Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured vs Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured leads on everyday spending; the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card on everyday spending.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards SecuredBank of America · No annual fee
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit CardCapital One · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured$0Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured—Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card$50 cash back
- Rewards
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards SecuredCash backCapital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit CardCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured—Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit CardNone
- Network
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards SecuredVisaCapital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit CardMastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Everything else
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured1.5%Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card1.5%
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Other credits
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured
- Potential Graduation to Unsecured Card
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured
- Digital Wallet Support
- Overdraft Protection
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card- Capital One Dining
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Purchase & returns
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured
- Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Extended warranty
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured—Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Extended Warranty
- Other protections
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured
- Customizable Account Alerts
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured—Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Simple unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- No annual fee ever
- No foreign transaction fee for study abroad
- Automatic credit limit increase review after 6 months
- Reports to all 3 credit bureaus
- Cons
- Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured—Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Lower reward rate than category cards for specific spending
- No intro APR offer
- No good grades bonus like Discover offers
- Modest welcome bonus ($50 after $100 in purchases within 3 months)
- Missing first year cashback match that Discover provides
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
| Scenario | Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured | Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $180 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $230 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $720 Year one: $720 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $720 Year one: $770 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card |
The Bottom Line
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured or Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card?
- Both cards earn 1.5X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- Should I get the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured or the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card?
- Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.