American Express® Blue Cash Preferred vs Capital One Quicksilver Student
Side-by-side comparison
| American Express® Blue Cash Preferred | Capital One Quicksilver Student | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | $300 statement credit | $50 cash bonus |
| Dining | 1x | 1.5x |
| Groceries | 6x | 1.5x |
| Gas | 3x | 1.5x |
| Travel | 1x | 1.5x |
| Streaming | 6x | 1.5x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1.5x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $679 | $437 |
| Points type | Cash back only | Pools with Capital One → transferable |
| Network | Amex | 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 American Express® Blue Cash Preferred earns about $679 a year in rewards and the Capital One Quicksilver Student about $437, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The American Express® Blue Cash Preferred charges $95, but carries about $84 in annual statement credits that offset it for anyone who uses them. The Capital One Quicksilver Student has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards, fees, and any credits, the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred delivers more total value, about $189 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on groceries and gas. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Capital One Quicksilver Student earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred pays plain cash back. Favor the Capital One Quicksilver Student if you will use travel transfers, the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred if your spending leans toward groceries, gas, streaming. Pick the Capital One Quicksilver Student if your spending leans toward dining, travel, everything else.