Best Capital One credit cards of 2024: Editorial reviews
Best for Travel: Simple Rewards
If you’re someone who loves to travel and wants to earn rewards without paying a high annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option. With this card, you can earn 2X miles per dollar on every purchase and 5X miles on eligible Capital One Travel purchases. That means you can earn miles for your next trip while you’re paying for your daily coffee or shopping for your weekly groceries. It also offers a high welcome bonus and several valuable travel benefits, making its $95 annual fee a great value for frequent travelers.
Capital One Venture Card review
Best for Travel: Premium Rewards
If high-end travel is your main goal, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can deliver, provided you use it correctly. It offers a high welcome bonus, 10,000 cardholder anniversary bonus miles (worth $100 towards travel), $300 in annual statement credits to use towards travel, Capital One Lounge access, and more. Its $395 annual fee may seem steep but if you do the math, the annual credits alone can make it worth it.
Capital One Venture X Card review
Best for Travel: No Annual Fee
Perhaps you’re a semi-frequent traveler and don’t feel like spending an annual fee on a travel credit card. The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card may be just what you’re looking for. With unlimited 1.25X miles per dollar and no annual fee, along with a generous welcome bonus, this card is one you can use occasionally and not have to worry about “getting your money’s worth”.
Best for Cash Back: Everyday Spending
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of those cards that are perfect for the spender who doesn’t want to keep track of categories. It’s simple, with 1.5% cash back on everything, a nice welcome bonus, an intro APR period, and no annual fee. If you tend to spend a lot on specific things like groceries or gas and are willing to keep track of categories, you can probably earn more with a different card, but if your goal is simplicity, look no further.
Capital One Quicksilver card review
Best for Cash Back: Dining & Entertainment
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a strong rewards credit card. We love that it offers a long APR offer, with no annual fee and above-average rewards rates for categories like dining and entertainment. This card is perfect if you tend to spend mostly in these categories and are looking for a welcome bonus that’s easy to earn.
Capital One SavorOne card review
Best for Students: Cash Back
Students often spend a lot while they’re away at college, whether on textbooks, food, or online impulse purchases at 3 a.m. There’s no stopping that, so at least the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card can give them 1.5% cash back on all of those purchases (for no annual fee). They can even earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits (through 11/14/2024), to help fuel their late-night study sessions.
Capital One Quicksilver Student card review
Best for Students: Dining & Entertainment Rewards
Sometimes college students like to go out to eat with their friends or go to concerts on Saturday nights, and the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card can help them earn elevated cash back on some of those purchases. Like, for example, they can earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when they book through the Capital One Entertainment portal or 3% cash back on dining purchases. They also won’t have to pay an annual fee for this card.
Capital One SavorOne Student card review
Best For Businesses: a Charge Card with Cash Back
For high-spending businesses, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus can give you 2% back on all of those big purchases you make, which can add up. Keep in mind, though, that this Spark business card is a charge card. This means you can’t carry a balance from month to month and you have to pay it off in full.
Best for Cash Back: Walmart
The Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard is a smart choice for individuals who do much of their shopping at Walmart. For the first year, it offers a high cash-back rate in-store, as well as online and in the app, but outside of that its rewards are subpar. If you can do most of your shopping online, though, this card could be very rewarding.
Best for Bad Credit: Cash Back
For a secured credit card, the Quicksilver Secured is considered to be quite good. It does require a $200 security deposit to open an account, but that’s fully refundable if you close your account in good standing. This card also has no annual fee, and it allows you to earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases made with it, which is pretty uncommon among secured cards. Plus, if you use the card responsibly, you might be able to upgrade to one of the unsecured Quicksilver cards and get your deposit back.
Best for Bad Credit: Flexible Security Deposit
The Capital One Platinum Secured card doesn’t charge any annual fees, unlike some other secured credit cards. It doesn’t offer any rewards, but it has a unique benefit — you can secure a $200 credit line by putting down as little as $49 as a security deposit (depending on your credit score).
Capital One Secured review
Best for Fair Credit: Unsecured
The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is pretty similar to its secured counterpart but it doesn’t require a security deposit to open an account. Instead, your credit line is determined by how good your credit score is. The good news, though, is that even if you have a bad credit score and qualify for a very low initial credit line, after as little as 6 months of rebuilding your credit with this card, Capital One will automatically consider increasing your credit limit. It’s certainly not the best card if you have other options that can earn rewards, but it’s a solid unsecured card for rebuilding your credit.
Capital One Platinum review
Other Capital One cash-back credit cards:
Capital One QuicksilverOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards
Other Capital One business credit cards:
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
Who should get a Capital One credit card?
Capital One has credit cards for almost everyone. From high-end travel credit cards for the frequent traveler to secured credit cards for the person who is looking to rebuild their credit score, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll find a Capital One card you love.
As for actual requirements to qualify for a Capital One card, there are a few. You must be at least 18 years old to become a primary Capital One cardholder, and if you’re under 21 they require either proof of independent income or a cosigner. Additionally, applicants must provide either a social security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
How to choose a Capital One card
When you’re deciding on a new credit card, whether you’re a Capital One loyalist, this is your first time testing them out, or you’re looking to upgrade to something new, there are a few important things to consider.
1. What’s your credit score?
Depending on what your credit score is, you may have a limited selection of credit cards to choose from. Most of Capital One’s credit cards are for people with good or excellent credit, but they do offer credit cards for bad credit or fair credit. As a general rule, these are the cards you should be looking for:
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Good to excellent credit (approximately 670+ FICO score or 661+ VantageScore): With a high credit score, you can look for the top Capital One credit cards and will likely qualify for many of them. The higher your score, the better your chances of getting a premium card like the Venture X Rewards card.
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Average to fair credit (approximately 580-669 FICO or 601-660 VantageScore): You won’t qualify for many Capital One credit cards with a score in this range, but cards like the Platinum Mastercard and QuicksilverOne Rewards cards may be up your alley to help you boost your score into the next tier.
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Bad credit (below 579 FICO or 600 VantageScore): Capital One has a variety of secured credit cards designed to help people rebuild their credit. Consider looking at cards like the Capital One Platinum Secured card.
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No credit/limited credit: Students or people with a limited credit history have options with Capital One as well. Secured cards (like the Quicksilver Secured card) can help you start building your credit, and college students with no history may be eligible for cards like the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Not sure what your credit score is? Check out our guide on how to check your credit score. If you know your score and are looking to increase it, see our helpful tips on how to raise your credit score fast.
2. What kind of rewards do you want?
If you have a good or excellent credit score, then congratulations! You may qualify for one of Capital One’s best rewards-earning cards. Capital One rewards cards fall into two main categories: miles-earning and cash-back cards. For the avid traveler, a miles-earning card like the Venture Rewards card can provide immense value. For the everyday spender, a cash-back card like the SavorOne Rewards card might be more of what you’re looking for.
Our favorite travel card options:
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Our favorite cash-back card options:
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One QuicksilverOne Rewards Credit Card
3. Look at the annual fee
Some cards (especially rewards cards) charge annual fees, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card with its $395 annual fee. For people who can make the most of the benefits these types of cards provide, the yearly price tag may be well worth it, but for people who are semi-frequent travelers or aren’t big spenders, another option may be a better bet. Just because a card is shiny and luxe doesn’t mean it meets your personal needs or goals.
Instead, if you’re in the market for a travel credit card, for example, and don’t want to pay for the Venture X, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has a variety of travel-related benefits for no annual fee. Similarly, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (our personal favorite Capital One travel credit card) only charges a $95 annual fee and has comparable benefits to the Venture X. Read more in our detailed comparison of the Capital One Venture vs Venture X.
When considering your next Capital One credit card, make sure to evaluate whether you’ll be able to get enough use out of it to make its annual fee worthwhile (alternatively, you can compare credit cards with no annual fee from other providers).
Types of Capital One credit cards
Capital One offers a range of credit cards for consumers with different goals, whether they want to build their credit or earn more rewards on everything they buy.
Travel cards
You can choose to redeem your miles for travel through Capital One or transfer your miles to other airline and hotel programs. Even if traveling isn’t currently in your plans, your miles won’t go to waste. Rewards can also be redeemed for non-travel-related perks like statement credits, gift cards, or merchandise.
Editor’s pick: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (See our detailed comparison of the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture).
Other Capital One travel credit cards:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
(See our comparison of Capital One Venture X vs Chase Sapphire Reserve)
Cash-back cards
If your interests are purely monetary, a cash back rewards card could be exactly what you need. Some cash back cards offer a flat rate back on whatever you spend, while others reward you even more when you spend in certain categories.
Editor’s pick: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card or Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (See our detailed comparison of the Capital One Platinum vs. Quicksilver or Capital One SavorOne vs. Quicksilver).
Other Capital One cash back credit cards:
Capital One QuicksilverOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards
Student cards
The rewards that student credit cards offer are limited, but they are still worth considering. These Capital One starter credit cards are perfect for those with little to no credit history.
Editor’s pick: Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Other Capital One student credit cards:
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Store cards
If you’re someone who frequently shops at a specific store, Capital One has various credit cards to reward you for your purchases.
Editor’s pick: Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Mastercard
Business cards
If you own or manage a business, Capital One has cards specifically for you! These cards give rewards such as cash back, travel rewards, and bonuses on business-related purchases.
Editor’s pick: Capital One Spark Cash Plus (See our detailed review of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business card).
Other Capital One business credit cards:
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
Secured credit cards
If your credit score is less than ideal, Capital One can help you build or rebuild. These cards typically don’t have high rewards earning potential but they’re a good place to start.
Editor’s pick: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards
Benefits of Capital One credit cards
There are several reasons to pick up a Capital One credit card over cards from other card issuers.
Some of the main benefits of choosing Capital One are highlighted below:
How to apply for a Capital One credit card
You can apply for a Capital One card online and from the comfort of your home. Once you find a card you’re interested in, click the “Learn More” button next to the card on this page, then click on the button that says “Apply Now” to begin filling out an online application!
Additionally, Capital One has a “pre-approval” questionnaire on their website which can give you an idea of the likelihood of you getting approved for a card when you apply. You can also try the CardMatch tool which can help match you with cards that you’re likely to be approved for.
How many Capital One credit cards can I have at once?
You can have several credit cards from this issuer, with no published limit, although we recommend that you stagger your applications over several months (or years) so you don’t get denied for having too much “new credit.”
We also don’t recommend opening too many credit cards if you’re likely to lose track of them and then forget to pay them off, or if you’re prone to “taking advantage” of your credit and spending more money than you have (leading to debt).
Are Capital One credit cards good?
Capital One credit cards are generally considered to be good cards. They’re a reputable credit card issuer with a variety of cards for different purposes, with cards for rebuilding credit, premium travel cards, student cards, and almost everything in between.
Many of Capital One’s cards are similar to American Express cards and Chase credit cards, with high rewards-earning potential and many options for multiple types of spenders.
How we selected our top cards
To find the best Capital One credit cards on the market today, we looked at all of the offerings from this credit card issuer. Ultimately, we selected the cards with the best high-earning potential and the most generous selection of perks.
We also selected credit cards for different credit profiles, including premium cards for frequent travelers and card options for consumers with low credit scores. We also looked for cards that offer a one-time incentive for signing up, a reasonable annual fee, travel-related perks, and rewards that are easy to manage and redeem.
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