BEST CREDIT CARDSBEST CREDIT CARDSCAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVER STUDENT CARD: SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD

Capital One Quicksilver Student Card: Simple and Straightforward

From textbooks to take-out during an all-nighter, students who qualify can earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases while building their credit profile.
Craig Joseph Author Avatar
Mar 12, 2024 8:54 a.m. PDT
Edited by
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4.5

NerdWallet rating
The bottom line:

Qualified students will receive a no-hassle 1.5% cash back on all purchases in addition to a welcome offer. So if you prefer simplicity, this card is probably for you.

Pros
  • No annual fee
  • Qualify with limited/bad credit
  • Earns rewards
  • Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Cons
  • No bonus categories
  • High APR
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card Image
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual Fee

$0

Regular APR

19.99%-29.99% Variable APR

Intro APR

N/A

Rec. credit score


Annual Fee

$0

Regular APR

19.99%-29.99% Variable APR

  • Annual fee

    $0

  • Rewards rate

    1.5%-10%

  • Bonus offer

    Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.

  • Intro APR

    N/A

  • Ongoing APR

    APR: 19.99%-29.99% Variable APR

    Cash Advance APR: 29.99%, Variable

  • Balance transfer fee

    Balance Transfer Fee applies to balances transferred at a promotional rate

  • Foreign transaction fee

    0%

More details from Capital One
View Rates and Fees
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
  • Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
  • Lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it's misplaced, lost or stolen
  • Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
  • Build your credit with responsible card use
  • Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you

Compare to Other Cards

ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
19.99%-29.99% Variable APR
Rates & Fees
INTRO APR
N/A
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
18.24%-27.24% Variable APR
Rates & Fees
INTRO APR
0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
18.24%-27.24% Variable APR
Rates & Fees
INTRO APR
0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
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Detailed review: Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a no-frills, low-hassle gateway into the world of credit card rewards for qualifying students. You'll get the same 1.5% cash back on purchases that you'll find on the venerable non-student version — the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card — except the student card is easier to qualify for.

With a sign-up bonus on top of that solid ongoing rewards rate, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card could be an A+ option for students who don't have the time or inclination to juggle multiple bonus categories.

However, to qualify for the card, you'll need at least some established credit, meaning that other student cards may be easier to get. And if you're willing to put in some work, you might be able to do better than a flat 1.5% rate.

Empty Table Header

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rewards

  • Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

  • Unlimited 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

  • Unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment and some streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart).

  • Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases.

  • Unlimited 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

  • 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.

Annual fee

$0 (see rates and fees).

$0 (see rates and fees).

APR

The ongoing APR is 19.99%-29.99% Variable APR.

The ongoing APR is 19.99%-29.99% Variable APR.

Sign-up bonus

Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.

Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.

Foreign transaction fee

$0.

$0.

Student status required

Yes.

Yes.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Basics

Card type: College student.

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees).

Sign-up bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.

Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases. You can also earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Through Nov. 14, 2024, you can also earn 10% cash back with this card on Uber and Uber Eats, as well as a complimentary Uber One membership. Terms apply.

Redemption: Cash back can be redeemed in the form of a statement credit, check or gift card. Cardholders can also automate redemption to occur at a certain time each year or when a certain amount is reached.

Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 19.99%-29.99% Variable APR.

Foreign transaction fees: None.

Credit score requirement: According to Capital One, you'll need average credit to qualify for this card. Typically, average credit means a FICO score between 630 and 689.

Other benefits:

  • Travel accident insurance.

  • Access to 24/7 concierge.

  • Travel assistance services.

Benefits and perks

Simple rewards

Credit card users generally fall into two camps: optimizers and simplifiers. Optimizers like moving parts and strategically spend money in bonus categories to maximize their rewards-earning potential. Simplifiers prefer keeping things straightforward, which is exactly what the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card does well. 

The card earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back on most purchases, with no bonus categories to track or sign up for. And while some competitors make their rewards hard to use with minimum redemption limits, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card allows you to redeem any amount at any time. 

In addition to this easy base rewards structure, you can earn an additional 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

A sign-up bonus

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of only a few student cards that offer a sign-up bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.

Compared with other student credit cards that offer smaller (or no) bonuses, or that feature matching of cash back earned in the first year, you'll receive this card's $50 bonus as soon as you hit the minimum spending requirement. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. 

No annual fees or foreign transaction fees

Fees can eat into the real rewards-earning rate of any credit card. Luckily, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. That makes the card perfect for purchases throughout the semester, while you study abroad or during that spring break trip to Mexico.

A long-term companion

Capital One considers a student to be someone who is admitted and enrolled (or intending to enroll within three months) either part-time or full-time at an accredited university, community college or higher education institution. 

But even after you lose the student status, you can keep the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. The rewards rates remain the same even when you aren’t a student, and rewards never expire. And keeping your student account open through the years will be a boon to your credit since the length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your overall FICO score. 

Or you could seek a "product change" with Capital One, which might allow you to switch to a more lucrative (non-student) card without having to close your existing card or change its account number.

Drawbacks and considerations

Eligibility

The primary drawbacks to the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card are its eligibility requirements. You must satisfy all of the following criteria to qualify:

  • Be an admitted or enrolled full- or part-time student at an accredited university or community college.

  • Possess a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. 

  • Have at least an average FICO credit score between 630 and 689.

  • Be 18 years or older.

  • Have proof of a monthly income that is greater than your rent or mortgage payment by at least $425.

These requirements will exclude many international students from applying. Additionally, students between 18 and 20 years of age who do not have an independent income will not qualify, since Capital One does not allow co-signers. Students without a credit history won’t qualify, either. 

If you are one of the many students unable to qualify for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, you might want to consider the Discover it® Student Cash Back or the Discover it® Student Chrome. These cards let you earn rewards without a FICO credit history requirement.

Alternate Pick: 3% back in popular categories
Ideal for foodies

The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal for students who don't mind working a little harder for richer rewards. It earns 3% back on dining, entertainment, eligible streaming services and purchases at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target). Other non-bonus-category purchases earn 1% back. The card has no annual fee, and it offers a similar sign-up bonus.

How to decide if it's right for you

This card was designed with simplicity in mind. If you qualify and want a no-hassle credit card to help build your credit profile, you won’t do much better than the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.

If you’re an optimizer, though, you might want to check out the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which offers bonus rewards categories as well as a similar sign-up bonus.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Methodology

NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.

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