The Capital One Platinum Credit Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are two options that likely appeal to very different types of cardholders. Here’s how you can decide which credit card is best for your financial goals.

Capital One Platinum Card overview

These are all the details you need to know about the Capital One Platinum:

Annual fee

There’s no annual fee for the Capital One Platinum, which is standard among many credit-building card options.

Welcome offer

You won’t get any welcome offer or introductory APR with this card.

Rewards

Capital One Platinum is designed to help cardholders with fair credit build their score. There aren’t any rewards associated with it.

Benefits

Benefits are limited, but there are a few credit-building perks. You can see whether you’re preapproved before you apply without any effect on your credit score. You’ll also get an automatic credit line review after the first six months, which may qualify you for a higher credit limit.

Other benefits are standard among Capital One credit cards. These include access to CreditWise from Capital One for credit monitoring, no foreign transaction fees, account alerts, zero fraud liability, and more.

Why we like it

The Platinum card from Capital One is a useful choice for beginners looking to build credit — or those who have had issues with debt in the past and need to rebuild their credit. Without rewards or many benefits, it’s not going to get you the best value on your spending, but it also won’t offer much temptation to overspend.

We like the built-in credit-building perks, including access to your credit score and credit monitoring. The automatic credit line review, specifically, can help you along your credit journey, especially if this is your only credit card. A higher credit limit may help reduce your credit utilization ratio, which, in turn, can boost your credit.

For example, say you open the card and start with a $500 credit limit. If you regularly spend $200 on the card, you’re spending 40% of your available credit each month. Experts recommend keeping this ratio under 30% for the best credit impact — and even lower if possible. After six months, though, you may qualify for a credit limit increase. If that increases your credit limit to $800 and you continue spending the same $200 per month, you’ll reduce your credit utilization to just 25%.

If building credit is your primary goal, you may want to consider a basic, no-frills card like this one. Once you’ve improved your score, you can more easily qualify for higher-earning rewards cards — and have the good habits in place to avoid debt and overspending.

Capital One Platinum pros

• Build credit: The Platinum card is available to people with fair credit, which Capital One describes as someone who may have defaulted on a loan in the past five years or has a limited credit history. You may be more likely to qualify for this card over cards designed for people with good-to-excellent credit.

• Work toward a higher credit limit: The automatic credit line review is a great way to continue increasing your score over time. A larger credit limit can help your credit utilization (the second-most important factor in your FICO Score).

• No upfront cost: Some cards designed for building credit can be more costly than the Platinum. For example, cards that are accessible to people with less-than-great credit may carry monthly fees or activation costs, which can add up to a substantial sum. Others, like secured credit cards, require a (typically refundable) deposit to open your account.

Capital One Platinum cons

• No rewards: If you’re looking to earn cash back, points, or miles on your spending, the Capital One Platinum isn’t the best choice.

• No welcome offer or benefits: Similar to rewards, this card has little to offer when it comes to a welcome bonus or benefits. Instead, think of it as a starter card that can help you build good credit habits and qualify for rewards cards in the future.

• Very high APR: Credit cards are notorious for their high interest rates, but the Capital One Platinum card has a high variable APR even compared to similar card options.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card overview

Now, let’s take a look at Capital One Quicksilver’s card details:

Annual fee

The Quicksilver is a no-annual-fee card.

Welcome offer

After you’re approved, you can earn a cash welcome bonus worth $200 after you spend at least $500 on purchases within the first three months (or about $167 per month).

This is a solid welcome offer compared to some cash-back cards today. Some cash-back cards cap their welcome bonus at $150 or require a much higher spending threshold to score the bonus. We like this Quicksilver offer because it's a higher cash bonus for a relatively affordable minimum spend.

Intro offer

In addition to its cash welcome offer, you can also get an introductory 0% APR. The Quicksilver has 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months after account opening, after which the standard APR applies.

If you’re using the introductory offer for a balance transfer, there’s an introductory 3% balance transfer fee (the ongoing balance transfer fee after is 4%). Once the intro period ends, the ongoing variable APR is 19.74% - 29.74%.

Rewards

Rewards with this card are simple. You can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. While it’s not a travel card, you get a boosted rate of 5% cash back when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.

When you’re ready to redeem, you can receive your cash back in the form of a statement credit or check. You can also use cash back to book travel through Capital One, get credits for previous purchases on your card, redeem for PayPal or Amazon.com purchases, or redeem for gift cards. Cash-back rewards don’t expire unless your account is closed.

Benefits

You’ll get a few benefits with the Quicksilver that can help you maximize value over time, such as access to travel bookings with Capital One Travel, reservations and other experiences through Capital One Dining, and presale and ticket access through Capital One Entertainment.

Other benefits and protections include an extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, travel accident insurance, travel assistance services, and more.

Why we like it

We like flat cash-back rewards cards like the Quicksilver because of how easy they are to use and maximize. Say, for example, you charge $1,000 per month to your card for a total of $12,000 in annual spending. You’d end the year with a total of $180 in cash back without having to strategize any bonus categories, redemption options, or other rewards programs.

The ease of flat cash-back rewards also makes the Quicksilver a great match with other credit cards you already have in your wallet. If you earn travel rewards with an airline card and have another cash-back card for grocery spending, for example, the Quicksilver can easily slot into your rotation to guarantee a minimum 1.5% back on everything else.

We also like the extra value you’ll get as a new cardholder. The 0% intro APR is competitive among other cards today and applies to both new purchases and balance transfers. And the cash welcome bonus can offer a significant return on top of the regular cash back you’ll earn with the Quicksilver.

Capital One Quicksilver pros

• No annual fee: The Quicksilver has no annual fee, so you can start getting value from your cash back from your very first purchase.

• Simple cash rewards: Flat cash-back cards like this one are easy to maximize since you get the same rate on every purchase. If you don’t want to think about complicated rewards programs or bonus categories, this card is a great option.

• Good intro offer: If you have existing debt to pay off or you’re planning a large purchase you’d like some extra time to pay off, you may get a lot of benefit from Quicksilver’s 0% APR offer. With 15 months before interest kicks in, you’ll have ample time to pay down your balance.

Capital One Quicksilver cons

• Cash-back rewards are lower than some cards: There are some flat cash-back cards today that earn up to 2% cash back on every purchase — not to mention tiered cash-back cards that can earn upwards of 5% in certain bonus categories. Make sure you compare different options before applying for any new card.

• Few added benefits: While it may have solid cash-back earnings, this card does lack extra perks. If you want annual credits, spending bonuses, or other incentives, you may want to look at more premium cards (usually with annual fees).

• Need excellent credit to qualify: If you don’t already have a great credit score, you may not qualify for the Quicksilver card. Before you apply, check to see if you’re preapproved — the soft inquiry required won’t have any effect on your credit score.

Should you get the Capital One Platinum Card?

If your main priority is increasing your credit score and building good habits with a credit card, the Platinum card from Capital One could be a good choice. It charges no annual fee and doesn’t require any security deposit to open. It also offers the option for a credit line review after just six months, which can help you stay on track in your credit-building journey.

While this is a great card for developing good credit habits to improve your score, it’s not for everyone. If you already have a great credit score and are looking to maximize your spending with rewards or benefits, consider cash-back or travel rewards cards with greater potential value.

Before you apply, check to see if you’re preapproved. You’ll find out whether you qualify for the card without affecting your credit score and have confidence in your approval odds when you submit your application.

Should you get the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card?

If the idea of flat cash-back rewards appeals to you — whether you’re looking for a single card for all your spending or you want to supplement your existing credit cards — the Quicksilver card is a solid choice. At 1.5% cash back, it’s not the highest-earning cash-back card available today. But the cash welcome bonus and competitive introductory 0% APR on both new purchases and balance transfers may set it apart from other options, depending on your individual goals.

In fact, you may consider the Quicksilver if you have an existing debt balance, but your credit is still in good standing. The long introductory 0% APR can be a major tool in paying down debt since you won’t have to worry about taking on extra interest charges over the intro period. Once your debt is paid off, you can start using the card for its cash-back benefits — while paying your balance in full each month to avoid accruing more debt.

Should you get both cards?

It’s unlikely you’ll have use for both of these cards in your wallet at once. The Platinum card is best for someone looking to build their credit through timely payments. It’s a relatively basic card that can be good for building credit habits without the risk of overspending for the sake of added rewards.

If the Platinum card is a good option for you today, the Quicksilver could be a good card to aim for in the future. With its flat cash-back rewards, solid welcome bonus, and no annual fee, it’s a solid option to have in your wallet alongside any other credit cards that you might use. Even if you eventually seek out other rewards programs, having the Quicksilver means you’re guaranteed at least 1.5% cash back on every purchase.

Other cards to consider

Here are a few other credit cards we like, whether you’re looking for a beginner card to build credit or want to earn cash back.

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