Amazon Visa vs Capital One Quicksilver Student
Side-by-side comparison
| Amazon Visa | Capital One Quicksilver Student | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | $50 Amazon Gift Card upon approval | $50 cash bonus |
| Dining | 2x | 1.5x |
| Groceries | 3x | 1.5x |
| Gas | 2x | 1.5x |
| Travel | 1x | 1.5x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1.5x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1.5x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $470 | $437 |
| Points type | Cash back only | Pools with Capital One → transferable |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Amazon Visa earns about $470 a year in rewards and the Capital One Quicksilver Student about $437, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Amazon Visa has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Capital One Quicksilver Student has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards and any credits, the Amazon Visa delivers more total value, about $63 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on groceries and dining. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Capital One Quicksilver Student earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the Amazon Visa pays plain cash back. Favor the Capital One Quicksilver Student if you will use travel transfers, the Amazon Visa if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the two are currently comparable in size. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Amazon Visa if your spending leans toward dining, groceries, gas. Pick the Capital One Quicksilver Student if your spending leans toward travel, streaming, everything else.