American Express® Green vs Capital One Quicksilver Student
Side-by-side comparison
| American Express® Green | Capital One Quicksilver Student | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points | $50 cash bonus |
| Dining | 3x | 1.5x |
| Groceries | 1x | 1.5x |
| Gas | 1x | 1.5x |
| Travel | 3x | 1.5x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1.5x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1.5x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $402 | $437 |
| Points type | Transfers to airlines & hotels | 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® Green earns about $402 a year in rewards and the Capital One Quicksilver Student about $437, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The American Express® Green charges $150, but carries about $199 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 Capital One Quicksilver Student delivers more total value, about $86 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and groceries. Both earn transferable points rather than flat cash, so the deciding factor is whose transfer partners reach the airlines and hotels you would actually book. On the sign-up bonus, the American Express® Green 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® Green if your spending leans toward dining, travel. Pick the Capital One Quicksilver Student if your spending leans toward groceries, gas, streaming.