Chase Freedom Unlimited^® vs. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Which Cash Back Card is Right for You?

Here is a high-level overview of some key benefits of the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards.

	Chase Freedom Unlimited 4.7 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards 4.5 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
FinanceBuzz value calculation1 <p class="">These values are based on the <a href="https://financebuzz.com/financebuzz-credit-card-valuation">FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model</a>, which takes a look at rewards earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee. We used a valuation of 1 cent/point unless otherwise stated above. These are estimated values - your actual earnings will depend on how much you spend and in what categories.<br></p>	Year 1: $953 Year 2: $653	Year 1: $763 Year 2: $563
Annual fee	$0	$0
Early spend bonus	Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)	Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Base rewards rate	1.5%	1.5%
Bonus rewards rate	3% on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠	5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
Intro APR	0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then 19.74% - 28.49% Variable APR 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then 19.74% - 28.49% Variable APR	0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then 19.49% - 29.49% (variable) APR 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then 19.49% - 29.49% (variable) APR; Balance transfer fee applies
Travel perks	5% total cash back on qualifying Lyft rides Trip cancellation/interruption insurance up to $1,500 per person or $6,000 per trip Travel and emergency assistance services	Travel accident insurance 24-hour travel assistance Opportunity to save money booking through Capital One Travel
Other benefits	Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for three months (activate by Jan. 31, 2025) Extended warranty protection Purchase protection	Extended warranty protection Access to premier culinary, music, and sporting events Complimentary concierge service Access to Capital One Shopping to help you save while shopping online
Foreign transaction fee	3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars	None
Credit needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Apply now or Read our review	Read our review

When to go with Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a great option if:

• You purchase airfare or hotel stays frequently
• You and your family dine out or use takeout often
• You use your credit card for most purchases

You plan to travel frequently

If you have big travel plans coming up, the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers greater travel benefits than the Quicksilver card, including:

• Higher rewards the first year: The Freedom Unlimited card offers 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, normally. But for the first year, you earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), for a total of 6.5% back on travel. Applying for this card right before booking a dream trip can be very rewarding.
• Use points to pay for travel: You can use your earned points to pay for your travel expenses booked through Chase Travel℠ to potentially save money.
• Get trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If you book your trips using your Chase Freedom Unlimited card, you can get reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if you cancel for a covered reason.

You frequently eat at restaurants

If you and your family eat out often, whether inside a restaurant or you order takeout, the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers greater rewards than the Capital One Quicksilver.

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you earn 3% back normally, and 4.5% back during the first year. Capital One Quicksilver pays a flat 1.5% back, so you earn double with the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

It may not sound like much to earn 3%, but here’s a quick example. According to our credit card valuation model and research, the average household spends $3,500 on dining out and $2,500 on takeout. That’s a total of $6,000 per year. Here’s the difference in rewards:

In this example, you’d earn $180 more in cash back when using a card that offers 3% vs 1.5% on $6,000 in spending.

You pay with your credit card the most

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited you can earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). If you’re the type of person who uses a credit card for most of their regular spending, the cash back can really add up.

Using the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, the cash back potential of the Chase Freedom Unlimited is higher, especially in year one. The actual value will depend on your personal spending habits and how much you charge to the card.

If you take advantage of the special earnings rate in year one, then you could earn even more with the Freedom Unlimited. These calculations also assume a point value of 1 cent per point, but if you transfer your points to the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, your points could be worth more for travel.

When to go with Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card is a great option if:

• You like to experience exclusive entertainment events
• You have a big purchase coming up
• You don’t like to deal with reward categories

Exclusive entertainment events are your jam

If you love entertainment and getting exclusive access to events and VIP packages excites you, become a Capital One credit card holder. Unlike Chase, Capital One offers its entertainment benefit to most eligible cardholders, including those with a Capital One Quicksilver card.

The benefits include access to:

• Sporting events: Access tickets to your favorite sporting events with VIP tickets and chances for rare meet-and-greets.
• Music: Get tickets to the hottest concerts, premium seats, and chances for meet-and-greet opportunities for your favorite performers.
• Dining: Get access to exclusive events at the hottest food festivals, and exclusive dining opportunities for cardholders.

You have plans to spend now

If you look at your credit card as an opportunity to cover large purchases or even protect the purchases with extended warranties and purchase protection, you may be better off with the Capital One Quicksilver card. Let's compare the welcome offers:

Capital One Quicksilver: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

Chase Freedom Unlimited: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)

Unlike the Chase card, the Capital One card pays your entire welcome bonus after you spend $500 in first 3 months. So you could potentially earn the $200 cash bonus within the first few months.

With the Chase card you'd need to spend $13,500 on your credit card to earn the equivalent of a $200 bonus. If that doesn’t sound like something you’d do, the Capital One card has an easier to achieve welcome offer.

You prefer not to have to think about which card is best for a purchase

If the thought of figuring out which credit card pays the most for the category you’re purchasing something in bothers you, the Capital One Quicksilver card is a good option because you don’t have to mess with categories.

The card pays a flat 1.5% on every purchase, every day. So you don’t have to fish through your wallet for the best card for groceries, drug store purchases, or dining out. You know you’ll always earn 1.5% cash back.

Now this does leave you at a slight disadvantage compared to the Chase Freedom Unlimited card because Chase pays a higher percentage of cash back in prominent categories, but some people prefer to have a flat rate and peace of mind. If that’s you, this card is a better option.

In addition, if you aren’t a frequent traveler and don’t eat out often, the true benefit of the Freedom Unlimited card is lost, whereas the Quicksilver offers a one-size-fits-all for anyone looking for a basic rewards card.

Key differences between the two

The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Capital One Quicksilver cards have many similarities including no annual fee, the same 0% intro APR period, and the need for good-to-excellent credit to qualify.

But the cards have several differences to consider, including:

Reward redemptions

A big selling point for the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards is the ability to redeem rewards for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Chase Freedom Unlimited card members have access to the Chase Travel portal where you can redeem cash back for travel at the same fixed rate of 1 cent per point with the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

There’s even more rewards flexibility when you pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited with premium Chase travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your rewards are worth up to 50% more when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel portal.

Plus, pairing with premium Chase cards allows for more lucrative redemptions, as you can turn cash back into Ultimate Rewards points and transfer them to one of many Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

On the other hand, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards doesn’t offer the same reward flexibility. You can redeem rewards as:

• Cash
• Pay with PayPal
• Pay on Amazon.com
• Statement credit to cover a recent purchase
• Gift cards

Note: You do have the ability to apply cash back against travel-related purchases, you don’t get access to a travel portal with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card.

Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited wins if you are a frequent traveler, otherwise they could tie if you’re looking for basic rewards.

Benefits sweeteners

Both cards offer a few exclusive perks that the other doesn’t. Understanding these benefits can help you determine which card is best.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits that really stand out include:

• Extra earnings with Lyft: 5% total cash back on qualifying Lyft rides.
• DashPass membership: You can get three months of free DashPass membership, followed by a 50% discount on the regular rate for the next nine months (you can cancel at any time). DashPass typically costs $9.99 per month and offers $0 delivery fees at DashPass restaurants for orders over $12, as well as reduced service fees.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards offers a couple of unique benefits, including:

• No foreign transaction fees: If you travel abroad frequently, this is a great benefit, as Chase charges 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars on each transaction.
• Premium experiences: Cardmembers get access to experiences such as culinary events, concerts, music festivals, and sporting events.

For more details, check out our Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards review.

There’s no clear winner here. The right one for you depends on which benefits you’ll use the most. For example, if you don’t travel abroad and aren’t into entertainment, you may get more out of the Chase card, or vice versa.

Other benefits

Many people overlook the other benefits credit cards offer, but oftentimes, they are some pretty great benefits. Here’s how the two cards compare:

Winner: The Chase card’s other benefits are more valuable than the Capital One benefits, especially the trip cancellation/interruption and purchase protection coverage.

Want to learn more about the benefits of Chase Freedom Unlimited? Check out our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

FAQs

Bottom line

If you are trying to compare credit cards, it should be clear by now that both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards are great credit card offers. These two are among the best cash back credit cards available today.

But there's really no single "best" card for every person. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance card with a simple cashback rewards structure, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards may be better. It’s a card you can take anywhere, and you won’t have to stress when you’re traveling because there’s no foreign transaction fees.

On the other hand, the Chase Freedom Unlimited may be a more compelling cashback card if you frequently spend in its bonus cashback categories or travel frequently. If you’re willing to take a more active role in managing your rewards, you’d likely be happier with the Chase Freedom Unlimited. It’s an excellent choice if you’re under the 5/24 rule and are eager to dive into the world of points and award travel.

Unlimited Cash Back

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

4.7

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

Apply Now

Current Offer

Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• High base rewards rate of 1.5%
• $0 annual fee
• Valuable welcome bonus for new cardholders
• Intro APR offers for purchases and balance transfers

Drawbacks

• Has a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
• No bonus categories for gas or groceries

Card Details

• INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
• Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
• After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
• No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC