Capital One Quicksilver Student Card Review 2023

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No matter what you're studying in college, there is one crucial piece you'll need for a successful future: a solid credit score. The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card can help you begin building that track record of on-time payments and responsible financial management.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Card Review: Is It the Best Credit Card for You?

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card has a straightforward earning structure: You'll earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make with it (except hotel and car rental purchases made through Capital One Travel, which earn 5% cash back), and you won't pay an annual fee for the card. In addition, through November 14, 2024, cardholders earn unlimited 10% cash back on Uber/Uber Eats purchases, and can activate a complimentary Uber One membership for ride discounts and perks.

There are a few key reasons why this card is an appealing option for anyone enrolled in a higher education institution. First, the 1.5% cash-back rewards rate is on par with the same type of rewards the bank offers on credit cards for excellent credit. Consider it the grown-up earnings rate for a not-fully-grown-up student. 

Second, the card comes with some of the VIP-style benefits associated with cards for those who have already earned their diplomas and entered the professional world. You'll get a complimentary concierge service and access to Capital One's travel portal, Capital One Dining, and Capital One Entertainment.

Third, if you're planning to study outside the US during your time in college, this is an especially good choice. The card's 24-hour travel assistance services, coupled with no foreign transaction fees make this card a great companion for getting even further away from home.

The downside here is that the card doesn't always come with a welcome bonus, which some other student credit cards offer. For example, the Discover it® Student Cash Back comes with the promise of matching all your cash back earned at the end of the first year, and the Chase Freedom® Student credit card will give you a Chase Freedom® Student credit card.

Currently, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.

As you compare the best student credit cards, there's another key lesson you must follow: avoid carrying a balance, which will rack up finance charges and put you on a path toward debt. That's especially true with the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, because the APR is Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Card Rewards

Capital One Quicksilver Student welcome bonus offer

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. That's not the best bonus we've seen on this card (it's been as high as $100), but the minimum spending requirement is easy to reach for most students.

How to earn rewards from the Capital One Quicksilver Student Card

Use your Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card for any of your purchases, and you'll earn cash back every time. There's no maximum limit to what you can earn, and there are no quarterly categories to track.

Cardholders earn:

• 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats (through November 14, 2024)
• 5% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through the Capital One Travel Portal
• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

While you'll find that many other credit cards do come with extra earnings on certain purchases — 5x at restaurants for a three-month period, for example — monitoring those shifts can create extra work when you're already managing your course load at school. 

How to use Capital One Quicksilver Student rewards 

You can either request a statement credit, effectively paying off some of your other purchases, or you can request a physical check to be mailed to you. Or, you can use your rewards to book new travel through the Capital One portal. There's no minimum redemption amount.

You can also cash in your rewards for gift cards to a range of retailers, but redemption rates vary.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Card Benefits and Features

This card packs a pretty solid punch in terms of benefits and perks. While student credit cards tend to have fairly limited reasons to celebrate, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card earns an A.

Complimentary Uber One membership

Along with earning 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases until November 14, 2024, Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card holders can activate a complimentary Uber One membership Uber or Uber Eats app or website until the same date. Your Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card must be registered as payment for the Uber One membership in your Uber account to receive the benefit, and you'll receive a statement credit each month for the charge.

An Uber One membership normally costs $9.99 per month, and gets you perks that can save you a ton of money if you're a frequent Uber/Uber Eats user:

Price protection

If you find a lower price on a new item paid for with your Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card within 120 days of purchase, you could be reimbursed for the difference.

Extended warranty

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card automatically doubles the original manufacturer's or store's warranty on eligible purchases paid for with the card.

Car rental coverage

When you use the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card to pay for your eligible car rental, you may be covered for physical damage and theft of the vehicle.

Roadside dispatch

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card cardholders get access to a 24-hour toll-free dispatch line that can help arrange services like towing, fuel delivery, and more for a flat fee.

Concierge services

When you're looking for reservations for dinner, trying to find tickets to that summer music festival, or planning a vacation, you can take advantage of 24/7/365 concierge assistance.

Travel accident insurance

If you purchase your fare with your Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, you may get insurance coverage for eligible losses.

Capital One Travel

Through the Capital One Travel Portal,  you can use rewards (or your card) to book flights, hotels, and rental cars. Hotel and car rental purchases earn 5% cash back, and you'll also get access to handy features like price prediction, price watch, and a price match guarantee.

Capital One Entertainment

Capital One Entertainment is a new platform that gives you access to exclusive experiences, concert and theater tickets, festivals, sporting events, and more. Cardholders can redeem rewards from their card to pay for these experiences, or for some experiences, use cash or a combination of rewards and cash.

Capital One Dining

If you've ever found it tough to score a reservation at popular high-end restaurants, the Capital One Dining platform could make your life easier. In addition to giving you access to hard-to-get reservations, it allows you to input information like dietary preferences and special events like birthdays into your profile. This program is currently only available in a few major metropolitan areas, but if it's in your city it could prove to be a useful feature.

Capital One CreditWise

Capital One CreditWise is a free program that offers credit monitoring and identity theft monitoring. It's available to anyone — you don't need the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card to enroll — but it's a useful feature, especially if you're a student just starting out with credit and want to keep an eye on changes to your credit score.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Annual Fee and Other Costs

There is no annual fee on this card, which is something you'll find with any good credit card for students. You're already paying plenty of money for tuition, room, and board, so this is not the time to add another line item to your expenses. As long as you make your payments on time and in full, you won't have to worry about the card's Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card - Regular APR APR.

Plus, that good behavior will put you in a position to continually improve your credit score so you can take advantage of some of the best rewards credit cards after you graduate. 

That said, there are other fees that apply to certain situations that you should be aware of:

• Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you (none for balances transferred at the transfer APR)
• Cash advance fee: Either $3 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
• Late payment fee: Up to $40

How the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card Compares

Capital One Quicksilver Student vs other Capital One cards for beginners

Capital One Quicksilver Student vs other student credit cards

Capital One Quicksilver Student Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What credit score do I need to be approved for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Card?

Most college students are still working on building their credit, so Capital One only requires  "fair" credit or better to qualify for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. Capital One's definition of fair credit says you've either defaulted on a loan in the past five years, or you have limited credit history and have only had your own credit card or other credit for less than three years (including students, people new to the US, or authorized users on someone else's credit card).

In terms of FICO score, fair credit is considered anything between 580 and 669. If you're new to credit cards, your score will probably be in the fair credit range, which makes it easier to get approved for this card than non-student credit cards.

How old do I have to be to open a student credit card?

You must be at least 18 years old to apply for your own credit card. If you're between 18 and 20, you'll also need to show proof of income (or have a co-signer) to be approved.

If you're under 18 but want a credit card, your best bet is to become an authorized user on a family member's or friend's credit card. This can also give your credit history a boost, as long as the primary cardholder has a good credit score.

Do I have to do anything to earn 10% back on Uber/Uber Eats purchases?

As long as you've got your Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card loaded to your Uber account as your primary payment method, you don't have to do anything else to activate earning unlimited 10% cash back on Uber purchases through November 14, 2024.

Do I have to actually be a student to get the Quicksilver student card?

Yes, you must be a college student currently enrolled (or admitted and planning to enroll in the next three months) at an accredited university, community college, or other higher education institution. 

What happens to my Capital One student credit card when I graduate?

Once you finish college, you'll still get to keep your Capital One card, as well as any rewards you've earned.

Methodology: How we reviewed the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards credit card

Our experts evaluated the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card relative to other student credit cards and cards for folks with fair or average credit. We looked at a number of factors, including:

• Ease of use — Does the card have an easy-to-understand rewards program, or are there complicated hoops to jump through? 
• Earning potential — If the card has a welcome bonus and/or earns rewards, are there restrictions, and are the rates competitive with similar cards?
• Benefits — Student credit cards don't normally come with a ton of benefits. Does the card offer extras that you won't get with comparable cards? 
• Fees — While you usually don't get charged an annual fee on student credit cards, are there other fees to watch out for?

For a closer look at our methodology, read about how we rate credit cards at Insider.