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With rewards credit cards, you often have to choose between business or pleasure. Capital One cards have enough flexibility to turn the or into an and. Here’s our review of the top four credit cards from Capital One.
In this article:
Bankrate’s top Capital One credit cards of 2018
- Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card: Best for all-around travel rewards
- Capital One® Quicksilver® Card: Best for simplicity
- Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card: Best for earning unlimited miles
- Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for food-based, cash-back rewards
How we chose the best Capital One Credit Cards
We reviewed Capital One cards to find the top options across multiple categories. We evaluated each card on factors like our proprietary Bankrate score, rewards rate, perks, and fees to find the best that Capital One has to offer.
Editor’s Analysis: Best Capital One credit cards
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card: Best for all-around travel rewards
Why you’ll love it
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is ideal for earning rewards toward your next trip. With 2X miles on every purchase, every day, there’s no need to track your spending in particular categories. Miles are redeemable for a travel statement credit. And you can stretch your miles even further by booking through a discount travel site or during a sale. Eligible purchases like airfare and hotels are covered, no matter how you book. This, along with a hefty sign-up bonus of 50K miles after your first $3,000 spent makes it an attractive option.
Card Details:
- Issuer: Capital One®
- Best For: Travel rewards
- Bankrate Score: 94 out of 100
- Credit Needed: Excellent/Good
- Annual Fee: $0 for first year; $95 after the first year
- Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A
- Intro APR Period: N/A
- Regular APR: 14.74% – 24.74%
- Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Consider this
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card comes with a $95 annual fee that kicks in after the first year. If you’re looking for an everyday travel card without a fee, this card’s little brother is a comparable option. The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card has a lower rewards rate (1.25 miles per dollar spent on purchases) and the signup bonus is cut in half (from 40,000 points to 20,000 points), but it does come with the same redemption flexibility without the annual fee.
Capital One® Quicksilver® Card: Best for simplicity
Why you’ll love it
The Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card is perfect if you’re looking for simplicity. It has a flat 1.5 percent rewards rate, no annual fee, and a $150 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. (This applies to any type of purchase.) And, when you earn rewards, you can redeem them for any amount. (Some cards have a minimum redemption requirement, usually somewhere around $25.)
The card also packs Visa Signature® Benefits like travel and emergency assistance, auto rental coverage, and fraud coverage.
Card Details:
- Issuer: Capital One®
- Best For: Rewards card rookies
- Bankrate Score: 93 out of 100
- Credit Needed: Excellent/Good
- Annual Fee: $0
- Balance Transfer Intro APR: 0%
- Intro APR Period: First 15 billing cycles
- Regular APR: 14.74% – 24.74% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of the amount transferred
Consider this
This card will get you off to a good cash rewards start with very little maintenance. But if you’re working to build or improve your credit, the comparable Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card might be a better choice. It doesn’t have a signup bonus or intro APR, but it’s easier to qualify for and earns the same exact rate: 1.5 percent cash back on everything (that includes gas).
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card: Best for earning unlimited miles
Why you’ll love it
For no-fuss points on everything you buy, the Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card is a sensible, affordable choice. Unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar offers decent earning potential, with plenty of flexibility at redemption. Since you can redeem miles for a travel statement credit, you can fly any airline and stay at any hotel, anytime, without taking blackout dates into account.
Card Details:
- Issuer: Capital One®
- Best For: Earning unlimited miles
- Bankrate Score: 80 out of 100
- Credit Needed: Excellent/Good
- Annual Fee: $0
- Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A
- Intro APR Period: First 12 billing cycles
- Regular APR: 13.74% – 23.74% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Consider this
There’s no cap on your earnings here. But this card has a lower rewards rate (1.25 miles per dollar spent on purchases) and smaller sign-up bonus (from 40,000 points to 20,000 points) in comparison to the similar Capital One® Venture card. However, they both hold the same redemption flexibility without the annual fee.
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for food-based, cash-back rewards
Why you’ll love it
If you love dining out and want to earn unlimited cash-back rewards while doing it, the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card is for you. With 3 percent cash back on dining and a 15-month 0 percent introductory APR, you can get off to a fast start. Also, the sign-up bonus is quickly within reach, at $150 after spending just $500 within the first 3 months. Rewards aren’t confined to dining out – but unlimited at 2 percent cash back on groceries, and 1 percent on all other purchases.
Card Details:
- Issuer: Capital One®
- Best For: Food-based, cash-back rewards
- Bankrate Score: 96 out of 100
- Credit Needed: Excellent/Good
- Annual Fee: $0
- Balance Transfer Intro APR: 0%
- Intro APR Period: First 15 billing cycles
- Regular APR: 16.24% – 24.99% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of the amount transferred
Consider this
The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great option if you spend a lot on food. But if you think your spending habits might fall a little short of earning this card’s full rewards, you may find that a less specified cash-back option might make more sense – such as the Capital One® Quicksilver®.
Maximizing points and miles on your rewards card
One of the key benefits of a great rewards card is being able to redeem points the way you want to. Your points don’t do you any good if you can’t use them. This applies across the board for different types of cards. Some airline cards and hotel credit cards are able to offer you a higher earning potential for purchases with their brand.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all card that delivers superior points or miles on every conceivable spending category and has the most flexible point redemption options. Owning two or three cards is the right number to get the most points or miles and still keep the cards active (assuming you’re paying off the balances). You’ll be able to take advantage of the bonuses and ongoing rewards without major limitations.
Benefits of the Capital One rewards program
With the Capital One travel rewards program, you earn miles for all purchases and you get a sign-up bonus as well. A big advantage to the Capital One travel rewards program is that you aren’t tied down by loyalty to brands, and you aren’t limited to rewards for specific types of purchases. And there’s no transferring points.
You can use your miles for travel in the past 90 days, book new travel through Capital One, gift cards, a check or you can transfer them to another account. One plus about Capital One Venture cards: You always get 1:1 for travel redemption of miles. Redemption even includes spending on Airbnb and Uber.
Other benefits of having Capital One cards
From no foreign transaction fee to travel accident insurance, Capital One cards offer a plethora of benefits, including travel and retail; apps and digital services; and security. Here’s what this bank issuer offers:
Travel and retail
- No foreign transaction fees – no Capital One card has a foreign transaction fee, a savings of 3%-5% per foreign transaction
- 24-hour travel assistance – get an emergency replacement card and a cash advance
- Auto rental collision damage waiver – an eligible vehicle is covered for damage due to theft or collision
- Travel accident insurance – covered losses at no extra charge
- Extended warranty – additional warranty at no extra charge
Apps and digital services
- Mobile app – allows you to manage your account on the go
- CreditWise – monitor your credit, even if you aren’t a Capital One customer
- Eno – allows you to keep tabs on your account with texting, checking your balance, reviewing transactions and paying your bill
Security
- Security and account alerts – get alerts by phone, email or text
- Fraud coverage – $0 fraud liability
