Compare Capital One credit cards with no annual fee

Capital One offers a variety of no-annual-fee credit cards, including cashback cards, credit-building cards and a travel card. Note that Capital One credit cards that do have an annual fee offer a slightly higher rewards rate on purchases.

Compare Capital One credit cards with no annual fee

How to compare Capital One cards with no annual fee

When looking for a no-annual-fee Capital One card, ask yourself:

• Do you want to earn cash back?
  Capital One offers three cashback cards: a student cashback card, a card with unlimited cash back on all purchases or a card with accelerated cash back on dining and entertainment.

• Do you travel often?
  The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card is the only no-annual-fee Capital One card that lets you earn unlimited miles on purchases. This is one of the highest travel rewards rates you can earn with a no-annual-fee card.

• Do you want a student card?
  Capital One offers only one student card, which comes with a flat cash back rate on all purchases. Note that some competitors offer a higher rewards rate for students.

• Do you want to build credit?
  You can get the Capital One® Platinum Credit Card, an unsecured credit-building card, or the Capital One® Secured Mastercard®, a secured credit-building card.

• Do you want to earn rewards toward a new GM car?
  Capital One has two GM cobranded cards where you earn a percentage of the money you spend, which you can use toward a new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle.

• Do you want a 0% intro APR period on purchases?
  You’ll get a 0% intro APR period on purchases with three cards: the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card.

Our pick for a no-annual-fee card from other brand

Citi® Double Cash Card

• Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
• To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
• Balance Transfer Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 13.99% – 23.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Balance Transfers do not earn cash back.
• If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
• There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.99% – 23.99% based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.

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Will I earn more rewards if I pay an annual fee?

Well, yes and no. Capital One offers three cards with an annual fee that have a no-annual-fee counterpart. Here’s a breakdown of how they compare:

	Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card	Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee	$0	$95 for the first year, after that, your fee will revert to $95
Miles	1.25x miles on all purchases.	2x miles on all purchases.
Signup bonus	20,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
Intro APR period	0% intro APR period on purchases for the first 12 months, a variable APR of 15.49% to 25.49% thereafter	N/A
Miles earned with a $2,000 monthly spending	30,000 miles annually	48,000 miles annually
Total miles for the first year if you clear the signup bonus	50,000 miles (around $500 value when redeemed for travel)	98,000 miles (around $980 value when redeemed for travel)

	Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card	Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee	$0	$0 for the first year, after that, your fee will revert to $95
Cash back	3% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on everything else you buy	4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on everything else you buy
Signup bonus	$150 cash bonus after spending $500 in your first 3 months	$300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 in your first 3 months
Intro APR period	0% intro APR period on purchases for the first 15 months, a variable APR of 15.49% to 25.49% thereafter	N/A
Cash back earned with monthly spending of $800 on dining $800 on groceries $800 on all other purchases	$576 annually	$672 annually
Total cash back for the first year if you clear the signup bonus	$726	$972

	Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card	Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee	$0	$39
Cash back	1.5% cash back on all purchases	1.5% cash back on all purchases
Signup bonus	$150 cash bonus after spending $500 in your first 3 months	N/A
Intro APR period	0% intro APR period on purchases for the first 15 months, a variable APR of 15.49% to 25.49% thereafter	N/A
Cash back earned with a $2,000 monthly spending	$360 annually	$360 annually
Total cash back for the first year if you clear the signup bonus	$510	$360

As you can see, paying an annual fee for a Capital One card doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a better card. Weigh your options before choosing a card.

Bottom line

Your Capital One no-annual-fee options include cashback cards, credit-building cards and a travel card. If you’re looking to make interest-free balance transfers, the cashback cards are your only option. You can also get a card with an annual fee, but you’ll only get a slight boost in your rewards rate.

If these cards don’t fit your financial needs, compare other credit cards to see your options.

Frequently asked questions

• Which Capital One card is easiest to get?

  The Capital One® Secured Mastercard® is the easiest Capital One card to get, but you may also consider the Capital One® Platinum Credit Card.

• Are Capital One credit cards Visa or Mastercard?

  Capital One cards may be Visa or Mastercard. If you’re hoping to get one or the other, check with Capital One before applying to be sure you get what you’re looking for.

• Which Capital One credit card is best?

  Depending on your financial situation, each of the no-annual-fee cards offered by Capital One could be best for you. If you want to know how we rank them, check out our comparison page.

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