How Many Capital One Cards Can You Have? (2024)

Table of Contents

Show more

There’s no universal answer to how many credit cards anyone should have, let alone specifically Capital One cards. You may be able to hold up to five open credit accounts with the issuer, but there may be limitations depending on the length of your account history and which cards you hold. For example, Capital One may only allow you to have one or two personal cards but allow you to carry other business credit cards.

How many cards you should or can carry may depend on your credit history, credit score, debt-to-income ratio and your financial situation and goals. There’s no simple answer—someone else may benefit from having five cards, while you may be fine with just one.

Consider what you aim to accomplish by opening one or more credit cards. Are you in it for the travel perks? Would cash back on gas be helpful? Are you trying to boost your credit score?

Depending on your situation, one credit card might be enough. For example, a customer who gets the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) can take advantage of both cash back on everyday purchases and an introductory 0% APR.

If you’re already a Capital One cardholder looking for more available credit, consider requesting a credit line increase instead of opening up a new account. As long as your account is in good standing and you report income increases to Capital One, you may stand a solid chance of getting a higher credit limit either automatically or by request.

Note that balance transfers cannot typically be done with the same issuer. If you owe a balance on a Capital One card and want to transfer it to another card, don’t expect to be able to move it to another Capital One card. Instead, look at some of the best balance transfer cards from other issuers.

Capital One offers several enticing credit cards for many different niches, ranging from credit-building cards for people with poor or fair credit to a premium travel card with perks such as airport lounge access. Choosing the right one will depend on your financial needs and goals.

Here’s a roundup of some of the best Capital One cards for a variety of needs:

• Rebuilding credit: The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card offers a $200 credit line with a deposit potentially as low as $49. Cardholders can be considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months. Even applicants who have been denied a credit card recently or have defaulted on a loan in the past may be eligible for the Platinum Secured Card.
• Cash back: The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. New cardholders are also eligible for an intro APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; 3% balance transfer fee for the first 15 months, 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you.
• Travel: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) is one of the most lucrative travel cards available on the market today. You likely need an excellent credit score to qualify. Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel. The card also offers a welcome bonus: 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. There’s a $395 annual fee.
• Students: The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is an opportunity for college students to build credit history and earn rewards. Cardholders earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (which excludes superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. There’s no annual fee, and students with fair credit or higher may reasonably apply.

Looking for more than one Capital One card? Try to avoid getting two of the same type of card. Combining two cards with different reward structures will be more likely to help you maximize rewards on every purchase.

For example, if you travel enough to benefit from lounge access but still want to earn cash back for other purchases, consider combining the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Cardholders may be able to transfer reward points between two cards at a 1:1 rate, but you’ll have to check the specifics of your account.

Remember that there’s no single answer for which pairings will work best. Whether or not you’re already a Capital One cardholder, contact Capital One directly to see which cards you are eligible for, or use the issuer’s online form to see if you have any preapprovals. Also peruse our guide to Capital One application and welcome bonus rules for more info about taking advantage of the company’s offers.

Most card issuers won’t balk at people holding multiple cards they offer, especially if it means you’ll spend more on the cards and they’ll gain your loyalty. That said, there are limits, though they may not always be clear.

One rule to keep in mind is that Capital One will not approve you for a card if you have applied for two or more in the last 30 days. Also, you’re unlikely to get approved for a Capital One card if you’ve been approved for one in the past six months. An easy way to find out if you can get another Capital One card is to use its preapproval tool mentioned above.

Capital One application rules do not, however, exclude you from applying for cards from other issuers. If branching out to other card issuers fits your needs, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with their own respective’ rules. For example, the Chase 5/24 rule indicates that the bank will not approve you for one of their cards if you’ve been approved for five cards or more—from any bank or issuer—in the last 24 months.

Capital One upped the ante on their card offerings in recent years, becoming more competitive with other card issuers like Chase and American Express. One of its more recent forays in the credit card space is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, a premium travel rewards card. This card may come with a hefty annual fee, but it’s packed with so many benefits that are easy to utilize, the annual fee can be offset without much extra effort.

Capital One may allow up to five personal credit accounts, but that doesn’t mean everyone should have that many credit cards. Start with one solid card that meets your immediate financial goals.

Then, after demonstrating you can maintain good standing by paying bills on time and keeping a low balance, consider upgrading to a card with better rewards or applying for a second credit card that pairs well with your existing card. Check for preapproval to see which Capital One cards you have the best chance of qualifying for.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
To view rates and fees for Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card please visit this page.