Credit One VS. Capital One – What are the Differences?
Writer: Eric Bank
Eric Bank, Finance Writer
Eric Bank is an M.B.A. who has covered financial and business topics since 1985, appearing regularly on Credible, eHow, WiseBread, The Nest, Zacks, Chron, BadCredit.org and dozens of other outlets. Eric specializes in taking complex subject matters and explaining them in simple terms for consumer audiences, particularly in the world of personal finance. Eric holds a Master's in Business Administration from New York University and a Master's in Finance from DePaul University.
Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Gwinnett Daily News, Gainesville Sun, and The New York Times, where she covered demographics, consumer issues, and the business and financial sectors. Lillian has a degree in journalism and communications from Georgia State University and brings her fact-checking expertise to ensure Digital Brands content is accurate and engaging.
Ashley Fricker has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. Her credit card commentary is featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader's Digest, among many others. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism from Florida Atlantic University.
Credit One vs. Capital One — what are the differences between these two credit card issuers? Although they sound and look alike, make no mistake that Capital One and Credit One are very different.
Capital One Bank is a dominant card issuer and suits folks of all credit scores. Credit One Bank is a smaller financial institution that mostly caters to consumers with bad or no credit. Capital One has more than 60 million cardholders; Credit One has 12 million and growing.
Capital One Is a Large Bank With Diversified Offerings
Capital One is a Fortune 500 diversified bank with a broad offering of financial services and products to consumers and businesses. It is among the top 10 largest banks in the U.S. with respect to deposits. It has more than 750 branches, primarily located in the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.
Capital One offers credit cards with many benefits:
Online Banking Access: Allows you to easily and quickly manage your account whenever.
Capital One Wallet App: Provides instant purchase notifications, receipt capture, digitized gift cards, and purchase details.
24/7 Customer Service: Available from real human beings.
Automatic Account Alerts: Alerts via email or text keep you up to date on your account, as well as 24/7 monitoring and security alerts to inform you whenever unusual activity is detected.
Fraud Coverage: Interactive alerts in real time via email, text, or phone whenever fraudulent use of your card is attempted, with 100 percent coverage against fraud liability.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: Never any on international purchases.
Travel & Auto Rental Insurance: For peace of mind when you’re away from home.
Free Capital One Credit Tracker: Provides your credit score, a what-if simulator, and more.
Second Look Program: Recognizes and informs you of unusual or duplicate charges.
Digitally Enhanced Transaction Details: Allows you to keep track of all your activity.
Extended Warranty: Additional coverage on items purchased with a Capital One Card.
Capital One is always refining its card lineup and has one of the largest card portfolios of any major issuer. Below are some of our top recommendations:
Capital One Credit Cards for Excellent Credit
If you have excellent credit, you might select among these three Capital One cards:
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
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, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
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; 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
For a limited time, earn a one-time $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
$0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
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 12 months; 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
4.6/5.0
About this rating
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
4.6/5.0
About this rating
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
Early Spend Bonus: For a limited-time, earn $100 when you spend $300 in the first three months
Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
Earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal
Build your credit with responsible card use
Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
4.5/5.0
About this rating
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
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
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
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
Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
The following cards are secured, meaning they require a security deposit for approval. But these cards offer the technology and convenience that comes with working from a large trusted bank, and a quick path to improving your credit and potentially upgrading to an unsecured card.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
4.0/5.0
About this rating
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
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 at least 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
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 to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
Credit One Bank Is a Smaller Financial Services Company With Limited Offerings
According to its website, “Credit One Bank is a technology and data-driven financial services company based in Las Vegas, Nevada.”
Credit One cards were originally targeted at consumers with poor credit, and it still primarily serves that demographic. But it has since introduced products for consumers with good to excellent credit, including its Platinum X5 Visa and Credit One Bank Wander™ Card with cash back rewards.
Their subprime cards offer various features, such as zero fraud liability, automatic alerts, automatic reviews for more credit, and free credit tracking, but usually have low credit limits ($300 to $500).
Similar names, similar logos.
Credit One reports monthly to all three major credit bureaus, which is important for rebuilding your credit. But beware that some Credit One cards don’t have a grace period and will charge interest starting on the posting date, not the monthly payment date.
All Capital One cards have an interest-free grace period.
Don’t Let the Similar Names Confuse You
These issuers may have similar names and logos, but they are very different. Capital One has a vast card portfolio and offers great benefits, reasonable rates, and leading technology features. Credit One generally charges higher fees, but they do report your activity to the credit bureaus, so over time you can raise your credit score and apply for better cards.
Before you apply for a new card, be sure you know which credit card company you are filling out an application for, and that your credit history aligns with the card’s requirements.
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