Wells fargo active cash card vs capital one quicksilver

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a solid spread of features, including a simple yet fruitful welcome bonus, an average flat rewards rate of 1.5%, no annual fee and a solid introductory APR offer. While these benefits don't necessarily stand out in any single category, when the perks are combined they add up to an enticing offer and a worthwhile alternative to our other favorites. 

You will need good or excellent credit -- typically a credit score of 670 or higher -- to qualify for the Quicksilver Cash Rewards. The card is overshadowed in some aspects by its near competitors, but it does have one thing they don't: no foreign transaction fees. So if you travel abroad frequently and want solid benefits, this card is worth considering.

If you don't travel internationally, this card may still be a good choice if you're looking for an emergency credit card or balance transfer credit card, or if you can't qualify for one of our other picks below.

In this article

• Rewards and welcome bonus
• ​Redemption methods​
• 0% introductory APR benefit​
  
• Comparable cards​
• FAQs​
• Our approach to credit card evaluation​

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Intro OfferOne-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

APR17.99% - 27.99% (Variable)

Intro Purchase APR0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Recommended Credit Excellent, Good

Reward Rates

• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day

Annual Fee$0

Intro Balance Transfer APR0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months

Balance Transfer APR17.99% - 27.99% (Variable)

Balance Transfer Fee 3%

Late Payment Fee Up to $40

Foreign Transaction Fees None

Penalty APR None

• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day

Rewards and welcome bonus

Quicksilver Cash Rewards earns you 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make, without limitations. This is a standard flat-rate for cash-back cards (though cards that offer elevated rates on specific categories -- like groceries, gas or restaurants -- may only offer a 1% flat rate on other purchases). Plus, you can earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). 

Flat-rate cards offer simplicity -- you don't have to think about which card you're using for which transactions to maximize rewards. Some credit cards offer up to 2% cash rewards on purchases, but they don't include all of the other benefits that the Quicksilver Cash Rewards card offers. Keep in mind that a flat-rate card isn't always a good choice for everyone. Depending on your typical spending patterns, you may be better off choosing a card targeted to earn higher rewards rates on your top spending categories. 

The $200 cash bonus welcome offer (after spending $500 within the first three months of account opening) has the best ratio of spending to bonus on the market. While top welcome bonus cards may net you a higher value overall, the spending threshold of $500 is just a fraction of what other cards require. If you don't have a hefty budget, this welcome bonus offer is the best value available.

Redemption methods

You can redeem rewards at any amount and at any time with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card. Not all cards offer this flexibility -- some set minimum redemption thresholds. Your cash-back rewards can be redeemed in a variety of ways, including directly covering a recent purchase (before the end of the billing period), applying rewards as a statement credit or redeeming them for gift cards. Because this is a cash-back card and not a points-earning card, all redemption methods give you the same value for your rewards. Therefore there is no monetary benefit to choosing one redemption method over another.

Additionally, you can use your points to shop through PayPal and Amazon. Just add your Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card to your account as a payment method to redeem your cash-back balance at checkout.

0% introductory APR benefit

The Capital One Quicksilver Rewards Credit Card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months and on balance transfers alike (17.99% to 27.99% variable APR thereafter). This is pretty competitive, as most offers range from 12 to 21 months. Offering this intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers gives you some flexibility in use, particularly if you're looking for an emergency credit card. 

With many balance transfer credit cards, you have a set number of days -- usually 30 to 120 -- to initiate a balance transfer without starting the clock on your promotional APR. If you don't initiate the balance transfer within the designated time frame, you miss the opportunity completely. Because the Quicksilver ties in the balance transfer offer with a 0% introductory purchase APR, there is a little less flexibility. With this Capital One credit card, the time starts ticking right away. So while you can transfer at any time within the first 15 months after account opening, your time with 0% interest dwindles the more time goes by.

If you transfer a balance within the first 15 months, you'll have a 3% balance transfer fee, with no minimum. This is fairly standard. If you're transferring a balance after that time period, you won't be charged a balance transfer fee, but you will get stuck with the regular variable APR for this card (17.99% to 27.99% based on your creditworthiness).

Comparable Cards

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a similar benefits spread of all no-annual-fee cards, but it beats the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards for cash rewards. It offers a whopping 2% -- the highest flat cash-rewards rate on the market -- compared to the Quicksilver's 1.5%. If you charge and pay off $12,000 worth of purchases on your card within a year, it equates to a $60 difference in cash rewards annually.

As for the Active Cash's welcome bonus, you can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening. That's a pretty good welcome bonus, but a step below Quicksilver's because of its higher spending threshold. The Active Cash offers the same time frame for its 0% introductory APR, at 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (18.74%, 23.74%, or 28.74% variable APR thereafter). Also note that it has foreign transaction fees. 

For more details, see our full review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card.

Citi® Double Cash Card

The Citi Double Cash Card is another strong contender against the Quicksilver Cash Rewards. While it does ultimately offer up to 2% cash back, you only earn 1% upon purchase -- the other 1% is earned when you pay off those purchases. So while you can earn more than with the Quicksilver in the end, the system is not quite as simple.

For a limited time, you can earn $200 cash back when you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. The 0% introductory APR for 18 months only applies to balance transfers (17.74% to 27.74% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers must be completed within four months of account opening), limiting this card beyond the full scope of the Quicksilver and Active Cash. If you're primarily looking for a balance transfer card, this could be a better option than the Quicksilver Cash Rewards because it gives you more wiggle room: You'll have a full 18 months with a buffer of up to four months to initiate the balance transfer and claim the introductory APR offer.

For more details, see our full review of the Citi Double Cash Card.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a simpler version of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, designed for those with lesser credit. The QuicksilverOne only requires at least fair credit (FICO score of 580 to 669) to qualify, but the perks are much more limited than the Quicksilver.

While you still earn at least 1.5% cash back on each purchase, you must pay a $39 annual fee for this card. There is no welcome bonus offer, nor an introductory APR -- this is simply a flat-rate cash-back card with no bells and whistles.

FAQs

How do cash-back credit cards work?

Cash-back credit cards offer cardholders rewards on their spending in the form of statement credits or cash. A statement credit is a reduction in the amount due to the credit card company on your monthly bill. Note that rewards are not always available the month you earn them -- they are usually applied to your balance by credit card issuers after one or two billing cycles.

The redemption process for cash-back credit cards is either automatic or very simple. Some cards automatically apply cash rewards to your statement balance each month. Others require you to log in and redeem available rewards for statement credits. Most cash back rewards don't expire, but you will lose them if you close the account before redeeming them. 

What types of cash-back credit cards are there?

Cash-back credit cards generally fall into four primary categories: flat-rate, tiered, rotating or choose your own. 

Flat-rate cards offer the same rate for every purchase. Tiered cards offer a different rewards rate for different categories of spending. Rotating category cards offer different rewards each quarter, determined by the card issuer. Choose-your-own cards allow you to select your rewards category.

What are foreign transaction fees and when are they charged?

Card issuers or banks charge foreign transaction fees to cover the cost of exchanging a purchase from the foreign currency to US dollars. If you make a purchase in foreign currency, it's likely you will be charged for the conversion -- usually 1% to 3% of the transaction -- unless you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

Our approach

We review the cards that are in the highest demand and offer the best benefits. We scour the fine print so there aren't any surprises when you open an account. We find the key factors that make a card stand out and compare them to other top cards. That way, readers can opt for a different card with similar features if our pick isn't right for them. Our reviews are regularly checked and updated to incorporate new recommendations, as well as to reflect changes in offers and the market. 

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

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