How To Upgrade a Capital One Credit Card: A Complete Guide [2025]

Want to make a change to your Capital One credit card? You could apply for a new card, but that might not be necessary. Upgrading your Capital One card could be a smart move to unlock better rewards or benefits without impacting your credit score.

Whether you want to move from a secured card to an unsecured one, maximize your cash-back or travel rewards, or take advantage of valuable travel benefits, Capital One offers various upgrade options.

Upgrades to your Capital One card couldn’t be easier, as all you have to do is log in to view your upgrade offers and select your new card. Although an upgrade can offer a simple path to the Capital One card you want, you’d miss out on new cardholder perks, such as a welcome bonus offer and 0% introductory APR.

Read this guide to understand why you might want to upgrade, the potential downsides, and step-by-step instructions for checking your upgrade eligibility and completing the process to upgrade your Capital One credit card.

What Is a Capital One Credit Card Upgrade?

Upgrading your Capital One card allows you to switch your credit card to a different Capital One card. Sometimes called a product change, an upgrade may be available if you’ve had a card for at least 1 year.

Making a product change or upgrading your Capital One card differs from opening a new credit card because an upgrade typically doesn’t require a hard credit check. Your account number and credit limit stay the same.

By modifying an existing account instead of opening a new one, you can avoid impacting your credit score with a hard credit inquiry and a new account. For example, opening a new account will reduce the average age of your accounts, which can lower your credit score.

It typically makes sense to upgrade if your credit score has improved and you’ve outgrown your current credit card, especially if you want to take advantage of better rewards and benefits. But you might want to downgrade if you have a card with an annual fee you can no longer justify.

Reasons To Upgrade a Capital One Credit Card

You might want to upgrade a Capital One Credit card to maximize increased rewards potential, access better perks, or move to an unsecured card from a secured card.

• Better rewards: If your current Capital One card doesn’t offer competitive rewards, an upgrade could help you earn more cash-back or miles on your purchases. Maybe you want to earn more than the 1.25x miles the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers. You could upgrade to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which earn 2x miles.
• Eliminate fees: You could move from a card with an annual fee to another that doesn’t charge a fee. For example, upgrading from the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card to the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card could eliminate the Capital One QuicksilverOne card’s $39 annual fee (rates & fees) and still earn 1.5% cash-back with the Capital One Quicksilver card with a $0 annual fee (rates & fees).
• Better perks: Upgrading to a premium rewards card can give you access to better perks, which makes sense if you want an easier travel experience or can save money by using credits offered by premium cards. Upgrading from the Capital One Venture card to the Capital One Venture X card adds valuable perks, including lounge access, a $300 annual Capital One Travel credit, and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.
• Get an unsecured card: You may start with a Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, which has a $0 annual fee (rates & fees) but requires a refundable security deposit starting at $49. If you’ve improved your credit enough to qualify for an unsecured card, you can upgrade to the unsecured Capital One Platinum Credit Card and get your security deposit back. You can also request the Capital One Quicksilver card if you’d like to earn rewards.

Drawbacks of Upgrading a Capital One Credit Card

Although upgrading has its benefits, you should also consider the drawbacks:

• No welcome bonus offer: When you upgrade your card, you typically don’t get a welcome bonus offer like a new credit card applicant would. Applying for a new card could be better than upgrading if earning a welcome offer is important to you.
• No introductory APR: Some Capital One cards offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers. However, you won’t get that offer if you upgrade instead of applying as a new cardholder.
• Higher annual fees: Upgrading your card may mean paying a higher annual fee. That could be in return for better rewards and perks, but you should ensure the upgrade justifies the additional cost.
• Product change restrictions: You may be limited in how many upgrades you can make. For example, you might be restricted to 1 product change per 6 months. Make your decision carefully, as you may not be able to switch again soon.

If upgrading isn’t the right fit, alternatives include applying for a new card, downgrading instead of upgrading, and requesting a credit limit increase.

Should You Upgrade Your Capital One Card?

Before you make any changes to your Capital One cards, consider whether the benefits outweigh any added costs or changes. Ask yourself these questions before you upgrade:

Will the Difference in the Annual Fee Pay Off?

Some upgrades may take you from a no-fee card to a card with a moderate fee or even a significant jump in cost. Compare the added benefits to determine whether they are worth the price.

For example, upgrading from the Capital One Venture card to the Capital One Venture X card adds up to a $300 difference in annual fees. You can make up the difference with the Capital One Venture X card’s $300 annual Capital One Travel credit, but only if you use the credit. Otherwise, sticking with the lower-priced Capital One Venture card might make sense.

Do the Rewards Fit Your Spending?

Analyze your spending habits to see how you could earn rewards with the new card before you make a change. It might make sense to upgrade if a card’s bonus categories align better with your spending habits. A card that rewards you for dining and entertainment might be helpful if that’s a major spending category for you. However, a basic cash-back card could be the right fit if you don’t go out often and typically spend the most on everyday purchases.

Let’s say you have the Capital One Quicksilver card, which earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases and has a $0 annual fee (rates & fees). You could upgrade to the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, which also has a $0 annual fee (rates & fees) but earns 3% cash-back at grocery stores, on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services. If you spend a lot in those categories, the change makes sense. However, the Capital One Savor card only earns 1% cash-back on other purchases, so you might earn more by sticking with the Capital One Quicksilver card if most of your purchases fall outside of the Capital One Savor card’s bonus categories.

Will You Use the Benefits?

Capital One cards offer various cardholder perks, so consider how those fit your lifestyle before upgrading. You might want to upgrade to a travel card if you can use travel rewards and benefits. However, a cash-back card could be more beneficial if you don’t travel often.

If you have the Capital One Quicksilver card but want to earn travel rewards, you might consider upgrading to the Capital One Venture card. You pay a $95 annual fee (rates & fees) when you upgrade to the Capital One Venture card, but you can get a higher earning rate of 2x miles on all purchases, plus an up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. An upgrade is a good choice if you’ll use the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit and can earn and redeem more travel rewards.

Could You Earn a Welcome Bonus Offer?

When deciding on a credit card upgrade, a major factor is whether you’re willing to give up on earning a welcome bonus offer. These welcome offers provided to new cardholders can be worth hundreds. If a welcome offer is worth it, applying for a new card might make sense rather than requesting an upgrade.

Thinking about upgrading to the Capital One Venture X card? You could miss out on this solid welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Could You Use a 0% Introductory APR?

Some Capital One cards offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers, which can help you save on interest charges if you’re making a large purchase you need to pay off over time or have a high-interest balance to transfer and pay off. These offers are available to new cardholders, but not if you upgrade. Consider whether a 0% APR would be useful, and apply for a new card instead of upgrading if you need it.

Bottom Line:

Upgrading your Capital One card is a great way to unlock better rewards and benefits without impacting your credit score, but you’ll miss out on welcome bonus offers and introductory APR offers.

Common Capital One Credit Card Upgrade Routes

Secured Card to Unsecured Card

• Capital One Platinum Secured card to Capital One Platinum card
• Capital One Platinum Secured card to Capital One Quicksilver card

Upgrading from a secured to an unsecured card means you don’t have to maintain a security deposit. You can start earning rewards if you upgrade to a Capital One Quicksilver card.

Hot Tip:

If you upgrade a secured card to an unsecured card, your security deposit will be refunded.

No-Annual-Fee Cards to Higher-Tier Cash-Back Cards

• Capital One Platinum card to Capital One Quicksilver card
• Capital One QuicksilverOne card to Capital One Quicksilver card
• Capital One Quicksilver card to Capital One Savor card

Moving to a higher-tier cash-back card can help you earn more rewards from your spending while avoiding an annual fee. For example, if you spend a lot on dining, it can be helpful to move from a Capital One Quicksilver card to the Capital One Savor card because you’d earn more on dining, entertainment, and groceries. If you have the Capital One QuicksilverOne card, you can drop the annual fee and earn the same rate by switching to the Capital One Quicksilver card. Upgrading from the Capital One Platinum card to the Capital One Quicksilver card means earning rewards instead of having a no-rewards card.

Travel Card Upgrades

• Capital One VentureOne card to Capital One Venture card
• Capital One Venture card to Capital One Venture X card

If you upgrade from the Capital One VentureOne card to the Capital One Venture card, you can earn more miles on every purchase since the Capital One Venture card earns 2x miles instead of the Capital One VentureOne card’s 1.25x. If you want lounge access, a $300 Capital One Travel credit, and 10,000 anniversary miles, the Capital One Venture X card could be a good upgrade, especially if you spend a lot on travel and book through Capital One Travel.

Steps To Upgrade Your Capital One Credit Card

You can call Capital One customer service at 877-383-4802 to consult with a Capital One staff member about upgrading your card, but logging in to upgrade your card online is the easiest way to do it if you know which card you want to upgrade to.

First, log in to your Capital One account online. Click on the “I Want To…” menu.

From the “I Want To…” menu, select “View Offers and Upgrades.”

If you have upgrade offers, you’ll see a box for “Explore upgrades.” If you don’t have upgrade offers, you’ll see a box directing you to explore new card products. You must have a card for at least 1 year before becoming eligible for an upgrade offer.

You’ll then see any available upgrade offers. This screen explains some of the upgrade details, including what stays the same and what changes — and that your credit score won’t be affected and you don’t need to apply. Notably, you won’t be eligible for promotions or bonus offers available to new cardholders.

The offers allow you to compare the cards side by side, and if you click “Compare to my current card,” you can see what’s different between your current card and the card you can upgrade to.

If you’re ready to choose an upgrade card, just click the blue upgrade box. That will bring up a box to review the upgrade details again, agree to the terms and conditions, and confirm your upgrade.

Once you’ve accepted the upgrade offer, your new card will be on its way, and you’ll get access to upgraded rewards and benefits. Your card number and account information will stay the same, so you don’t need to update any payment methods linked to your card.

Final Thoughts

Upgrading your Capital One credit card is a convenient way to get better rewards and benefits without opening a new account or getting a hard credit check. Capital One makes it easy to see your upgrade options and upgrade your card in your online account. However, you should consider the trade-offs before switching, including missing out on a sign-up bonus or potentially paying a higher annual fee. It can be valuable if the upgraded card makes sense for your spending habits and financial goals.