Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver

Capital One offers many options for cardholders who are good at earning rewards, but the best card for you will depend on your appetite for annual fees and how you want to use your credit card rewards.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card stands out as one of the most trusted fixed rate travel cards on the market, while the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can be a good choice if you want to receive flat rate cash back for free. annual fee.

So which is better, Capital One Venture or Quicksilver? How do you choose between the two? Will the pass come in handy in the future or do you prefer the simplicity of cashback? Read on to find out how signup bonuses, ongoing rewards and perks on these cards stack up so you can choose the best option for your spending style.

Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Awards 5X miles for hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel Double miles on all other purchases	Awards Cashback 1.5% from every purchase
Welcome Bonus 60,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months	Welcome Bonus $200 refund after you spend $500 in the first 3 months
Annual fee $95	Annual fee $0
April Introduction N/A	April Introduction 0% initial APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Variable annual interest rate 16.24% to 24.24%	Variable annual interest rate 15.24% to 25.24%

Receiving awards

Both Capital One Venture and Capital One Quicksilver offer simple reward rates, with no rotating bonus categories to activate and track.

Venture Card rewards are for travel, so consider applying before planning future vacations. It will earn you 5x miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases (which is a higher reward rate for non-categorised purchases than what most other travel credit cards offer).

However, if you prefer a refund, Quicksilver also takes a simplified approach to rewards. This flat rate cashback card offers 1.5% cashback on all purchases, no matter where, when or what you buy.

Use of awards

VC cardholders can redeem travel miles through the Capital One Travel portal, receive a credit statement for travel purchases made within the last 90 days, or transfer miles to various partner hotels and airlines. Alternatively, rewards can also be redeemed for cashback, gift cards, or purchases on Amazon.com or PayPal.

When redeemed for travel, Capital One miles are worth at least 1 cent per mile (or up to 1.85 cents per mile when redeemed for travel with select Capital One transfer partners, according to The Points Guy). On the other hand, cash redemption only earns 0.5 cents per mile, so a Venture card only makes sense if you can use the miles more readily than a cashback.

Bonuses for signing up

Capital One Venture is offering a significant signup bonus of 60,000 miles if you spend $3,000 in the first three months of opening an account. As noted earlier, the value of Capital One miles varies depending on how you use them, so if you choose to spend miles on travel, this bonus will be worth at least $600.

With Capital One Quicksilver, you get $200 in cash when you spend $500 within three months of opening an account. While the Sign Up Bonus is much smaller than the Venture Card Bonus, it costs significantly less and is on par with bonuses from other Capital One cards with no annual fees, such as the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card.

Annual Fees

The $95 annual fee for the Venture Card can be worth it, especially if you plan to use the card for most of your expenses, use it for travel, and enjoy its travel perks.

Unlike Venture, Quicksilver doesn’t have an annual fee, which means you can use the card sparingly without having to worry about offsetting the cost of owning the card.

Introductory APRs

While the Venture Card does not offer any introductory APR, Quicksilver can provide you with a 15-month starting APR of 0% on both purchases and balance transfers, followed by a variable APR of 15.24 % to 25.24%.

If you’re looking to pay off debt or plan to make a major purchase in the near future, Quicksilver is a great option, especially as the card provides consistent value long after the introductory period ends.

Capital One Venture: Best for direct travel rewards

The Venture card is best for cardholders who want to earn miles at a flat rate on every purchase with no tracking categories. As a simplified travel credit card, you’ll have access to useful perks such as up to $100 Global Entry TSA PreCheck credit and car rental insurance.

As already mentioned, you will be able to transfer miles to some frequent flyer programs and possibly increase their value even more.

Capital One Quicksilver: Best for Flat Cashback Rates

Those who prefer a simple cash back card with a simple reward structure or need access to an introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers should consider Capital One Quicksilver.

With no annual fee, Quicksilver will allow you to earn flexible cash rewards without having to worry about tracking spending or bonus categories. It also offers a few useful perks to look out for, such as 24/7 travel assistance, an extended warranty, and access to CreditWise.

Please note that some cashback cards allow you to get double or triple cashback on certain spending categories, so if you spend a lot in areas like groceries or restaurants, they may end up being more useful than a flat rate card. like Quicksilver. .

bottom line

Both the Capital One Venture Rewards Card and Capital One Quicksilver require approval with a good or excellent credit history, so be sure to use Capital One’s pre-approval tools before applying.

You can also check CreditCards.com’s CardMatch tool to see if you have any targeted offers from other issuers.