I'll try and answer your various Qs:
- Yes, you must redeem at their increments, or for full value above $600. It's pretty easy to hit these increments, either ask the travel provider to charge your card in separate transactions (i.e. $150 + $60 instead of $210) or redeem for charges above $600.
- CapOne lets you transfer points freely between cardholders. So, when I have the rare large charge, I email all friends/family who I have recommended the card to and we pool our points to cash out at maximum value.
- CapOne has a nifty "feature" where redeemed charges continue to be redeemable. So, if you have $2000 worth of points, you could redeem for the same $1000 ticket twice. Makes it easy to cash out all your (and others') points out with a single charge that's of the right amount.
- CapOne does not allow product changes
- I believe CapOne is very strict about recent inquiries. Read the RFD thread for more info.
Don't forget to get cashback from GCR or elsewhere if applying.