Which Capital One cash back credit card is right for you?

A cash back credit card is a type of rewards card that lets you earn back a percentage of what you spend with the card. You might think you need excellent credit to get a cash back card, but that’s not always the case. Capital One has cash back credit cards for people at all credit levels. 

Find out how Capital One’s cash back credit cards work and what credit score you might need to qualify for each one. 

Key takeaways 

• Capital One cash back cardholders can earn cash back rewards on qualifying purchases made with the card.
• There are Capital One cash back credit cards for people at all credit levels: new to credit, fair and building credit, good credit, and excellent credit. 
• When choosing a rewards card, it’s important to consider your spending habits, compare card terms, explore card benefits and research rewards. 

Capital One cash back credit cards give cardholders a simple way to earn rewards on purchases they’re already making. When you use a cash back rewards card, you earn back a percentage of what you spend.

Capital One has cash back cards for people with all kinds of credit and spending habits. You can earn unlimited cash back on every purchase, every day. Plus, Capital One rewards don’t expire for the life of the account as long as it stays in good standing. And Capital One rewards cards offer flexible redemption options, so you can use your rewards your way.

Here’s a breakdown of how Capital One’s cash back rewards credit cards work and what credit scores you might need for each card.

The Capital One Quicksilver card lets cardholders earn unlimited cash back on everyday purchases. Quicksilver is generally for people with excellent credit. 

• 1.5% cash back on every purchase. 
• $200 cash bonus after new cardholders spend $500 on purchases within three months from account opening.¹
• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures. 
• 5% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and exclusive access and cardholder perks.²

Quicksilver for Good Credit is a cash back card for people with good credit. 

• 1.5% cash back on every purchase. 
• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures.

QuicksilverOne is designed for people with fair credit. 

• 1.5% cash back on every purchase. 
• $39 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures.
• Automatic consideration for a higher credit line in as little as six months.

Using a credit card responsibly is one way you can work on building credit and improving your credit scores. As you work on your credit, you may even become eligible for a credit card upgrade. 

The Quicksilver Secured card is designed for people who are looking to establish or rebuild credit. To open a secured credit card account, you have to put down a refundable security deposit. 

The deposit may make it easier to qualify for the card. By using the card responsibly, you can earn the deposit back. Eventually, you might be able to upgrade to an unsecured card.

• 1.5% cash back on every purchase. 
• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures.
• Refundable $200 minimum deposit. 
• Option to raise the credit limit by depositing more than the minimum.

Quicksilver for Students is a cash back card designed for college students who are looking to establish and build credit by using a credit card responsibly. 

• 1.5% cash back on every purchase. 
• $50 cash bonus after new cardholders spend $100 on purchases within three months of account opening.
• 5% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases—plus exclusive access and cardholder perks.²
• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures.

Capital One dining and entertainment credit cards let you earn cash back on eating at restaurants, ordering takeout and delivery, spending at bars, shopping at grocery stores and more. These cards also offer unlimited cash back. Plus, cardholders have access to exclusive dining and entertainment perks. Here’s how they work:

Savor is a dining and entertainment rewards credit card for people with excellent credit. 

• 3% cash back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.³

• $200 cash bonus once new cardholders spend $500 within three months of account opening.¹ 

• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures. 

• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases—plus exclusive access and cardholder perks.⁴ 

• 1% cash back on all other purchases. 

• Low intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. See pricing and terms for details. 

As the name suggests, Savor for Good Credit is a dining and entertainment rewards credit card for people with good credit. 

• 3% cash back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.³

• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures.

• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases—plus exclusive access and cardholder perks.⁴ 

• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Savor Student is for students with fair credit. With responsible use, the card can help young adults build credit while earning dining- and entertainment-focused cash back rewards. 

• 3% cash back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.³

• $50 cash bonus once new cardholders spend $100 on purchases within three months from account opening.⁵

• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. View important rates and disclosures.

• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases—plus exclusive access and cardholder perks.⁴ 

• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Opening a credit card is a personal decision. And whether a cash back card is worth it for you depends on your circumstances. But in general, here are a few things to think about when choosing a credit card: 

Take a look at how you spend money and break things down into categories. Is dining out a major expense? A dining rewards card like Savor might be the right fit. Or if your spending varies, a cash back card like Quicksilver may suit you better. There are also travel rewards credit cards to consider.

Before you apply for any kind of credit card, make sure to look into the card’s terms, including things like interest rates and fees. If a card has an annual fee, think about whether the rewards you might earn will offset the cost.

Rewards credit cards often come with extra benefits beyond the ability to earn cash back. Checking out these perks may help tip the scales toward one card or another. For example, eligible Capital One cash back rewards cardholders have access to:

• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 
• Exclusive reservations at top restaurants and tickets to unforgettable culinary experiences through Capital One Dining.
• Experience events across music, sports, dining and theater with exclusive access to presales, tickets and more with Capital One Entertainment.

Earning cash back is great. But that’s just step one. You also have to be able to use your rewards in a way that works for you. Capital One offers a wide range of rewards redemption options, including cash in the form of a statement credit or check, gift cards, covering recent purchases, booking trips through Capital One Travel, shopping online through Amazon and PayPal, and more.^6,7,8

Capital One has a cash back card for students who are looking to establish credit, people who already have excellent credit and everyone in between. 

If you want to see where your credit stands, CreditWise from Capital One can help. CreditWise lets you access your TransUnion® credit report and VantageScore® 3.0 credit score for free. CreditWise is free and available to everyone, not just Capital One cardholders. And using it won’t hurt your credit scores. 

You can also compare Capital One cards to find one that’s right for you. And you can see if you’re pre-approved for card offers before you apply. Pre-approval is quick and won’t hurt your credit scores.