Capital One is a well-known credit card issuer. It’s no stranger to the spotlight — you’ve probably seen its celebrity-driven TV commercials or online ads in your travels.
Thanks in part to its aggressive advertising campaign, millions of U.S. consumers use Capital One products. Here, we’ll highlight the best Capital One credit cards, including:
- Generous cash-back credit cards that earn real returns on everyday spending
- Broad-based travel rewards credit cards that can reduce the cost of domestic and international travel without forcing you to remain loyal to a particular vendor or alliance
- Small-business credit cards for businesses large and small
- Miscellaneous credit cards designed for students and people with below-average credit
Best Capital One Credit Cards
These are the best Capital One credit cards on the market right now. Each of these credit card offers is subject to change, especially around features like early spend bonuses and 0% intro APR promotions. Check this list often for the latest details.
1. Best Overall: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (also known as Venture from Capital One) is Capital One’s flagship flat-rate travel rewards credit card.
Venture was one of the first travel cards to offer unlimited 2x miles on all spending, regardless of purchase category. Today, the rewards program is even better, thanks to a new 5x miles tier for hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Venture’s rewards program makes it a great everyday spending card for people who like to get away from time to time. And unlike branded airline and hotel rewards credit cards, Venture doesn’t care who you spend your hard-earned travel dollars with — only that you’re getting some much deserved R&R.
If you travel frequently enough to offset the $95 annual fee and aren’t particularly loyal to an airline alliance or hospitality family, this card should be high on your travel rewards short list.
Additional features:
- Earn an early spend bonus of 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of your account opening date — worth $750 when redeemed for statement credits against travel purchases made with your Venture card
- Miles don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing
- No foreign transaction fee
- Use your Venture card to pay your Global Entry application fee and get a statement credit for the full amount (up to $100)
- $95 annual fee
Learn More About the Capital One Venture Rewards Card
2. Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is Capital One’s flagship flat-rate cash-back card.
Quicksilver boasts a flat, unlimited 1.5% cash-back rate on all purchases, with no caps or limits on your earning potential. Plus, your points never expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. And you can redeem in any amount.
If you’re looking for a straightforward cash-back credit card with no annual fee or foreign transaction fee and a nice set of value-added benefits, this could be the card for you.
Additional features:
- Get $200 as an early spend bonus after you spend at least $500 on purchases within three months of your account opening date
- Cash back doesn’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from account opening, then variable regular APR applies (currently 19.99% to 29.99%), after that balance transfer fee applies.
- Redeem your accumulated cash back for statement credits, paper checks, and gift cards in any amount
- Schedule recurring, automatic redemptions at certain cash-back thresholds
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
- Balance Transfer Fee applies to balances transferred at a promotional rate
Learn More About the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card
3. Best for Frugal Travelers: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is Venture’s littler, lesser-known cousin. The rewards rate is lower and the early spend bonus is smaller, for instance. But there’s plenty to like about this card, from a fairly long 0% APR purchase promotion to the slew of travel discounts and upgrades available to cardholders.
Oh, and there’s no annual fee. For occasional travelers seeking a no-strings-attached return on spending, VentureOne is hard to beat.
Additional features:
- Earn 20,000 miles after you spend $500 on the card within 3 months from account opening (worth $200 when redeemed for travel).
- Earn unlimited 1.25 miles per $1 spent on all purchases, with no caps or restrictions
- Once earned, miles never expire
- Enjoy 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then variable regular APR applies (currently 19.99% to 29.99%)
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
Learn More About the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card
4. Best for Dining and Entertainment: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is the best cash-back credit card for people who enjoy a good meal, period. Whether you’re dining out or cooking in, you can count on all food-related purchases on your SavorOne card to earn unlimited 3% cash back.
SavorOne has two other favored categories. One — entertainment — appeals to cardholders who prefer to go out. The other — streaming services — caters to cardholders who’d just as soon stay in.
Additional features:
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
- Redeem in any amount for a statement credit or paper check
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
Learn More About the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Card
5. Best for Business Owners: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Capital One Spark Cash Plus is Capital One’s flagship business cash-back credit card.
The highlight: Spark Cash Plus earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, with no caps or restrictions on your earning potential. That’s a great rate of return for general business spending.
If you spend thousands of dollars per month to keep a thriving business running, this generous, unlimited rate can really add up.
Additional features:
- Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months.
- Get your $150 annual fee refunded each year you spend at least $150,000
- Cash back doesn’t expire while your account is opening and in good standing
- Redeem your cash back in any amount for statement credits or paper checks
- No foreign transaction fee
- No fee for additional employee cards
- $150 annual fee
Learn More About the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card
6. Best for Business Travelers: Capital One Spark Miles for Business
A few twists aside, Capital One Spark Miles for Business is the business version of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
It’s a reasonably priced, generous option for business owners who travel frequently and aren’t especially loyal to any particular hospitality family or airline alliance. Which makes it one of the best business travel cards, bar none.
Additional features:
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,500 on purchases within three months of your account opening date — worth $500 when redeemed for statement credits against travel purchases
- Miles don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing
- Redeem your miles for statement credits against prior travel purchases
- Transfer miles to about a dozen participating Capital One travel partners at favorable conversion rates
- The $95 annual fee is waived in the first year
- No foreign transaction fee
- No fee for additional employee cards
- Get a statement credit up to $100 against a qualifying Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee
Learn More About the Capital One Spark 2X Miles Card
7. Best for Fair Credit: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a lot like its better-known sibling, the Quicksilver Cash Rewards card. But it’s designed for people with average credit — folks who almost certainly wouldn’t qualify for the flagship Quicksilver card, or many other Capital One credit cards for that matter.
If you’re in the process of building or rebuilding your credit and want to earn a solid return on spending along the way, this is your card.
Additional features:
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no caps or restrictions on how much you can earn
- Cash back doesn’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing
- Redeem in any amount for statement credits and other cash equivalents
- $39 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- Check your credit score at any time with the CreditWise app
Learn More About the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
8. Best for Students: Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a lot like the “adult” SavorOne card. The biggest distinction is the fact that it’s marketed exclusively to students enrolled in qualifying higher education institutions.
The generous cash rewards program, complete with four broad 3% cash-back categories, remains the same. Which makes SavorOne student one of the best student credit cards on the market, period.
Additional features:
- Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back qualifying dining, entertainment, streaming service, and grocery store purchases (excluding Walmart and Target purchases)
- Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
- Redeem for a statement credit or paper check in any amount
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
- Become eligible for a credit line increase in as little as six months with responsible card use and timely payments
Learn More About the SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
9. Best for Bad Credit: Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is a permanent inclusion on our list of the best secured credit cards for rebuilding credit. It’s a secured alternative to other entry-level cards and appropriate for people with limited or bad credit.
Like all secured credit cards, Platinum Secured From Capital One requires an upfront deposit to open your account — at least $49. You don’t get that deposit back until you pay off your balance in full and close your account.
As long as you’re OK with that, Platinum Secured From Capital One could be your ticket to better credit and higher purchasing power.
Additional features:
- Your initial credit limit is at least $200 — making Platinum Secured one of the few secured cards to offer an initial credit limit higher than the initial deposit
- Increase your credit limit by depositing additional funds into your secure account
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
- Make your first five monthly payments on time and apply for a higher credit limit with no additional deposit required
- Check your credit score any time with the CreditWise app
Learn More About the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Methodology: How We Choose the Best Capital One Credit Cards
We weigh several key factors when evaluating credit cards, including card fees, rewards, early spend bonuses, 0% APR promotions, and general card benefits. The Capital One cards on this list score better than any others on a variety of metrics.
Rewards Program
Most of the cards on this list earn rewards — either cash back or travel miles. Capital One’s rewards programs tend to be straightforward, both on the earning and redeeming sides, which is nice for folks who don’t like to jump through lots of hoops to get what’s theirs.
Of course, all else being equal, we prefer Capital One cards that offer impressive returns on spending and flexible redemption options.
Annual Fee
By and large, Capital One credit cards have low fees. Those that do charge annual fees tend to keep them reasonable — usually under $100.
That’s a far cry from high-end competitor products such as The Platinum Card from American Express ($695 annual fee) and Citi Prestige ($495 annual fee). Even so, we’re careful about promoting Capital One cards that we feel don’t offer good value.
Other Card Fees
Capital One doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees or balance transfer fees either. If reasonable fees are a key consideration for you — and why wouldn’t they be? — this is a point in Capital One’s favor.
General Benefits
Most Capital One cards have extended warranties for purchased items with existing manufacturer warranties, complimentary rental car coverage for rentals paid in full with the card, various travel coverages and assistance services, and more.
We note where cards on this list go above and beyond with regards to benefits, and call out those benefits where appropriate.
Early Spend Bonus
Many Capital One credit cards offer great early spend bonuses — up to $500 cash, or the equivalent in miles.
Bear in mind that new cardholders who’ve held Capital One cards in the recent past may be ineligible for these bonuses. Capital One’s fine print is pretty vague on this point. It simply says, “[bonuses] may not be available for existing or previous accountholders.”
If you’re uncertain about whether you qualify for a particular card’s bonus, give Capital One a call and talk it over with a representative.
0% APR Introductory Promotion
A handful of Capital One credit cards have long 0% APR introductory promotions for purchases, balance transfers, or both. Those cards tend to rise to the top of this list because they’re so valuable for cardholders planning large purchases or dealing with existing high-interest credit card debt.
Capital One Credit Card FAQs
Still have questions about Capital One credit cards? Not sure which card is right for you? Read on for answers to some of the most common questions about Capital One and its credit card division.
What’s the Best Capital One Credit Card?
The three-word answer: Read the list!
The slightly longer answer: It depends on what you’re looking for in a Capital One credit card. For example:
- Want a general-purpose cash-back credit card for everyday spending? The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card is your best bet.
- Want to earn extra rewards on grocery, dining, and entertainment spending? Look no further than the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
- Need a flat-rate travel rewards credit card? The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has you covered.
- Need a no-nonsense business credit card? Try the Capital One Spark Cash Plus for Business card.
Do read the full list, though.
What Credit Score Does Capital One Require?
It depends on the card you’re applying for.
You’ll have the best chance of qualifying for the card you want with a very good or excellent credit score — 740 or above, ideally. But you can still qualify for entry-level credit cards like the QuicksilverOne card if you don’t have great credit — say, your score is around 660.
You’ll have trouble qualifying for any Capital One credit card with a credit score below 600, however. The one possible exception here is the Capital One Secured card, which is designed for people with limited credit or impaired credit.
How Many Capital One Cards Can You Have?
There’s no formal limit on the number of Capital One credit cards you can have. However, applying for too many credit cards in a short period of time can ding your credit score and make it harder for you to qualify.
Capital One may impose informal limits on the number of cards you can have on a case-by-case basis too. If your application for yet another Capital One card is declined without any clear explanation, this could be why.
Do Capital One Cards Charge Foreign Transaction Fees?
Capital One credit cards don’t charge foreign transaction fees — period, end of story. This is true no matter which card you choose to use abroad or with international vendors. Just remember that currency exchange rates fluctuate over time, so the dollar value of international purchases could change depending on when you make them.
How to Choose the Best Capital One Credit Card
As credit card issuers go, Capital One is pretty straightforward. It doesn’t have the largest selection of cash-back or travel credit cards, nor specialty products like co-branded airline or hotel rewards credit cards backed by popular travel merchants like Hilton or United Airlines.
And the cards Capital One does offer are honest and easy to understand. Even lower-tier products seem to be designed with the user in mind rather than Capital One’s bottom line.
Still, it’s not always obvious which card works best for your needs. So as you consider your Capital One credit card options, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I want to earn rewards on eligible spending?
- If so, which type of rewards: cash back, travel, or something else?
- Do I plan to make a large purchase on my card and pay it off over time?
- Do I need to transfer an existing balance from another card?
- Can I earn enough rewards to offset the card’s annual fee, if any?
- Do I want a card that rewards me for certain types of purchases over others, or will a general rewards card do?
Your answers here might not lead you to a single card that’s clearly superior to all the others. But it’s likely to narrow down your list quite a bit.
