The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card tops our list of best Capital One travel cards because of the bounty of rewards and perks it offers — not to mention being one of the most affordable cards for lounge access.
Odds are you’ve seen the TV commercials featuring celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson or Jennifer Garner asking, “What’s in your wallet?” and it sparked your curiosity. If you’re curious about the types of cards Capital One offers, there are many options you can choose from. In fact, Capital One has one of the widest variety of credit card offerings of any of the major issuers.
Capital One issues cash back cards, travel rewards cards and credit cards designed to help you build credit, as well as some popular small business credit cards. With excellent travel and cash back options for every credit range, Capital One likely has something for you. Plus, all of Capital One’s U.S.-issued credit cards come with no foreign transaction fees.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Earn premium travel perks
For frequent travelers, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card may be the most valuable of Capital One’s rewards cards. It offers great rewards on travel purchases, flexible miles that transfer to a variety of hotel and airline programs and a $300 travel credit that can cover most of the $395 annual fee each year. Plus, it also gets you into Capital One lounges and is one of the most affordable options for Priority Pass lounge access.
With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you’ll earn 2X Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 10X Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5X Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel You also get a $300 travel credit each year on bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 Venture miles each year on your anniversary. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also comes with cellphone protection, access to airport lounges and up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.A charge card for business owners
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is an excellent choice for business owners looking for a simple cash back card. You’ll earn unlimited Earn 2% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. And while it does have a $150 annual fee, if you have a lot of business expenses to put on a single card, the unlimited 2% cash back can be well worth it.
Of note, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card is a charge card that comes with no preset spending limit. Because it’s a charge card, you’ll need to pay the balance in full each and every month or be subject to a late fee. However, in spite of this and its $150 annual fee, you will receive a $200 cash bonus each year that you spend at least $200,000 or more on the card.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.A secured card that helps build credit
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is the most rewarding of Capital One’s secured credit card options. You can earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases after putting down a minimum $200 security deposit. And with responsible usage, you can be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months.
With the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card you’ll also be automatically considered for an increased credit line in as little as six months. If you use your Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card responsibly, it can help you build your credit.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Student credit card with rewards
For students enrolled at or planning to attend college, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card can be a great start to your credit journey. It has a welcome offer, a solid rewards rate for all purchases and $0 annual fee.
Note that Capital One does require applicants to be students to be approved for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. In other words, you’ll need to be currently enrolled, or admitted and planning to enroll, at an accredited higher education institution in the next three months.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Offers dining and entertainment rewards
Earn 3% Cash Back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great option if you’re looking to maximize your cash back rewards. You can earn a large amount of cash back in lucrative categories, including dining, entertainment and grocery stores.
Cardholders earn 3% Cash Back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. There’s also a sign-up bonus offering excellent value for a relatively low spending requirement: Earn $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Flat-rate cash back on all purchases
Earn 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
If you’re looking for a simple cash back card that gives the same rewards rate on all purchases, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card might be for you. With this card, you can earn 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). You’ll appreciate the simplicity of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Also get an introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers*, with a $0 annual fee.
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is geared toward consumers with good / excellent credit. If, however, you don’t have the recommended credit, you should check out the other Quicksilver cards: the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards for Good Credit, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Earn transferable airline miles
Earn 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option if you’re looking for a simple travel rewards card. It earns 2 Venture miles for every $1 spent, and you can use those miles directly towards travel or transfer them to more than 15 airline and hotel transfer partners. And as an added bonus, it gives you up to $100 toward your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application every four years.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee. However, keep in mind that the card has a flat rewards rate of 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This means you’ll recoup the amount of the annual fee after spending just $4,750 each year.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Good for building credit with no deposit
If your credit is less-than-perfect, you might consider the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It offers solid rewards for cardholders with fair credit, as well as the ability to be considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months. Keep in mind, though, that it does have a relatively high APR and a $39 annual fee. Still, as long as you pay the card on time every month and don’t max it out, it can help you improve your credit standing. Plus, you can earn rewards on all your spending.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Earn elevated rewards on dining and entertainment
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great choice for foodies, since it has an outstanding earning rate on dining, entertainment, streaming services and grocery stores. If your budget is heavy on dining and entertainment, you can 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply), 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 1% Cash Back on all other purchases
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card does have a $0 annual fee, so you’ll want to make sure that the extra cash back rewards you get outweigh the annual fee. But if you’re not sure that the annual fee makes sense for you, you can consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Good Credit — it has lower earning rates, but also no annual fee.
Ideal if you frequently shop at Walmart
If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, you’ll definitely want to consider the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card — it’s ideal if you do much of your shopping at Walmart.com and in the Walmart app. The cash back rewards for such purchases are generous. However, while the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card does provide bonus 5% cash back on in-store Walmart purchases for the first 12 months, your rate drops to a less impressive 2% cash back in the second year. For that reason, this card is best for making online purchases with Walmart.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Recommended Credit Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*
|
Winner
|
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel | 2X Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 10X Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5X Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel | Excellent | |
|
Capital One Spark Cash Plus*
|
Business
|
$2000 Cash Back once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year | Earn 2% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | Excellent | |
|
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
Secured card
|
N/A | 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply) | Limited / Poor | |
|
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
Student
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Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months | 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply) | Limited / Fair | |
|
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
Cash back
|
Earn $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 3% Cash Back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases | Good / Excellent | |
|
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
Simple cash back
|
N/A | 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply) | Limited / Fair | |
|
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card*
|
Beginners
|
75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | Good / Excellent | |
|
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
Build credit
|
N/A | 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply) | Limited / Fair | |
|
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
Dining
|
$250 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply), 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 1% Cash Back on all other purchases | Good / Excellent | |
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card*
|
Walmart
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5% cash back in Walmart stores for the first 12 months after approval when you use your card with Walmart Pay | 5% cash back at Walmart.com, including pickup and delivery. 2% back at Walmart stores, at restaurants and on travel. 1% back everywhere else Mastercard® is accepted | Good / Excellent |
Getting a Capital One credit card can come with a nice array of perks and benefits. Depending on which Capital One card you get, you may be able to take advantage of increased bonus categories, travel perks, airline lounge access, trip or rental car insurance or many other benefits. Take a look at the different Capital One credit cards to see if there is one that might be right for you.
Capital One offers many different credit cards, and it may feel overwhelming to decide which Capital One card might be right for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you choose a Capital One credit card.
Determine which cards you can qualify for
You need to make sure your credit score falls within a card’s credit range before you apply. It doesn’t make sense to apply for a card that requires excellent credit if your credit is still rebuilding. Capital One makes it very clear on their website the range of credit that you’ll likely need.
Don’t know your credit score? Sign up for an account at LendingTree to get your free credit score and recommendations to boost your score.
| FICO Score | Vantage Score |
|---|---|
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Decide what type of credit card you want
The wide array of credit cards offered by Capital One means that no matter what kind of credit card you’re interested in, it’s likely that Capital One has an offering that might appeal to you.
| What type of user are you? | Choose a … |
|---|---|
| You want to earn points that you can use with any hotel or airline. | General travel card (Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card)
|
| You want the simplest, most flexible rewards possible. | Cash back credit card (Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card)
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| You're trying to pay down a balance on another credit card. | Balance transfer credit card (Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, balance transfer fee applies)
|
| You want to finance a large purchase. | Intro APR credit card (Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card)
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| You need a card to make purchases for your small business. | Business credit card (Capital One Spark Cash Plus*)
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| You're new to credit or trying to rebuild your credit history | Credit card for building credit (Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card)
|
Find rewards that match your spending patterns
Different Capital One credit cards offer bonus spending in different categories. You should pick a card that offers a bonus on categories where you spend the most. Many Capital One cards offer the same rate on every purchase — these are better options if you don’t spend heavily on dining and travel, or you don’t want to keep track of categories.
Decide if you want to pay an annual fee
Some Capital One cards come with no annual fee, while others charge a fee that you have to pay each year. While it is possible that the value of the rewards and benefits will outweigh the annual fee, you should do the math to decide if you’ll get enough value out of the card before you apply. If you’re set against paying an annual fee, Capital One has many excellent no-annual-fee credit cards, including the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Consider other Capital One credit card benefits
Don’t overlook the value of the remaining benefits on the card. Some Capital One cards offer travel credits that can cover the cost of the annual fee. In addition, most Capital One cards come with purchase and travel protections — such as trip cancellation insurance and extended warranty protection — that can secure your purchases and save you from having to purchase insurance.
The Capital One rewards program is called Venture Miles, and there are several different credit cards that can earn Venture miles. One of the best things about the Venture Miles program is that the miles you earn are quite flexible. You can redeem them to book travel through the Capital One travel portal or cover select travel purchases, at a rate of 1 cent per point. You can also transfer your Venture miles to a variety of different hotel or airline travel partners, possibly getting even more value from your miles.
Here’s a brief rundown of some of the various options to transfer or redeem your Capital One Venture miles, along with the approximate redemption value you’d get for 1,000 miles:
Value of 1,000 Capital One miles
The Venture Miles collection includes several personal credit cards and several cards for small business owners. You can transfer miles to Capital One hotel and airline partners with any of these cards:
Capital One’s travel partners include more than 15 hotel and airline loyalty programs. You may be able to get outsized value by transferring your miles to some of these programs. Most partners transfer at a ratio of 1:1.
One important thing to note, however, is that Capital One currently does not have a major U.S. airline partner, which may make it harder to transfer your miles to book a domestic flight.
If you’re looking to apply for a Capital One credit card, here are a few tips for how to get ready and increase your odds of being approved:
Capital One offers a form on its site to see if you’re preapproved for the card without affecting your credit score. Simply go to the landing page of any Capital One credit card and click the “See If I’m Pre-Approved” button. Once you’ve answered a few basic questions, you’ll then be presented with a list of the credit cards you’re preapproved for.
Most people would likely consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to be the highest-tier Capital One credit card. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a Visa Infinite card that comes with an array of premium benefits and an annual fee of $395.
You have a few different options for when you’re looking to activate your Capital One credit card. You can call the customer service number on the back of your card and activate your card over the phone. Another option is to log on to your Capital One account online and confirm receipt and activate your card through your online account.
Some Capital One credit cards allow you to request a cash advance from your credit card. You may be able to do this either from an ATM (if you’ve set up a PIN in advance) or at a Capital One branch. Just be aware that there may be fees and additional interest charged for a cash advance.
Capital One uses a variety of different criteria to determine whether or not to approve a credit card application. This criteria may include the total number of Capital One credit cards you currently have. Some cardholders have reported a maximum limit of two or five total Capital One credit cards, depending on the card. Make sure to read the terms and conditions of any card you’re planning to apply for, so you can understand if you may run into such a cap.
Capital One issues cards on both the Visa and Mastercard processing networks. That means your Capital One card will be accepted anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted, depending on the card. Make sure you check which type of card you have before you use it, so you’ll know where it’ll be accepted.
Capital One has several different credit cards, and each of them come with their own benefits. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a Visa Infinite card, which means that it does come with car rental insurance. You’ll want to make sure that you read and understand the terms and limitations of the policy that comes with your card.
In selecting the best Capital One credit cards, we considered factors like rewards rates, sign-up bonuses and how good your credit score needs to be for you to be considered for each card.
Many of the cards we selected for the best Capital One cards charge no annual fee. If a card does charge an annual fee, it also offers enough value through rewards, sign-up bonuses, and perhaps statement credits that the annual fee is worth it for consumers with specific needs and spending habits.
Finally, if a card offers helpful features, that weighed in its favor of being included. For example, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a charge card with no preset spending limit, which might be helpful for business owners who often find themselves needing to make big purchases.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Spark Cash Plus, Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards for Good Credit, Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Good Credit, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Spark Miles for Business, Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business, Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Spark Cash Select and Capital One Spark Classic for Business has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
