Apple Card vs Capital One Quicksilver
Side-by-side comparison
| Apple Card | Capital One Quicksilver | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | No current offer | $200 cash bonus |
| Dining | 2x | 1.5x |
| Groceries | 2x | 1.5x |
| Gas | 2x | 1.5x |
| Travel | 2x | 1.5x |
| Streaming | 2x | 1.5x |
| Everything else | 2x | 1.5x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $583 | $437 |
| Points type | Cash back only | Pools with Capital One → transferable |
| Network | Mastercard | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Apple Card | Capital One Quicksilver |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | None | $200 cash bonus |
| To earn it | No minimum spend | $500 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $583 | $637 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $583 | $437 |
This one splits by time horizon. In year one the Capital One Quicksilver is ahead by roughly $54, thanks largely to its welcome offer. But the Apple Card earns more every year after, so if you keep it, it overtakes the Capital One Quicksilver after about 1 year. Chasing the sign-up bonus and open to canceling before the second annual fee? Take the Capital One Quicksilver. Planning to keep it for years? The Apple Card pulls ahead.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Apple Card | Capital One Quicksilver |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | None | None |
| Points & redemptions | Cash back only | Transferable (paired with a premium card) |
On perks and redemptions, the Capital One Quicksilver earns transferable points with a higher redemption ceiling, while the other is capped nearer a flat cent. Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
Only the Capital One Quicksilver earns transferable points. Its Capital One miles move to Air Canada, Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish, British Airways, and Emirates, where a point can be worth several cents on a premium-cabin redemption, far above its cash value. The Apple Card pays flat cash back, worth about a cent, so its ceiling is nearer a penny per point no matter how you redeem.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Apple Card earns about $583 a year in rewards and the Capital One Quicksilver about $437, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Apple Card has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Capital One Quicksilver has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards and any credits, the Apple Card delivers more total value, about $146 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and groceries. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Capital One Quicksilver earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the Apple Card pays plain cash back. Favor the Capital One Quicksilver if you will use travel transfers, the Apple Card if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the Capital One Quicksilver currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Apple Card if your spending leans toward dining, groceries, gas.