Capital One Quicksilver Secured vs Discover it Secured
The two strongest secured credit-builder cards in the market. Both $0 AF, both report to all three bureaus, both pay cashback — unusual at the secured tier. Choose by rate structure: Quicksilver's flat 1.5% vs Discover's rotating-5% + year-one Cashback Match.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured
Credit-builders who want a secured card that reports to all three bureaus AND earns 1.5% cashback — the only mainstream secured card that does both at $0 AF. Graduates to unsecured with on-time payments.
Discover it Secured
Credit-builders who want a $0 AF secured card that reports to all three bureaus, earns rotating-category cashback, AND gets Discover's year-one Cashback Match — the only secured card that does all four.
Pick Capital One Quicksilver Secured if
Credit-builders who want simple, predictable 1.5% with no rotating-category tracking
Flat 1.5% on every purchase. Capital One reviews accounts at ~6 months and refunds the deposit upon graduation — fastest graduation path in the secured tier.
Pick Discover it Secured if
Credit-builders willing to activate rotating quarterly categories AND maximize the year-one Cashback Match doubler
Year-1 effective rate via Cashback Match: 2% flat AND 10% rotating-category. After year 1 the math reverts to 1%/5%.
Skip both if
Readers who already have a 670+ FICO. Apply for an unsecured card — secured cards are graduation tools, not destinations.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | Capital One Quicksilver Secured | Discover it Secured |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Reports to all 3 bureaus | Yes | Yes |
| Rewards rate | 1.5% flat on everything | 5% rotating quarterly (capped $1,500/qtr), 1% else; year-1 doubled via Cashback Match |
| Minimum deposit | $200 | $200 |
| Graduation timeline | ~6 months | 8-12 months |
| International acceptance | Visa — broad | Discover — limited abroad |
Reviewed by the ClearValue Editorial Team · Last updated 6/29/2026. ClearValue Cards may earn a commission when readers take the quiz and match through links on this site. See disclosure.