Updated September 29, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Capital One UK vs Varo Visa® Debit Card
Capital One UK
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Higher score in this comparison
Where Capital One UK and Varo Visa® Debit Card differ
| Compare | Capital One UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Varo Visa® Debit CardReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 | $0 |
| APR | 34.9% | 0%Lower |
| Currency conversion fee | 2.75% | 0%Lower |
| Rewards type | None | Cashback |
| 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 | Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply, No minimum security deposit; cardholder sets own spending limit, Cashback offers at select merchants with the card, Free out of network free Allpoint ATM access |
| Rewards rate | Not confirmed | Offer-based, varies by merchant offer; up to $750 per calendar month |
| Balance transfer intro period | 18 months | Not confirmed |
| Balance transfer fee | 3% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Credit needed (Poor), Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Varo Visa® Debit Card scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.1.
- Founded is lower at Capital One UK: 1996 vs 2015.
- APR is lower at Varo Visa® Debit Card: 0% vs 34.9%.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Varo Visa® Debit Card: 0% vs 2.75%.
- 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 Varo Visa® Debit Card offers Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply.
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.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
The Varo Visa Debit Card is a US account for people whose credit is poor who still want cashback and a virtual card, and it charges a monthly fee of $0. Wise and Starling sit on the same monthly fee, so the deciding points are the credit building and the card network.
Score breakdown
| Area | Capital One UK | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Annual fee £0 and a 3% balance transfer fee keep costs low, against 34.9% interest and 2.75% abroad. | 9.4HigherMonthly fee $0 and annual fee $0 sit at the foot of the debit table; conversion fee 0% beats the site median of 1%. |
| Offer | 9.5Balance transfer intro of 18, free credit score tools, and no rewards (none). | 9.9Higher |
| Trust | 9.0Higher | 8.6 |
Spending 1,000 abroad
Capital One UK
27.5
2.75% of 1,000
Varo Visa® Debit Card
0
0% of 1,000
Varo Visa® Debit Card comes out 27.5 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Choosing between them
Pick Capital One UK if trust matter most.
Pick Varo Visa® Debit Card if cost, offer, apr, and currency conversion fee matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | Capital One UK | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 153 of 1020 | 141 of 1020 |
| Bad credit and credit builder cards | 10 of 23 | 9 of 23 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Capital One UK | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Features | Not confirmed | Virtual card |
| Legal entity | Capital One (Europe) plc | Varo Bank, National Association |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Founded | 1996Lower | 2015 |
| Support channels | Chat, Phone, Email, Help centre | Chat, Phone, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Capital One UK | Varo Visa® Debit Card | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 34.9%highest quarter | 0%lowest quarter | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | 2.75%highest quarter | 0%below the median | 1% |
| Balance transfer intro period | 18 monthsabove the median | Not confirmed | 15 months |
| Balance transfer fee | 3%at the median | Not confirmed | 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.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Pros
- Rewards are cashback at select merchants, and the rate moves with each offer, so the card pays back at shops you already visit.
- There is no credit check to apply and the credit level asked for is poor, so the account opens for a thin credit file.
- A virtual card is included, listed as virtual card, which keeps online spending and subscriptions away from the physical card.
Cons
- Rewards are cashback, but the rate is offer based and moves with each merchant offer, so everyday spending earns whatever the offer happens to be.
- Every card compared here charges a monthly fee too, at £0, €0 and £0, so the free monthly account is not by itself a reason to move.
- The cardholder sets their own spending limit, as listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, so the ceiling stays where you put it instead of rising on its own.
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.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Who it suits
- People whose credit is poor and who want a card that opens without a credit check, with cashback at select merchants rather than a travel account such as Wise.
- US residents who want a virtual card alongside a physical one and free Allpoint cash withdrawals, where Starling is the alternative to compare.
- Spenders who want rewards paid as cashback at merchants they already use, and who are happy setting their own spending limit.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for people whose main need is holding and spending in several currencies: Wise is the alternative to compare, while this is a US debit account.
- Not for people who need cash machines in many countries: the ATM access listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply is Allpoint, and Starling is the alternative to compare for a different debit setup.
- Not for anyone who wants a card that sets its own ceiling: the cardholder sets their own spending limit, as listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, so Bitpanda is worth a look for a different spending arrangement.
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 | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | No | 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.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
What does it cost to hold this account?+
The account charges a monthly fee of $0 and the card an annual fee of $0, so there is no charge for holding it open. The credit building side of the same bank lists the same annual fee and an APR of 0%, and the model is listed as no annual fee, which keeps the cost of holding the card at the bottom of the table.
Is my money protected?+
The bank behind the card is Varo Bank, National Association, based in the United States, and its licence reads FDIC cert 59190. The FDIC is the regulator named for it in the US, and the certificate number is how the bank is identified in that regulator's records. The licence terms set out what the deposit protection covers.
Other options to compare
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Capital One UK
Varo Visa® Debit Card