Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Quicksilver

Capital One offers a variety of options for rewards-savvy cardholders, but the best card for you will depend on your appetite for an annual fee and how you like to use your credit card rewards.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card stands out as one of the most reliable flat-rate travel cards on the market, while the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can be a solid choice if you want to earn flat-rate cash back for no annual fee.

So, which is better, the Capital One Venture or Quicksilver? How do you choose between the two? Will a travel card serve you well in the future, or do you prefer the simplicity of cash back? Read on to learn how these cards’ sign-up bonuses, ongoing rewards and perks stack up so that 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
Rewards 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2X miles on all other purchases	Rewards 1.5% cash back on every purchase
Welcome bonus 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months	Welcome bonus $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Annual fee $95	Annual fee $0
Intro APR N/A	Intro APR 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Variable APR 18.99% to 26.99%	Variable APR 17.99% to 27.99%

Earning rewards

Both the Capital One Venture and Capital One Quicksilver offer straight-forward rewards rates, with no rotating bonus categories to activate and track.

The Venture card’s rewards are geared toward travel, so before planning any future vacations,  consider applying. With it, you’ll earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus 2X miles on all other purchases (which is a higher rewards rate on non-category purchases than what’s offered by most other travel credit cards).

If you’d prefer a cash back option, though, the Quicksilver also takes a streamlined approach to rewards. This flat-rate cash back card offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, regardless of where, when or what you buy.

Redeeming rewards

Venture cardholders can redeem miles for travel through the Capital One Travel portal, receive a statement credit toward travel purchases made within the last 90 days or transfer miles to a variety of hotel and airline transfer partners. Alternatively, rewards can also be redeemed for cash back, gift cards or Amazon.com or PayPal purchases.

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 toward travel with select Capital One transfer partners, according to The Points Guy). Cash back redemptions, on the other hand, fetch just 0.5 cents per mile, so the Venture card only makes sense if you could more readily use miles than cash back.

Sign-up bonuses

The Capital One Venture offers a significant sign-up bonus of 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. As noted earlier, the value of Capital One miles varies depending on how you redeem them, so if you choose to spend your miles for travel, this bonus is worth at least $750.

With the Capital One Quicksilver, you’ll earn $200 in cash back when you spend $500 within three months of account opening. While the sign-up bonus is much smaller than the Venture card bonus, it carries a substantially lower spending requirement and is on par with bonuses from other no-annual-fee Capital One cards, like the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Annual fees

The Venture card’s $95 annual fee may be worth it, especially if you plan to use the card for the majority of your spending, redeem for travel and take advantage of its travel perks.

Unlike the Venture, the Quicksilver has no annual fee, meaning you could use the card sparingly without worrying about offsetting the cost of card ownership.

Intro APRs

While the Venture card doesn’t offer any kind of introductory APR, the Quicksilver can get you a 15-month 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers, followed by a variable APR of 17.99% to 27.99%.

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

Capital One Venture: Best for straightforward travel rewards

The Venture card is best suited for cardholders who want to earn a flat rate of miles on every purchase with no categories to track. As a simplistic travel credit card, you’ll get access to useful perks, like a credit up to $100 for Global Entry TSA PreCheck and car rental insurance.

As discussed, you’ll have the option to transfer miles to some frequent flier programs and potentially further stretch their value.

Capital One Quicksilver: Best for earning flat-rate cash back

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

For no annual fee, the Quicksilver will allow you to earn flexible cash back rewards without worrying about tracking spending or bonus categories. It also offers a few helpful benefits worth noting, such as 24-hour travel assistance, extended warranty coverage and access to CreditWise.

Note, some cash back cards let you earn double or triple cash back in certain spending categories, so if you spend heavily in an area like groceries or dining out, those may prove more rewarding in the end than a flat-rate card like the Quicksilver.

Bottom line

Both the Capital One Venture Rewards card and Capital One Quicksilver require good or excellent credit to be approved, so be sure to take advantage of Capital One preapproval tools before you apply.

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