Capital One Quicksilver Student Card: Simple and Straightforward
The Bottom Line
4.5
Qualified students will receive a no-hassle 1.5% cash back on all purchases in addition to a welcome offer. So if you prefer simplicity, this card is probably for you.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5%
Bonus offer
Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.
Intro APR
N/A
Ongoing APR
APR: 19.74%-29.74% Variable APR
Cash Advance APR: 29.74%, Variable
Balance transfer fee
Balance Transfer Fee applies to balances transferred at a promotional rate
Foreign transaction fee
0%
More details from Capital One
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- Lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it's misplaced, lost or stolen
- Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
- Build your credit with responsible card use
- Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
Pros and Cons
Pros
No annual fee
Qualify with limited credit
Earns rewards
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Cons
No bonus categories
High APR
Detailed Review
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is a no-frills, low-hassle gateway into the world of credit card rewards for qualifying students. You'll get the same 1.5% cash back on purchases that you'll find on the venerable non-student version — the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card — except the student card is easier to qualify for.
With a sign-up bonus on top of that solid ongoing rewards rate, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card could be an A+ option for students who don't have the time or inclination to juggle multiple bonus categories.
However, to qualify for the card, you'll need at least some established credit, meaning that other student cards may be easier to get. And if you're willing to put in some work, you might be able to do better than a flat 1.5% rate.
Click to see a side-by-side comparison of Capital One's student credit cards
Empty Table Header | Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
Rewards |
|
|
Annual fee | $0 (see rates and fees). | $0 (see rates and fees). |
APR | The ongoing APR is 19.74%-29.74% Variable APR. | The ongoing APR is 19.74%-29.74% Variable APR. |
Sign-up bonus | Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months. | Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months. |
Foreign transaction fee | $0. | $0. |
Student status required | Yes. | Yes. |
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Basics
Card type: College student.
Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees).
Sign-up bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.
Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases. You can also earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Redemption: Cash back can be redeemed in the form of a statement credit, check or gift card. Cardholders can also automate redemption to occur at a certain time each year or when a certain amount is reached.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 19.74%-29.74% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Credit score requirement: According to Capital One, you'll need average credit to qualify for this card. Typically, average credit means a FICO score between 630 and 689.
Other benefits:
Travel accident insurance.
Access to 24/7 concierge.
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Simple rewards
Credit card users generally fall into two camps: optimizers and simplifiers. Optimizers like moving parts and strategically spend money in bonus categories to maximize their rewards-earning potential. Simplifiers prefer keeping things straightforward, which is exactly what the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card does well.
The card earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back on most purchases, with no bonus categories to track or sign up for. And while some competitors make their rewards hard to use with minimum redemption limits, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card allows you to redeem any amount at any time.
In addition to this easy base rewards structure, you can earn an additional 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
A sign-up bonus
The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of only a few student cards that offer a sign-up bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months.
Compared with other student credit cards that offer smaller (or no) bonuses, or that feature matching of cash back earned in the first year, you'll receive this card's $50 bonus as soon as you hit the minimum spending requirement. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
No annual fees or foreign transaction fees
Fees can eat into the real rewards-earning rate of any credit card. Luckily, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee (see rates and fees). That makes the card perfect for purchases throughout the semester, while you study abroad or during that spring break trip to Mexico.
A long-term companion
Capital One considers a student to be someone who is admitted and enrolled (or intending to enroll within three months) either part-time or full-time at an accredited university, community college or higher education institution.
But even after you lose the student status, you can keep the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. The rewards rates remain the same even when you aren’t a student, and rewards never expire. And keeping your student account open through the years will be a boon to your credit since the length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your overall FICO score.
Or you could seek a "product change" with Capital One, which might allow you to switch to a more lucrative (non-student) card without having to close your existing card or change its account number.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Eligibility
The primary drawbacks to the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card are its eligibility requirements. You must satisfy all of the following criteria to qualify:
Be an admitted or enrolled full- or part-time student at an accredited university or community college.
Possess a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Have at least an average FICO credit score between 630 and 689.
Be 18 years or older.
Have proof of a monthly income that is greater than your rent or mortgage payment by at least $425.
These requirements will exclude many international students from applying. Additionally, students between 18 and 20 years of age who do not have an independent income will not qualify, since Capital One does not allow co-signers. Students without a credit history won’t qualify, either.
If you are one of the many students unable to qualify for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, you might want to consider the Discover it® Student Cash Back or the Discover it® Student Chrome. These cards let you earn rewards without a FICO credit history requirement.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
This card was designed with simplicity in mind. If you qualify and want a no-hassle credit card to help build your credit profile, you won’t do much better than the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.
If you’re an optimizer, though, you might want to check out the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which offers bonus rewards categories as well as a similar sign-up bonus.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above 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.
This card is ideal for students who don't mind working a little harder for richer rewards. It earns 3% back on dining, entertainment, eligible streaming services and purchases at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target). Other non-bonus-category purchases earn 1% back.
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Methodology
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