Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: A Credit-Building Card with Cash Back

If you’re starting to build credit or working to improve your credit score, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card could be a solid pick. It gives you the tools to track your progress and offers flat-rate cash back on every purchase. Best of all, there’s no need for a security deposit — something many cards for limited / fair credit require.

However, there’s a $39 annual fee, a high APR and no welcome offer — which may make other options more appealing.

• Annual fee: $39
• Regular purchase APR: 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign transaction fee: None
• Sign-up bonus: N/A
• Rewards rate: 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
• Other benefits:
  • 24/7 account monitoring
  • $0 fraud liability
  • Credit score tracking with CreditWise
  • Mobile app
• Recommended credit: Limited / Fair

• May qualify with Limited / Fair credit

  The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is geared toward applicants with limited / fair credit. According to FICO, a fair credit score is one that falls within the 580 to 669 range.

  Capital One may characterize you as having fair credit if either of the following applies to you:

  • I’ve defaulted on a loan in the past five years, or
  • I have limited credit history. I’ve had my own credit card or other credit card for less than three years (including students, people who are new to the U.S. or authorized users on someone else’s credit card)

  In addition, you can check to see if you’re prequalified for a credit card before you apply, so you don’t get a hard pull on your credit report — this slightly lowers your credit score for a short period of time.

  → Get your credit score for free with LendingTree Spring.

• Can help you build credit

  The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers strong features for building credit. Using the card regularly will help improve the length of your credit history, as well as your payment history — as long as you make your payments on time and keep your credit utilization ratio low.

  Credit building features include:

  • Monthly reports to the three credit bureaus. You’ll want your credit information to be sent to all three credit bureaus, so no matter which credit report a future lender looks at, your good credit history will be visible. However, the same applies to negative actions — late or missed payments will also be reported, and they can lower your credit score.
  • Automatic credit line reviews start in as little as six months and could result in a credit limit increase. Getting a larger credit limit helps your credit score because it improves your credit utilization ratio — as long as you don’t start spending more. You should aim to use less than 30% of your credit limit, but keeping it under 10% is even better.
  • CreditWise gives you unlimited access to your FICO® Score 8, educational content and Social Security number tracking. It also includes an interactive simulator that lets you see how different financial decisions impact your credit.

  → Learn how to improve your credit score fast.

• Simple cash rewards on every purchase

  Many unsecured credit-building credit cards lack a rewards program, but the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has one. Cardholders can earn 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). Considering this is an unsecured card that caters to applicants with limited / fair credit, this is a good rewards rate.

  Even better? The rewards are easy to earn and use — there are no categories to activate, you won’t have to watch out for spending caps and they’ll be available to use as soon as your transactions post. You can redeem them as a statement credit or to cover a purchase, both of which can lower your out-of-pocket cost when you pay off your monthly credit card statement balance.

  That said, because of the annual fee, the estimated annual rewards value for this card is only $15*.

  Tip: It’s important to not overspend for the sake of earning rewards. Use your credit card responsibly, and know that improving your credit score will save you even more in the long run.

  → Find secured credit cards with cash back rewards.

  *Based on LendingTree’s value methodology.

• No security deposit required

  The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn’t require a security deposit, which can run upwards of $200 with many secured credit cards. However, you’ll need to pay a $39 annual fee with this card.

  Remember that an annual fee is an ongoing cost, whereas a security deposit can be returned when you pay off your balance and close your credit card or upgrade to an unsecured card.

• Annual fee

  The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has an annual fee of $39, though this is relatively low for an unsecured card geared toward applicants with lower credit scores. Since this is a cash back card, you’ll need to spend around $220 per month on general purchases for 12 months to recoup the annual fee in cash back rewards. Regular gas and groceries purchases could cost that much, so it may still be easy to come out ahead despite the annual fee.

  But if you can afford to put down a deposit, a secured credit card might be a better choice for building credit. Many secured cards don’t charge an annual fee — and while you’ll have to pay a deposit, you can get it back when you close your account in good standing or graduate to an unsecured card. For example, the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card offers the same rewards rate as the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card with no annual fee.

  Annual fee vs. security deposit: See how quickly annual fees stack up

  With a $39 annual fee card, you’ll spend more than $200 in fees after six years. However, someone with a secured card can avoid an annual fee and get their security deposit back when they close their account or graduate to an unsecured credit card.

  	Card with $39 annual fee	Card with $200 refundable deposit
  Year 1	$39 annual fee	$200 deposit
  Year 2	$39 annual fee	$0
  Year 3	$39 annual fee	$0
  Year 4	$39 annual fee	$0
  Year 5	$39 annual fee	$0
  Year 6	$39 annual fee	$0
  Total	$234	$200 deposit, which can be refunded

   

• High APR

  You should think twice about carrying a balance on this card, as the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has a high 29.74% (Variable) APR. This is several points above the average credit card interest rate in America, which a LendingTree study puts at 24.33% as of June 2025.

  High APRs aren’t unusual with credit cards designed for building credit — in fact, all three alternative cards listed below have interest rates that are higher than the average APR. The best low interest credit cards are generally secured credit cards or geared towards those with good or excellent credit.

  You can avoid paying any interest charges by paying off your statement balance by its payment date each month. Paying your balance in full each month and on time also helps improve your credit score, as you’re lowering the amount of credit you’re using and demonstrating responsible credit usage. Late or missed payments count against you and can stay on your credit history for up to seven years.

  → Learn more about 9 common credit card fees and how to avoid them.

• No intro APR for purchases or balance transfers

  There’s no introductory APR offer on purchases or balance transfers, which isn’t unusual for cards geared toward applicants with lower credit scores.

  That said, if you’re rebuilding credit due to debt, a balance transfer to a card like the Citi Double Cash^® Card could be helpful for getting out of debt and may accept applicants with fair / good / excellent credit. It’s also our pick for the best credit card for balance transfers when you look at overall savings and long-term value.

• No sign-up bonus

  Sign-up bonuses are rare among credit cards for fair credit, and the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is no exception. Two of our alternative credit-building cards come with welcome offers, but many secured and unsecured credit cards for limited credit don’t.

  As you work to build credit, your focus should be on using your credit card for your regular purchases and paying them off on time — not chasing a spending threshold that you need to meet to earn a bonus.

  → Find credit cards with sign-up bonuses.

• May get a low credit limit to start

  Some Reddit users have reported only being approved for credit limits of $300 or $500. But keep in mind that Capital One will regularly review your account for a possible credit line increase starting at six months. With responsible use of the card, you may be able to get a higher credit line over time

  For a larger credit limit — and one that you might get to choose — consider a secured credit card. Generally, your credit limit is determined by how much you put down as your security deposit. For example, the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card allows you to put down up to $2,500 as a security deposit, while the Petal^® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa^® Credit Card may offer credit limits as high as $10,000.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Discover it^® Secured Credit Card

If you don’t mind putting down a security deposit, the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card is a great alternative to the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It’s targeted at those with limited / poor credit, so the eligibility requirements aren’t out of reach for many.

You will have to put down a security deposit of at least $200 to open the account, but the card comes with a $0 annual fee. Plus, at seven months, Discover will begin reviewing your account to upgrade you to an unsecured card. If you make your payments on time, you could possibly score an unsecured Discover card in less than a year, without an ongoing annual fee.

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card also offers a solid rewards program where you earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Plus, for new cardholders, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. This makes it a definite winner during the first year of card membership.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card

The $0-annual-fee Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card is LendingTree’s pick for the best credit card for building credit. It’s an unsecured credit card that offers simple rewards on all purchases. You can boost your approval odds by having a balance of at least $250 in a Chase checking or savings account. This can be helpful, since the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card accepts applicants with good / excellent credit.

Cardholders earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You can also earn a $25 statement credit when you sign up for automatic payments within the first three months of opening your account and remain enrolled for at least 90 days.

One standout feature is that, like many Chase credit cards, the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card comes with a variety of protections, including extended warranty protection, purchase protection and trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Petal^® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa^® Credit Card

The Petal^® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa^® Credit Card doesn’t require a security deposit or a credit score to apply. Instead, it uses a “Cash Score,” which uses your banking and financial history to determine your eligibility. The card has no fees, including a $0 annual fee, $0 late fee and $0 foreign transaction fee. Plus, there’s potential for a credit limit up to $10,000.

Like the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, the Petal 2 Credit Card offers a pathway to a credit line increase in as little as six months by using their Leap program and making qualifying on-time payments.

It also offers a rewards program that lets you earn 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away, and 2% to 10% cash back at select merchants. Plus, earn up to 1.25% cash back on most purchases after six months of timely payments and up to 1.5% cash back on most purchases after 12 months of timely payments.

 

The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good card for anyone who has limited credit and wants to avoid putting down a deposit for a secured card. The annual fee is modest enough that you can recoup your cash easily by taking advantage of the rewards program.

But if you have an extra $200 (or more) that you can use as an initial security deposit, the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card is a better option. Not only is there a $0 annual fee, but you could have your deposit back and graduate to an unsecured card within only a matter of months.

We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

We rank cards based on the following criteria:

• Average value over two years (50% of rating): We calculate the cash back earned for the average cardholder using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes sign-up and annual bonuses. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
• Flexibility of rewards (30% of rating): We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors like expiration dates and minimum thresholds to redeem.
• Other features (20% of rating): We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase and travel protections, against benefits from other cards.

Note that our ratings are only a starting point for comparing and choosing the best cash back credit card. However, your needs may be different from the average cardholder. You should consider the amount you’re likely to spend in a card’s bonus categories, as well as which benefits you value to choose the best card for you.