Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Capital One UK vs Virgin Money
Capital One UK
Virgin Money
Higher score in this comparison
Where Capital One UK and Virgin Money differ
| Compare | Capital One UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Virgin MoneyReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| APR | 34.9% | 27.9%Lower |
| Currency conversion fee | 2.75% | 0%Lower |
| Rewards type | None | Cashback |
| Balance transfer intro period | 18 months | 21 monthsHigher |
| Balance transfer fee | 3% | 2.95%Lower |
| 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 | Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases, Money transfer option, Virgin Money Cashback offers in the credit card app, 24/7 in app chat support with Redi, Virgin Money Rewards and Virgin Red offers |
| Annual fee | £0 | Not confirmed |
| Credit needed | Poor | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Virgin Money scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.1.
- APR is lower at Virgin Money: 27.9% vs 34.9%.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Virgin Money: 0% vs 2.75%.
- Balance transfer fee is lower at Virgin Money: 2.95% vs 3%.
- Balance transfer intro period is higher at Virgin Money: 21 months vs 18 months.
- Perks: only Capital One UK offers 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.
- Perks: only Virgin Money offers Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases, Money transfer option.
- Support channels: only Capital One UK offers Chat.
Our verdict on each
Capital One UK
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.
Virgin Money
Virgin Money suits UK readers who want a free everyday account and foreign spending at a currency conversion fee of 0%. The provider pairs a debit current account with a cashback credit card, so the same name covers day to day money and borrowing, and the account costs nothing to keep.
Score breakdown
| Area | Capital One UK | Virgin Money |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Annual fee £0 and a 3% balance transfer fee keep costs low, against 34.9% interest and 2.75% abroad. | 9.4HigherA monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, with the credit card APR of 27.9% the cost drag. |
| Offer | 9.5Balance transfer intro of 18, free credit score tools, and no rewards (none). | 9.6Higher |
| Trust | 9.0 | Not confirmed |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Capital One UK | Virgin Money |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 153 of 1020 | 77 of 1020 |
| Balance transfer cards | 10 of 35 | 2 of 35 |
Licences and countries
| Country | Capital One UK | Virgin Money |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
Available in 1 country for both.
What we checked
Capital One UK
- capitalone.co.uk: 14 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Virgin Money
- uk.virginmoney.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Capital One UK | Virgin Money |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | Not confirmed |
| Features | Not confirmed | Travel |
| Legal entity | Capital One (Europe) plc | Nationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1996 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Chat, Phone, Email, Help centreCovers more | Phone, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Capital One UK | Virgin Money | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0at the median | Not confirmed | £0 |
| APR | 34.9%highest quarter | 27.9%highest quarter | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | 2.75%highest quarter | 0%below the median | 1% |
| Balance transfer intro period | 18 monthsabove the median | 21 monthsabove the median | 15 months |
| Balance transfer fee | 3%at the median | 2.95%below the median | 3% |
Median across 312 listed cards.
Pros and cons
Capital One UK
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.
Virgin Money
Pros
- The current account carries a monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, so holding it and spending abroad are both free.
- Balance transfers run interest free for 21 with a fee of 2.95%, a cheap way to clear old card debt.
- Support runs on phone, email and help centre, and the card side adds round the clock in-app chat support with Redi.
Cons
- The credit card charges 27.9%, so a balance left past the interest free window of 21 is expensive to clear.
- Cashback belongs to the credit card, so debit account holders lean on Virgin Money Rewards and Virgin Red offers instead.
- A monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0% apply to the current account, while the card side runs on 27.9%, so the two halves need judging separately.
Who each suits
Capital One UK
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.
Virgin Money
Who it suits
- Readers in the UK who want an everyday account with a monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, so a trip costs no more to run than a week at home.
- Anyone clearing an old balance, who can move it for a fee of 2.95% and pay no interest for 21.
- People who want a debit account and a cashback card from one provider, with phone and email support (phone, email and help centre) when a payment needs checking.
Who should look elsewhere
- Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card), for readers who want a card tied to a deposit; its monthly fee of $0 comes with that secured card rather than lending at 27.9%.
- Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, for readers whose limit should track a deposit; its monthly fee of $0 comes with a secured card instead of credit at 27.9%.
Current offers
Capital One UK
Current offer
First period offer
0% interest on balance transfers for up to 18 months and on purchases for up to 3 months: 0% for up to 18 months on balance transfers; 0% for up to 3 months on purchases
Balance Transfer card; up to 3% transfer fee (maximum 3%); up to GBP 8,000 starting credit limit; representative example assumes a GBP 1,200 credit limit with 34.94% p.a. variable interest on purchases giving 34.9% APR representative variable
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Capital One UK | Virgin Money |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Capital One UK
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.
Virgin Money
What does the Virgin Money current account cost to run each month?+
The current account has a monthly fee of £0, so there is no charge for keeping it open. Spending abroad is covered by a currency conversion fee of 0%, which means changing money on a trip does not add a markup either. The two figures most people compare before choosing an account are the two this one keeps at nil.
Is there really no extra charge when I use the card abroad?+
The currency conversion fee on the current account is 0%, so the amount that leaves your balance is the amount the card screen showed, with nothing added by the provider. You still pay what the shop or restaurant charges, and the exchange rate a network offers can move. Virgin Money simply does not layer a foreign transaction charge on top of it.
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Capital One UK
Virgin Money