Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card review: Earn rewards while building credit

This card allows cardholders with average to limited credit to build their score while simultaneously enjoying perks (and cash back!) that is usually reserved only for upper-echelon cash-back credit cards that are harder to get.
author Jennifer Doss

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our Rating:   
Average, Fair, Limited

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • A simple rewards structure gives cardholders the chance to earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no rotating categories, spending tiers or caps to worry about.
  • Allows those with less-than-stellar credit to get in the cash-back game.
  • With no foreign transaction fees, this is a decent choice if you plan to travel abroad.
  • While the annual fee isn't high, it is something to consider. What is high, is the APR at RegAPR; make sure you're paying off your balance in full every billing cycle.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

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BENEFITS OF CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CARD

The CardName allows cardholders with average to limited credit to, with responsible use, build their score while simultaneously enjoying perks (and cash back!) usually reserved for upper-echelon cash-back credit cards. Its mainstay is 1.5% flat-rate cash back on all purchases. With only a small annual fee of AnnualFees and no rotating categories, the QuicksilverOne offers one of the simplest cash- back programs out there and it's still an option even if your credit is less than excellent.

Some of the features of this card include:

  • Easy access to a higher line of credit in as little as six months
  • $0 fraud liability for unauthorized charges
  • Credit profile monitoring with the CreditWise® app
  • No foreign transaction fees (See Rates and Fees)
  • Up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024

Top Features

 Cash Back on Gas
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day
 Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day
 Cash Back on Other
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day

WHAT OUR EDITORS LIKE MOST ABOUT THE CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARD

Many cash-back credit cards come with annual fees and interest rates much higher than their no-frills, no cash back cousins, not to mention are reserved for people with good to excellent credit. CardName, on the other hand, features a reasonable AnnualFees annual fee, much less than many "plain vanilla" credit cards for average credit. And, as an added bonus, the Capital One QuicksilverOne won't charge you a foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside of the U.S., so this card makes a great travel companion if you occasionally visit overseas destinations. See Rates and Fees

When it comes to rewards, you can redeem your reward cash for a statement credit with no minimum redemption required and no redemption fee. That's a big deal when a few extra dollars will make a difference in your monthly budget. If you're likely to forget about your cash-back rewards, you can put your rewards redemption on autopilot. Just request automatic statement credits whenever your cash-back rewards balance hits $25 (or whatever dollar amount feels best for you).

CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CARD CREDIT SCORE NEEDED

The CardName is a rewards card geared towards those who have limited credit history or just average credit. Many cards for individuals looking to build their credit don’t provide rewards earning capabilities, so the QuicksilverOne card is noteworthy in this way.

Capital One states that average/fair/limited credit is needed for approval, but other factors are likely considered in the application process as well, including payment history of revolving credit, your total open cards, and the average age of accounts open. The credit agency Experian considers a fair FICO score to be in the 580-669 range. Please note though that these numbers can vary between different bureaus.

POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES OF THE CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CREDIT CARD

An offer of 1.5% cash back is good for users with average credit; however, there are much more competitive cash-back deals for applicants whose credit is in excellent or good standing. If that's you, you can likely find higher cash-back rewards with a different card. Also depending on whether you are going into membership with a mindset geared more toward building your credit or trying to reap a few dollars back, it wouldn't hurt to consider secured or prepaid credit cards that are designated primarily for building your credit.

There is also a AnnualFees annual fee attached to the card. While you could earn some of the annual fee back with that 1.5% ongoing reward rate, the cash back is not nearly enough of an equalizer if you’re planning to carry a balance. At RegAPR, the ongoing APR is high (though not unusually so for a card available to those with fair credit). Still, a card with an introductory APR offer – or at least a lower ongoing APR – could be a better fit if carrying a balance is something you do from time to time. See Rates and Fees

CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

Current Scores Past Scores
Overall Score 82.9 82.8
Features Satisfaction 8.2 8.2
Customer Service 8.1 8.5
Website/App Usability 8.5 8.5
Likelihood of Continuing to Use 8.7 8.6
Recommend to a Friend/Colleague 8.4 8.1

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW THE CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CREDIT CARD COMPARES TO OTHER CASH-BACK CREDIT CARDS

Capital One QuicksilverOne vs. CardName

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Both the Capital One QuicksilverOne and the CardName are good choices to earn cash back on every purchase you make. Each card provides unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases along with perks such as no foreign transaction fees.

While the cards are similar, QuicksilverOne doesn't have a welcome offer at this time. However, Capital One Quicksilver offers new cardholders a one-time $200 bonus once spending $500 on purchases in the first three months. Another benefit of the Capital One Quicksilver credit card is that it doesn't charge an annual fee.

The main difference between these two cards boils down to credit scores. While the Capital One Quicksilver card has a bit of an edge over the QuicksilverOne, you'll need good or excellent credit to open an account. For those with lower credit scores, the QuicksilverOne is a good alternative. It offers a similar level of benefits for a relatively low annual fee.

To learn more about how these two cards line up side-by-side, check out our in depth "Capital One Quicksilver vs. QuicksilverOne" comparison.

Capital One QuicksilverOne vs. Capital One Platinum

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The Capital One QuicksilverOne card and CardName are two options for cardholders with average or fair credit scores. The QuicksilverOne card provides cash back rewards however, and the Platinum card does not.

Like the QuicksilverOne, the Capital One Platinum card offers a chance to access a higher credit limit in as little as six months. The card also doesn't charge an annual fee (See Rates and Fees), which can make it a more economical choice when compared to the AnnualFees annual fee charged by the QuicksilverOne card (See Rates and Fees).

In terms of added benefits, both cards have a similar set of perks. Plus, neither card charges foreign transaction fees.

Capital One QuicksilverOne vs. Chase Freedom FlexSM

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Recognized as one of our best cash back cards, CardName offers impressive rewards and perks. Cardholders receive 5% cash back on purchases made in categories that rotate quarterly (up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate) as well as 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases. All other purchases receive 1% cash back. New cardholders can also earn a $200 cash back bonus once spending $500 with the card in the first three months of card membership.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ doesn't charge an annual fee and comes with the added bonus of a 0% intro APR period. Through this offer, enjoy 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then RegAPR.

All that might make it seem as though Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a better choice than the Capital One QuicksilverOne card; however, there are some good reasons to choose the latter. If you'd rather not hassle with quarterly categories, the QuicksilverOne card's cash-back rate of 1.5% is higher than the regular Chase Freedom Flex℠ rate of 1%. Plus, foreign transactions are free for QuicksilverOne cardholders while Chase Freedom Flex℠ charges a 3% fee for any purchase made in a foreign currency.

Beyond that, the Capital One QuicksilverOne is more accessible to those with lower credit scores. If you want to open a Chase Freedom Flex℠ account, you'll need good or excellent credit.

Information related to Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer

IS THE CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVERONE CARD GOOD?

The CardName can either be a great standalone card thanks to its 1.5% cash back offer on all purchases, or a credit-building card to get you started in the right direction; i.e. as a segue into higher-tier credit cards with greater rewards. Maybe for you, it's both!

For average credit card users the QuicksilverOne comes off as a steal because of its dual nature of offering you something back in your pocket as well as opportunities for your credit to climb the ladder as long as you use the card responsibly. If you can find the perfect balance between spending responsibly and utilizing the credit preserving tools the QuicksilverOne has in store, it could be a solid card choice for you.


Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.

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.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Compared to Other Cash back Cards

Apply online for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Apply online for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Apply online for Citi Double Cash<sup>®</sup> Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Cash Back on Gas
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on Gas
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 
Cash Back on Gas
1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 
Cash Back on Gas
1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay 
Cash Back on Gas
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on Groceries
6% at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) 
Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 
Cash Back on Groceries
1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay 
Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on other
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on other
1% Cash Back on other purchases. 
Cash Back on other
1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 
Cash Back on other
1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay 
Cash Back on other
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.