How to convert Capital One cash back into miles

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It's easy to get caught up in the glamour of travel rewards cards and forget that there are many good reasons to keep a cash-back card in your wallet. Cash-back cards generally have a simple earning and redeeming structure, and you can't beat the flexibility of cash rewards.

And if you have a card that earns Capital One miles, you have one more reason to add a Capital One cash-back card to your wallet. With the right card pairing, you can turn your Capital One cash-back rewards into transferable miles, making them even more valuable.

Here's what you need to know to maximize your Capital One earnings.

Which Capital One cash-back cards can convert to miles?

If you have a Capital One cash-back card as well as a Capital One card that earns miles, you can combine your rewards so that your cash-back becomes transferable Captial One miles.

To be eligible to turn your cash-back into miles, you'll need one of these cards:

Then, if you have one of the cards listed above, you can turn cash-back rewards from any of these cards into miles:

With a card from each list, you can combine your rewards at a rate of one cent of cash-back to one Capital One mile, which we value at 1.85 cents thanks to the ability to transfer to Capital One's full range of 15-plus hotel and airline partners.

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However, it is worth noting that while you can turn your cash-back rewards into miles, Capital One does not give you the option to transfer your miles to cash-back at the same rate.

How to maximize your Capital One card pairing

The ability to convert your Capital One cash back into miles means it can become much more valuable, especially with a strategic card pairing.

Ideally, you want to pair a fixed-rate earning card with a card that has bonus categories. Since all eligible Capital One miles-earning cards earn at a flat rate, your best option is to pair one of them with a card in the Savor family since they earn bonus rewards on spending in specific categories.

If, for example, you have the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, you earn a solid 2 miles per dollar on all your purchases. If you also have the Capital One Savor card, you can earn an impressive 3% back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases.

The magic of this card pairing is that it allows you to effectively earn 3 miles per dollar on these bonus purchases — double what you'd earn with the Venture Rewards card alone.

Related: The best credit card pairings

The best Capital One no-annual-fee pair

One of the best aspects of this ability to turn cash back into miles is that you can do it without paying any annual fees.

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card only earns 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase but offers the same redemption options as the Venture Rewards for no annual fee (see rates and fees). The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases, also for no annual fee (see rates and fees).

So, with this combo, you could essentially earn 3 miles per dollar on dining, entertainment and streaming services and at grocery stores — without paying any annual fees.

Bottom line

You can earn even more Capital One miles if you hold a cash-back Capital One card and a card that earns miles. With both, you can combine your rewards and unlock the ability to transfer your rewards to Capital One's full range of hotel and airline transfer partners. If you play your cards right, your cash-back card just might become your wallet's secret earning weapon.

Learn More: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Learn More: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Learn More: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Learn More: Capital One Savor Credit Card

Featured image by GAHSOON/GETTY IMAGES

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