Capital One Platinum Credit Card vs. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: The Quicksilver Shines

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card can be a smart choice if you don’t have a good or excellent credit score and want to build your credit history. But the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a better option that gives you a welcome bonus, rewards, and intro APR offers — if you qualify.

Let’s explore the similarities and differences between Capital One Platinum versus Capital One Quicksilver to help you decide which card is the best option.

Capital One Platinum vs. Capital One Quicksilver

The Capital One Platinum credit card offers no rewards and almost no benefits. Still, it can be useful for increasing your credit score through responsible use, such as making on-time payments to build a positive credit history.

On the other hand, the Capital One Quicksilver credit card offers a slew of perks, including a welcome bonus, cashback opportunities, and World Elite Mastercard benefits, such as concierge services and extended warranty protection.

	Capital One Platinum Credit Card	Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Card type	Building credit	Cash back/Balance transfer
Annual fee	$0	$0
Early spend bonus	None	Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Earning rate	None	1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
Redemption methods	None	Statement credits Cover recent purchases Mailed checks Gift cards Capital One Travel purchases Amazon.com purchases PayPal purchases
Intro APR	None	0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) APR 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, then 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) APR; Balance transfer fee applies
Other benefits	Capital One Travel	Capital One Travel Capital One Entertainment Capital One Dining World Elite Mastercard
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Credit needed	Fair	Excellent, Good
	Learn More	Learn More

What both cards excel at

The Capital One Platinum and Quicksilver credit cards both excel in these areas:

• Annual fee: Capital One Platinum has a $0 annual fee, and Capital One Quicksilver has a $0 annual fee.
• Building credit: Capital One Platinum and Quicksilver may help improve your credit score if you qualify for one of them and responsibly use it to make purchases and on-time payments.
• Credit line increase: Capital One allows you to request credit line increases as long as your account isn’t too new, you haven’t received a credit line increase or decrease in the past few months, and your card isn’t a secured credit card. According to Capital One, requesting a credit line increase on one of its credit cards doesn’t result in a hard inquiry, so it should not hurt your credit score.
• CreditWise: This is a free tool from Capital One that may help you monitor important credit information, including receiving alerts about TransUnion credit report changes. Using CreditWise’s features won’t hurt your credit score.
• Contactless: The Capital One Platinum and Quicksilver credit cards offer contactless technology to help keep your in-person credit card payments fast and secure.
• Mobile app: Access the Capital One Platinum or Quicksilver credit cards through the Capital One mobile app while you’re on the go. Other Capital One products, including bank accounts, can also be accessed through your same online account on the mobile app.
• Capital One Travel: Capital One Platinum and Quicksilver cardholders receive access to Capital One Travel, a travel booking platform exclusively for eligible Capital One cardmembers. Use Capital One Travel to book flights, hotel stays, and more.
• No foreign transaction fees: The Capital One Platinum and Quicksilver aren’t considered travel credit cards, but neither have foreign transaction fees. This can help international travelers avoid these additional costs.

For more travel-focused credit cards, check out our best travel credit cards list.

6 important differences between Capital One Platinum vs. Capital One Quicksilver

Although the Capital One Platinum and Quicksilver credit cards share some similarities, you can find which credit card is a better fit for you based on their differences.

1. Welcome offers

Welcome offers typically provide a simple way to earn valuable rewards soon after opening a new credit card account. You usually have to spend a certain amount on your card within a few months of account opening to earn a welcome bonus.

The Capital One Platinum card doesn’t provide a welcome offer. The Capital One Quicksilver offers $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months.

Winner: Capital One Quicksilver because it has a welcome bonus.

Read our Capital One Quicksilver review to learn more.

2. Earning rates

Credit card rewards rates can help you continue earning valuable points, miles, or cash back long after you get your welcome offer.

Capital One Platinum isn’t connected to a rewards program and doesn’t offer any opportunities to earn rewards.

On the other hand, Capital One Quicksilver offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply).

If you use Quicksilver for your everyday spending, it’s like getting at least a 1.5% discount (in the form of cash back) on every purchase, every day.

Winner: Capital One Quicksilver, because it offers opportunities to earn cash back.

3. Redemption options

Capital One Platinum doesn’t earn rewards, so it doesn’t have any redemption options.

The Capital One Quicksilver credit card offers cash back for making eligible purchases. But what can you redeem your cashback rewards for?

These are the available redemption options for the cash back you earn from Capital One Quicksilver:

The most useful redemption options here are statement credits and covering recent purchases. It’s typically easy to use a credit card to buy just about anything, so you can make a purchase and, assuming you have enough cash back, cover it with your rewards.

Winner: Capital One Quicksilver because it can redeem rewards.

4. Credit score requirements

The Capital One Platinum typically requires a fair or average credit score. On the other hand, you may need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Capital One Quicksilver credit card.

Here are the credit score ranges on the FICO scoring model:

• Excellent: 800 to 850
• Very good: 740 to 799
• Good: 670 to 739
• Fair: 580 to 669
• Poor: 300 to 579

A fair credit score is well below an excellent credit score, as well as a good credit score, which means it’s generally easier to qualify for Capital One Platinum than Quicksilver.

Winner: Capital One Platinum because it can be easier to get approved for it.

Check out our Capital One Platinum review for more information, or explore our list of the best credit cards for fair credit.

5. Intro APR offers

An introductory APR offer on purchases or balance transfers can help you avoid paying interest for a set amount of time, which potentially saves you money.

Capital One Platinum doesn’t provide intro APR offers. On the other hand, Capital One Quicksilver offers 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) APR. It also offers 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, then 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) APR.

Do note that a balance transfer fee applies on the Capital One Quicksilver card.

Your savings may vary depending on how you use your card and your payment behavior.

Winner: Capital One Quicksilver because it offers intro APR for purchases and balance transfers.

6. World Elite Mastercard benefits

The Capital One Platinum isn’t a World Elite Mastercard. It doesn’t offer benefits that come with World Elite Mastercards, such as purchase assurance or trip cancellation insurance.

Capital One Quicksilver has a history with both the Visa and Mastercard payment networks. If your application page shows a Mastercard logo and you’re approved, you’ll likely receive the World Elite Mastercard version of the Quicksilver.

This means your card may come with benefits such as:

• Purchase assurance: Covers eligible new purchases against damage and theft.
• Price protection: Covers eligible new purchases against differences in price for the same item after you’ve purchased it by reimbursing you the difference.
• Extended warranty: Doubles the original manufacturer’s warranty (up to a maximum of 24 months) of an eligible purchased item.
• Concierge services: Receive access to a 24/7 personal assistant to help with whatever you need, including making restaurant reservations and helping with trip planning.
• MasterRental coverage: Covers eligible rental vehicles against damage and theft.
• Travel accident insurance: Covers accidents that happen while you’re traveling.
• Baggage delay insurance: Reimburses up to $100 per day for three days for eligible baggage delays.
• Trip cancellation or interruption insurance: Reimburses up to $1,500 for eligible trip cancellations or interruptions.
• Lost or damaged luggage insurance: Reimburses up to $1,500 for repairing or replacing eligible lost or damaged luggage.

Winner: Capital One Quicksilver offers World Elite Mastercard benefits if you get a Quicksilver card with the Mastercard logo.

Which card should you choose?

Capital One Quicksilver is better than Capital One Platinum in just about every way. It offers rewards, a welcome bonus, redemption options, intro APR offers, and additional perks such as access to Capital One Entertainment and World Elite Mastercard benefits.

You may prefer Capital One Platinum over Quicksilver if your credit score isn’t good or excellent. In this case, getting approved for a Capital One Platinum credit card can help you improve your credit score to the point where you can qualify for better credit cards down the road.

FAQs

Bottom line

The Capital One Quicksilver credit card is easily the better credit card compared with the Capital One Platinum card. It has the majority of factors you’d want in a rewards credit card, including a welcome offer, a decent earning rate, and intro APR offers.

Capital One Platinum doesn’t have any of these benefits. But it could be worthwhile if you can’t get approved for Quicksilver and need a credit card to help increase your credit score.

If these cards don’t seem to be the right fit for you, check out our recommended picks to compare credit cards.

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
• Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
• Intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
• $0 annual fee

Drawbacks

• Has foreign transaction fee
• No bonus categories

Card Details

• Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
• Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
• 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
• $0 annual fee.
• No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.