and the opening of its flagship lounge in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

The Capital One travel portal offers a user-friendly interface. With its detailed pricing and fare class information, you might consider especially using it for flight bookings. Additional features like CFAR coverage, price drop protection, rapid rebooking and price freeze add value for cardholders.

You can also earn bonus rewards for many Capital One Travel purchases across most of the issuer’s card portfolio, making it a great option as you plan upcoming trips.

Additional reporting by Stella Shon.

SPONSORED:  With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.

And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free. 

These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

How To Cancel Prepaid Hotel Booked With Capital One Travel

The total cost for the room was $120.90, which was charged at the time of booking. I could cancel the room until 3:59 PM the day before check-in and receive a refund.

Our plans changed and we no longer needed the room, so I went to the Capital One Travel website to cancel the reservation. That’s when I discovered there’s no way to cancel online.

How to Cancel Your Hotel Reservation

If you need to request a cancellation for your hotel reservation, call the Capital One Travel support team at 844-422-6922. Hotel cancellation policies vary. So it’s a good idea to review the hotel’s policy before you call. You can find the cancellation policies in your confirmation email. Make sure to check the “Restrictions” section of the email too. After you call to request a cancellation, Capital One Travel will follow up with you by email to confirm the cancellation once your request is processed.

There wasn’t a wait to talk to a representative when I called. He quickly looked up my booking and reviewed the cancellation policy. After confirming that I would receive a full refund, he told me that once he canceled the reservation, he could not restore it so he needed me to say that I wanted to cancel [ my hotel booking information ].

I said that I wanted to cancel and he processed the transaction. I would receive an email confirmation of the cancellation and should receive a refund within a few days, but it could take up to 1-2 billing cycles to reach my statement.

In fact, the refund was in my account in 2 days.

I’m hesitant to mention this last part because some people might abuse it. However, it happened, so I’ll share it with you. The day before I canceled my reservation, I received an email from Capital One about my travel credit from the booking being applied to my account.

There is a disclaimer at the bottom of the email about this circumstance.

If the credited Capital One Travel purchase is canceled, the statement credit may be removed from your account, though it can be reissued on any past or future Capital One Travel purchases up to $300. Your Venture X card account must be open and in good standing at the time of statement credit fulfillment.

I’ll be on the lookout to see if Capital One claws back the credit, which they would be totally justified in doing. I wasn’t trying to manipulate the system; it was just a case of plans changing and a reason why I don’t like prepaying for hotel rooms.

Cover Photo by GotCredit

Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved . Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary or put ads on our site? Click here for more info .

Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.

Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

How to Recover Miles and Points If You Cancel Your Trip

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

We've all attempted to send a dish back at a restaurant or return an item of clothing we bought, realizing once we brought it home that it just wasn’t what we wanted. “Returning” travel you've booked is often more difficult.

Hotels can be lenient: Give them enough time to make another booking in your place, and they’re generally willing to let you go. Airlines are required by law in the U.S. to give you 24 hours after you buy a ticket to make sure your purchase is what you want. After that? Cancellations can become expensive, filled with fees that aren’t necessarily transparent.

If you redeem miles or points for travel, a cancellation becomes even more troublesome. Not only are there fees, but you could also lose your hard-earned rewards.

Whether you can recover miles or points for a canceled trip will depend. Here are your options.

Can I get my miles back if I change or cancel my award flight?

When canceling a flight that was purchased using miles, most airlines do not charge a cancellation fee. It is generally free to get your miles reinstated and even the taxes and fees you paid will usually be refunded.

Here is generally what you can expect on these U.S.-based airlines in terms of canceling award flights. Note these refund policies do not apply to flights bought with a combination of cash and points.

Alaska Airlines: No cancellation fee for award flights.

American Airlines: No cancellation fee for award flights.

Delta Air Lines: No cancellation fee for award flights, unless you bought a Basic Economy fare with miles.

Frontier: $75 redeposit fee to cancel a flight booked with miles. The fee is waived for Last Seat award flights.

JetBlue: No cancellation fee for award flights. Any fare paid will be refunded as a Travel Bank credit.

Southwest: No cancellation fee for award flights.

United Airlines: No cancellation fee for award flights.

Can I get my points back if I cancel my hotel reservation?

Getting miles redeposited to your hotel loyalty program is fairly easy across U.S. hotel chains if you cancel your reservation by the date provided by the hotel. Generally speaking, the individual hotel (not the chain) determines its own cancellation policies, which are detailed in your reservation’s fine print. As long as you cancel before the deadline, you won't be charged any fees and your points will be returned.

Cut it close on the deadline and it’s a different story. You might be charged a full night’s fee for canceling too late or for not showing up. Some properties specify cancellation fees openly, such as the Wyndham Reef Resort Grand Cayman, which charges a two-night penalty if a reservation is canceled within a week of the stay.

Wyndham is the most upfront, and strict, about cancellations. Go Free awards will be forfeited if cancellation is not within the property’s deadline. Here is what you can expect at U.S. hotel chains:

Can travel insurance help recoup my miles and points?

Travel insurance will help you recover any out-of-pocket expenses if you must cancel a trip. That’s very helpful if an illness or emergency forces you to miss an airline or hotel’s deadline.

Travel insurance isn’t so helpful when it comes to miles and points, unfortunately. In general, if you’ve used miles and points for a ticket, you’re only eligible for reimbursement for any fees you incur, such as point redepositing fees. That’s fine if you’d also get your points back, but if not, insurance won’t recover those for you.

Hotels are another story. Insurance will cover any charges made to your credit card, including the full-night fee some hotels charge. But insurance won't return points redeemed on your hotel, should it keep your points as part of its cancellation policy.

Overall, however, travel insurance is still a good idea if you’re taking a big trip. A good rule of thumb is to consider the cost of your trip at booking: Does it cost more than you’d be willing to lose? If so, get insurance. Otherwise, you may want to skip it.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

Do credit cards give me my miles and points back?

Whether or not you’ll get your points and miles back depends on what type of points and miles you book with and the cancellation policies for the program you book with. Whenever you’re considering booking a ticket or hotel with points and miles, double-check the cancellation policy.

Some credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , offer travel insurance as a cardmember perk. Depending on the terms of the included insurance, you’re generally able to be reimbursed for nonrefundable expenses if you have to cancel your trip for a reason that’s included in the terms and conditions.

The Capital One Venture cards, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , goes a step further to offer Cancel for Any Reason coverage for flights booked through Capital One Travel. You have to pay a small fee upfront when you book the flight on Capital One Travel, but then you can cancel at any time up to 24 hours before departure and you will recoup most of the cost of the ticket back. It does not have to be a "covered" reason.

Travel cards that will help you cover your canceled trip out-of-pocket expenses include Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® , with up to $10,000 covered per trip; the United Club℠ Infinite Card , providing up to $20,000 per trip; as of 2020, American Express offers travel insurance up to $10,000 on the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card , Hilton Honors Aspire and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express cards.

The bottom line

The only sure way to get your points and miles back if you have to cancel your trip is to pay attention to airline and hotel cancellation policies and follow them as closely as you can — knowing there's a chance you might have to incur a cash penalty to retrieve your miles.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Capital One Main Navigation

• Learn & Grow
• Life Events
• Money Management
• More Than Money
• Privacy & Security
• Business Resources

Credit card refunds: How they work and how to request one

November 16, 2023 | 6 min read

You never know when you might need to request a refund on a credit card. The quickest way to get one is to work directly with the business. But that’s not always enough, so sometimes it might be worth asking your credit card issuer for assistance. 

But it helps to know when and why you might do that. Here’s more about merchant refunds—and what might happen if your credit card issuer gets involved in disputes.

Key takeaways

• If you want a refund on your credit card, it’s best to ask the merchant you made the purchase from.
• When a refund request is honored, the merchant returns the funds to the credit card issuer. Then the card issuer credits your account.
• You can check merchants’ return policies for an idea of how long your refund might take.  
• Merchant refunds aren’t the same as credit card disputes and chargebacks. Chargebacks are often related to billing errors and fraud.

Digital benefits from Capital One

Explore mobile apps and digital services to help you do more.

How does a refund on a credit card work?

When you need a credit card refund, the best place to start is the place you made your purchase. 

You can contact the merchant and explain your situation. If the merchant agrees to the refund, you’ll get a credit to your account. 

It might take some time for the credit to show up on your account. Some refunds show up immediately, while others show up days later. 

When a consumer decides to return an item, the credit card refund process typically works like this:

• The merchant sends the funds from its bank, called the acquiring bank, to a credit card network .
• The credit card network routes the refund to the credit card issuer . 
• The issuer credits the cardholder’s account for the returned amount. 

How long does a credit card refund take?

There’s no set answer to how long it takes for a refund to appear on a cardholder’s account. It depends on a few different factors, like whether you ship the item back to the merchant or return it in person and where you are in your credit card billing cycle . For a rough idea, though, many merchants show their individual return policies on their website. 

It’s worth noting that if your billing cycle ends while your return is being processed, the return will likely be reflected on the following month’s credit card statement .

How do you request a credit card refund?

Working directly with the merchant can be the fastest way to request a refund. Here are some steps you might take:

Review refund policies or service agreements

Before picking up the phone, it might be a good idea to visit the merchant’s website to learn about its current policies. In some cases, you might be able to avoid waiting on hold by requesting a refund online or by sending an email.

Organize the required documents

Have on hand a receipt of your purchase and a confirmation number or other type of document that proves your purchase.

Provide necessary details

It might be helpful to have your credit card nearby in case the merchant doesn’t keep card numbers on file. This is important if you’re talking to the merchant in person, on the phone or online.

Wait for the merchant

The merchant should let you know if you’re eligible for a refund based on its terms and conditions. If the company approves it, wait a few days for the refund to complete.

Follow up if needed

If you don’t see anything after 14 days, reach out to the merchant again or contact your credit card issuer to see what your next steps might be. There’s a chance your card issuer might start the process of a chargeback.

Chargeback vs. refund: How they differ

Chargebacks involve disputing a charge with your credit card company. If talking to the merchant directly doesn’t solve the problem, this is one step people might take next. But keep in mind, disputes and chargebacks are related to billing errors or cases where a merchant didn’t honor its terms and conditions. And credit card issuers can’t issue refunds on behalf of merchants.

According to the Fair Credit Billing Act , you have the right to dispute charges as long as the dispute is made within 60 days of the charge appearing on your credit card statement . Your credit card issuer then has up to 90 days to resolve the dispute.

Is a chargeback different from a refund?

Disputing a credit card charge is different from asking for a refund.

• Disputes and chargebacks: When you dispute a credit card charge, you’re usually asking your credit card company to correct a billing error on your account. Or you might be asking your credit card company to have a merchant revisit a charge if you believe the merchant violated its stated terms and policies. But keep in mind: During a dispute, Capital One doesn’t ask merchants to reconsider those terms and policies.
• Merchant refunds: Requesting a refund covers many situations where you want your money back, like when you’re dissatisfied with the merchant’s policies or service or when you need to cancel plans. Capital One can’t issue a refund on behalf of a merchant. Even if you charged a ticket or reservation to your Capital One card, the merchant is the one who will be able to issue a refund.

Credit card refund FAQ

Here are some answers to common questions about requesting a credit card refund.

Do refunds count as credit card payments?

Refunds don’t count as payments toward your monthly bill. They’re credited to your account and will show up as statement credits. 

If your refund hasn’t arrived by the time your credit card payment is due, you might still have to make at least the minimum required payment.

Do credit card refunds affect your credit?

Whether credit card refunds affect your credit depends on the amount charged to your card, your overall credit use and your payments. Getting a refund could lower your credit utilization ratio , one factor used to calculate credit scores. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, experts recommend keeping your credit utilization below 30% of your total available credit.

Do refunds affect credit card rewards?

If you get a refund on your card, any rewards you earned from the original purchase will normally be removed from your rewards balance.

Why did my credit card account go negative after receiving a refund?

If you pay off your balance before getting a refund or if the refund is more than your current balance, that refund would result in a negative balance on your account. This just means that instead of you owing money to your credit card issuer, your credit card issuer actually owes you. You can spend down the negative balance by continuing to make purchases on the account. You might also be able to request money directly from your issuer.  

How credit card refunds work in a nutshell

In most cases, initiating a return with a merchant is a straightforward process. But if you believe there’s a billing error with a charge on your Capital One credit card account, the information on Capital One’s disputes support page may be helpful. And if you see a suspicious charge, you can report it as fraud .

Related Content

What is a disputed charge.

article | April 28, 2022 | 4 min read

What is the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)?

article | March 23, 2023 | 4 min read

Can you have a negative balance on a credit card?

article | May 17, 2022 | 4 min read

Lowest price guarantee, cancel-for-any-reason coverage and more: Your first look at the new Capital One Travel portal

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Booking travel is a daunting task, now more than ever. For one, it's hard to know if and when you're getting the best price possible . Then, any unforeseen circumstance — whether it's bad weather or a last-minute positive coronavirus test — can lead to a slew of delays and cancellations .

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

In a time of such uncertainty, Capital One has well-timed the launch of their new travel portal, which addresses many pain points and headaches of the "new normal" travel experience. The new Capital One Travel portal integrates technology from Hopper to ensure that customers get the best prices possible on flights, thanks to billions of data points that Hopper claims lend it 95% price prediction accuracy. Packaged with a whole suite of other customer-friendly features, from increased service support and the option to add cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) coverage, the all-new Capital One Travel may be the best online booking agency yet.

Let's dive into all the details.

Earn bonus rewards with an eligible Capital one card

For starters, you'll be able to access the initial beta launch of Capital One Travel in the coming weeks with the following Capital One credit cards:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business
• Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
• Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® cardholders

The information for the Capital One Spark Miles Select and Walmart cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you're a Venture, VentureOne or Spark Miles cardholder, you'll also earn 5 Capital One miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Of course, you'll also have the option to redeem your stash of miles for bookings made through it at the rate of 1 cent each instead.

Getting the lowest price possible

Thanks to its partnership with the travel booking app Hopper, Capital One Travel is now uniquely positioned to find the lowest prices available thanks to AI-powered tools that track flight prices and trends. Here are the standout features.

Price prediction and price watch technology

For instance, let's say you want to book a ski trip to Vail, Colo., this winter and are preemptively looking at flights for you and your family. Through the Capital One Travel portal, you can sign up to receive price alerts on flights you're interested in, and you'll receive a notification when prices have dropped and it's the ideal time to book.

Price drop prediction

Once you receive a price drop alert and book your flight accordingly, Capital One is confident that you're getting the best fare possible. If the fare lowers again after booking, customers will receive a travel credit for the difference.

Best price guarantee and price match

To go one step further, Capital One offers a best price guarantee and will match prices from competitors. If a customer books through Capital One Travel, but finds a better price for a flight, hotel or car rental on another site within 24 hours of booking, they will receive a travel credit for the difference from Capital One Travel. For its part, Capital One Travel compares the hotel rates it pulls against those of Expedia, Orbits and other travel booking sites and will adjust its own prices to match or even beat competitors.

Price freeze option

If you've found a great price but aren't quite ready to commit yet, Capital One Travel allows you to lock in the price for a small fee until you're confident and ready to book. The fee will vary depending on the booking, but the most significant advantage to this capability is that Capital One will cover any fare increases while under the price freeze. On the flip side, if the fare lowers during your prize freeze, you'll pay the lower price instead.

Cancel-for-any-reason coverage

Travel insurance has become top of mind for many travelers since the beginning of the pandemic. While many travel rewards cards these days offer complimentary travel protections, know that they likely won't cover you in any coronavirus-related cancellations. If you're looking for that type of more comprehensive coverage, you'll typically need to purchase independent travel insurance that offers "cancel for any reason" (CFAR) coverage .

Capital One Travel has made it easier to purchase CFAR coverage on top of your flight for a small fee that will vary per booking. This allows you to cancel your flight for any reason — no questions asked — up to 24 hours before your first scheduled departure and receive 80% of your ticket cost back. Since most other CFAR protections offered by different insurance providers only offer up to 75% back, the fact that this new coverage is now integrated into the booking process is another huge advantage to Capital One Travel.

The option to add CFAR is critical since booking refundable flights can sometimes be double the price of a non-refundable ticket. Therefore, having CFAR coverage for a fraction of that cost can save you potentially hundreds or even thousands of dollars in case your plans change.

Related: When to buy travel insurance versus when to rely on credit card protections

More call center staff

One of the biggest drawbacks of booking through an online agency (rather than directly through an airline) is that you may experience difficulty changing your plans or getting a refund for a canceled flight. For instance, we witnessed customer service meltdowns at all the major OTAs at the start of the pandemic.

Recognizing all of these pain points, Capital One states, "Knowing that the travel industry as a whole is continuing to see a surge in demand, we are significantly increasing hiring and staffing for call centers, adding travel agents with a goal to reduce call wait times to help customers make adjustments to travel plans when they need to."

With dozens of reports from TPG readers and staffers of long wait times with airline customer service centers , this could also be a game-changer. However, we'll have to test the hold times with Capital One Travel to ensure that the hold times are as good as the issuer claims they will be.

Capital One is looking at other ways to improve the customer service experience and empower their cardholders to change their plans, including self-service tools that customers can use to change or cancel trips online rather than waiting on hold for a customer service representative.

Related: Airline hold times — Who's doing best right now

Bottom line

If all the features pan out as planned, Capital One Travel will be a much-needed breath of fresh air when it comes to travel booking portals. Especially during the past year and a half, many consumers have complained about the difficulties in obtaining a refund and unfavorable price differences when booking through other issuers' portals such as Amex Travel or the Chase Ultimate Rewards than directly with airlines. Hopefully, the launch of this new Capital One Travel portal will usher in change for other portals toward an intuitive and streamlined travel booking process.