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Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card vs. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

One is a travel credit card while the other earns cash-back -- but which is better?

CNET'S PICK
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
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Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

6/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Intro Offer
20,000 miles Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
Annual fee
$0
APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards rate
1.25x - 5x Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options; Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day.
Welcome offer
Fees
Travel benefits
Introductory APR
5x
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
1.25x
Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day.
Best for
Welcome offer
Fees
Travel benefits
Introductory APR
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Learn More

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

7.5/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Intro Offer
$200 Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$0
APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards rate
1.5% - 5% Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply; Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
Rewards
Welcome offer
Fees
Introductory APR
5%
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
1.5%
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
Best for
Rewards
Welcome offer
Fees
Introductory APR

Despite the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card* being marketed as a travel card, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card* is the more lucrative choice for both your travel and everyday spending as it earns a higher cash-back rate. 

The VentureOne does offer an additional travel perk of auto rental insurance*, but that doesn’t outweigh the value of the Quicksilver’s rewards. The Quicksilver still comes equipped with travel accident insurance*, and neither card has foreign transaction fees.

Rewards

Winner: Capital One Quicksilver

The Quicksilver offers 1.5% cash back for every purchase, compared to the 1.25x miles per dollar of the VentureOne. They also respectively earn 5% cash back and 5x miles per dollar for rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel.

No matter how you slice it, the Quicksilver will provide more rewards than the VentureOne for the same amount of spending.

Welcome bonus

Winner: Tie

Here are the welcome bonuses for both cards:

  • Capital One VentureOne: Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within three months from account opening
  • Capital One Quicksilver: Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within three months from account opening

As long as you choose to redeem your 20,000 miles with the VentureOne for past travel expenses or booking travel through Capital One Travel, the bonus will equal $200 in value. Both welcome bonuses offer the same value for the same amount of spending.

Fees

Winner: Tie

Neither card asks for an annual fee or any foreign transactions fees. They both have late payment fees, a cash advance fee and a balance transfer fee, so neither card gains any ground here.

Travel benefits

Winner: VentureOne

The VentureOne Rewards card has a slight edge here thanks to the addition of its auto rental insurance* benefit. The Quicksilver offers cardholders extended warranty protection* and travel accident insurance*, but no auto rental insurance.

It is worth noting that the Quicksilver has limited redemption options for travel compared to the VentureOne. If you were planning to utilize mile transfers, you could only do so with the VentureOne. However, Capital One doesn’t partner with many US airlines, so unless you mainly travel internationally, you’re still better off utilizing the Quicksilver for its strong rewards.

Intro APR offer

Winner: Tie

Both credit cards offer cardholders the ability to avoid interest charges for new purchases and balance transfers via their introductory APR offers. With either card, people get a 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (then 19.99% to 29.99% variable).

During that time, you can pay down existing credit card debt via a balance transfer, or make a large purchase and pay down the balance while it accrues no interest.

Keep in mind both cards feature a 3% balance transfer fee during those 15 months (or 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time), with no fee after the 15 months are up. But don’t let that dissuade you from utilizing a balance transfer during that time. A balance transfer fee might sound intimidating, but it will often end up saving you money when paired with an introductory APR considering how high interest rates are.

How Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card compare to other cards

CNET’S PICK
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Learn More

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

6/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Intro Offer
20,000 miles Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
Annual fee
$0
APR
19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
Intro Purchase APR
0% intro on purchases for 15 months
Rewards rate
1.25x – 5x Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options; Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Learn More

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

7.5/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Intro Offer
$200 Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$0
APR
19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
Intro Purchase APR
0% intro on purchases for 15 months
Rewards rate
1.5% – 5% Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply; Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Apply Now

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

9.5/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Intro Offer
$200 cash rewards Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
Annual fee
$0
APR
20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
Intro Purchase APR
0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening
Rewards rate
2% Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Apply Now
On Wells Fargo’s secure website

The bottom line

The bottom line is that the Quicksilver is the stronger card thanks to its higher cash-back rate while still offering a few travel-related perks. What the VentureOne has over the Quicksilver -- auto rental insurance* -- isn’t enough to tip the scales in its favor considering the two cards are on equal footing in many other regards.

FAQs

Typically the difference lies in the rewards program and fringe benefits. A travel card may feature travel insurance or airport comforts while a general rewards card may feature perks insuring your purchases. A travel card will likely earn miles or points, while a general rewards card might earn points or cash back.

You just need to decline any travel accident insurance offered by the merchant and charge the full amount to your card, whether that be for airfare or a rental car, and you’ll be eligible for insurance.

Balance transfers are a great tool to use to lower your credit card debt and improve your credit. Even if there is a balance transfer fee, the cost of a one-time payment will typically be better than the cost of paying multiple interest charges at a high APR. By lowering your credit card debt, you’ll also increase your credit scores through lowering your credit utilization ratio, which is the percentage of your overall credit that you’re using.

All information about the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

*Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

Evan Zimmer has been writing about finance for years. After graduating with a journalism degree from SUNY Oswego, he wrote credit card content for Credit Card Insider (now Money Tips) before moving to ZDNET Finance to cover credit card, banking and blockchain news. He currently works with CNET Money to bring readers the most accurate and up-to-date financial information. Otherwise, you can find him reading, rock climbing, snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors.