Compare the Features and Benefits of Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card and
United℠ Explorer Card

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is perfect for someone that wants a simple cash back card (no need to remember which card to use for which bonus category and does a lot of international travel. While the Citi Double Cash card earns 2% cash back on everything, the Double Cash carries a foreign transaction fee of 3% of your purchase.

With Quicksilver, you will never pay any foreign transaction fees or annual fees, and you’ll earn a simple 1.5% cash back on everything. If you book travel via the Capital One Travel portal, you’ll earn 5% on hotels and rental cars (1.5% if booked outside of Capital One Travel).

Plus, you’ll get a small cash bonus when you meet the terms of the Early Spend Bonus with your new Quicksilver card.

PRO TIP:

If you have another credit card which earns Capital One Miles, like the Capital One Venture X, Capital One Venture, Capital One VentureOne, or Capital One Spark Miles for Business, you can transfer your cash from your Quicksilver to those cards, turning them into Capital One Miles – transferable to airline and hotel partners. $10 = 1,000 Miles.

Here’s a list of Capital One Miles airline and hotel transfer partners

The United Explorer is one of the best credit cards out there for occasional United flyers. That’s because you’ll get useful perks, such as free first checked bags, priority boarding privileges, a 25% food and beverage discount on board United operated flights, and even get a taste of airport lounge access with two anniversary United Club passes. Plus. the annual fee is waived the first year, then just $95 thereafter.

Consider this scenario: Even if you only fly United a couple of times per year, the Explorer Card is worth it for the free checked bag benefit alone. Keep in mind, this applies to the primary card holder and one companion on the same reservation, as long as you use the card to pay for your ticket. At $35 for one checked bag, and $140 for a round-trip flight for two people, it’s easy to get value that exceeds the card’s annual fee.

In addition to the sign-up bonus earned after account opening, the United Explorer card earns a decent 2X miles on United Airlines purchases, 2X miles on dining, including eligible delivery services, 2X miles on hotel stays when booked with the hotel and 1x miles on all other purchases. Also, the card helps to fast track your United elite status goals with 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) for every $12,000 you spend on purchases (up to 1,000 PQPs in a calendar year). These PQPs can be applied toward your Premier status qualification — up to the Premier 1K level.

And don’t forget the ability to earn PQPs towards elite status from spend. You’ll earn 25 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) for every $500 you spend on purchases – up to 1,000 PQPs per year.

If you’re in need of extra miles besides flying on United flights, keep in mind that Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to the United Mileage Plus program at a 1:1 ratio to help you top up your miles balance.

While the United Explorer card is a fantastic option for the occasional United flyer, those that travel more often with the airline might want to consider other options, including United’s other, more premium, credit cards.

In more simple terms, the Explorer card fits the “occasional United flyer” once or twice per year mold, while the $250-per-year United Quest fits the “semi-frequent United flyer.” Then, there’s the United Club Infinite Card for the “frequent United flyer.” If you’re looking for a United Club membership and need more than just two one-time passes, you’ll probably be better off with the United Club Infinite Card, which comes with a full United Club membership but also charges the highest annual fee of the United cards at $525.