If you prefer simplicity and an all-purpose credit card, the Citi Double Cash® Card or Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can check those boxes.
The distinguishing factor between both lies in the way they deliver value. The Citi Double Cash® Card outshines its competitor with a more substantial ongoing rewards rate on all purchases and a longer get-out-of-debt offer. As a runner-up, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card packs a punch that can make it especially valuable in the beginning, but the ongoing rewards fall short.
Here’s how to determine which one is right for your spending.
How the cards compare
Annual fee
Sign-up bonus
Rewards
- 1.5% cash back on purchases.
- 5% on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- 2% cash back on purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay the bill.
- 5% total cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi's portal.
APR
Foreign transaction fee
Still not sure?
Why the Citi Double Cash® Card is better for most people
The Citi Double Cash® Card wins by a small margin. It offers more long-term value than the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Rewards
The Citi Double Cash® Card earns a solid 2% cash back rate on purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off the balance. It goes further than the 1.5% rewards rate offered on the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Assuming you pay off the bill, it’s easy enough to earn the full rewards rate on the Citi Double Cash® Card.
Citi Flex Pay Option
The Citi Double Cash® Card comes with the Citi Flex Pay option, which allows you to put large purchases on your credit card and pay them off over a set timeframe with a fixed interest rate and payment plan. You could use this option to save on interest charges, and you don’t have to apply or undergo a credit check. As of May 2025, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn’t offer this type of ongoing option.
Balance transfers
The Citi Double Cash® Card has a longer window to pay down debt. New cardholders get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-28.74% Variable APR. It charges a low introductory balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount transferred or $5 (whichever is greater), for transfers completed within the first four months of account opening and a 5% fee or $5, whichever is greater, after that.
Why some might prefer the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
While the Citi Double Cash® Card offers more long-term value, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can offer incentives to new cardholders who make purchases after opening the account.
Introductory APR offer on purchases
Unlike the Citi Double Cash® Card, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers new cardholders breathing room on purchases. New cardholders can get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.74%-28.74% Variable APR.
No foreign transaction fees
On cash-back credit cards, this feature holds less weight, but it can save you money while using the card abroad. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees. By comparison, the Citi Double Cash® Card charges 3% on every international transaction.
Which card should you get?
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card has some valuable features, but the better option with long-lasting value is the Citi Double Cash® Card. You can use it get out of debt or snag a decent rate on all purchases. As a flat-rate credit card, the Citi Double Cash® Card also pairs well with other high-earning rewards credit cards, so you can squeeze even more rewards out of your purchases.
