Erika's Picks for Best Capital One Credit Cards
- Best for travelers:
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - Best for premium travelers:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Best for beginners:
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card - Best for dining and entertainment:
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card - Best for students:
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards - Best for small business owners:
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Capital One offers one of the best credit card rewards programs on the market, with many ways to earn cashback, book travel, and access exclusive live events.
Capital One also offers a variety of credit cards for different lifestyles and spending profiles. Depending on your budget, one card might be a better fit for you than another.
Here are the top picks for Capital One cards that appeal to almost every type of consumer.
Best for Travelers
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- Earn 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
$250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
Annual Fee
$95
The main draw of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is lounge access. Most travel cards that offer lounge access are premium cards that come with a hefty annual fee. The Capital One Venture Rewards card gives you two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or one of 100+ participating lounges in their Partner Lounge Network.
It also comes with additional travel perks, including up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years. This perk alone covers the cost of having the card.
Credit card points are a great way to reduce — or even fully cover — the cost of your next trip. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great travel card with a low annual fee to get you started in the travel points world.
Best for Premium Travelers
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
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
Annual Fee
$395
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with a large sign-up bonus and is jam-packed with rewards.
You can earn a $300 travel statement credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel and up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. After your first year, you’ll be eligible to earn a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus each year, too.
The Venture X gives up to two guests access to more than 1,300 airport lounges. If you need to rent a car, you’re also eligible for Hertz President’s Circle status. Plus, with 10x miles on rental cars booked through Capital One, you’ll earn even more rewards.
If you prefer a premium travel credit card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card may be a better fit for you.
Compared to other cards with similar premium travel perks, the Venture X card comes with a lower annual fee. It's not cheap by any means, but the anniversary bonus and statement credits will offset the fee if you travel enough to make use of them.
Best for Credit Beginners
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.5% on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first three months
Annual Fee
$0
With the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, you can redeem cash rewards through PayPal or directly make purchases on Amazon if you prefer to use your rewards for shopping.
You can also access special discounts and apply coupons when you use the Capital One shopping portal for your purchases.
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards also comes with some of the same great perks you’ll find on other Capital One cards, including no foreign transaction fees, travel accident insurance, roadside assistance, and 24/7 complimentary concierge services. Certain purchases may qualify for extended warranty coverage as well.
The limited opportunities to earn cashback are the main drawback of this card. A flat-rate card is useful, but it won't maximize your points as effectively as other options.
If you’re just getting started with credit cards and you’re looking for a simple card with a flat cash-back reward, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great beginner credit card.
Best for Dining and Entertainment
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 8% cashback on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming subscriptions, and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores)
- 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
If you enjoy going out, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card will reward you for doing so, and then some.
The Savor Cash Rewards offers 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases (hello, exclusive live events and presale tickets!) as well as 3% on dining and general entertainment.
Because the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns a decent amount on dining out and at grocery stores, it’s a particularly good fit for foodies.
As long as you pay your balance off in full every month, you can earn money back when you order your favorite takeout or stock up at the supermarket.
Best for Students
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards
Rewards Rate
- 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores, like Walmart and Target)
- 1% on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn a $50 cash bonus after spending $100 in the first three months
Annual Fee
$0
If you're a student just establishing your credit history, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Reward card offers a simple sign-up bonus and a good way to earn cashback on purchases.
A perk that will appeal to college students is the ability to redeem points on Amazon. You can use the cashback rewards earned from buying groceries or 2 a.m. ramen to cover next semester’s books.
There’s no annual fee for this card, meaning you won’t have to pay just for having it in your wallet. It’s available for those with fair to good credit scores as well, making it more accessible if you're early in your credit journey.
Keep in mind, though, that a lower credit score might get you a higher interest rate with this card, so make sure to pay your statement balance on time and in full each month to avoid going into debt.
Best for Small Business Owners
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn a $2,000 cash bonus when you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$150 (waived if you spend $150,000 that year)
Small business owners deserve to earn rewards, too. The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a good option for business owners who want all the rewards and not a lot of debt.
The card offers a flat reward of 2% cashback on all purchases, with a bonus 5% rate for select travel arrangements made through Capital One Travel.
With the Spark Cash Plus, you’ll get access to AutoPay features, employee cards, a virtual credit card number, and fraud protection. You’ll also get insights into your expenses, like recurring subscriptions, for a better understanding of your monthly outflows.
Importantly, this card functions as a charge card, which means it requires the balance to be paid in full each month.
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus doesn’t cap your earning potential with either category — you can earn unlimited cashback on all your business purchases.
Plus, a notable perk is that although it comes with a moderate annual fee, businesses that charge over $150,000 in a year will get this fee refunded. This is a pretty hefty spending requirement, but if you know your business is going to be charging these expenses, it’s a nice way to get rewarded for spending you’d be doing anyway.
How To Choose a Capital One Credit Card
The right Capital One credit card for you depends on your goals and how you want to use the card.
If you have stellar credit and want to max out the rewards you can earn, opting for a higher-end card like the Venture X Rewards card could be a good choice.
On the other hand, if you enjoy dining out and finding entertainment in your backyard, you might get the best return from a card like the SavorOne Cash Rewards.
READ MORE: Types of Credit Cards and Who They're For
Bottom Line: Should You Get a Capital One Card?
There are several benefits of Capital One cards. The most popular benefit is Capital One’s travel and entertainment access. You can book travel using reward points through Capital One Travel, and Capital One Entertainment gives you exclusive access to live events and presale ticket specials.
Most Capital One cards come with no foreign transaction fees, $0 fraud liability, and travel assistance. Miles earned with a Capital One card don’t expire and Capital One is well-known for not having travel blackout dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need to rebuild your credit, consider the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card or the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card. With both cards, when you make consistent payments and demonstrate you’re a responsible borrower, Capital One will review your account and eventually graduate you to a regular unsecured credit card.
Capital One limits you to two personal credit cards at a given time. The caveat: This limitation doesn’t apply to business cards. It’s possible to have multiple Capital One cards if you include a business card in the mix.
Capital One also enforces the “six-month rule,” which means you can receive approval for only one card every six months.
