Best of
Best Capital One Credit Cards of October 2020
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Capital One's credit cards include some of the best-known products on the market, thanks to the company's celebrity spokespeople and its ubiquitous catchphrase, "What's in your wallet?" But the issuer's cards are more than hype — they include generous rewards cards as well as excellent products for business owners, students and those with average or poor credit. What won't you find on any Capital One card? Foreign transaction fees.
Capital One's credit cards include some of the best-known products on the market, thanks to the company's celebrity spokespeople and its ubiquitous catchphrase, "What's in your wallet?" But the issuer's cards are more than hype — they include generous rewards cards as well as excellent products for business owners, students and those with average or poor credit. What won't you find on any Capital One card? Foreign transaction fees.
Here are the top Capital One credit cards. Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, verify details on the issuer's website:
CONSUMER CREDIT CARDS
Our pick for: Travel rewards
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is probably the best-known general-purpose travel credit card, thanks to its ubiquitous advertising. You earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, and miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus and other worthwhile perks. Read our review.
Our pick for: Flat-rate cash back
The original 1.5% flat-rate cash-back card still holds its own in a now-crowded field. The Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a compelling combination of a good rewards rate, redemption flexibility, sign-up bonus and introductory 0% APR period. Read our review.
Our pick for: Dining/entertainment rewards
If a night out is more than a once-in-a-while proposition for you, consider the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card. You get a best-in-class cash-back rate on dining and entertainment, plus bonus rewards at grocery stores. The sign-up bonus is one of the best you can get on a cash-back card. Read our review.
Our pick for: Dining/entertainment rewards + no annual fee
Love the night life but dead-set against paying an annual fee? Consider the Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card. It pays a lower cash-back rate on dining and entertainment than the regular Savor card, but the rewards are nevertheless quite good. The sign-up bonus is smaller than on the annual-fee version, too, but it's still solid. Read our review.
Our pick for: College students
The Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One® gives newcomers to credit a powerful incentive to develop responsible habits. You earn cash back on every purchase, but when you pay your bill on time, the cash-back rate for that month gets a boost. Read our review.
Our pick for: Fair credit
You don't get rewards with the Capital One® Platinum Credit Card, or a sign-up bonus or a 0% period. But if you've got fair credit and you need a card you can use to build credit without paying an annual fee, it's definitely worth a look. Read our review.
Our pick for: Fair credit + rewards
This card for people with fair or "average" credit pays the same cash-back rate as the regular Quicksilver card, which targets people with excellent credit. The key difference is that this version charges an annual fee while the regular one does not. Read our review.
Our pick for: Poor credit
The Capital One® Secured Mastercard® requires a security deposit, as do all secured credit cards. But while most cards require you to put down a deposit equal to your credit line, this one allows some qualifying applicants to get a $200 credit line with a deposit of $49 or $99. Further, if you make your first five payments on time, you might get access to a higher credit line with no additional deposit. Read our review.
BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS
Our pick for: Small business cash back
The Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business is an excellent option for business operators whose expenses are all over the map and don't fall into the bonus categories on other business credit cards. You get a high, flat rewards rate on every purchase, with no limit to how much you can earn. There's a great sign-up bonus offer, too. Read our review.
Our pick for: Small business cash back + no annual fee
For flat-rate cash back without an annual fee, look to the Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business. The rewards rate is lower and the sign-up bonus is downsized compared with the regular Spark Cash card, but because there's no annual fee, smaller spenders might come out ahead compared with the regular version. Read our review.
Our pick for: Small business travel rewards
The Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business is basically a business version of the popular Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card. You earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, and miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus, too. Read our review.
Our pick for: Small business travel rewards + no annual fee
The Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business offers a lower rewards rate and a smaller bonus offer than the regular Spark Miles card, but there's no annual fee, either. Smaller spenders might come out ahead compared with the regular version. Read our review.
Our pick for: Small business fair credit
The rewards rate on the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business isn't going to wow anyone, there's no sign-up bonus and the APR is high. What makes this card valuable is that it's available to business operators with fair or "average" credit, who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards — especially with no annual fee. Read our review.
Other credit cards issued by Capital One
Last updated on October 8, 2020
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen in multiple categories.
