Capital One Venture vs. Quicksilver: Card comparison

Venture and Quicksilver are two cards from Capital One that reward cardholders for their purchases. Venture offers miles, and Quicksilver offers cash back. Keep reading to learn more about their similarities and differences.

Key takeaways

• Venture and Quicksilver are rewards credit cards. Venture offers miles rewards on every purchase. Quicksilver offers cash back rewards for everyday expenses. 
• Venture cardholders earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 
• Quicksilver cardholders earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. 
• Venture and Quicksilver cardholders earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Venture is a travel rewards credit card that lets you earn miles. Quicksilver is a cash rewards credit card that lets you earn cash back on every purchase. Here’s a quick look at some of their key features:

Venture is a travel rewards credit card for those with excellent credit. It offers unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, 5X miles at Capital One Entertainment and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.¹ Cardholders can also earn 75,000 bonus miles if they spend $4,000 within the first 3 months.² It has a $95 annual fee. View important rates and disclosures.

With a Capital One Venture credit card, you earn unlimited miles on every purchase you make with the card. So whether you’re booking the vacation of a lifetime or buying a new sofa, you’ve got rewards miles to show for it. 

Venture also offers lots of flexibility over how and when you redeem your rewards: 

• Book flights, hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel. 
• Get reimbursed for past travel purchases. 
• Transfer miles to more than 15 travel loyalty programs.³
• Redeem miles for cash, gift cards or exclusive tickets through Capital One Entertainment.
• Pay for Amazon.com purchases or eligible purchases at millions of online stores through PayPal.

Quicksilver is a cash back rewards card for those with excellent credit. It offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day, 5% cash back at Capital One Entertainment and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.⁴ Cardholders can also earn a $200 cash bonus if they spend $500 within the first 3 months.² Quicksilver has a low intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers and a variable APR after that. It has no annual fee. View important rates and disclosures.

With 1.5% cash back on every purchase, Quicksilver is an ideal card for everyday use and a solid way to maximize rewards on all your purchases. There’s no limit on how much you can earn and no minimum for how much you can redeem. 

When you’re ready to cash in your rewards, there are plenty of options.⁵ For example, you can redeem them for a statement credit or check. You can use them to cover the cost of a recent purchase or get gift cards from retailers, restaurants, hotel chains and more.⁶ You can book trips through Capital One Travel. You can even use them to shop at Amazon.com or at millions of online stores through PayPal. 

Every Capital One credit card comes with access to free mobile apps and tools to help you monitor your accounts and track your finances 24/7, including: 

• CreditWise from Capital One: CreditWise offers an easy way to monitor your credit. You can access your TransUnion® credit report and VantageScore 3.0 credit score without hurting your scores. And it’s free for everyone, not just Capital One cardholders. CreditWise also scans the dark web for your personal information, like Social Security numbers or compromised email addresses, and sends you an alert if anything is detected.⁷
• Eno, your Capital One assistant: Eno monitors your account around the clock for things like duplicate charges or tips that are much higher than your usual amount. Eno will reach out if it spots something unusual and can help you fix it.⁸ 
• Capital One Mobile app: Access your accounts, redeem your rewards, pay your bills, view recent activity and more with the Capital One Mobile app.⁹

Only you can answer the question of which credit card is best for you. Everyone’s situation is different, and picking a credit card is a personal decision.

But if you’re comparing Venture and Quicksilver, you might consider Venture if you travel regularly for work or play. And you might consider Quicksilver if you’re interested in a flat rate of cash rewards no matter what you buy.

If your current credit card no longer suits your spending habits and lifestyle, it might be time to consider a change. The term upgrade can be misleading, though. Swapping your current card for one with fewer rewards and a lower annual fee, for example, can still be an improvement. 

If you’re a Capital One cardholder, you sign in to your Capital One account and ask Eno for help finding potential offers.

It’s possible to have multiple credit cards from the same issuer. And Quicksilver and Venture could give you access to different types of rewards. Just make sure you know the pros and cons of having multiple credit card accounts. And remember that if you’re applying for more than one card at a time, it could have a negative effect on your credit scores.

Venture is one of several Capital One credit cards that offer travel rewards. And Quicksilver is only one of Capital One’s cash back rewards cards. Cardholders can consider things like the cards’ varying benefits, reward rates, APRs and bonuses when deciding which fits their needs, spending habits and lifestyle. 

Here’s a quick look at the other Capital One travel and miles rewards cards:

• Venture X Rewards: With excellent credit scores, you could qualify for a Venture X card. For a $395 annual fee, you’ll earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles at Capital One Entertainment and 2X miles on all other purchases.¹ Venture X cardholders enjoy many premium benefits, including a $300 annual travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings, 10,000 bonus miles per year, 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months, complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and more.^{1, 10}
• VentureOne Rewards: If you have excellent credit and are seeking a travel rewards card but don’t want to pay an annual fee, VentureOne cardholders earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, 5X miles at Capital One Entertainment and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.¹ VentureOne also offers 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first 3 months.
• VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit: If you have good but not excellent credit scores, VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit is a no-annual-fee card that offers unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel. 

View important rates and disclosures.

Here’s a quick look at some other cash back cards from Capital One:

• Quicksilver Rewards for Good Credit: If you have good but not excellent credit scores, the Quicksilver for Good Credit card could be a great option. It also offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day.
• QuicksilverOne Rewards: With a fair credit score, you could qualify for a QuicksilverOne card. You’ll earn 1.5% unlimited cash back with a $39 annual fee. With automatic credit line reviews, you’ll be considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months.
• Quicksilver Secured: Also for those with fair credit, the Quicksilver Secured card offers 1.5% cash back. It requires a $200 minimum deposit that’s refundable and has a $0 annual fee. 
• Quicksilver Rewards for Students: If you’re a student, Quicksilver Rewards for Students offers 1.5% cash back. Plus, you can earn 5% cash back at Capital One Entertainment and a $50 cash bonus once you spend $100 on purchases within the first 3 months.⁴ And there’s no annual fee. 

View important rates and disclosures.

Venture is a travel and miles rewards credit card, and Quicksilver is a cash back rewards credit card. 

If you’re wondering which you’re better suited to, it’s a good idea to think about your lifestyle, needs and spending habits. You can also compare credit cards to make sure you understand their terms, including fees, APRs, introductory offers and perks. Then if you’re ready to apply, you can see if you’re pre-approved for card offers. It only takes a few moments, and it won’t hurt your credit scores.