Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card VS. Discover it® Cash Back (4 Key Differences)

If you have taken good care of your credit, you may be in the position to choose between the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Discover it® Cash Back card. Both offer some very attractive perks, but which one is best? Since your decision may come down to picking between VISA or Discover, the following differences will be important to consider.

Let’s take a look at the two, including their issuing banks and networks, cash-back offers, cardmember benefits, and differences in their mobile app offerings.

While both cards are offered to those with a very good to excellent credit history, the similarities don’t go much beyond that, starting with the issuers and networks. Capital One is a growing bank with branches across the country, and its cards are typically operated on the Visa or Mastercard credit card processing networks.Discover, on the other hand, acts as its own issuing bank and processing network. While Discover acceptance is basically on par with Visa and Mastercard in the U.S., international acceptance is still lagging behind in some areas. 

While the details of certain bonus and new-customer offers can change, both cards offer cash back for all purchases. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card gives 1.5% on all purchases, regardless of category.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

CASH BACK RATING

★★★★★

4.8

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.8/5.0

About this rating

Our in-house credit card experts rate Cash Back offers based on:

• Cash back earning rates
• Annual and other fees
• Regular and introductory APRs
• Reward redemption rates

We also consider other cardholder needs and data points specific to the category. We then compare it to similar card offers and evaluate the terms before assigning a numerical value, in which 5.0 represents the best. Ratings are updated as issuer changes occur, and issuers have no influence on our ratings.

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Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

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OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.9/5.0

About this rating

Our in-house experts rate credit card offers based on:

• Reward rates and redemptions
• Regular and promotional APRs
• Annual and other fees
• Travel and other credits
• General approval rates
• Issuer reputation

We also consider other cardholder needs and data points specific to the category. We then compare it to similar card offers and evaluate the terms before assigning a numerical value, in which 5.0 represents the best. Ratings are updated as issuer changes occur, and issuers have no influence on our ratings.

See Our Review»

Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

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Our Review »

• 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
• 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
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

• See application, terms and details.

See Rates & Fees

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
0% for 15 months	0% for 15 months	19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)	$0	Excellent, Good

The Discover it® Cash Back, on the other hand, offers bonus cash back in rotating quarterly categories. The bonus cash back is capped at a spend limit, and the category must be activated each quarter.

Discover it® Cash Back

at Discover Card'ssecure website

CASH BACK RATING

★★★★★

4.9

Discover it® Cash Back

4.9/5.0

About this rating

Our in-house credit card experts rate Cash Back offers based on:

• Cash back earning rates
• Annual and other fees
• Regular and introductory APRs
• Reward redemption rates

We also consider other cardholder needs and data points specific to the category. We then compare it to similar card offers and evaluate the terms before assigning a numerical value, in which 5.0 represents the best. Ratings are updated as issuer changes occur, and issuers have no influence on our ratings.

See Our Review»

Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

Close

OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

Discover it® Cash Back

4.9/5.0

About this rating

Our in-house experts rate credit card offers based on:

• Reward rates and redemptions
• Regular and promotional APRs
• Annual and other fees
• Travel and other credits
• General approval rates
• Issuer reputation

We also consider other cardholder needs and data points specific to the category. We then compare it to similar card offers and evaluate the terms before assigning a numerical value, in which 5.0 represents the best. Ratings are updated as issuer changes occur, and issuers have no influence on our ratings.

See Our Review»

Ashley Fricker Senior Editor

Close

Our Review »

• INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
• Earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
• Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
• Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with our digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
• Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
• Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
• Terms and conditions apply.

• See application, terms and details.

See Rates & Fees

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 months	0% Intro APR for 15 months	18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR	$0	Excellent/Good

Both cards claim to give you the option to redeem your cash back rewards at any time, for any amount.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card customers will receive the traditional protections that all Capital One credit cardholders currently enjoy. These include fraud protection on 100% of unauthorized purchases, extended manufacturer’s warranty protection, and the Eno® assistant with virtual card numbers. Discover has its own benefits, including the comprehensive FICO Score tracking and Social Security number alerts. Discover will also overnight a replacement card at no cost to you, if your card should become lost or stolen, and provides fraud liability protection on unauthorized purchases.

Capital One’s Wallet App lets customers keep a record of receipts on the go – before ever leaving the store – so that keeping track of purchases is easier than ever. Detailed retailer and transaction info is displayed in an easy-to-read format, and up to 25 gift cards can be “digitized” for simpler purchasing without carrying around stacks of plastic. Capital One also provides its own version of a credit score for free.Discover’s own mobile app does the traditional banking tasks of seeing balances and activity, but also includes a clever “freeze” feature, which allows you to temporarily disallow new purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers in the event you lost your card or suspect fraud. App users can also view their FICO Score for free, as well as view and redeem partner offers and Cashback Bonus® rewards.

While the differences may be significant, both the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card and Discover it® Cash Back card seem to be competing in the market by continually offering innovative benefits for card members. In addition to special new-member offers, such as special balance transfer rates and introductory promo perks, both the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Discover it® Cash Back would make a good addition to any credit card user’s toolkit.