Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Capital One UK vs Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
Capital One UK
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
Higher score in this comparison
Capital One UK vs Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card: the differences
| Compare | Capital One UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit CardReviewSee 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 Atlantic Reward Credit Card scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.1.
- APR is lower at Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card: 27.9% vs 34.9%.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card: 0% vs 2.75%.
- Balance transfer fee is lower at Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card: 2.95% vs 3%.
- Balance transfer intro period is higher at Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card: 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 Atlantic Reward Credit Card 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 Email.
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 Atlantic Reward Credit Card
The Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card is a credit card from Nationwide Building Society, trading as Virgin Money, and it suits anyone clearing an existing balance while earning cashback. The interest free transfer window runs 21 with a fee of 2.95%, and support runs through chat, help centre and phone.
Score breakdown
| Area | Capital One UK | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Annual fee £0 and a 3% balance transfer fee keep costs low, against 34.9% interest and 2.75% abroad. | 9.1HigherPurchases run at 27.9% against a typical 20.97% on the site, while £0 keeps the account fee at nothing. |
| Offer | 9.5HigherBalance transfer intro of 18, free credit score tools, and no rewards (none). | 9.4Rewards are cashback, with a money transfer option and an interest free period on purchases. |
| Trust | 9.0 | Not confirmed |
Moving a 3,000 balance
Capital One UK
90
3% of 3,000
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
88.5
2.95% of 3,000
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card comes out 1.5 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.
What we checked
Capital One UK
- capitalone.co.uk: 14 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
- uk.virginmoney.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Capital One UK | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 153 of 1020 | 112 of 1020 |
| Balance transfer cards | 10 of 35 | 4 of 35 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Capital One UK | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | Not confirmed |
| Features | Not confirmed | Rewards |
| 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 | Chat, Help centre, Phone |
Debit cards
| Fact | Capital One UK | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Card type | Not confirmed | Debit |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Capital One UK | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card | 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 Atlantic Reward Credit Card
Pros
- The listed Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases and Money transfer option put an interest free period on purchases alongside the balance transfer offer, so everyday spending can run interest free too while an old balance is being cleared.
- Help runs through chat, help centre and phone, with chat with Redi in the card app day and night for a quick answer on a charge or a transfer.
- The issuer is Nationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money), regulated in the UK by the Prudential Regulation Authority under reference 106078.
Cons
- Purchases run at 27.9%, above the typical 20.97% across the site, so a balance carried beyond the interest free window is costly to keep.
- It sits at position 105 of 133 brands on APR, which leaves less expensive rates sitting elsewhere in the comparison.
- Transfers cost 2.95% each, and 21 is the maximum interest free window offered rather than a fixed run for every applicant.
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 Atlantic Reward Credit Card
Who it suits
- Anyone clearing a balance on an existing card and willing to pay 2.95% for 21 of interest free running.
- Existing Virgin Money customers who already use the app, since the listed Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases and Money transfer option are built around in app chat and cashback offers.
- Cashback shoppers who want an interest free period on purchases as well as on transfers, with both covered in the Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases and Money transfer option.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for anyone after the lowest possible rate: the Varo Believe Secured Credit Card is listed at 0%, though it works as a secured card.
- Not for pure everyday spending from an account balance, where the Starling Personal Account Debit Card at 15% is the simpler arrangement.
- Not for paying interest month to month, since the AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito lists 21.59% against 27.9% here.
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
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
Current offer
Bonus
0% interest for up to 21 months on balance transfers and purchases on the all round credit card: 0% for up to 21 months, 2.95% balance transfer fee
Promotional offer varies based on your circumstances and starts from account opening date; applies to transfers made in the first 60 days. Credit is available, subject to status, only to UK residents aged 18 or over.
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Get 0% interest on balance transfers for up to 36 months on the balance transfer credit card: 0% for up to 36 months, fee per transfer
Promotional offer varies based on your circumstances and starts from account opening date. Applies to transfers made in the first 60 days. Fees and terms apply.
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Virgin Money Cashback from selected top retailers on the Everyday Cashback Credit Card: up to 12% additional cashback
Register in the Virgin Money Credit Card app. Terms apply. Cashback credited monthly; does not count towards your monthly minimum payment.
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Everyday Cashback introductory rate: 1% cashback for the first 90 days, then 0.25%, up to £15 a month
90 days starts from when the account opens; cashback deducted from your card balance monthly. Other fees may apply.
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Capital One UK | Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Atlantic Reward Credit Card
What does it cost to hold and to borrow?+
The monthly fee is £0, so holding the account adds nothing in account fees. Borrowing is the expensive part: purchases run at 27.9%, and each balance transfer costs 2.95%. The transfer figure is the one to weigh against a card that charges nothing to move a balance.
How long is the interest free period on a balance transfer?+
The interest free window on balance transfers runs 21, and moving a balance costs 2.95%. Once that window ends the purchase rate of 27.9% is what applies, so the card works when the balance is cleared inside the period. Treat the window as the maximum rather than a fixed run.
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Capital One UK
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card