The best Capital One credit cards of January 2024 (2024)

Capital One offers some of the best cash-back and rewards credit cards available to consumers and small business owners.

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card* and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) both rank on CNBC Select's list of best dining and travel cards, respectively, and other cardholders can earn generous rewards on everyday spending. Capital One also has a premium credit card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees), which offers a range of luxury benefits.

CNBC Select reviewed the top Capital One credit cards in seven categories, so you can choose the best card based on your spending habits.

• Best no-annual-fee Capital One card: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Best travel Capital One card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Best luxury Capital One card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Best cash-back Capital One card: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
• Best student Capital One card: Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Best Capital One card for bad credit: Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Best business Capital One card: Capital One Spark Cash Plus*

Who's this for? The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is an easy-to-use no-annual-fee credit card that offers cash back and a generous welcome bonus. Cardholders earn 1.5% cash back on everything, which can be conveniently redeemed at any time and for any amount.

Other great perks: Beyond rewards, you can benefit from a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies (3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time; see rates and fees). This provides you with over a year to repay large purchases or get rid of debt once and for all.

The Quicksilver card also has no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), travel accident insurance and extended warranty protection. Through Capital One Entertainment, you'll have access to exclusive events, such as culinary and sports experiences. Cardholders can enjoy up to six months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through Nov. 14, 2024.

Who's this for? The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) is a great choice for travelers who value flexible rewards. Cardholders earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, plus 5X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

You can redeem your points for travel by transferring them to one of Capital One's airline and hotel partners (like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Air Canada Aeroplan), or you can use them to offset recent travel purchases. You can also redeem your points for cash back, but points are worth less if you go this route.

Other great perks: A noteworthy perk of this card is a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years worth up to $100. Taking advantage of this benefit alone more than offsets the card's $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). This card has a variety of other useful travel perks, such as two airport lounge visits per year, Hertz Five Star elite status and rental car insurance (secondary)*.

*Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

Who's this for?TheCapital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card(see rates and fees) is an excellent choice for someone who travels often and can take advantage of this card's wide range of perks. It earns 10X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked throughCapital One Traveland 5X miles per dollar for every dollar spent on flights through the same site. Plus, you'll earn 2X points on all other purchases.

As with the Venture Rewards Card, there are many ways to redeem your miles, including transferring them to Capital One's airline and hotel partners.

Other great perks: The card is loaded with benefits, including a statement credit of up to $100 for eitherGlobal Entry or TSA PreCheck®, complimentarycell phone insurance*and access to Capital One Loungesas well as an extensive network of airport lounges.Cardholders also receive a $300 Capital One Travel credit to use toward purchases made through Capital One Travel and a 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary. These benefits can easily make the card worth keeping, even though it has a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Who's this for? If your ideal night is ordering takeout and streaming a movie, you should consider the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*. This card offers 10% cash back on purchases with Uber and Uber Eats, 4% on dining and entertainment, 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) and 1% on all other purchases.

Plus cardholders earn 4% cash back on eligible streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.

Other great perks: Other perks include complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through Nov. 14, 2024, access topremium reservations with Capital One Dining and exclusive events and experiences through the Capital One Entertainment portal.

Who's this for? The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) offers bonus cash back on common student purchases. It earns 3% on dining, entertainment, groceries and eligible streaming services and 1% back on all other purchases. Cardholders also receive 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.

Other great perks: This card has no annual fee and only requires a fair credit score, which makes it a great starter card for college students (see rates and fees). And through November 14, 2024, you'll get the Uber One monthly membership fee reimbursed and earn 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases.

Who's this for? Prospective cardholders with bad credit may find it difficult to open a traditional, unsecured credit card. However, there's often the opportunity to qualify for a secured card, such as the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card (see rates and fees). These cards can be used just like an unsecured credit card and can help build your credit.

The main difference is that you'll be required to make a $49, $99 or $200 security deposit, based on your creditworthiness, to receive a $200 credit limit. This card stands out for offering the chance to qualify for a lower deposit and still receive the same $200 credit limit.

Other great perks: If you don't qualify for the $49 or $99 deposits, you can receive access to a higher credit limit in as little as six months with no additional deposit needed. Capital One automatically considers you for a credit limit increase based on your payment history and creditworthiness.

Who's this for? Small business owners who want to earn simple cash back on purchases should consider the Capital One Spark Cash Plus*. This card offers 2% cash back on every eligible purchase — whether it's shipping costs, office furniture or meals for your employees.

Other great perks: The Spark Cash Plus* also comes with helpful business benefits, including account management tools (such as the ability to view recurring transactions and download purchase records to Quicken®, QuickBooks® and Excel®), extended warranty protection and no foreign transaction fees.

This card has a $150 annual fee, but employee cards are free so there's no added cost there.

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Capital One issues a range of credit cards, from travel credit cards to business credit cards and cards designed for those with lower credit scores. To find the best credit card for you, think about what type of rewards you prefer to earn and consider which cards you are likely to qualify for.

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To determine which credit cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed Capital One credit cards available in the U.S. We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points.

Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri. The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the 2019 Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can read more about their methodology here.

Esri's data team created a sample annual budget of approximately $22,126 in retail spending. The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953). General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses.

CNBC Select used this budget to estimate how much the average consumer would save over a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases. All rewards total estimations are net the annual fee.

While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your shopping habits.

*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

* Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards and Capital One Spark Cash Plus has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.