Wells Fargo Active Cash vs. Capital One Quicksilver: 2 Strong Cash-Back Credit Cards With Straightforward Rewards
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Written by
Lee Huffman
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
Cash-back credit cards offer the ultimate in flexibility because cash can be used just about anywhere without restrictions. When comparing the best cash-back credit cards, you may be considering the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card vs Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Each card offers unlimited cash back with no annual fee and a generous welcome bonus that’s easy to unlock. Here’s how to choose between the Active Cash Card and Quicksilver Card, including how to earn and redeem rewards, what benefits are included, and the fees and costs you need to know about.
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How the Cards Compare: Wells Fargo Active Cash vs Capital One Quicksilver
Side By Side Comparison
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Bonus
Ongoing Rewards
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Pros & Cons
- Low spend requirement for bonus offer
- Long intro APR period
- Cell phone protection option
PROS
- Has a foreign transaction fee so it’s not the best option for purchases outside of the U.S.
CONS
- Easy to earn bonus with low spend requirement
- No foreign transaction fee
PROS
- Elevated 5% cash back rate only applies to hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Other flat-rate cards offer a higher cash back rate
CONS
Learn More
Welcome Bonuses
A credit card welcome bonus is the quickest way to earn high levels of rewards on your spending within a specified timeframe. The welcome bonus is in addition to the rewards you earn on every purchase.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Welcome Bonus
New Wells Fargo Active Cash Card customers can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This bonus can be redeemed for cash, statement credits, gift cards and more.
Capital One Quicksilver Welcome Bonus
The Capital One Quicksilver Card is currently offering an enhanced welcome 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. Offer ends 12/9.
The Capital One Travel credit is available immediately after opening your account and is valid for one year. Unlike the cash bonus, it does not have a minimum spending requirement attached to it.
CardCritics™ Opinion
Both cards have the same minimum spending requirements to earn their bonus. Since the Capital One Quicksilver Card includes an extra $100 in Capital One Travel credits without having to make any purchases, it wins this category.
Earning Rewards
Using your credit cards regularly is the best way to maximize rewards on your everyday purchases. Both of these cash-back credit cards have a flat earning structure that earns consistent rewards on every purchase without having to remember bonus categories or activate limited-time offers.
How To Earn Rewards With Wells Fargo Active Cash
The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on every purchase. This earning power is 33% higher than what you’ll earn with the Quicksilver Card on everyday expenses, and makes the Active Cash Card one of the best 2% cash back credit cards.
How To Earn Rewards With Capital One Quicksilver
You’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase with the Quicksilver Card from Capital One. While it has a lower base rate than the Active Cash Card, you’ll also receive 5% cash back through Capital One Travel on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is the best option for earning high rewards on everyday expenses. While it doesn’t have any bonus categories, I would choose it over the Quicksilver Card because of its unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Redeeming Rewards
Redeeming cash back is where your effort to earn rewards pays off. Both of these cards offer cash redemptions, but they also have other options you may like better.
How To Redeem Rewards With Wells Fargo Active Cash
Wells Fargo offers several redemption options that offer cash value. While Wells Fargo now has transfer partners, you cannot convert your cash back into transferable points unless you combine your rewards with a card like the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card or Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card.
- Get a statement credit: Cover eligible purchases with rewards after they post to your account
- Deposit into a Wells Fargo account: Redeem rewards as a deposit to your Wells Fargo checking account or credit card
- Buy a gift card: Purchase an eGift card starting at just $10 from popular brand names
- Shop with PayPal: Use rewards to cover all or part of your purchase at millions of online retailers through PayPal
- Book travel: Book flights, car rentals and hotel stays using your rewards
Read our Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review for more details on how to earn and redeem rewards.
How To Redeem Rewards With Capital One Quicksilver
With the Quicksilver Card, you’ll earn unlimited cash back that can be redeemed in several ways. Capital One has airline and hotel transfer partners, but you’ll need an eligible Capital One card that earns Capital One miles to unlock this perk.
- Redeem for cash: Capital One will send you a check or apply rewards as a statement credit to your card
- Cover your purchases: Apply cash back to your card to cover a recent purchase
- Buy gift cards: Spend rewards to buy gift cards, but redemption rates vary based on the card you purchase
- Book travel: Reserve flights, hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- Shop online: Pay for your purchases with your cash back rewards at checkout after linking your account with PayPal and Amazon
Read our Capital One Quicksilver Card review for more details on how to earn and redeem rewards.
CardCritics™ Opinion
There isn’t a clear winner for the Capital One Quicksilver vs Wells Fargo Active Cash because they have similar redemption options. I would choose the Quicksilver Card because you can receive a check to deposit at any bank, unlike Wells Fargo’s limitation of only depositing to Wells Fargo checking accounts.
Card Benefits
Extra perks with your credit card supplement the value of your card. In some cases, you may consider a rewards card with lower earning power if its benefits provide enough value.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Benefits
In addition to earning unlimited 2% rewards on purchases, Wells Fargo Active Cash benefits include valuable perks whether you’re traveling or staying close to home.
- Cell phone protection: Pay your cell phone bill with the card to be covered up to $600 for damage or theft (a $25 deductible is required for each claim)
- Rental car insurance: Rental cars paid for with this card receive complimentary rental car protection that offers secondary coverage for damage or theft (this benefit does not cover medical claims or damage to other vehicles or property)
- My Wells Fargo Deals: Access to exclusive deals to save money or earn bonus cash back on eligible purchases
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: Book reservations through this program to receive additional benefits on your stays, including complimentary upgrades, daily breakfast for two and VIP Guest status
Capital One Quicksilver Benefits
Capital One Quicksilver benefits include numerous perks at no additional cost that enhance the value to cardholders. Here are a few of the benefits you need to know about.
- Extended warranty coverage: Complimentary warranty protection of up to one year on eligible purchases
- No foreign transaction fees: International travelers avoid hidden fees of up to 3% on their purchases outside the US
- Capital One Entertainment: Exclusive access to pre-sales, tickets and more to music, sports and dining events
- Hertz Five Star status:* Elite status includes extra perks, like free upgrades, skip the counter and a wider selection of cars
CardCritics™ Opinion
Each of these cash back credit cards includes a variety of benefits that provide additional value beyond the rewards they earn. Overall, there’s no clear winner for every person. The best cash back credit card when comparing the Active Cash vs. Quicksilver depends on which perks you value the most.
Fees and Costs
It is good to earn rewards on your purchases, but you have to be aware of the fees and costs that can eat into the value of the card. While both cards have no annual fee, they have an assortment of fees and interest rates that you need to be aware of.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Fees and Costs
The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card has no annual fee, but there are still some fees and interest charges that can impact the value of using it for everyday purchases.
- Annual fee: $0
- Intro APR offer: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and on qualifying balance transfers, then a 18.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% Variable APR
- Standard purchase APR: 18.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% Variable APR
- Standard balance transfer APR: 18.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% Variable APR
- Balance transfer fee: The greater of $5 or 3% of the balance transfer amount on transfers made within the first 120 days of opening the account. After that, the fees are the greater of $5 or 5% of the transfer amount
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the purchase amount on transactions outside the US
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
Capital One Quicksilver Fees and Costs
Having no annual fee doesn’t mean that the Capital One Quicksilver Card is free of all fees and costs. Here are the fees and interest rates you need to know about.
- Annual fee: $0
- Intro APR offer: 0% intro on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Standard purchase APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Standard balance transfer APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Balance transfer fee: 3% of the transfer amount with no minimum for the first 15 months. After that, 4% of the transfer amount with no minimum.
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
CardCritics™ Opinion
These cards have no annual fees and similar interest rates. The best card for international travelers is the Capital One Quicksilver Card because it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. It’s also the best choice if you want to use an intro APR offer, thanks to its longer intro period and lower balance transfer fees.
How To Choose Between Wells Fargo Active Cash vs Capital One Quicksilver
Choosing between the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Capital One Quicksilver Card can be challenging. Both cards have no annual fee and a flat rewards structure with no annual caps on how much you can earn. While the Quicksilver Card has a larger welcome bonus, I would choose the Active Cash Card for its higher earning rate on everyday purchases.
Each card has a variety of complimentary perks that cater to a different set of consumers. If you’re making a large purchase or transferring a balance, I’d select the Capital One Quicksilver Card because its intro APR offer is three months longer. That extra time makes it easier to spread out your payments before you start paying interest again.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
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 Wells Fargo Active Cash vs Capital One Quicksilver
What are the disadvantages of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card?
The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, but it does not offer bonus categories for higher earnings. You can’t transfer its rewards to airline and hotel partners without a Wells Fargo Autograph Card or Autograph Journey Card, and it charges foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
Is Capital One Quicksilver hard to get?
Based on what we’ve seen you’ll have the best chance of qualifying for the Quicksilver Card if your credit score is in the good to excellent range (a FICO score of 670 or higher). Capital One will look at other factors, including your overall financial situation, when deciding whether to approve you.
Is Wells Fargo Active Cash 2% on everything?
Yes, the Active Cash Card earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. It does not have bonus categories to remember or limited-time promotions that you must activate.
