Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. We may receive a small commission from our partners, like American Express, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
If you’re a student just getting started on your financial journey, it can be challenging to get approved for a credit card. That’s why many banks offer student credit cards that are easier to get approved for even with a limited credit history.
The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One is one of our top student credit card picks, and now Capital One has added two new student card options: the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Both cards earn cash back, but in slightly different ways — the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers up to 3% back in student-friendly categories, while the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card earns a flat rate of 1.5% back on all purchases. Neither charges an annual fee.
Read more: The best Capital One credit cards of 2021
In fact, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card are quite similar to their legacy namesakes. Capital One already issues the traditional Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card
and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
, and the earning categories on the student versions of the cards are the same.
But there’s a major difference: The student cards do not offer a welcome bonus, while the original versions do.
So if you’ve already got an established credit score and history, you may want to give the student cards a skip and go straight to the “grown-up” versions of the SavorOne and Quicksilver (here’s our SavorOne Rewards review and Quicksilver card review to find out more) — or consider other rewards credit cards instead.
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards card details
Regular APR
26.99% (Variable)
Credit Score
Average, Fair, Limited
Pros
- Strong 3% cash back earning in popular everyday spending categories for students (dining, entertainment, eligible streaming services, and grocery stores)
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- You can be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months
Cons
- No welcome bonus
- High APR (26.99% Variable) if you need to carry a balance
- Whether you’re at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), with 1% on all other purchases. Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- You can help build your credit with responsible use of a card like this
- 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
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen
- Set up Autopay for your account and your payments will be made automatically every month
The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card has bonus categories that cover some of the biggest expenses for college students. Cardholders earn:
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card cardholders can also earn 8% back on Vivid Seats purchases, like sporting event, concert, and theater tickets, through January 2023.
There’s no limit to the amount of cash back you can earn, and there are no annual fees or foreign transaction fees to worry about.
Read more: The best cash-back credit cards of 2021
Like other Capital One cards, you’ll automatically be considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months from account opening.
The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card also offers remarkably good benefits for a no-annual-fee student card, including:
- Cell phone protection***
- Price protection***
- Extended warranty***
- Car rental coverage***
- Roadside dispatch***
- Complimentary concierge services
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards card details
Regular APR
26.99% (Variable)
Credit Score
Average, Fair, Limited
Pros
- Solid cash back earning on all purchases with no bonus categories to track
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- You can be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months
Cons
- No welcome bonus
- High APR (26.99% Variable) if you need to carry a balance
- Whether you’re at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- You can help build your credit with responsible use of a card like this
- 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
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen
- Set up Autopay for your account and your payments will be made automatically every month
If you don’t want to fuss with remembering bonus categories, the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a more straightforward approach.
All purchases earn 1.5% cash back with no limits, and you’ll get the same benefits as offered by the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, including cell phone protection and extended warranty.
This card doesn’t charge an annual fee or foreign transaction fee, either, and you’ll also be automatically considered for a higher credit line after six months.
Read more: Identity theft is a major problem, but these 5 credit card protection programs can help keep you safe
Both of these cards come with options for redeeming rewards beyond cash back, including gift cards, Amazon purchases, and PayPal purchases. Cardholders also get access to tools like Capital One Credit Wise and Mastercard ID Theft Protection.
Before you decide on any credit card, be sure to compare similar cards to see which fits your spending habits most closely. And keep in mind there are some student credit cards — like the Chase Freedom® Student credit card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students — that actually offer a welcome bonus along with rewards on your day-to-day purchases.
100,000 points
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
3 Free Nights (valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10x total points per $1 spent on up to $2,500 in combined purchases in select categories within your first 6 months
Credit Needed
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Credit Needed
Good to Excellent