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If you prefer simplicity and an all-purpose credit card, the Citi Double Cash® Card or Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can check those boxes.
The distinguishing factor between both lies in the way they deliver value. The Citi Double Cash® Card outshines its competitor with a more substantial ongoing rewards rate on all purchases and a longer get-out-of-debt offer. As a runner-up, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card packs a few introductory offers that can make it valuable in the beginning, but the ongoing rewards fall short.
Here’s how to determine which one is right for your spending.
» MORE: See NerdWallet’s best cash-back credit cards
How the cards compare
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Annual fee
$0
$0
Sign-up bonus
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Rewards
Earn 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Earn 2% cash back on all purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay the bill.
APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies.
0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-29.24% Variable APR .
Foreign transaction fee
0%
3%
Still not sure?
» MORE: How to choose a cash-back credit card
Why the Citi Double Cash® Card is better for most people
The Citi Double Cash® Card wins by a small margin. It offers more long-term value than the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Rewards
The Citi Double Cash® Card earns a solid 2% cash back rate on all purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off the balance. It goes further than the 1.5% rewards rate offered on the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Assuming you pay off the bill, it’s easy enough to earn the full rewards rate on the Citi Double Cash® Card. Compare the potential value earned in rewards with each card:
» MORE: See NerdWallet’s best rewards credit cards
Citi Flex Pay Option
The Citi Double Cash® Card comes with the Citi Flex Pay option, which allows you to put large purchases on your credit card and pay them off over a set timeframe with a fixed interest rate and payment plan. You could use this option to save on interest charges, and you don’t have to apply or undergo a credit check. As of November 2023, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn’t currently offer this type of ongoing option.
» MORE: Buy now, pay later vs. credit cards: Which is right for you?
Balance transfers
The Citi Double Cash® Card has a longer window to pay down debt. New cardholders get a 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-29.24% Variable APR. It charges a low introductory balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount transferred or $5 (whichever is greater), for transfers completed within the first four months of account opening and a 5% fee or $5, whichever is greater, after that.
» MORE: See NerdWallet’s best balance transfer credit cards
Why some might prefer the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
While the Citi Double Cash® Card offers more long-term value, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can offer incentives to new cardholders who make purchases after opening the account.
Introductory offers
Unlike the Citi Double Cash® Card, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers new cardholders breathing room on purchases and a way to defray the cost. New cardholders can get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies. The standard offer also includes a sign-up bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. In comparison to other card offers, this spending requirement is reasonable and more attainable.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Although the Citi Double Cash® Card has not traditionally offered a sign-up bonus, the card currently has this offer in effect: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
No foreign transaction fees
On cash-back credit cards, this feature holds less weight, but it can save you money while using the card abroad. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees. By comparison, the Citi Double Cash® Card charges 3% on every international transaction.
» MORE: See NerdWallet’s best no foreign transaction fee credit cards
Which card should you get?
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can offer some valuable perks in the beginning, but the better option with long-lasting value is the Citi Double Cash® Card. You can use it get out of debt or snag a decent rate on all purchases. As a flat-rate credit card, the Citi Double Cash® Card also pairs well with other high-earning rewards credit cards, so you can squeeze even more rewards out of your purchases.
» ALSO CONSIDER: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card for introductory perks and 2% on all purchases
