Capital One’s Platinum vs. Quicksilver: Quicksilver Clearly Wins — If You Qualify - NerdWallet (2024)

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A head-to-head battle between the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Platinum Credit Card really isn’t a fair fight. The Quicksilver has rewards, a sign-up bonus and an intro annual percentage rate (APR) period on purchases and balance transfers, all for a $0 annual fee. The Platinum doesn’t have any of those perks.

Of course, the Quicksilver’s rich benefits come at a price: your credit score. Only consumers with good to excellent credit, meaning a credit score of 690 or higher, can qualify for the Quicksilver. The Platinum has a lower barrier to entry, requiring only average credit.

Here’s how to decide between these two Capital One cards.

» MORE: Best Capital One credit cards

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Credit score requirement: According to Capital One, you'll need excellent credit to qualify for the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Typically, excellent credit means a credit score of at least 720. However, note that applicants with less-than-excellent credit may be approved for a different version of this card — one that earns the same ongoing rewards, but doesn't offer the upfront incentives of a sign-up bonus or intro APR period.

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

NerdWallet rating

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NerdWallet rating

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Annual fee

$0.

$0.

Sign-up bonus

None.

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

Rewards

None.

  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

  • Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

APR

The ongoing APR is 29.99% Variable APR.

0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies.

Why the Quicksilver is better for most people

Simple rewards

Earning rewards with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is as straightforward as it gets. Cardholders earn an unlimited 1.5% back on all purchases and an elevated 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal.

Rewards don't expire, and there is no minimum redemption amount.

Redemption options include cash back, statement credit and gift cards. Rewards may also be used to pay for purchases through PayPal and Amazon.

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card doesn’t earn any rewards.

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Through Nov. 14, 2024, Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card cardholders get up to six months of Uber One membership statement credits.

Sign-up bonus

New Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card holders will want to cash in on the card’s sign-up bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. The Quicksilver’s bonus is equal to those offered by other highly rated cash-back cards, but the spend threshold to receive it is substantially lower than some other cards’. Many people will have no trouble spending the required $500 within three months to get the bonus.

Typical of cards for people with fair credit, the Capital One Platinum Credit Card doesn’t have a sign-up bonus.

» MORE: Best credit card bonuses

Intro APR and balance transfer period

Unlike the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, the Quicksilver boasts an intro APR period for new cardholders: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies. Paired with the card’s sign-up bonus and rewards, the intro APR period makes the Quicksilver an excellent card for those who need to finance large purchases.

Say your AC unit needs to be replaced at a cost of $5,000. By paying for the installation with your new Quicksilver card, you’ll immediately cash in on the sign-up bonus — and earn an additional $75 in rewards. Plus, for the next year or so, you won’t have to worry about paying interest on that sizable balance thanks to the card’s intro APR period.

Balance transfers to the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are subject to the same APR grace period as new purchases, but you will have to pay a balance transfer fee. Capital One allows cardholders to move balances from other credit cards, personal loans, student loans and auto loans.

» LEARN: What is a balance transfer? Should I do one?

Who might prefer the Platinum

Where accessibility is concerned, the Capital One Platinum Credit Card beats the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Those who have fair or average credit cannot qualify for the Quicksilver, which requires at least good credit. For that consumer cohort, the Platinum wins over the Quicksilver by default.

Truthfully, though, the Capital One Platinum Credit Card may not even be the best card for people with fair credit. Consider the Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®, which has the same $0 annual fee as the Platinum, but it earns 1.5% back on all purchases — the same rate as the Quicksilver's.

» MORE: Best cards for fair or average credit

Which card should you get?

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card offers little that the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn’t. If your credit is good, you can get the Quicksilver and enjoy all of its benefits that are lacking in the Platinum.

What can you do if you want the Quicksilver, but your credit score only qualifies you for the Platinum? Get the Platinum first, and use it to build your credit. After all, that’s exactly what the Platinum is designed to do. Here are nine tips to build your score by as much as 100 points.

Once your credit score is high enough, go after the Quicksilver in one of two ways:

  • Call Capital One and ask for an upgrade to the Quicksilver. However, note that upgrading doesn’t allow you to cash in on a card’s sign-up bonus or get a higher credit limit.

  • Submit an application for the Quicksilver. The downside of going this route is that applying for a credit card triggers a hard pull on your credit report, which could lower your credit score, albeit temporarily.

» NEXT: 4 easy steps for picking the best card for you

Capital One’s Platinum vs. Quicksilver: Quicksilver Clearly Wins — If You Qualify - NerdWallet (2024)

FAQs

Capital One’s Platinum vs. Quicksilver: Quicksilver Clearly Wins — If You Qualify - NerdWallet? ›

Quicksilver: Quicksilver Clearly Wins — If You Qualify. The Platinum is a bare-bones card that helps people build credit, and that's about it. If you've graduated beyond the credit-building stage, choose the Quicksilver for its handsome rewards. Jae Bratton is a writer for the credit cards team at NerdWallet.

Which Capital One credit card is better, Quicksilver or Platinum? ›

If you can get approved for both, the Capital One Quicksilver card is better than the Platinum card. The Quicksilver card will give you a welcome bonus, 0% APR for the first 15 months and 1.5% cash back. The Platinum card offers no rewards or bonuses, but it also comes with no annual fee.

Is it hard to get approved for Capital One Quicksilver? ›

You'll need good-to-excellent credit (a score of at least 690 on the FICO scale) to qualify for the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Generally, cards that require higher credit scores tend to come with better features than those that require scores on the lower end of the scale.

What is the hardest Capital One credit card to get? ›

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

A rating of 5 is the best a card can receive. Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is hard to get because it requires excellent credit for approval and charges an annual fee of $395. You get a lot in return, though.

What credit score do you need for Capital One QuicksilverOne? ›

The credit score you need for the Capital One QuicksilverOne card is 640 or higher. The Capital One QuicksilverOne is also available to people with limited credit, so you may be able to get approved even if you have less than 3 years of credit history.

What is the highest credit limit on a Capital One Quicksilver card? ›

Carmen Peters, Member. The Capital One Quicksilver credit limit depends on your income, creditworthiness and payment history, which are evaluated once you apply for the card. According to anecdotal reports, the card's credit limit can be as low as $750 and as high as $10,000.

What is the max credit limit for Capital One Platinum card? ›

The Capital One Platinum credit limit can be as high as $3,000 according to online cardholder reports, but it will depend entirely on the specifics of each applicant's credit and their overall financial situation. Most cardholders get credit limits of at least $300, though.

What's the easiest Capital One card to get approved for? ›

Capital One credit cards for fair credit include QuicksilverOne, Quicksilver Secured, and the Platinum Mastercard. Your credit score is only one of the many factors that determine your credit approval odds. The best way to know if you'll qualify is to get pre-approved. It's quick, easy and won't hurt your score.

How much income do I need for Capital One Quicksilver? ›

Your monthly income needs to be at least $425 more than your monthly rent or mortgage payment to get the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards for Good Credit card, according to Capital One. The higher your income is above the minimum, the more likely you are to be approved.

What is the easiest credit card to get? ›

Here's a Summary of the Easiest Credit Cards To Get
  • Rates & Fees. ...
  • Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card *
  • Navy FCU nRewards® Secured Credit Card *
  • Petal® 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card *
  • Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit *
  • Rates & Fees. ...
  • Rates & Fees.
5 days ago

What is the #1 credit card to have? ›

The best credit card overall is the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card because it gives 2% cash rewards on purchases and has a $0 annual fee. For comparison purposes, the average cash rewards card in 2024 gives about 1% back. Cardholders can also earn an initial bonus of $200 cash rewards after spending $500...

What is the strongest credit card in the world? ›

One of the world's most prestigious credit cards is the Centurion® Card from American Express*. Though there may be other cards with more elaborate benefits, those cards are kept well under wraps.

What credit card is the most elite? ›

The most prestigious credit card is the Centurion® Card from American Express, which is also known as the Amex Black Card. This card requires applicants to meet very high income and spending standards to even qualify, and you can only apply if you receive an invitation.

Is Capital One Platinum or Quicksilver One better? ›

Quicksilver: Quicksilver Clearly Wins — If You Qualify. The Platinum is a bare-bones card that helps people build credit, and that's about it. If you've graduated beyond the credit-building stage, choose the Quicksilver for its handsome rewards.

Is it hard to get approved for Capital One Quicksilver one? ›

It is not difficult to be approved for the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. As long as your credit score is at least 580, you qualify for the card (though, again, a qualifying credit score doesn't ensure you'll be approved).

What is the easiest business credit card to get? ›

The easiest business credit cards to get are secured options, like the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card. That's because these cards require a security deposit that acts as your spending limit.

Is Capital One Quicksilver worth getting? ›

Detailed Review

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good option if you value the simplicity of earning a flat rate on all your purchases. You'll get 1.5% cash back on nearly every purchase, without a bunch of bonus categories to remember or spending limits to keep track of.

What's the best Capital One credit card to build credit? ›

The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card may be a good option for those rebuilding credit. And as you explore your credit card options, consider getting pre-approved. Doing so won't damage your credit score, and you'll be able to get a clearer sense of which cards you may qualify for.

Is Capital One Platinum hard to get? ›

You'll need at least a fair or average credit score (a FICO credit score of at least 580) to be considered for the Capital One Platinum card.

What credit score do you need for a Capital One Platinum card? ›

The credit score that you need for the Capital One Platinum Credit Card is at least 640, which is usually considered fair credit. The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is also available to people with limited credit history, which means you may be able to get approved even without a credit score.

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