Best Capital One Credit Cards of September 2025
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Written by
Joseph Hostetler
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
No matter your financial goals, the best Capital One cards can help you achieve them — whether you’re new to credit, rebuilding your credit profile or simply want to earn rewards for your purchases. Capital One even issues some of the best travel credit cards with flexible redemption options, making maximizing credit card rewards easy.
Let’s look at the best Capital One credit card options for your situation.
Quick Overview: Capital One Credit Cards
| Our Choice For | Credit Range | Annual Fee | Highlights | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Rate Cash Back |
Excellent, Good
670 – 850*
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$0 |
Unlimited 1.5% cash back plus a $300 welcome bonusFor a limited time, earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Apply Now
More Details
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| Rewards on dining & entertainment |
Excellent, Good
670 – 850*
|
$0 |
Up to 8% cash back plus a $300 bonus For a limited time, earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Apply Now
More Details
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| $0 Annual Fee Travel Card |
Excellent, Good
670 – 850*
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$0 |
Earn a welcome bonus and 1.25X – 5X rewards Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day.
Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Apply Now
More Details
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| Elevated Travel Rewards |
Excellent, Good
670 – 850*
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$95 |
Earn a welcome bonus worth $750 and 2x – 5x rewards Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.
Apply Now
More Details
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| Premium Travel Rewards & Perks |
Excellent
720 – 850*
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$395 |
Very generous bonus and statement credit opportunities plus premium perks.
Apply Now
More Details
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Detailed Overview: Capital One Credit Cards
Top Feature
For a limited time, earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Purchase & Balance Transfer APR
0% intro on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 19.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
CardCritics™ Opinion
Recommended Credit Score
Annual Fee
Rewards
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Card Details From Issuer
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Top Feature
For a limited time, earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Purchase & Balance Transfer APR
0% intro on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then 19.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
CardCritics™ Opinion
Recommended Credit Score
Annual Fee
Rewards
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases.
Card Details From Issuer
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Top Feature
For a limited time, earn $300 in travel bonuses. Enjoy $100 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s equal to $300 in travel
Purchase & Balance Transfer APR
0% intro on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 19.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
CardCritics™ Opinion
Recommended Credit Score
Annual Fee
Rewards
Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Card Details From Issuer
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn $300 in travel bonuses. Enjoy $100 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s equal to $300 in travel
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Top Feature
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Purchase & Balance Transfer APR
19.99% – 29.24% (Variable)
CardCritics™ Opinion
Recommended Credit Score
Annual Fee
Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.
Card Details From Issuer
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Top Feature
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Purchase & Balance Transfer APR
19.99% – 29.24% (Variable)
CardCritics™ Opinion
Recommended Credit Score
Annual Fee
Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Card Details From Issuer
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
How To Choose the Best Capital One Credit Card for You
With a bit of strategy, it’s easy to sift through the many Capital One credit cards to find the best fit for your lifestyle. You just have to ask the right questions.
What’s Your Credit Score?
Always check your credit score before you apply for a credit card to make sure you’re not reaching for a card beyond what your creditworthiness will allow.
You typically need a score of 670 or above (considered a good credit score by FICO) to be approved for most Capital One credit cards. Still, we recommend you wait until your score is 700 or above to give yourself the best chance at approval.
Why Do You Want To Open a Credit Card?
Identify what you’d like to accomplish by opening a Capital One credit card. Are you simply trying to build credit? Maybe you’re a student looking for your first card — or perhaps you’ve made some mistakes with cards in the past and are on a mission to rebuild.
Are you looking for a credit card that’ll enhance your travel experience? Do you want to earn lots of cash back on everyday purchases? Capital One offers cards for all of those goals.
What Types of Purchases Do You Make the Most?
Capital One credit cards are some of the best at giving you a fair return for your purchases. Its most popular cards, like the Capital One Venture Card, offer a base return rate of 2 miles per dollar. But other cards, like the Capital One Savor Card, specialize in common purchases like dining and grocery shopping.
If you find the card that best complements your spending habits, you’ll be on track to earn the most rewards.
Is the Annual Fee Worth the Benefits?
Credit card annual fees aren’t as scary as they sound. You can often negate annual fees quite easily thanks to valuable card benefits. If you find a card that will net you more yearly value than you’re paying in annual fee, it’s a good deal for your situation.
Which Card Offers the Best Welcome Bonus?
If you still can’t decide between two or three options, go for the one with the juiciest welcome bonus, as long as you can complete the minimum spending requirement.
Pros and Cons of Capital One Cards
Capital One does lots of things right, but it also lacks in some areas compared to other issuers. Here are the pros and cons of Capital One cards.
Pros
- Capital One miles are easy to earn and redeem
- Excellent student credit cards
- Access to Capital One Travel with several cards
Cons
- Strict application rules — even those with excellent credit may have a hard time being approved for some Capital One cards
- Capital One pulls your credit from all three major bureaus when you apply for a card
- No co-branded travel credit cards
Capital One Credit Card Benefits
Capital One tacks on a handful of simple benefits across (nearly) all of its credit cards:
- Fraud protection: You’re covered by zero liability protection if your card is lost or stolen and the card is used for unauthorized transactions.
- Access to helpful Capital One platforms: Many Capital One credit cards give you access to features like Capital One Entertainment, Capital One Travel and Capital One Dining. Through these platforms, you can buy presale concert tickets, reserve hard-to-book restaurants and more.
- Virtual card numbers: Capital One lets you create virtual credit cards to mask your payment information at checkout. You can even create virtual card numbers on the checkout page when making a purchase online.
- Free credit score monitoring: Most Capital One cards deliver your VantageScore 3.0 credit score to your Capital One online account. Just sign in to view it.
In addition, some Capital One credit cards offer above-and-beyond benefits on select cards. For example:
- Airport lounge access: Premium Capital One Venture X cards are some of the best credit cards for lounge access. You can enter more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world — including its high-quality Capital One Lounges, after enrollment.
- Annual bonuses: The Venture X cards come with $300 in annual Capital One Travel credit. You’ll also get 10,000 bonus points after each account anniversary.
- Application fee reimbursement for trusted traveler programs: Capital One’s best travel cards offer up to $120 in reimbursement every four years toward a five-year membership to either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. This gives you an expedited airport security experience, making it one of the most popular Capital One Venture Card benefits.
- Top-tier travel insurance: The Venture X has some of the most generous rental car insurance and trip delay insurance on the market.
- Easy-to-use rewards: Capital One’s travel credit cards, such as the Capital One VentureOne Card, earn Capital One miles. Capital One miles value varies depending on how you use them, but you’re guaranteed to get at least 1 cent per mile toward expenses that are considered travel (airfare, hotel stays, rental cars and more).
- No preset spending limit: The Capital One Venture X Business doesn’t come with a firm credit limit. This makes it great for businesses with large transactions, as you can often spend more with a No Preset Spending Limit (NPSL) card than with a traditional credit card.
Alternatives To Consider
Capital One doesn’t have a vast array of co-branded travel credit cards like other major issuers. If you’re looking for something like that, check these banks instead.
- Chase credit cards: Chase partners with brands like United Airlines, Southwest, Hyatt, IHG and others to issue cards with perks like free checked bags, hotel elite status, airport lounge access and more.
- American Express credit cards: You’ll find cards with special perks for brands like Delta, Hilton and Marriott. More than Chase, Amex (an advertising partner) specializes in hyper-valuable premium credit cards with high annual fees (though they offer less pricey options, too).
- Citi credit cards: Citi issues cards with just one travel brand: American Airlines.
How To Apply for a Capital One Card
Here’s what to expect when you apply for a Capital One credit card:
- Navigate to the card’s application page on the Capital One website. You can also apply at a Capital One branch.
- Tell Capital One a bit about yourself. You’ll enter details like your mailing address, date of birth, Social Security number and annual income.
- Submit your application. You’ll see a hard credit inquiry appear on your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit profiles.
- If you’re instantly approved, you may receive a card number to use until your physical credit card arrives in the mail. This lets you begin spending immediately.
- If you’re not instantly approved (your application is pending or declined), you can consider calling Capital One to understand the reason for the decision. You may be able to offer more information that can result in an approval after all.
** Information for the Capital One Venture X Business card was not reviewed by Capital One or provided by Capital One.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Frequently Asked Questions About Capital One Credit Cards
What are the hardest Capital One credit cards to get?
The hardest Capital One credit cards to get are its premium travel credit cards, namely, the Capital One Venture X Business and Venture X. These generally require an excellent credit score for approval.
What’s the easiest Capital One card to get approved for?
The easiest Capital One card to get approved for is the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. It’s designed for those building (or rebuilding) their credit.
Which Capital One card is better, Platinum or Quicksilver?
The Capital One Quicksilver Card is better, because it earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases (except hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, which earn 5% back). The Capital One Platinum Credit Card doesn’t earn rewards for spending.
Do Capital One cards charge foreign transaction fees?
No, Capital One does not charge foreign transaction fees on any of its cards.
How Do Our Critics Evaluate the Cards?
All of the credit cards featured on CardCritics™ are assessed using the same criteria. Our critics evaluate fees, interest rates, balance transfer options, introductory bonuses, rewards, additional benefits and the average credit score required for approval.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
*CardCritics™ references a FICO® 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when evaluating your application.