Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Quicksilver: Are you looking for miles or cash back?

In recent years, Capital One has significantly enhanced its rewards offerings by broadening and improving its array of credit cards. These include user-friendly cash-back cards that allow points to be redeemed at a set value towards travel expenses and other statement credits, providing cardholders with a dependable return on their everyday purchases.

The issuer has also expanded its Capital One miles program, enabling select cardholders to transfer miles to over 15 airline and hotel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, and ALL Accor Live Limitless.

Choosing the right Capital One credit card can be challenging, depending on where you spend most and how you prefer to redeem your rewards. You might be torn between popular options like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Let's dive deeper to find out which might suit you better.

Comparison of Capital One Venture Rewards and Capital One Quicksilver

Welcome offer for Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Quicksilver

New cardholders of the Capital One Venture Rewards can currently earn a bonus of 75,000 miles when they spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening their account. These miles are valued at 1 cent each when redeemed at a fixed rate for travel expenses or new bookings through Capital One Travel, as well as for gift cards.

Additionally, the miles earned with the Capital One Venture Rewards can be transferred to over 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs. With this added flexibility, TPG values these miles at 1.85 cents each as of July 2024, which makes this welcome bonus equivalent to $1,638.

The sign-up bonus for the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards is relatively modest at just $200 cash back. To qualify, you need to spend $500 within the first three months of opening your account.

Winner: Venture Rewards. The bonus for Venture Rewards is significantly higher than that of Quicksilver.

Benefits of Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Quicksilver

As a travel card, the Venture Rewards offers benefits specifically designed for travelers. These perks include Hertz Five Star status* and a credit for the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee (up to $120).

Both cards have no foreign transaction fees, offer concierge services, and give cardholders access to exclusive events (check Quicksilver rates and fees and Venture Rewards rates and fees). Additionally, they provide various purchase and travel protections.

The Venture Rewards comes with a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), whereas the Quicksilver Cash Rewards has no annual fee (see rates and fees).

*Eligible cardholders can access this status level upon enrollment through the Capital One website or mobile app, and will retain it for the duration of the offer. Note that enrolling via the standard Hertz Gold Plus Rewards process (e.g., at Hertz.com) won't automatically recognize a cardholder for this program, and they won’t be upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Winner: Venture Rewards. The Venture Rewards takes the lead with a few additional benefits, such as Hertz Five Star status and a credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck.

Comparing how to earn rewards with Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Quicksilver

The Quicksilver Cash Rewards provides 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus a flat 1.5% back on all other purchases. This makes it simple to calculate your returns and is competitive with similar cash-back cards from other issuers.

With the Venture Rewards, you earn 2 miles for every dollar spent, and an enhanced 5 miles per dollar on hotel stays and rental cars booked via the Capital One Travel portal.

Winner: Venture Rewards. The Venture Rewards offers a slightly higher earning rate on non-bonus spending compared to Quicksilver, giving it a slight edge in this category.

Exploring how to redeem rewards with Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Quicksilver

This is where the two cards significantly differ.

The Quicksilver Cash Rewards is a straightforward cash-back card. Offering a 1.5% return on every dollar spent, you can redeem your cash back in various ways, including statement credits, gift cards, purchases on Amazon.com, or via check.

In contrast, the Venture Rewards accrues miles that can be exchanged for cash back or transferred to Capital One's travel partners. When redeeming for cash back, you earn 1 cent per mile for travel purchases and gift cards. However, if you choose statement credits for other purchases or a check, the value drops to 0.5 cents per mile, effectively halving your worth, so it's best to avoid that route.

Moreover, Capital One Venture miles can be transferred to over 15 partner programs beyond just cash back. To maximize your Venture miles, consider transferring them to partners like British Airways Executive Club, Air Canada Aeroplan, or Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. You can also explore creative redemption options; for example, TPG's senior aviation business reporter David Slotnick has successfully used Capital One miles for business class seat upgrades on long-haul flights.

Winner: Venture Rewards. The Venture Rewards triumphs here due to its access to transfer partners, which the Quicksilver lacks.

Which card should I choose: the Capital One Venture Rewards or the Capital One Quicksilver?

If your goal is to earn cash back at a consistent 1.5% on all purchases and you wish to use those rewards to reduce your credit card balance or buy gift cards, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is the ideal choice. Conversely, if you seek more versatility in how to redeem your rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a better fit. With more advantages and stronger earning potential, the Venture Rewards card is the wiser option if you don't have a clear preference between cash back and miles.

In summary

Both the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are excellent options for rewards. The Quicksilver is particularly beneficial for those who prefer a straightforward cash-back system that requires minimal effort for earning and redeeming.

If your goal is to earn miles specifically for travel expenses and you can fully utilize Capital One's travel transfer partners along with benefits like the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, the Venture Rewards is the superior option.

For further details, check out our Capital One Venture Rewards review and Capital One Quicksilver review.

Discover more: Capital One Venture Rewards

Discover more: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

For Capital One products mentioned on this page, certain benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may differ by product. Refer to the respective Guide to Benefits for specifics, as terms and exclusions apply.