10 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Capital One Cash-Back Rewards [2024]

Before Capital One unveiled its transferable rewards program, Capital One Miles, its cash-back rewards offerings were exceptional.

It wasn’t unusual to be able to earn 3% cash-back or more on everyday purchase categories like dining, groceries, and entertainment.

A bit of attention has been drawn away from cash-back since the explosion in popularity of Capital One Miles, but in this article, we’ll cover which Capital One credit cards earn cash-back and how to earn lots of cash-back with Capital One’s cash-back cards.

The Value of Capital One Cash-Back

Flexibility

It’s hard to deny there’s a more flexible rewards currency than cash-back!

With Capital One, cash-back accumulates in your account, allowing you to save for a large statement credit or significant purchase.

Additional redemption options include gift cards, making a charitable donation, or receiving a check (at a reduced value).

Ease of Earning Cash-Back

Capital One also makes it easy to earn cash-back. With multiple bonus spending categories on Capital One personal cards, your cash-back earnings will add up fast.

On the business side, you won’t have to keep track of special earning categories at all with flat rate earnings across the board.

Personal Capital One Credit Cards

Capital One Personal Cards That Earn Cash-Back

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Savor card is a great no-annual fee card for those who regularly spend on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target).

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor card is a great no-annual fee card for those who regularly spend on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target).

Welcome Offer

For a limited time, earn a $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

$250

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.74% - 29.74% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Savor card is a phenomenal option when it comes to no-annual-fee cash-back credit cards. With popular bonus categories like dining, grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), entertainment, and popular streaming services, and the ability to earn 3% cash-back on these purchases, it is easy to see why those who use the card can earn some serious cash-back throughout the year.

The card also allows you to take your rewards and experiences even further by offering access to Capital One Travel, Capital One Dining, and Capital One Entertainment.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• 3% cash-back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)

Cons

• Rewards are purely cash-back, so there is no option for miles transfers to transfer partners for redemptions

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• For a limited time, earn a $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart^® and Target^®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
• Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
• No foreign transaction fee
• No annual fee

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A flexible, no-frills card that earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases. Redeem rewards for any amount anytime you choose with no annual fee.

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

A flexible, no-frills card that earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases. Redeem rewards for any amount anytime you choose with no annual fee.

Welcome Offer

One-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

$200

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.74% - 29.74% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Low maintenance, that’s your motto. When it comes to your credit cards, you don’t have the time or inclination to figure out which spending categories earn you the most cash-back.

A card that earns 1.5% cash-back for everything is more your speed.

That’s why you should consider the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. You’ll never waste your time with changing categories, and there’s no limit to the cash-back you can earn.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
• No annual fee (rates & fees)
• No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)

Cons

• Doesn’t offer bonus categories for those looking to maximize certain purchases
• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

This card’s rewards will accrue on the card and be available under capitalone.com.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all purchases while you work your way up to a higher credit line. Redeem rewards for any amount at any time.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all purchases while you work your way up to a higher credit line. Redeem rewards for any amount at any time.

Welcome Offer

None

Annual Fee

$39

APR

29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Fair to Good (580-739)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking to build your credit, and earn cash-back rewards while doing so, then the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a fantastic option. You can increase your credit line just paying your bill on time every month and you’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all of your purchases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
• Automatic credit line review after 6 months of on-time payments
• Unlimited access to your credit score via CreditWise

Cons

• $39 annual fee (rates & fees)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
• No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
• Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
• Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
• Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
• Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 29.99% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

1. Welcome Offers

Meet your minimum spending requirement within the first 90 days after card approval and earn a welcome offer.

2. Purchase Travel

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One., Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earn 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

The best Capital One cash-back cards for other travel purchases are the Capital One Quicksilver card or the Capital One QuicksilverOne card, which both earn 1.5% cash-back on all purchases.

3. Dine Out

You won’t hesitate to pick up the tab at that next group dinner with the Capital One Savor card. Earn unlimited 3% cash-back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. Earning 3% cash-back makes figuring out who owes how much worth it!

4. Buy Groceries

With 3% cash-back, the Capital One Savor card earns rewards on every purchase you make at the grocery store, excluding superstores like Walmart and Target.

Hot Tip: Grocery stores sell more than just groceries! It’s possible to utilize your Capital One Savor card to purchase gift cards (earning 3% cash-back) to use for non-bonus category purchases, such as gas and department stores.

5. Get Entertained

In addition to earning rewards on dining, your entertainment purchases on the Capital One Savor card can earn 3% cash-back.

Capital One defines entertainment quite broadly:

Cardholders can also earn 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment purchases

6. Pay for Streaming Services

Capital One Savor cardholders can earn 3% cash-back from streaming purchases made from eligible music and video streaming services. Eligible services include Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. Exclusions include services such as Prime Video, AT&T TV, Verizon FIOS On Demand, audiobook subscription services, and fitness programming.

7. Pay Household Expenses

Rewards earned on everyday household purchases add up quickly when every purchase you make earns cash-back. The Capital One Quicksilver card and Capital One QuicksilverOne card both earn 1.5% cash-back per dollar spent on these purchases.

Bottom Line: Welcome bonus offers are the fastest way to earn a cash bonus.

Business Capital One Credit Cards

We think we’ve established the fact that Capital One has a simple rewards earnings structure — but nothing gets quite as simple as earning rewards on Capital One’s cash-back business credit cards.

First, there are no bonus categories whatsoever.

Additionally, you’ll earn 1.5% to 2% cash-back per dollar spent, depending on the card. That’s it.

With this easy formula as a foundation, we’ll take a look at how Capital One credit cards fare when it comes to earning cash-back.

Capital One Business Cards That Earn Cash-Back

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card offers an unlimited 2% cash-back on all purchases and helpful features for business owners.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card offers an unlimited 2% cash-back on all purchases and helpful features for business owners.

Welcome Offer

$2,000 cash back once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year.

Up to $4,000+

Annual Fee

$150

APR

N/A

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-850)

Why We Like This Card

The information regarding the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card is great for business owners looking to improve their bottom line by earning 2% cash-back on all purchases without a high annual fee. Further, with no preset spending limit, the ability to get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000, and no-additional-fee employee cards, there is something that every business owner will love (rates & fees).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unlimited 2% cash-back on all purchases
• 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• No preset spending limit

Cons

• $150 annual fee (rates & fees)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. You can earn this bonus multiple times over the course of year 1!
• Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
• Enjoy purchasing power that adapts to your business. The Spark Cash Plus card has no preset spending limit, so it can adapt to your needs based on your spending behavior, payment history, credit profile and other factors
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Empower your teams to make business purchases while you earn rewards from their transactions with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
• $150 annual fee – Spend $150,000 annually and Capital One will refund this fee every year
• Spark Cash Plus has no APR because your balance is due in full every month
• For businesses that need large spending capacity and want to maximize cash back

Financial Snapshot

• APR: N/A
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Spark Cash Select

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Spark Cash Select card is a great no-annual-fee business credit card that earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases.

Capital One Spark Cash Select

The Capital One Spark Cash Select card is a great no-annual-fee business credit card that earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn a $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of account opening.

$500

Annual Fee

$0

APR

17.99% - 23.99% Variable

Why We Like This Card

The information regarding the Capital One Spark Cash Select card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

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If you’re looking for an uncomplicated cash-back business card, the Capital One Spark Cash Select card might be the perfect option with its uncapped 1.5% cash-back on all purchases without an annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
• 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• No annual fee

Cons

• Lack of bonus categories

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn a $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere — with no limits or category restrictions
• No annual fee
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Rewards won’t expire for the life of the account
• Redeem your cash back rewards for any amount
• Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
• $0 Fraud Liability for unauthorized charges

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.99% - 23.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

8. Welcome Offers

Capital One business credit cards earn generous welcome offers after completing initial spending requirements in the first 90 days after card approval.

9. Earn Bigger With Tiered Spending Bonuses

In addition to the initial welcome offer, there are sometimes tiered spending bonuses that allow you to earn more. Check the current offers for tiered spending bonuses.

10. Pay for Business Expenses

Because of the simple earning structure, all purchases receive the same level of rewards: the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earns 2% cash-back and the Capital One Spark Cash Select*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earns 1.5% cash-back.

Whether you purchase travel, office supplies, or shipping, you’ll earn the same level of cash-back rewards on every purchase with your Capital One business credit card.

Bottom Line: Capital One business cash-back credit cards offer simple earnings of either 1.5% or 2% cash-back (depending on the card), with no bonus spending categories. 

Everything Else You Need To Know

Cash-Back rewards that you earn on your Capital One card never expire as long as you have a Capital One account open and in good standing. If you close your account, unused cash-back will be forfeited.

Capital One credit cards do not charge foreign transaction fees.

Occasionally, Capital One runs Refer a Friend promotions that reward you with statement credits for referring a friend who is subsequently approved for the credit card. These promotions are usually targeted to specific cardholders who receive an invitation email with the terms of the referral program, but cardholders of the Capital One Quicksilver card or Capital One Savor card in good standing may qualify for the referral program. To find your referral link, sign in to your account or look in the app for the Refer a Friend tile on the account details page.

There’s no need to feel left out if you have bad credit or no credit — Capital One issues several credit cards for building or rebuilding credit. The issuer also offers the opportunity to find out if you’re pre-qualified or pre-approved for one of their credit cards.

Hot Tip: While earning cash-back is nice, we recommend accumulating Capital One miles over cash-back because of the valuable transfer partnerships that help you book luxury travel for maximum value.

Final Thoughts

Capital One’s cash-back cards have a lot going for them, especially if you focus on a handful of unique credit cards offering outsized cash-back.

But because these cash-back rewards are always fixed in value, earning 1% to 8% cash-back via Capital One’s cash-back credit cards might not be the best you can get. It’s probably better to use a card that earns Membership Rewards or Ultimate Rewards points.

The American Express^® Gold Card, for instance, earns 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and on takeout and delivery in the U.S., up to $50,000 in spending in a calendar year — and Membership Rewards have the potential to deliver value far greater than 1 cent per point.