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Capital One Quicksilver Rewards vs USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card 2024

investor.com

Written by investor.com

December 18, 2023

In head-to-head competition, which of these rewards credit cards wins out? Here’s what each has to offer and how they fare when put to the ultimate test — the cash back you’ll earn for using them.

Capital One Quicksilver Rewards
Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on every purchase and 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 within three months from account opening. 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.

USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card
The USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card pays 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions. Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases.

Credit Card Calculator
Monthly Spend
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dining Dining
theater_comedy Entertainment
local_gas_station Gas
shopping_cart Groceries
monetization_on Other
local_pharmacy Pharmacy
card_travel Travel
local_shipping Amazon
storefront Costco
construction Home Improvement
shopping_bag Online Shopping
smart_display Streaming
local_taxi Transit
power Utilities
kitchen Whole Foods
receipt_long Wholesale Clubs
Best for Low-Hassle Rewards

Capital One Quicksilver Rewards

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Capital One Quicksilver Rewards Logo
Cashback Per Year
$...
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Bonus
$200
Best for Low-Hassle Rewards

USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card

Read review
USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card Logo
Cashback Per Year
$...
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Want to compare more cards? Use our full calculator.

Which credit card earns more cash back overall?

Based on identical spending inputs, you’ll earn $180.00 cash back per year with Capital One Quicksilver Rewards and $180.00 with USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card. For context, the average annual rewards payout from the cashback credit cards in the investor.com database is $181.73.

The annual rewards payout assumes you charge $1,000 each month spread across the following spending categories: Dining ($145), Entertainment ($134), Gas ($140), Groceries ($198), Travel ($128), Pharmacy ($15), and Other ($240). The dollar amounts for each category are based on consumer spending data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (i.e., how much the average American spends proportionally across the major credit card rewards categories). But you can — and absolutely should! — customize the inputs based on your actual monthly spending habits, using our rewards calculator.

To ensure the most accurate results possible, the rewards calculations for Capital One Quicksilver Rewards and USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card incorporate bonus rewards rates, spending caps, default rewards rates and annual fees, where applicable.

Is the Capital One Quicksilver Rewards good?

This is the top-of-the-line among Capital One's Quicksilver Rewards card portfolio, which means it offers a welcome bonus and introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers to applicants with excellent credit. Pity about the 1.5% cash back rate, though.

thumb_up Likes

  • No rewards earnings caps
  • 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Signup bonus and 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
  • 3% balance-transfer fee waived on money moved within first 15 months
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Offers pre-approval
  • Multiple reward redemption options

thumb_down Dislikes

  • No rewards bonus categories = limited cashback potential
  • 1.5% cashback rate is the starting point for many cards
  • Requires “excellent” credit in exchange for not-so-excellent rewards


Category Default Rate Bonus Rate Bonus Spend Cap Bonus Spend Period (Months)
Gas 1.50% - - -
Travel 1.50% - - -
Dining 1.50% - - -
Entertainment 1.50% - - -
Pharmacy 1.50% - - -
Groceries 1.50% - - -
Other Purchases 1.50% - - -

Is the USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card good?

This USAA members-only card has a few niche perks for servicemembers. Otherwise, it’s an average 1.5% cash back card with minimal sign-up incentives.

thumb_up Likes

  • 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases
  • Rewards redeemable after you’ve earned $1
  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Includes Visa Signature perks
  • Sometimes offers 0% intro APR

thumb_down Dislikes

  • Requires USAA membership
  • No sign-up bonus
  • Higher flat-rate cash back cards available


Category Default Rate Bonus Rate Bonus Spend Cap Bonus Spend Period (Months)
Gas 1.50% - - -
Travel 1.50% - - -
Dining 1.50% - - -
Entertainment 1.50% - - -
Pharmacy 1.50% - - -
Groceries 1.50% - - -
Other Purchases 1.50% - - -

compare_arrows Compare cash back credit cards

Select and compare two credit cards head to head to see which offers the most bang for your buck.


Select Credit Cards

×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Everyday Cash Back Mastercard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Unlimited Cash Back Mastercard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmazon Prime Visa
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmazon Visa
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmerican Express Cash Magnet
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxApple Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBank of America Customized Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBlue Cash Everyday from American Express
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBlue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBMO Harris Bank Cash Back Mastercard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBread Cashback American Express Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Quicksilver Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Quicksilver Rewards for Good Credit
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One QuicksilverOne
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Savor Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One SavorOne Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxChase Freedom Flex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxChase Freedom Unlimited
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCiti Custom Cash Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCiti Double Cash Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCredit One Bank American Express Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCredit One Platinum Rewards Visa (No Annual Fee)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCredit One Platinum Visa
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCredit One Platinum X5 Visa
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDiscover it Cash Back
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDiscover it Chrome Gas & Restaurant
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxNavy Federal cashRewards Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPayPal Cashback Mastercard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPenFed Power Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPetal 2 Visa Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPNC Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSam's Club Mastercard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSoFi Unlimited 2% Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTD Cash Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTruist Enjoy Cash Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxU.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxU.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxUpgrade Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxUpgrade Triple Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxUSAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxUSAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVenmo Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxWells Fargo Active Cash Card

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Methodology

The results of the investor.com Credit Card Rewards Calculator are based on the monthly spending amounts you enter and the annual dollar value of the rewards each credit card program pays per $1 spent. Credit card companies often express this payout amount as a percentage (e.g., 1.5% of every dollar spent) or on a points basis (e.g. ,1.5 points for every dollar spent). We converted all of them to a dollar amount (“Cash Back Per Year”) to make comparing offers easier.

To calculate the amount of cash back you could earn per year, we factored in:

  • Spend category inputs: The default dollar values for each “Spend Category” in the Best Cashback Credit Cards tool — gas, groceries, travel, restaurant, entertainment, pharmacy, other — are based on average American spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also include additional spend categories (such as streaming services, online shopping, utilities, transit, Amazon and more) to help you see which rewards cards are most closely aligned with your actual spending patterns. We encourage you to customize the monthly spend inputs for the most accurate results.
  • Tiered rewards rates: If a rewards credit card pays higher cashback rates on certain spending categories (also called “Bonus Rewards”), that difference is reflected in the total “Cash Back Per Year” tally.
  • Rewards spending caps: Some cards impose category- or time-based limits (monthly, quarterly, annually) that affect the amount of rewards you can earn. For example, a card may pay 3% cash back on groceries on up to $1,000 of spending each quarter, then revert to the base/default rewards rate until the following quarter. We accounted for bonus spending caps and timeframe in the calculations.
  • Default rewards rates: Purchases that exceed a spending cap are usually subject to a lower default rewards rate (e.g., 1% or 1.5%). We mathed that out too.
  • Annual fees: If a rewards card charges an annual fee, we deducted that amount from the “Cash Back Per Year” total to provide a true accounting of a card’s annual rewards payout.

What’s not included in the “Cash Back Per Year” total is the cash value of any sign-up/introductory bonus. We highlight any Welcome Bonus separately. While sign-up bonuses can be the most lucrative part of getting a new cashback rewards credit card, not everyone will want or be able to do what it takes to earn the extra cash. (It usually requires spending a certain amount in a specified time period after the card is activated.)



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