Quicksilver from Capital One

If you have excellent credit and are looking for a simple, no-hassle cash back credit card, the Capital One Quicksilver is worth a second look. With no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and an array of valuable benefits, there’s no reason to not take it for a test drive and see how it works for you.

Capital One Quicksilver cash back rewards

This card has a flat 1.5% unlimited cash back earn rate, which means you never have to worry about spending caps or categories. It’s just a simple way to make sure you’re getting some decent rewards with every purchase.

It’s not the best flat cash back rate available, and it certainly doesn’t match the category cash back earn rates on some cards, but it has no annual fee, which means the 1.5% cash back is basically free money.

Capital One Quicksilver benefits and perks

In addition to its cash back earn rate, the Capital One Quicksilver has a few other perks and benefits worth taking a look at.

$150 welcome bonus

With this card you can earn a $150 cash bonus when you spend $500 in your first 3 months. This is on top of your regular earn rates.

0% intro APR for 15 months

If you’re struggling with some sticky high-interest debt on another credit card, the Capital One Quicksilver could help you get that under control. With a 0% intro interest rate for purchases for the first 15 months you have the card, you could avoid those nasty interest payments entirely.

Redeem cash back for any amount at any time

Once you’ve earned any amount of cash back, you can redeem any or all of it, at any time. This makes these rewards very flexible. Also, your rewards will never expire for the lifetime of your account.

You can redeem your rewards for cash, to cover your purchases, or to buy gift cards.

No annual fee

Plenty of credit cards have no annual fee, but it's always nice not to pay one. Why cut into your rewards earnings by having to pay for the privilege of keeping a credit card in your wallet?

No foreign transaction fees

When you make purchases while traveling outside of the U.S. or shopping online at stores that charge anything besides USD, most credit cards will charge a 3% fee. Not so with this credit card. Now you can shop wherever you like, and never have to worry about those unexpected charges (that can add up fast, if you’re not careful). Better to just keep that money right in your own pocket.

Complimentary concierge service

This is another fairly common credit card benefit, but it’s definitely nice to have. If you ever need help to arrange travel, dining, or entertainment, Capital One’s complimentary concierge service will be able to help you out.

24-hour travel assistance

If you’re traveling and your credit card is lost or stolen, you can get an emergency replacement and a cash advance if needed.

Free Wikibuy and Paribus access

Capital One has 2 apps that will help you ensure you’re getting the best prices for the things you're buying, or to find out if stores owe you any refunds.

• Wikibuy is the first of these, designed to help you find the best price for whatever you’re buying, anywhere online.
• Paribus automatically tracks your purchases and alerts you if the retailer puts it on sale or reduces the price for whatever reason, allowing you to get refunds you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

Use your rewards to shop on Amazon.com

If you connect your Capital One Quicksilver card with your Amazon.com account, you’ll be able to automatically use your cash back rewards to pay for purchases directly on Amazon. If you don’t have enough rewards to cover the full cost, you can simply pay for the rest on your card.

Entertainment and dining experiences

And, like many other credit cards, Capital One Quicksilver gives you access to exclusive dining and entertainment experiences, including concerts, sporting events, and culinary experiences.

Capital One Quicksilver drawbacks

Let’s take a look at some of the downsides to the Capital One Quicksilver card.

You need excellent credit to qualify

The Capital One Quicksilver card is enticing, but it can be difficult to get approved for it. If your credit score is lacking, you may be better off looking for another card.

There are higher earn rate cash back cards

While a 1.5% flat cash back earn rate is good, it’s not the best. In fact, for cash back, 1.5% is almost average. It’s possible to do much better than that, especially if most of your spending is in particular categories, such as groceries and gas.

Minimal insurance coverages included with the card

Having only 2 types of included complimentary insurance is pretty minimal, but not that unexpected for a card with no annual fee. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a credit card with more comprehensive insurance, and you don’t mind paying an annual fee, there are other cards that offer significantly more.

Other cards have more comprehensive perks packages

Again, if you don’t mind paying an annual fee, you can take advantage of more significant credit card perks packages, such as those included with American Express or World Elite credit cards. Some of these even have significantly better rewards earn rates, although they're not necessarily just straight cash back. It’s really all a matter of what’s of more value to you.

Alternative credit cards for earning cash back

Let’s see how the Capital One Quicksilver measures up to some of our other top cash back credit cards.

Bottom line

If you’re not interested in juggling a number of credit cards in order to maximize your rewards earn rate and would rather just have 1 card that you can use for everything...well, the Capital One Quicksilver card may be exactly what you need.

On the other hand, there are cards with better cash back earn rates out there, that may also be a bit more forgiving of a less-than-immaculate credit score. And if you’re a frequent traveller or like to take advantage of more comprehensive perks packages, you can probably find something better to keep in your wallet.

FAQ

Does the Capital One Quicksilver have a welcome bonus?

You will earn $200 bonus cash back after making $500 in purchases on the card in the first 3 months.

Is there an annual fee for the Capital One Quicksilver?

The Capital One Quicksilver, like many of our top cash back credit cards, has no annual fee.

Who is the Capital One Quicksilver best for?

This credit card is for people with excellent credit who are looking for a no-fuss credit card that will let them earn decent cash back rewards on all purchases. It is a straightforward card with few bells and whistles, but for no annual fee (and no foreign exchange fee), it’s definitely worth a look.