Compare the Features and Benefits of IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card and
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

The IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card is IHG’s no-annual-fee credit card. As such, it doesn’t offer the excellent perks that come with the IHG Premier Credit Card — like a free night each account anniversary, automatic Platinum Elite status, and other travel perks.

However, the IHG Traveler Card still offers surprisingly good benefits for a no-annual-fee card. You’ll get IHG Rewards’ intro level Silver Elite status, fourth night free on rewards stays, and a 20% discount on purchases of IHG Rewards points.

Silver Elite status doesn’t offer too many perks — 20% bonus points at IHG hotels and resorts, a shot at late checkout, and not having to worry about point expiration. Cardholders can spend $20,000 in a calendar year to upgrade to Gold Elite status. Gold Elite status includes 40% bonus points at IHG hotels and resorts.

In addition to the sign-up bonus, IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card cardholders will earn bonus points on IHG hotel stays, dining, gas stations, select streaming services, and utility monthly bills. Cardholders earn 2 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. Considering the IHG Rewards point value is only around 0.4 cents per point, that’s not the best possible return on your other purchases.

So, you might just want to limit using your IHG Traveler Card to IHG hotels and resorts. By charging IHG hotel stays to their IHG Traveler Card, cardholders will earn a total of at least 17 points per dollar spent:

• 5 points per dollar spent by charging the IHG hotel stay to their IHG Traveler Card
• 10 points per dollar spent as an IHG Rewards member.
• 2 bonus points per dollar spent at as Silver Elite (or more if you have a higher tier of IHG Rewards elite status)

For those unfamiliar, the IHG Rewards loyalty program includes a wide range of hotel brands. On the luxury side, you can earn and redeem IHG points at InterContinental Hotels, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Six Senses, and Regent Hotels. On the flip side, you can earn and redeem IHG points for stays at Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites, and Staybridge Suites. That range of earning and redemption options is truly impressive.

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