If you’re trying to pick between Capital One Venture and Quicksilver, it all boils down to your spending habits and what you want from a credit card. Venture is perfect for travel lovers, while Quicksilver is the go-to for cashback fans.
So, think about what matters to you—and let’s dive into the differences to help you decide.
Which one is better: Capital One Venture or Quicksilver.
Their fees, rewards, and credit scores.
How other Capital One cards stack up.
Read more:
Capital One Quicksilver vs. Venture
Let’s start with a brief overview of both:
CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVER | CAPITAL ONE VENTURE | |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Unlimited cashback of 1.5% on every purchase | Unlimited 2 miles per $1 spent on anything |
Required credit score | Good–excellent (690–850) | Good–excellent (690–850) |
Intro offer | One-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening |
APR | 19.74%–29.74% (variable) | 20.74%–28.74% (variable) |
Rewards | 1.5% on every purchase 5% for car rentals and hotels booked through Capital One Travel | 2 miles per $1 on every purchase 5 miles per $1 for car rentals and hotels booked through Capital One Travel |
Annual fee | $0 | $95* |
*Capital One Venture card annual fee is waived for eligible military members.
Capital One Quicksilver
Capital One Quicksilver is a simple and hassle-free cashback credit card.
It lets you earn cash rewards on all your purchases, making it perfect for anyone who loves shopping and saving, without the hassle of managing different categories.
- Unlimited cashback.
- 0% intro on purchases 15 months.
- Generous intro bonus.
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fee.
- Automatic credit line reviews.
- Additional benefits.
- High APR after the intro period.
- Excellent credit score is required.
- No extra cash back categories.
- No points transfer capabilities.
Capital One Venture
Capital One Venture is a fun and easy-to-use travel rewards credit card.
It lets you earn miles on everything you buy, making it perfect for those who love to explore the world.
- Solid sign-up bonus.
- Flat rate earning on all purchases (2x miles per $1 spent).
- Flexible redemption options (travel, statement credits, gift cards, etc.).
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Travel-related perks (Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit).
- Access to Visa Signature benefits.
- Transfer miles to airline and hotel partners.
- $95 annual fee.
- Limited transfer partner options compared to other cards.
- No bonus categories for higher earning potential.
- Not ideal for those seeking luxury travel perks.
Capital One Quicksilver vs. Venture: How Do They Compare?
Let’s look closely at how the cards stack up: Which one is cheaper, has more rewards, redemption options, or benefits?
Capital One Quicksilver vs. Venture: fees & rates
Let’s get those pesky fees out of the way—
QUICKSILVER | VENTURE | |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $95* |
APR | 0% for the first 15 months, 19.74%–29.74% variable APR after the intro period | 20.74%, 25.74%, or 28.74% (variable) |
Balance transfer fee | 3% | $0 at this transfer APR |
Cash advance fee | $3 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance (whichever is greater) | 3% of the amount of the cash advance (but not less than $3) |
Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
Late fee | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
Returned payment fee | None | None |
Over limit fee | None | None |
*Capital One Venture card annual fee is waived for eligible military members.
Capital One Venture vs. Quicksilver: rewards
Now on to the fun part—
Both cards have straightforward reward programs: Quicksilver is focused on cashback and Venture on travel rewards.
QUICKSILVER REWARDS | VENTURE REWARDS | |
|---|---|---|
Rewards rate | 1.5% cashback on every purchase 5% cashback on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel | 2 miles per $1 on every purchase 5 miles per $1 on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel |
Redemption | Redeem for:
Use with:
Minimum to redeem:
| Redeem for:
Use with:
Minimum to redeem:
|
Expiration |
|
|
Cap | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Do you prioritize cash back above all? Capital One's SavorOne is among the best cash back credit cards, and might even be a better fit than Quicksilver. For a better-informed decision, make sure to check out our in-depth Capital One SavorOne review as well as the comparison of Quicksilver and SavorOne.
How much are Capital One miles worth?
Redemption value for Venture card differs depending on the category:
REDEMPTION OPTION | MILE VALUE |
|---|---|
Travel purchases (Purchase Eraser/booking) | 1 mile = 1 cent |
Transfer to airline/hotel partners | 0.5 to 1.4 cents* |
Statement credit (non-travel) | 1 mile = 0.5 cents |
Gift cards | 1 mile = 1 cent** |
Amazon/Paypal | 1 mile = 0.8 cents |
Charity donations | Variable*** |
*Value depends on the specific partner and redemption
**May vary for certain gift cards
***Based on the specific charity
You might be wondering: Which card would give me more money in the end?
Let’s do the math for both, assuming spending of $1,000 on each.
With the Quicksilver card, you’ll earn 1.5%—which equates to $15 in rewards.
For the Venture card, you get a minimum of 2 miles per dollar spent (so, if you spend $1,000: 2 miles/dollar x $1,000 = 2,000 miles).
What are these 2,000 miles worth?
As the table above shows, it depends how you redeem them:
REDEMPTION OPTION | VALUE OF 2,000 MILES (VENTURE CARD) |
|---|---|
Travel purchases (Purchase Eraser/booking) | $20 |
Transfer to airline/hotel partners | $10 to $28 (depending on the partner) |
Statement credit (non-travel) | $10 |
Gift cards | $20 (depending on the store) |
Amazon/Paypal | $16 |
Charity donations | Variable*** |
With the Venture card, you can likely earn $20 of rewards with $1,000 of spending—so Venture provides better value when redeeming rewards for travel expenses.
Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Quicksilver: benefits
Capital One isn’t stingy with benefits, either:
CATEGORIES | QUICKSILVER BENEFITS | VENTURE BENEFITS |
|---|---|---|
Travel | Travel accident insurance if you buy the fare with a Quicksilver Rewards card and Capital One Quicksilver rental car insurance | Up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® |
A 24/7 complimentary concierge service | Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or 100+ locations through our Partner Lounge Network | |
An emergency replacement card and a cash advance if the card is lost or stolen during travel | Transfer miles to one of 15+ travel loyalty programs for more flexibility | |
Uber One membership for 6 months | There’s Capital One Venture rental car insurance and travel accident insurance if you buy the fare with a Venture Rewards card | |
A 24/7 complimentary concierge service | ||
If the card is lost or stolen during your travel, you’ll get an emergency replacement card and a cash advance | ||
Dining | Capital One Dining | Capital One Dining |
Protection |
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Other |
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Capital One Quicksilver vs. Venture: approval odds
Both Quicksilver and Venture require good to excellent credit scores.
Factors affecting approval odds include:
Credit score: Aim for 670+ for higher chances.
Income: Higher income may boost your odds.
Debt-to-Income ratio: Lower ratio is favorable.
Credit utilization: Keep it below 30%.
Recent credit inquiries: Fewer is better.
Each application is evaluated individually, considering these factors for approval.
Quicksilver vs. Venture card: credit limit
Credit limits for Quicksilver and Venture cards depend on your creditworthiness, income, and credit history. In general, the better your financial profile, the higher your credit limit.
Quicksilver: This card’s credit limits can start as low as $1,000—but some people might get a limit of $10,000 or more, depending on their financial situation.
Venture: As a travel rewards card for those with strong credit profiles, Venture might offer higher limits than Quicksilver. But the exact limit will still depend on your financial background.
Keep in mind that credit limits can change over time based on how you use your payment history and handle your finances.
Should you upgrade from Quicksilver to Venture?
If you already have a Quicksilver card and are here trying to decide whether to upgrade to the Venture, you can do so by asking yourself a few questions:
Do you travel often? Venture is geared towards frequent travelers.
Seeking cashback or travel rewards? Quicksilver is a cashback queen, while Venture is travel-oriented.
Willing to pay an annual fee? Venture has one after the first year—unlike Quicksilver, where you’ll never pay an annual fee.
Consider your preferences and financial goals to make your choice.
Last but not least—why not go for both?
Consider the sheer variety of credit cards we have at our disposal today. Some offer tempting rewards for travel, while others give cash back on groceries or gas. If your spending patterns are as varied as mine, a single card is unlikely to yield maximum rewards on every front. Now, imagine we’ve got a card tailor-made for each of our major spending categories. Our potential rewards take a sharp hike, don’t they?Andrew Gosselin, Money Inc
Venture vs. Quicksilver: How Do They Compare to Other Capital One Cards?
Let’s start with some of the most popular Capital One cards:
Capital One Platinum vs. Venture vs. Quicksilver
PLATINUM | QUICKSILVER | VENTURE | |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $95 |
Intro offer | None | $200 | 75,000 bonus miles |
Rewards | None | 1.5% cashback on every purchase 5% cashback on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel | 2 miles per $1 on every purchase 5 miles per $1 on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel |
Read more:
Capital One Quicksilver vs. Capital One Venture vs. Discover card
Now, let’s venture out of the Capital One world and compare Quicksilver and Venture cards with the Discover It card:
DISCOVER IT | QUICKSILVER | VENTURE | |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $95 |
Intro offer | Discover will match all the cashback you’ve earned at the end of your first year | $200 | 75,000 bonus miles |
Rewards | 1% cashback on every purchase 5% cashback on different categories each quarter | 1.5% cashback on every purchase 5% cashback on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel | 2 miles per $1 on every purchase 5 miles per $1 on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel |
Back to comparing Capital One cards—
Capital One Venture vs. Quicksilver vs. VentureOne
VENTUREONE | QUICKSILVER | VENTURE | |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $95 |
Intro offer | 20,000 bonus miles | $200 | 75,000 bonus miles |
Rewards | 1.25 miles per $1 on every purchase 5 miles per $1 on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel | 1.5% cashback on every purchase 5% cashback on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel | 2 miles per $1 on every purchase 5 miles per $1 on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel |
Anything jump out at you? If not, below we have a few alternatives outside the Capital One fam.
Capital One Cards and Alternatives
For travelers
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred offers valuable travel rewards and perks for frequent travelers.
It has a $95 annual fee, but it can score you $750 toward travel in the first three months and many rewards categories (like five points per dollar for travel-related purchases made at Chase, three points for select streaming services, and three points for groceries).
American Express Gold Card
Amex Gold card is ideal for dining and travel rewards, with enhanced earning rates and additional travel perks.
Read more:
For cashback enthusiasts
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase Freedom Unlimited offers generous cashback rates on everyday spending and an additional bonus for travel purchases.
It kind of merges the pros of Venture and Quicksilver cards. And there’s no annual fee, of course.
Citi Double Cash Card
Citi Double Cash Card gives you a 2% cashback rate on all purchases (no caps or the need to manage different categories).
You can use the card to get out of debt, as it offers 0% APR for the first eighteen months.
Read more:
Citi Double Cash Card Review
Capital One Venture vs. Quicksilver: Which Card Should You Choose?
Which of the two Capital One credit cards would be a better option for you?
Let’s see.
Are you a frequent traveler? Venture offers travel rewards, while Quicksilver focuses on cashback.
Do you prefer cashback or travel rewards? If cashback is your priority, Quicksilver is the better option—but if you’re after travel benefits, consider the Venture card.
How much do you spend annually? Venture offers higher rewards rates for higher spenders, while Quicksilver offers a flat cashback rate.
Are you willing to pay an annual fee? If you want to avoid annual fees, Quicksilver would be the better option as Venture has an annual fee after the first year.
Are you seeking a sign-up bonus? Compare the current sign-up bonuses for both cards to see which one offers the better incentive for you.
How important are travel perks and protection? Venture offers travel benefits like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit, which Quicksilver doesn’t have.
Are you looking to transfer balances or finance a large purchase? Look at the intro APR offers for both cards to see which one meets your needs better.
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