Capital One Quicksilver Student vs IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
Side-by-side comparison
| Capital One Quicksilver Student | IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | $50 cash bonus | 125,000 points |
| Dining | 1.5x | 3x |
| Groceries | 1.5x | 1x |
| Gas | 1.5x | 3x |
| Travel | 1.5x | 3x |
| Streaming | 1.5x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1.5x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $437 | $431 |
| Points type | Pools with Capital One → transferable | Locked to IHG One Rewards |
| Network | Visa | Mastercard |
*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 Capital One Quicksilver Student earns about $437 a year in rewards and the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card about $431, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Capital One Quicksilver Student has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The two are close on value, but the Capital One Quicksilver Student edges ahead by about $7 a year, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and groceries. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Capital One Quicksilver Student earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card stays locked to a single airline or hotel program. Favor the Capital One Quicksilver Student if you will use travel transfers, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Capital One Quicksilver Student if your spending leans toward groceries, streaming, everything else. Pick the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card if your spending leans toward dining, gas, travel.