BEST CAPITAL ONE CREDIT CARDS
Before applying, verify details on the issuer's website:
CONSUMER CREDIT CARDS
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Simple travel rewards
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is probably the best-known general-purpose travel credit card, thanks to its ubiquitous advertising. You earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus and other worthwhile perks (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Simple travel rewards + no annual fee
With the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, you don't pay an annual fee, but you also don't get rewards as rich as those on the regular Venture card (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Travel portal benefits
Capital One's premium travel credit card can deliver terrific benefits — provided you're willing to do your travel spending through the issuer's online booking portal. That's where you'll earn the highest rewards rates plus credits that can make back the bulk of your annual fee (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Flat-rate cash back
The original 1.5% flat-rate cash-back card still holds its own in a now-crowded field. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a compelling combination of a good rewards rate, redemption flexibility, sign-up bonus and introductory 0% APR period (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Dining/entertainment rewards
If a night out is more than a once-in-a-while proposition for you, consider the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. You get a best-in-class cash-back rate on dining, entertainment and eligible streaming services, plus bonus rewards at grocery stores. The sign-up bonus is one of the best you can get on a cash-back card. There's an annual fee, though. Read our review.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Dining/entertainment rewards + no annual fee
Love the night life but dead-set against paying an annual fee? Consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It pays a lower cash-back rate on dining and entertainment than the regular Savor card, but the rewards are nevertheless quite good (see rates and fees). The sign-up bonus is smaller than on the annual-fee version, too, but it's still solid (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: College students seeking bonus rewards
Among cards aimed at students, the $0-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is near the head of the class. It earns 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 3% back in a variety of popular spending categories for students — including dining, entertainment purchases, eligible streaming services and grocery store purchases — which is a better deal than you'd find on many cards requiring annual fees or sterling credit (see see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: College students seeking simple rewards
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card gets high marks for cards in its class, thanks to its $0 annual fee and its no-fuss rewards rate: 1.5% cash back on all purchases (see rates and fees). That's as good a combo as you'd find on even a lot of non-student cards. Read our review.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
Our pick for: Fair credit
You don't get rewards with the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, or a sign-up bonus or a 0% period (see rates and fees). But if you've got fair credit and you need a card you can use to build credit without paying an annual fee, it's definitely worth a look. Read our review.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Fair credit + rewards
This card for people with fair or "average" credit pays the same cash-back rate as the regular Quicksilver card, which targets people with excellent credit. The key difference is that this version charges an annual fee while the regular one does not (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Our pick for: Poor credit
The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card requires a security deposit, as do all secured credit cards. But while most cards require you to put down a deposit equal to your credit line, this one allows some qualifying applicants to get a $200 credit line with a deposit starting at $49. Further, you can be automatically considered for a higher credit line with no additional deposit in as little as six months (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Poor credit + rewards
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card offers an impressive combination of features for those with poor credit. A deposit is required, but in exchange you get a $0-annual-fee card that reports to all three credit bureaus (see see rates and fees); an automatic credit limit review after six months; and a possible upgrade path to an unsecured Capital One card. Oh, and 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus 1.5% back on all other purchases, which equals what you'd find on many unsecured cards. Read our review.
BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Our pick for: Small business cash back
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is an excellent option for business operators whose expenses don't fall into the bonus categories on other business credit cards. You get a high, flat rewards rate on every purchase, with no limit to how much you can earn. And you can earn a welcome bonus if you hit certain spending requirements. Just make sure that you can pay off your spending in full each month, as this is a charge card that doesn't let you revolve a balance. (See rates and fees.) Learn more and apply.
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
Our pick for: Small business cash back + no annual fee
The Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit offers a generous, attainable sign-up bonus, no annual fee and flat-rate cash-back rewards. (See rates and fees.) Businesses that expect to spend $30,000 or more in their first three months should look to the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, which offers a higher bonus and rewards rate (for a higher annual fee). (See rates and fees.) Learn more and apply.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Our pick for: Small business travel rewards
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus, too. (See rates and fees.) Learn more and apply.
Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business
Our pick for: Small business travel rewards + no annual fee
The Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business offers a lower rewards rate and a smaller bonus offer than the regular Spark Miles card, but there's no annual fee, either. Smaller spenders might come out ahead compared with the regular version. Learn more and apply.*
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
Our pick for: Small business fair credit
The rewards rate on the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business isn't going to wow anyone; there's no sign-up bonus and the APR is high. What makes this card valuable is that it's available to business operators with fair credit, who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards.
Other credit cards issued by Capital One
Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard®
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OTHER RESOURCES
What credit score do you need to get a Capital One credit card?
The credit score required to get a Capital One credit card depends on the card you’re considering. For example:
As is often the case with any issuer, premium cards with the most perks require excellent credit, generally defined as a credit score of 720 or better. An example here is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Many of Capital One's most popular rewards cards are available to applicants with good to excellent credit. Good credit is generally defined as a score of 690 and up.
Capital One also has cards specifically designed for fair or "average" credit, generally represented by scores in the mid-600s. These include the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, which is a basic card with a $0 annual fee (see rates and fees), and the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which offers the same spending rewards as the regular Quicksilver card but charges an annual fee and does not come a sign-up bonus or a 0% intro APR offer (see rates and fees).
Student credit cards from Capital One generally require fair credit.
The issuer also has options for bad credit. The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card doesn’t have any specific credit score requirement — but it requires a cash security deposit.
Keep in mind, however, that your credit score is just one factor in determining whether you’ll qualify for any credit card. Issuers typically look at your income and other information on your application as well as specific data from your credit report.
What are the interest rates on Capital One credit cards?
Interest rates on Capital One credit cards vary. As of this writing, the issuer's rewards cards for good or excellent credit generally offer a range of rates, and the APR charged on your account will largely depend on your credit history. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, for example, charges rates in this range: The ongoing APR is 19.99%-29.99% Variable APR (see rates and fees). Meanwhile, Capital One cards for people with fair or bad credit tend to charge a single interest rate. The ongoing APR is 30.74% Variable APR on the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, for example (see rates and fees).
Some cards offer a 0% introductory APR promotion, which means no interest is charged on your balance for a period of time after you open the account. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, has a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies (see rates and fees).
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus, a card for small business operators, stands out because it doesn’t have an APR at all. It’s a charge card, not a credit card, meaning the balance must be paid in full each month. Late payments on the Capital One Spark Cash Plus incur a 2.99% penalty. (See rates and fees.)
What credit limit can I get with a Capital One credit card?
For regular, unsecured credit cards, your credit limit will depend on several factors, including your income and information from your credit report — including other debts and how much credit you have available on other accounts. This is typically the case with all issuers. In most cases, you aren't going to know how much of a credit limit you qualify for until you submit your application.
With secured cards, you must provide a security deposit to open the account, and the amount you deposit usually becomes your credit limit. The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, requires a $200 minimum initial deposit, and the maximum is $3,000. Capital One reviews Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card accounts for a potential credit limit increase with no additional deposit after the account has been open for at least six months.
Credit limits for the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card range from $200 to $1,000. However, some applicants may qualify for an initial credit line of $200 with a security deposit of only $49 or $99. With this card, too, you may be eligible for a credit line increase with no additional deposit in as little as six months after opening the account.
How can I get a credit limit increase on a Capital One card?
You can request an increase in your credit limit, or Capital One may offer you one, usually after you’ve demonstrated responsible credit use, such as paying balances in full every month. Requests can be submitted online through your account portal. When you submit a request, you’ll be asked to provide your total annual income, employment status and monthly housing payment. For Spark business cards, you’ll also need to supply last year’s total business revenue.
With secured credit cards, you generally can't request a credit line beyond what you get with your initial deposit. However, Capital One reviews secured credit card accounts for credit limit increases with no additional deposit after they have been open for at least six months.
What are the benefits of Capital One credit cards?
Benefits are highly specific to each Capital One credit card, but there are some commonalities. All Capital One credit cards do not charge foreign transaction fees. If you have a rewards card, the cash back or miles earned with that card do not expire, and there is no limit on the amount you can earn. Capital One cardholders also get access to Capital One Entertainment, a ticketing platform that offers early and sometimes exclusive access to concerts, sporting events and more.See our reviews of individual cards for specific benefits.
Is Capital One a good credit card?
What makes any card "good" for one person may not be a good fit for someone else, but Capital One offers a variety of credit cards to suit a range of consumers, and those cards regularly find a home on NerdWallet's roundups of the best credit cards. Those who regularly dine out may like the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and its unlimited 4% cash back on dining, for example, while the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card may be a match for someone who wants to earn simple rewards without having to pay an annual fee (see rates and fees).
Does Capital One have a pre-approval process for its credit cards?
Capital One’s website offers "pre-approval" for several of its credit cards. You fill out a form with questions similar to what's asked in a standard credit card application, and Capital One will show you offers you may be eligible for. The initial process doesn’t involve a "hard inquiry" on your credit report so there's no effect on your credit scores. If you see an offer you like, you can then formally apply. Note that being "pre-approved" does not necessarily guarantee approval when you submit an official application.
How many Capital One cards can you have?
Capital One will neither confirm nor deny whether it has limits on how many cards you can have. Cardholders have reported, however, that they can have no more than two personal cards at any given time, and that they can't get approved for more than one card every six months.
Can you combine points on Capital One credit cards?
You can combine miles on Capital One travel credit cards by linking the accounts, and you can do the same with the rewards on Capital One cash-back cards. Cash-back rewards can be transferred to a travel card account, but miles cannot be transferred to a cash-back account. Accounts must be linked in order to transfer rewards, which can be done in the Capital One Rewards hub.
*Information for this card is not reviewed by or provided by Capital One.
NerdWallet's Jae Bratton contributed to this article.
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
