Dedicated comparison page

American Express Gold Card vs Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

American Express Gold Card vs Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards on Luminxo. Compare annual fees, rewards, welcome offers, credit requirements, and who each card is best for.

Lowest annual feeCapital One Quicksilver Cash RewardsNo annual fee
Highest reward rateAmerican Express Gold Card5.0%
Lowest starting credit rangeCapital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards640+

Quick Take

American Express Gold Card

by American Express

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American Express Gold Card is a dining card from American Express with a $325 annual fee, up to 100,000 membership rewards points after $8,000 in 6 months, and good to excellent credit.

Best for: People focused on dining rewards who can justify a $325 annual fee and who typically have good to excellent credit.

  • 5% on Travel-portal
  • Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 in 6 months
  • No foreign transaction fee
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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

by Capital One

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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards is a cashback card from Capital One with no annual fee, earn a $200 cash bonus, and fair to good credit.

Best for: People focused on cashback rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair to good credit.

  • 1.5% on Other
  • Earn a $200 cash bonus
  • No foreign transaction fee
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Side-by-Side Facts

MetricAmerican Express Gold CardCapital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards
Annual Fee$325None
Reward Rate5.0%1.5%
Signup BonusUp to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 in 6 monthsEarn a $200 cash bonus
Foreign Transaction FeeNoneNone
Recommended CreditGood to excellent creditFair to good credit
Rewards SummaryEarn elevated rewards with 5% on Travel-portal, 4% on Dining and 4% on Groceries, plus 1% on other purchases.Earn elevated rewards with 1.5% on Other, plus 1.5% on other purchases.

Who Should Pick Which Card?

American Express Gold Card

Its strongest earning category is Travel-portal at 5%, backed by 1% on general spending. It also avoids foreign transaction fees.

Best for: People focused on dining rewards who can justify a $325 annual fee and who typically have good to excellent credit.

Pros

  • Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 in 6 months
  • Potentially worthwhile if you use the card enough to cover the $325 annual fee
  • Earns 5% on Travel-portal
  • Earns 4% on Dining

Tradeoffs

  • Annual fee of $325 means you need ongoing value from the card
  • Typically requires good to excellent credit
  • Signup bonus requires $8000 in spending within 6 months
  • Base rewards on non-bonus spending are relatively modest

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

Its strongest earning category is Other at 1.5%, backed by 1.5% on general spending. It also avoids foreign transaction fees.

Best for: People focused on cashback rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair to good credit.

Pros

  • Earn a $200 cash bonus
  • No annual fee to offset rewards
  • Earns 1.5% on Other
  • No foreign transaction fee

Tradeoffs

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the main difference between American Express Gold Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards?

    The biggest tradeoffs are annual fee, reward concentration, and the level of credit usually needed to qualify. This page compares those inputs directly so you can choose the card that fits your spending and tolerance for annual fees.

    Which card is easier to qualify for?

    Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards has the lowest published starting credit range in this comparison at 640.

    Which card has the lowest annual fee?

    Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards has the lowest annual fee in this comparison at no annual fee.