The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards
Friday, April 19, 2024

5 Facts: Capital One® Credit Tracker (Now CreditWise from Capital One)

Capital One Credit Tracker
Mike Randall

Written by: Mike Randall

Mike Randall
Mike Randall

Mike Randall is an expert in the areas of credit scores and credit cards, having written on those topics for national publications for more than a decade. He graduated from California State University with a degree in English literature, and he has an extensive background in personal finance studies. Aside from credit cards and scores, Mike enjoys writing about changes in the subprime market and how they directly impact financial decisions.

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Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro
Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Florida. Today, Lillian edits all CardRates content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

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Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One is one of the largest and most respected credit card issuers in North America, with more than 70 million customer accounts. In addition to offering a wide variety of credit card choices for consumers, Capital One also provides credit tracking and free access to credit scores through its popular Capital One Credit Tracker tool.

Since 2014, Capital One’s Credit Tracker has helped American consumers view and track their credit score whenever they want. Keeping up with your credit score is important for a number of reasons, whether you’re preparing to make a large purchase or just making sure no mistakes arise on your report that bring your score down. Now, the next generation of anytime credit score tracking has arrived, and we’ll explore what you need to know in the article below. In addition to the convenience CreditWise delivers to Capital One customers, we’ll take a look at some of our top picks for Capital One cards in a range of credit categories.

1. Credit Tracker was Rebranded to Capital One CreditWise in Early 2016

The popularity of Credit Tracker meant that millions of consumers were taking advantage of the opportunity to better understand their credit profile. However, Capital One decided to improve on this service by introducing new features and tools.

In early 2016, Credit Tracker was rebranded as Capital One CreditWise and now includes even more useful and informative features. In addition, CreditWise is now available as a mobile app for both Apple and Android devices, so now you can take your credit monitoring tools with you wherever you go.

2. CreditWise is Free & Includes a TransUnion VantageScore

Perhaps the biggest advantage to the new Capital One CreditWise tool is that anyone can use it for free, whether or not you have a Capital One credit card. And once you sign up, CreditWise allows unlimited access to your TransUnion VantageScore 3.0 credit score.

Now, the all-new CreditWise tool allows more consumers to monitor and understand their credit profile, and to learn how certain financial actions can impact their score. You’ll also get a weekly update of your Vantage credit score sent to your computer or mobile device — all for free.

3. Capital One Offers Cards Tailored to Your Credit Profile

As one of the largest credit card issuers in America, Capital One is able to meet the needs of consumers, no matter what their credit history looks like. From full-featured cards for those with excellent credit, to special cards to help establish or rebuild a credit history, there’s a Capital One card to fit just about any need. Here are some of the many credit card offers available to consumers right now.

Good to Excellent Credit (700+ Credit Score)

For those with good-to-excellent credit, Capital One offers some of the best programs of any credit card available. With features that offer unlimited cash-back bonuses, travel rewards, double points, low APR rates and more, these top-tier Capital One credit cards are designed to reward consumers who have maintained a superior credit score.

Capital One credit cards for good-to-excellent credit are especially suited for small business owners, frequent travelers, and those who use their cards for major purchases.

EXPERT'S RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
  • Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% for 15 months
0% for 15 months
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
$0
Excellent, Good

EXPERT'S RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
  • Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
  • Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
  • No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% for 15 months
0% for 15 months
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
$0
Excellent, Good

EXPERT'S RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
$95
Excellent, Good

+See more cards for good-to-excellent credit

Fair Credit (650 – 700)

Consumers with only fair credit — typically in the 600-range of FICO scores — can still get a Capital One credit card with great benefits. Many of the credit cards for fair credit come with a slightly higher APR, but still have a lot of the same rewards and programs as the top-tier cards. These can include cash-back bonuses, travel rewards, airline miles and zero annual fees. These Capital One credit cards are easier to qualify for, and still provide the benefits of a high-quality credit card.

FAIR CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.8

OVERALL RATING

  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
  • Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
  • Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
29.99% (Variable)
$39
Average, Fair, Limited

Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business

This card is currently not available.

Fair Credit Rating

★★★★★
N/A

OVERALL RATING

N/A
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Additional Disclosure: Information for this card not reviewed by or provided by Capital One.

+See more cards for fair credit 

Bad Credit (300 – 650)

Qualifying for a credit card can be challenging for people with bad credit. Luckily, Capital One has programs that are designed to help folks rebuild their credit, while providing the benefits of a secured credit card. A secured credit card requires an amount be deposited in an account, and a credit card is then issued with a matching credit line. This is a great way to begin rebuilding your credit score since Capital One reports your usage and payments to the major credit bureaus. And getting on the path to healthy credit will open up even more options down the road.

BAD CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.6

OVERALL RATING

  • No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
  • Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
  • Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get a $200 initial credit line
  • You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
  • Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
29.99% (Variable)
$0
Limited, Bad

+See more cards for bad credit

No or Limited Credit

Many banks and card issuers won’t offer you a credit card if you have little or no credit history. Capital One, however, has credit card programs designed just for you. Students and those just starting out on their credit journey will appreciate the flexibility and easy application process with these Capital One cards.

And by making your payments on time for a set period, many cards in this category will reward you with a higher credit line, or with a lower APR.

NO/LIMITED CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.7

OVERALL RATING

  • No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
  • Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
  • Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
  • Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
29.99% (Variable)
$0
Average, Fair, Limited

+See more cards for no or limited credit

4. Credit Report Details & Tools Help You Manage Your Credit

CreditWise from Capital One also lets you view the details and receive weekly updates on your TransUnion credit score. It will send a notification when there’s a change or update to your credit score, and allows you to access your credit information with no negative impact to your score. It will give you a detailed list of both open and closed lines of credit, along with balance details for each account. Finally, CreditWise lets you manage your credit using a unique credit simulator that shows you the potential impact of certain credit decisions you may be contemplating.

5. Your Information is Updated Weekly

Many credit score tools and services provide monthly updates to your credit information. With Capital One’s CreditWise tool, you get weekly updates about your credit status. This is especially helpful if you are in the process of applying for a mortgage or a large loan, and need to carefully monitor your credit events. And keep in mind, CreditWise is a free tool that can send all information to your mobile device, making it an indispensable service for many.

Sign Up for CreditWise to Better Understand Your Credit

With all the benefits of CreditWise from Capital One, you owe it to yourself to sign up for this free service. Regardless of whether you are a Capital One cardholder, the benefits of CreditWise make this a great financial management tool for understanding your credit.

Of course, choosing to open a Capital One credit card can also make a lot of sense — and CreditWise can help you manage that account as well.

Advertiser Disclosure

CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.