Over the past few years, Capital One has raised its rewards game by expanding and improving its slate of credit cards. There are easy-to-use cash-back cards whose points can be redeemed at a fixed value toward travel purchases and other statement credits. These provide cardholders with a reliable rate of return on their everyday spending.
The issuer has also expanded its Capital One Venture Miles program so that certain cardholders can transfer miles to 18 airline and hotel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club and ALL Accor Live Limitless.
Depending on where you spend the most money and how you want to redeem your rewards, deciding which Capital One credit card to apply for can be a difficult choice.
Among the products you might be deciding between are the popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). Let’s take a closer look to see which may be a better fit.
Related: Best Capital One cards
Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver overview
| Card | Capital One Venture Rewards | Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95(see rates and fees) | $0 (see rates and fees) |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening | $200 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
| Earning | 5 miles per dollar spent on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2 miles per dollar spent on everything else |
1.5% cash back on everything |
| Other benefits | Two free airport lounge visits per year
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee waiver (up to $100) No foreign transaction fees(see rates and fees) Travel accident insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty |
No foreign transaction fees(see rates and fees)
Travel accident insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty |
Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver welcome offer
The Capital One Venture Rewards is currently offering new cardholders 75,000 bonus miles when they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. These miles are worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed at a fixed rate for travel purchases or new bookings via Capital One Travel and for gift cards. That means the bonus is ostensibly worth $750 in travel.
However, the miles you earn with the Capital One Venture are transferable to 15 airline and 3 hotel partner loyalty programs. Given that extra flexibility, TPG values these miles at 1.85 cents apiece, bringing the value of the sign-up bonus up to $1,387.
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards‘ sign-up bonus is considerably more modest — only $200 cash back. But you only have to spend $500 in the first three months of opening an account to qualify.
Winner: Venture Rewards
Related: 5 reasons to get the Capital One Venture Rewards Card
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Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver benefits
The Venture Rewards is categorized as a travel card; therefore, the benefits are tailored toward travel. These benefits include two free lounge visits to Capital One Lounges. Benefits also include Hertz Five Star status and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $100).
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards provides complimentary Uber One membership for up to six months via statement credits through November 14, 2024.
Both cards waive foreign transaction fees, provide concierge services and give cardholders access to exclusive events. They also include purchase protection and extended warranty as well as secondary rental car coverage and travel accident insurance.
The Venture Rewards carries a $95 annual fee, while the Quicksilver Cash Rewards doesn’t have an annual fee.
Winner: Venture Rewards
Earning rewards with the Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards earns a flat 1.5% back on all purchases. That makes your return on spending easy to calculate and count on. It’s also on par with competing cash-back cards from other issuers.
The Venture Rewards earns 2 miles per dollar on most purchases, with an elevated 5 miles per dollar spent on hotel and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal.
Winner: Venture Rewards
Related: When you should consider the Capital One Venture card for hotels and car rentals
Redeeming rewards with the Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver
Here’s where the two cards diverge most dramatically.
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards is a cash-back card, plain and simple. With a 1.5% rate of return on every dollar you spend, you can redeem your cash back in a few different ways. Among them are statement credits, gift cards, Amazon.com purchases, or a check.
Related: Best cash-back credit cards
On the other hand, the Venture Rewards earns miles that can be redeemed either for cash back or transferred to Capital One’s travel partners. In terms of cash back, you can redeem your miles at a rate of 1 cent apiece for travel purchases and gift cards. If you opt for statement credits on other types of purchases or a check, you only get a rate of 0.5 cents per mile, essentially cutting your value in half, so you’ll want to avoid this option.
However, Capital One Venture miles are transferable to 18 partner programs in addition to cash back. The best way to maximize your Capital One Venture miles would be to transfer them to partners such as British Airways Executive Club, Air Canada Aeroplan, or Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
Winner: Venture Rewards
Related: Best ways to maximize Capital One Miles
Should I get the Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver?
If you prefer to earn cash-back at a fixed rate of 1.5% across all purchases and to use the rewards to help offset your credit card bill or to purchase gift cards, then the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is for you.
On the other hand, if you’re interested in having a wider range of flexibility in redeeming your rewards, then the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card makes better sense. The ability to earn 5 miles per dollar on car rental and hotel bookings, along with 2 miles per all purchases, gives this card an advantage over the Quicksilver, providing more opportunities to earn points.
At the minimum, earning 2 miles per dollar is far better than 1.5% cash back because you can redeem your Capital One Venture Miles as a statement credit and transfer them to airline or hotel partners to help offset any travel costs.
Bottom line
Both the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are great rewards card options. The Quicksilver is useful for folks who want a simple cash-back formula for earning and redeeming without putting in much effort.
However, suppose you want miles specifically for travel purchases and can maximize Capital One’s travel transfer partners as well as benefits such as the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit. In that case, the Venture Rewards is a much better choice.
To learn more, read our Capital One Venture Rewards review and Capital One Quicksilver review.
Apply here: Capital One Venture Rewards
Apply here: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For rates and fees of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, click here.