Your cookie choices

We use necessary cookies to make this site work. With your permission, analytics cookies help us understand usage and marketing cookies support advertising.

You can reject non-essential cookies and still use the site. Change your choices anytime in Cookie settings.

Cookie policy
Cookie settings

Capital One UK review

Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.

Our verdict

Capital One UK suits UK shoppers building a score or clearing a balance, offering a balance transfer intro of 18 and credit tools with no fee to hold. The representative APR of 34.9% makes it a card to clear rather than revolve.

Key facts

Best for
Paying in full each month while keeping a balance transfer option open.
Annual fee
£0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
APR
34.9% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Currency conversion fee
2.75% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rewards type
None (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Balance transfer intro period
18 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Balance transfer fee
3% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit needed
Poor (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Perks
Free CreditWise credit score and report, Up to 56 days interest-free on new spends, Section 75 protection on spends between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000, Up to 2 credit limit increases a year, Free QuickCheck eligibility check with no impact to credit score, Round-the-clock fraud security (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card kind
Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Capital One (Europe) plc (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1996 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Chat, Phone, Email, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
No annual fee
Official website
capitalone.co.uk

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
X

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Aimed at poor credit, so applicants turned down elsewhere can still apply.
  • Support runs on chat, phone and email, so help is easy to reach by phone, chat, email or a help centre.
  • Credit building tools come as standard: a free credit score and report, an eligibility check that leaves the credit score untouched, and round the clock fraud security.

Cons

  • Representative APR of 34.9% sits above the site average of 20.97%, so an unpaid balance costs quickly.
  • Foreign purchases are charged 2.75% in currency conversion, above the site average of 1%.
  • The rewards type is listed as none, so nothing comes back on everyday spending.
Capital One UK

Ready to try Capital One UK?

Scored 9.1 / 10 by DebitCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • UK applicants with poor credit who want a mainstream card rather than a secured one.
  • Balances being cleared, where the 18 transfer window and 3% fee on the balance transfer card keep the move contained.
  • Cardholders who pay in full and would rather build a score than chase rewards.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Not for frequent foreign spend, where Wise charges 0% on currency conversion against 2.75% on this card.
  • Not for anyone after a deposit backed card, since Varo Believe Secured Credit Card has an annual fee of $0 on a secured basis.
  • Not for shoppers who want a rewards earn on everyday buying, as the rewards type here is none and Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) offers the same credit building route.

How Capital One UK compares

Where Capital One UK is available

Available
United Kingdom

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

Is there an annual fee on the Capital One UK credit card?+

There is no annual fee. The card is sold on a no annual fee model, so the annual fee is £0 and the only real cost is interest. That interest is the part to watch, at a representative APR of 34.9%, because the card is aimed at poor credit and some applicants will revolve.

What rate applies if I do not clear the balance?+

The representative APR is 34.9%, above the site average of 20.97%. New purchases sit inside the interest free window the card offers, so the rate matters most once that window runs out or a transferred balance is still unpaid.

How long does the balance transfer offer last?+

The balance transfer card runs an intro period of 18 for a fee of 3%, on the same no annual fee footing as the main credit card at £0. It suits a balance that can be cleared inside the window, with the fee as the price of using it.

Does the card pay cashback or points?+

No. Nothing comes back on everyday spending, and the rewards type is listed as none. The card leans on credit tools instead: a free credit score and report, an eligibility check that leaves the credit score untouched, and round the clock fraud security.

What credit history do I need to apply?+

The card targets poor credit, which is why it turns up in bad credit comparisons. Useful alongside that is the free eligibility check that leaves the credit score untouched, so an application attempt need not show up on the file.

Is my purchase protected and is fraud monitored?+

Purchase protection applies to qualifying spends, and fraud security runs around the clock. Other listed benefits: Free CreditWise credit score and report, Up to 56 days interest free on new spends and Section 75 protection on spends between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000.

What does it cost to spend abroad?+

Foreign purchases carry a currency conversion fee of 2.75%, above the site average of 1%. Wise charges 0% on the same transaction, so regular travel or overseas buying points elsewhere. Spending in the UK is unaffected by this charge.

How do I get help from Capital One UK?+

Support runs on chat, phone and email, so help is available by phone, chat, email or a help centre. The card comes from Capital One (Europe) plc, the UK arm headquartered in the United Kingdom and trading since 1996.

Is this a credit card or a debit card?+

It is a credit card, not a debit card, so a balance can build and interest applies. There is no annual fee to hold, and the balance transfer offer runs for 18 on the transfer version of the card.

Sources

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Capital One UK

Capital One UK

Paying in full each month while keeping a balance transfer option open.

9.1/10See alternatives