Dedicated comparison page

The Platinum Card from American Express vs Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

The Platinum Card from American Express 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 rateCapital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards1.5%
Lowest starting credit rangeCapital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards640+

Quick Take

The Platinum Card from American Express

by American Express

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The Platinum Card from American Express is a travel card from American Express with a $695 annual fee, 80,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months, and good to excellent credit.

Best for: People focused on travel rewards who can justify a $695 annual fee and who typically have good to excellent credit.

  • 5% on Travel
  • 80,000 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, $200 bonus after $500 in 3 months, 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.

  • $200 bonus after $500 in 3 months
  • No foreign transaction fee
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Side-by-Side Facts

MetricThe Platinum Card from American ExpressCapital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards
Annual Fee$695None
Reward Rate1.0%1.5%
Signup Bonus80,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months$200 bonus after $500 in 3 months
Foreign Transaction FeeNoneNone
Recommended CreditGood to excellent creditFair to good credit
Rewards SummaryEarn elevated rewards with 5% on Travel and 1% on Dining, plus 1% on other purchases.Earn 1.5% on general spending.

Who Should Pick Which Card?

The Platinum Card from American Express

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

Best for: People focused on travel rewards who can justify a $695 annual fee and who typically have good to excellent credit.

Pros

  • 80,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months
  • Potentially worthwhile if you use the card enough to cover the $695 annual fee
  • Earns 5% on Travel
  • Earns 1% on Dining

Tradeoffs

  • Annual fee of $695 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

It keeps the value proposition simple with 1.5% on everyday purchases. 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

  • $200 bonus after $500 in 3 months
  • No annual fee to offset rewards
  • No foreign transaction fee

Tradeoffs

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the main difference between The Platinum Card from American Express 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.