topic Re: Venture vs Quicksilver in Credit Cards

Venture vs Quicksilver

Drew — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:37:39 GMT

Hello All -

Which of these two cards do you think offers the better rewards for everyday purchases?

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Stralem — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:56:45 GMT

The Venture probably isn't of much use if you aren't doing a lot of traveling.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

CreditJim — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:01:31 GMT

The only point I'd make is that you can redeem your Venture 'miles' for gift cards too. So if they offer gift cards in any places that you shop in anyway, it's effectively 2% cashback - that's what I used my 'miles' for.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Drew — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:03:18 GMT

@CreditJim wrote:
The only point I'd make is that you can redeem your Venture 'miles' for gift cards too. So if they offer gift cards in any places that you shop in anyway, it's effectively 2% cashback - that's what I used my 'miles' for.

That makes sense, however, I thought you could also redeem miles for cash. Was I wrong in that assumption?

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

CreditJim — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:10:43 GMT

You can, but not at a good rate. I'm not certain but I think you only get half by redeeming for cash, so it becomes a 1% cashback card, worse than the Quicksilver. The good thing with redeeming for gift cards is they occasionally run specials, where it's less miles for the same dollar amount gift card, so you're then getting even better than 2% back. Of course, only useful if there's somewhere you'd shop anyway. I recently redeemed 90k miles for $900 Lowe's cards when I knew I needed to make a large purchase there.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Open123 — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:12:55 GMT

@CreditJim wrote:
The only point I'd make is that you can redeem your Venture 'miles' for gift cards too. So if they offer gift cards in any places that you shop in anyway, it's effectively 2% cashback - that's what I used my 'miles' for.

If travel related expenses aren't available for redemption, GCs are the next best option. Under no circumstances should one redeem for cash at 0.50 cents per point. Also, one can purchase hotel GCs, and sell them. The end result would be a coversion of approximately 1.85% cash equivalents.

However, if cash is the preferred method of redemption, the Quicksilver is better, in my estimation.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Stralem — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:13:57 GMT

@CreditJim wrote:
You can, but not at a good rate. I'm not certain but I think you only get half by redeeming for cash, so it becomes a 1% cashback card, worse than the Quicksilver. The good thing with redeeming for gift cards is they occasionally run specials, where it's less miles for the same dollar amount gift card, so you're then getting even better than 2% back. Of course, only useful if there's somewhere you'd shop anyway. I recently redeemed 90k miles for $900 Lowe's cards when I knew I needed to make a large purchase there.

Interesting.

I finally got Cap One to change my Journey into a Quicksilver after like five months of trying. Do you think it would be worth it to PC to a Venture, or even a Venture One?

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:18:03 GMT

@Stralem wrote:
@CreditJim wrote:
You can, but not at a good rate. I'm not certain but I think you only get half by redeeming for cash, so it becomes a 1% cashback card, worse than the Quicksilver. The good thing with redeeming for gift cards is they occasionally run specials, where it's less miles for the same dollar amount gift card, so you're then getting even better than 2% back. Of course, only useful if there's somewhere you'd shop anyway. I recently redeemed 90k miles for $900 Lowe's cards when I knew I needed to make a large purchase there.
Interesting.

I finally got Cap One to change my Journey into a Quicksilver after like five months of trying. Do you think it would be worth it to PC to a Venture, or even a Venture One?

There is NO point in changing a QS into a Venture One! Venture One has a lower redemption rate than QS and less convenient redemption.

Exception is if the QS has an AF (Quicksilver One?) but then I would work on getting the AF dropped rather than convert.

Venture has an AF, and by PCing you lose the sign up bonus, but see if your spend is enough.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

CreditJim — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:23:37 GMT

@Stralem wrote:
@CreditJim wrote:
You can, but not at a good rate. I'm not certain but I think you only get half by redeeming for cash, so it becomes a 1% cashback card, worse than the Quicksilver. The good thing with redeeming for gift cards is they occasionally run specials, where it's less miles for the same dollar amount gift card, so you're then getting even better than 2% back. Of course, only useful if there's somewhere you'd shop anyway. I recently redeemed 90k miles for $900 Lowe's cards when I knew I needed to make a large purchase there.
Interesting.

I finally got Cap One to change my Journey into a Quicksilver after like five months of trying. Do you think it would be worth it to PC to a Venture, or even a Venture One?

There is absolutely no point in PC'ing to the Venture One from a Quicksilver as it's the worst rewards rate of the bunch at only 1.25%. The extra 0.5% you'd gain by PC'ing to the Venture would only be worth it if you spend enough on the card to justify the AF AND there's giftcard options you like IMHO.

Edit to add - Or of course, it could be worth it if you do actually travel and have costs that could be erased using the Venture 'miles'.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Stralem — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:31:30 GMT

Thanks guys. I honestly have no desire for a Venture of any variety, nor do I travel (that changes next year, though). Just never considered the gift card angle.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 17:14:29 GMT

The Venture One is moot.

For Venture, with 2% travel offset and $59 AF, the breakeven point is around $1000/month in spending, as compared to a 1.5% cashback card with no AF.

This seems kind of steep, especially considering the 2% Fidelity Amex with no AF.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

CreditJim — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 17:24:01 GMT

It is, however, a lower AF than the much lauded Barclays Arrival.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

indiolatino61 — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 21:11:51 GMT

@Drew wrote:
Hello All -

Which of these two cards do you think offers the better rewards for everyday purchases?

If you travel...Venture, if you don't...QS because of the easy 1.5% at all times. Best of luck to you.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Open123 — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 04:03:13 GMT

With the Quicksilver at 1.5% cash redemption without restriction, I'm not sure why the Venture One exists. Who in his right mind will app for this card over the Venture or the Quicksilver?

I wouldn't even PC the Venture into this. Will just close it when the fee is due.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

ztnjpv — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 04:16:31 GMT

How much do you spend, OP? How much would go on the card per year?

The AF on the Venture is a factor. Personally, I like cash back options. It's easy....unless you get high value from points or miles.

Look at it this way:

If you spend $1k per month. That's $20 in miles for travel or $15 cash. Multiply by 12 months and that $240 in miles for travel or $180 in cash. But wait: Venture has the AF. Subtract that and it's a wash. Dead even more or less. And when all is equal, I'll take cash. Heck, even if the cash is a little less, I'll still take it. It's easier to deal with. Cash is cash.

So, obviously, if you plan to use it for less than $12k per year, QS is clearly better. It's gonna take a yearly spending level that leaves you satisfied with the miles after the AF to pick the Venture. What is that amount? That's up to you.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Drew — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 22:07:38 GMT

@ztnjpv wrote:
How much do you spend, OP? How much would go on the card per year?

The AF on the Venture is a factor. Personally, I like cash back options. It's easy....unless you get high value from points or miles.

Look at it this way:

If you spend $1k per month. That's $20 in miles for travel or $15 cash. Multiply by 12 months and that $240 in miles for travel or $180 in cash. But wait: Venture has the AF. Subtract that and it's a wash. Dead even more or less. And when all is equal, I'll take cash. Heck, even if the cash is a little less, I'll still take it. It's easier to deal with. Cash is cash.

So, obviously, if you plan to use it for less than $12k per year, QS is clearly better. It's gonna take a yearly spending level that leaves you satisfied with the miles after the AF to pick the Venture. What is that amount? That's up to you.

Yea, I do spend roughly $1000/month on miscellanous expenses. Good point! Excellent feedback everyone.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Drew — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 16:49:15 GMT

I bit the bullet and did a product change from Quicksilver to Venture. I figured it was worth it since the EO representative said she would waive the first year annual fee to give it a test drive. An added bonus is that I'll be getting a World MC version, which is something I wasn't able to do with the Quicksilver.

Awesome sauce!

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Gunnar419 — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 18:45:59 GMT

@Stralem wrote:
@CreditJim wrote:
You can, but not at a good rate. I'm not certain but I think you only get half by redeeming for cash, so it becomes a 1% cashback card, worse than the Quicksilver. The good thing with redeeming for gift cards is they occasionally run specials, where it's less miles for the same dollar amount gift card, so you're then getting even better than 2% back. Of course, only useful if there's somewhere you'd shop anyway. I recently redeemed 90k miles for $900 Lowe's cards when I knew I needed to make a large purchase there.
Interesting.

I finally got Cap One to change my Journey into a Quicksilver after like five months of trying. Do you think it would be worth it to PC to a Venture, or even a Venture One?

If it's not too much of a threadjack, can I ask why it took five months?

I have a VentureOne that I don't have much use for. I've been thinking about PCing it to a Quicksilver, but I don't want to get into a big customer service tangle. Thanks.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Stralem — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 21:33:22 GMT

@Gunnar419 wrote:
If it's not too much of a threadjack, can I ask why it took five months?

I have no idea. I contacted them via chat twice to have them PC it since I had an upgrade offer on my account, and both times they said everything was OK and that I should expect the new card in the mail soon. One never came. Neither was there any changes to my online account. I called customer service to see what was going on, but they said that I did NOT have an upgrade offer and that the two reps I spoke with via chat were full of horse s***. So I let the issue go for a few months, not wanting to get worked up over a card that I rarely used.

A couple months later, I was sitting bored in my cubicle at work when I figured I would try once more to have it PC'd. I contacted a rep via chat and predictably he told me my account had an upgrade offer and that I should expect my new card in about a week. So of course I called him a lying jackass in the nicest possible way... Which got him to do something on his end (what exactly I have no idea), but whatever he did, my account finally got switched over.

There was obviously some kind of miscommunication going on in the customer service department, but whatever. I don't have to deal with them any longer.

Re: Venture vs Quicksilver

Gunnar419 — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 21:46:45 GMT

@Stralem wrote:
@Gunnar419 wrote:
If it's not too much of a threadjack, can I ask why it took five months?
I have no idea. I contacted them via chat twice to have them PC it since I had an upgrade offer on my account, and both times they said everything was OK and that I should expect the new card in the mail soon. One never came. Neither was there any changes to my online account. I called customer service to see what was going on, but they said that I did NOT have an upgrade offer and that the two reps I spoke with via chat were full of horse s***. So I let the issue go for a few months, not wanting to get worked up over a card that I rarely used.

A couple months later, I was sitting bored in my cubicle at work when I figured I would try once more to have it PC'd. I contacted a rep via chat and predictably he told me my account had an upgrade offer and that I should expect my new card in about a week. So of course I called him a lying jackass in the nicest possible way... Which got him to do something on his end (what exactly I have no idea), but whatever he did, my account finally got switched over.

There was obviously some kind of miscommunication going on in the customer service department, but whatever. I don't have to deal with them any longer.

Thanks for the reply! So it sounds as if they weren't actually opposing you, but just giving you "normal" CapOne customer service. I'll hope for better things when I finally try the PC.