If you are looking for a great battle amongst cash back credit cards then the Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great place to start. These cards, from two great credit card issuers, have some great strengths. And depending on what you want to get out of a cash back credit card, some places where they can improve on as well.
So let’s dive right in and see what sets these two cards apart in the battle between the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver.
By Matthew Coan
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Get straight to the good stuff. Utilize our Best Cash Back Credit Cards page to see the up-to-date current offers for the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Capital One Quicksilver cards and compare them side by side.
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver
Now we will break down each card to hopefully find out which one is the better option for you.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Key Features
- $200 signup bonus when you spend $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account
- 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®) up to $12,000 in spend for your first year
- 3% cash back on restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstore purchases
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee
This Chase card starts out with a great base cash back rate that you can earn on every purchase you make. After that it offers a handful of categories where you can earn bonus cash back as well. To take it one step further you can earn even more cash back on travel purchases made the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.
Where you can find some of the best travel deals available. This is also where you can go to redeem your cash back rewards as well. With options ranging from, of course cash back, statement credit, travel, gift cards, and more. All of this comes with no annual fee and you have the ability to earn a nice signup bonus as well.
You can also pair this card with others in the Chase family to maximize your rewards and earn even more. Not bad to start off the battle between the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver.
Capital One Quicksilver
Key Features
- $200 signup bonus after you spend $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels book through Capital One Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
- 0% intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee on balances transferred within the first 15 months, 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR after intro period ends)
- No annual fee
- And more
This card has been around for a while and rightfully so as it comes with an awesome base cash back rate on every purchase you make. No need to juggle categories or worry about which card you’re using to earn the most. You can just spend freely knowing that you are earning one of the best cash back rates in the industry on every purchase.
There is one bonus category where you earn a huge cash back bonus and that is when you book certain travel purchases through the Capital One Travel portal. Which is where you can find awesome travel deals all while you earn your bonus cash back as well. You can use your cash back rewards for pretty much anything, which is another plus when it comes to ease of use.
And just like its competitor it comes with no annual fee making the cash back rewards you earn that much better. Add on a nice signup bonus and there are not many ways you can go wrong with this card as it is a strong competitor in the battle between the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver.
Another great matchup to read is the Capital One Quicksilver vs Citi Double Cash
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver Head To Head
Welcome Bonus
Most cards usually have an upfront welcome bonus offer that requires a certain spend within a designated number of months after opening your account. Which is the case with the Capital One Quicksilver Card. On the other hand the Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers a bonus based on the amount that you spend within your first year.
Although there is a cap on the amount that your bonus can be. So it is up to you to determine which offer is more appealing. If you can max out the bonus categories that the Chase Freedom Unlimited has then that is the way to go.
If you want to just take advantage of the upfront bonus and the awesome flat rate rewards you earn on every purchase then the Capital One Quicksilver should be your choice.
Annual Fee
This is an easy category to find a winner with because both of these cards do not have have an annual fee. This means that you are free to keep all of the cash back rewards that you earn.
When most people are looking for the best cash back credit card for them, most likely they are looking for a card that comes with no annual fee and both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Capital One Quicksilver for that criteria.
There are some cash back credit cards that do come with an annual fee and are at least worth taking a look at. The reason for the annual fee is most likely elevated rewards and added benefits. If you are someone who wants to take a few extra steps to understand them then they might be worth it as these elevated rewards and benefits may offset the cost of the annual fee.
Foreign Transaction Fees
This is another category where it is easy to determine a winner and that is because the Capital One Quicksilver Card does not charge foreign transaction fees while the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card does. This could make or break your decision if you like to travel overseas.
By not charging foreign transaction fees you are free to use your card as you normally would and they will convert everything to the local currency at no charge. This could add up to a lot of savings, especially if you are taking a long trip abroad.
If you are still interest in the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card be sure to check the up to date current offer to see what the foreign transaction fee is. Especially if you plan to go overseas and use it. You want to be able to enjoy your vacation and coming back home to see a bunch of foreign transaction fees added to your expenses will probably make your trip less enjoyable.
Balance Transfers
Balance transfer offers are something that many credit cards offer because they make their products more appealing to customers who are interested in it. A balance transfer offer includes a 0 APR intro period where you don’t pay any interest in the amount that is transferred over.
This could add up to a lot of savings if used correctly. Balance transfer offers change all of the time so it’s hard to pick a clear cut winner.
It is best to check the up to date current offer for both of these cards to see what balance transfers offers they are currently have available. If a balance transfer is your main reason for looking to get a new credit card then you want to try and get a card that offers the longest 0 APR intro period.
This will give you the maximum amount of time possible to pay off what you transfer over and save the most in eliminated interest charges.
Always be sure to check and see if there is a balance transfer fee. Most cards have them so it is something that you will have to live with. And it is most likely that even after paying the balance transfer fee you will still come out ahead by all of the money you save from not paying any interest during the 0 APR period.
Check out all of the current offers through our Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards page.
All Around Rewards
This again comes down to your personality. If you don’t want to juggle spending categories and just have plain and simple cash back rewards then the Capital One Quicksilver credit card is a great choice. If you are more of a savvy spender and understand the in and outs of bonus categories then you can make a lot more cash back rewards with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card.
Either way you are making a great choice and earning a great cash back rewards rate with either one.
Included Benefits
Since both of these cards have no annual fee you would think that there are not that many included benefits. But that is not the case here. You can do a deep dive into what comes with each card to find out what is included because these features can change often. You can be sure to find deals on certain things like drugstore purchases, rental cars, eligible delivery service purchases, and more.
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver Winner
As with most credit card battles it all depends on you and what you want to get out of the card. If you know you can remember bonus categories and how to maximize where you use the card to spend then the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great choice. If you want simple and easy with maximum cash back then the Capital One Quicksilver cash rewards credit card is a great choice.
Not all credit cards are perfect and that is mainly because every individual that uses them is different. So it is up to you to decide which on is best. Whatever type of everyday spending you have should be the main focus and decide on which card you will choose to maximize it.
Either way both cards offer a great opportunity to get cash back on the money you spend all with no annual fee. So the decision is up to you to choose, but either way you care getting a great cash back credit card.
Some Alternatives To Consider
Chase Freedom Flex™
As one of the alternative Chase Credit Cards it allows you maximize different sending categories that change each quarter. While it does offer an impressive cash back rate on these categories, there is a maximum amount you can earn before it returns to the normal cash back rate. You also have to remember to activate each bonus category every quarter when they change.
It does come with some great features and benefits and is a World Elite Mastercard as well. All in all the Chase Freedom Flex a good option if you are looking for a cash back credit card.
Key Features
- Great signup bonus offer
- Bonus categories that change each quarter
- Awesome fixed bonus cash back categories
- Intro purchase and balance transfer ARP offer
- No annual fee
- And more
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers one of the best flat cash rewards rates on purchases that you make in the industry. While you will miss out on maximizing it with additional bonus categories, if you want simple and easy, then this is a great option. It is a Visa Signature Card so you do have some great added benefits as well.
Key Features
- Awesome welcome offer
- Flat cash rewards on spending that is well above industry standard
- Intro APR rate on new purchases and qualifying balance transfers from account opening
- Included travel benefits
- No annual fee
- And more
Capital One SaverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
If you like eating out, ordering delivery, and entertainment venues, then the Capital One SavorOne is a card you should take a look at. It offers huge cash back bonuses in these categories and is an excellent choice if that is what most of your spending habits are focused around. Plus the fact that it has no annual fee makes the cash back rewards you earn that much sweeter.
Key Features
- Great signup bonus offer
- Excellent cash back rate on bonus categories
- Geared towards entertainment and dining purchases
- New purchases and balance transfers APR offer
- No annual fee
- And more
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver Conclusion
If you are in the market for a cash back credit card then you have a ton of options. Because you are taking a look at the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Capital One Quicksilver card means that you are also on the right track to picking out an awesome card. It is important to note that both of these cards require good to excellent credit so be sure to know your credit score before you apply.
If you know how to maximize cash back bonus categories then the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the card for you. As far as this competition is concerned, if you want simple and easy then the Capital One Quicksilver is the way to go with its great flat cash back rate on everything you buy.
Since both cards do not have an annual fee you are free to keep all of your cash back and whatever welcome bonus you get as well. And with plenty of redemption options you will be sure to find something that you can put your cash back rewards towards.
We want to thank you for taking the time to read our article on the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Quicksilver. Here at Casavvy we want to do the research for the best credit cards for you so that you can spend more time getting and enjoying the credit you want, instead of spending time comparing countless offers.
Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and hopefully there is some awesome cash back rewards in your near future.
About the author: Matthew Coan is the founder of Casavvy and a credit card expert. He has appeared in various media outlets including Yahoo Finance, Credit Karma, Market Watch, Mens Journal, and more. Continue reading
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