The American Express® Gold Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card serve different spending and reward preferences.
The Amex Gold Card is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections.
The Capital One Quicksilver Card keeps rewards simple with unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and includes useful benefits like no foreign transaction fees. The card works best for people seeking a low-maintenance rewards experience, though its earning rate falls behind more specialized cash back cards.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: American Express® Gold Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Overview: Amex Gold vs Capital One Quicksilver Rewards
- 1.5% Cash Back on Every Purchase
- 5% Cash Back on Hotels and Rental Cars Booked via Capital One Travel
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR.
- No Annual Fee
Welcome Bonuses
Amex Gold:
The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus:
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer on the American Express Gold card if you have or have had:
- American Express Gold
- American Express Platinum Card®
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab
- Previous versions of the above cards.
Quicksilver Rewards:
The Quicksilver Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning Rewards
Amex Gold:
The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
- 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 4 points per dollar U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Quicksilver Rewards:
The Quicksilver Card earns:
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day.
Winner:
Amex Gold is a rewards-earning powerhouse with extra rewards at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights.
Card Benefits and Perks
Amex Gold:
The American Express Gold card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment is required.
$120 in Uber Cash: Get up to $10 monthly Uber Cash for U.S. Uber Eats orders and rides when you add your American Express Gold Card as a payment method. Your Uber Cash can be redeemed using any American Express card.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $50 semi-annually in statement credits after you pay with the Amex Gold to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment is required.
$84 Dunkin’ Credit: You can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.
Up to $100 in Hotel Credits: Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees (rates & fees): The Amex Gold’s lack of foreign transaction fees makes it an ideal choice for international purchases, especially considering you can earn 4 points per dollar at global restaurants (on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Travel and Purchase Benefits
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.*
ShopRunner Membership: As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at over 100 participating online retailers. This benefit can help frequent online shoppers save on shipping costs and streamline the return process.
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Quicksilver Rewards:
The Quicksilver Card offers the following benefits and perks:
Intro APR: Enjoy a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR .
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Travel Accident Insurance offers coverage for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier when the trip is purchased using the eligible credit card.
Winner:
Amex Gold offers way more benefits than the Quicksilver card.
Value of the Annual Fees
Amex Gold:
The American Express Gold has a $325 annual fee (rates and fees), which is offset by up to $424 in annual credits, trip and purchase protections, and extra points on dining, flights, and U.S. supermarkets.
Quicksilver Rewards:
The Capital One Quicksilver comes with a $0 annual fee, making it an accessible option for those wanting simple cash back rewards. While there’s no annual fee to offset, the card does provide some valuable benefits including no foreign transaction fees, concierge service, extended warranty protection, and travel accident insurance.
Winner:
Capital One Quicksilver with its no annual fee.
Redeeming Rewards
Amex Gold:
American Express Membership Rewards points are a versatile and valuable currency for travelers. The program offers numerous redemption options, with transfers to airline partners being the most lucrative way to use your points.
Amex partners with 18 airlines and 3 hotel chains, allowing you to access a wide range of travel possibilities. Some of the best redemptions include booking business class flights to Europe through Air France-KLM Flying Blue for as low as 50,000 miles one-way. Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers excellent value for Delta One flights to Europe at 50,000 points, significantly less than booking directly through Delta.
For those planning a trip to Asia, transferring to ANA Mileage Club can yield incredible value. Round-trip business class flights from the West Coast to Tokyo can be booked for just 90,000 miles. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another great option, especially for their renowned long-haul flights like New York to Singapore.
Domestic travelers can benefit from transferring to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul American and Alaska Airlines flights, with awards starting at just 8,250 Avios for distances up to 650 miles.
While transferring to airline partners typically offers the best value, Amex also allows direct redemptions for flights through their travel portal. However, this option generally provides lower value at 1 cent per point.
To maximize your Membership Rewards, focus on high-value airline transfers for premium cabin international flights. With strategic planning, you can unlock extraordinary travel experiences and significant savings on your next adventure.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
|
Avianca LifeMiles
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
Quicksilver Rewards:
The cash back accumulated through your Capital One Quicksilver card can be utilized in a number of ways, including as a statement credit, a check, or a gift card. Alternatively, you have the option to use it directly towards a particular charge on your statement.
What’s more, there’s no requirement for a minimum amount to redeem your cash back. All you need to do is log into your account, either through the app or on your computer, and choose the redemption method that suits you best.
Winner:
Amex Gold because it offers the ability to transfer points to airline and hotel partners.
The Verdict
Both the Amex Gold and Quicksilver Card are good choices.
If you travel, then the Amex Gold is one of my favorite credit cards due to its extra rewards for restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights.
If you want a no annual fee cash back card, the Quicksilver card is a good option with a nice welcome bonus.
Which card are you going to choose?
- 1.5% Cash Back on Every Purchase
- 5% Cash Back on Hotels and Rental Cars Booked via Capital One Travel
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR.
- No Annual Fee
