Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review: A foodie’s dream card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card is an excellent choice for foodies and entertainment enthusiasts who want unlimited 3% cash back in those categories without paying an annual fee, making it a top contender among cash back credit cards in 2024.
Written by
Writer, Fox Money
Holly Johnson has more than 10 years of finance experience with bylines at CNN, Forbes Advisor ,and Time Magazine.
Updated October 24, 2024, 8:01 AM EDT
Written by
Editor
Hanna Horvath is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Red Venture's senior editor of content partnerships.
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The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great option for foodies and entertainment lovers who want unlimited cash back on dining and entertainment purchases with no annual fee.
While the Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers excellent rewards on dining, entertainment, and at grocery stores, its limitations make it less appealing if you’re looking for premium perks or a large welcome bonus.
But for those seeking a straightforward, no-annual-fee cash back card that rewards social spending, the Savor Cash Rewards card is hard to beat. Let's take a closer look.
Fox Money rating: 9.4/10
With lavish cash back rewards for dining, entertainment, and at grocery stores — plus a $0 annual fee — the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a top credit card for everyday spending.
Pros
- Unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee
- Introductory APR offer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cash back rewards never expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing
- Flexibility to redeem rewards at any time and in any amount
- Complimentary concierge service, extended warranty protection, travel accident insurance, and 24-hour travel assistance services
Cons
- 3% grocery store cash back does not include purchases at superstores like Walmart or Target, or wholesale clubs
- 1% cash back on non-bonus categories is lower than other cards
- Not the best choice for those seeking premium travel perks or luxury benefits
- May not provide the most value for those who don't spend significantly on dining, entertainment, and groceries each month
- Lacks some benefits found on other cards, such as cell phone protection
- 3% balance transfer fee
Capital One Savor Cash rewards
Unlimited cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming, and at grocery stores
The main draw of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards is its high cash back rate in popular everyday categories. You can earn an unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores.
This is one of the best reward rates for these bonus categories, especially for a no annual fee card.
"Dining" broadly includes purchases at restaurants, cafes, bars, lounges, fast-food chains, and bakeries. "Entertainment" includes purchases like movies, plays, concerts, sporting events, tourist attractions, and more.
Earning bonus rewards across various purchases is valuable for those who spend significantly in these categories.
Earning 3% cash back at grocery stores is another valuable benefit, though it's important to note that this does not include purchases at superstores like Walmart or Target. Still, if you do the bulk of your grocery shopping at supermarkets, this is a great way to boost your cash back.
Elevated cash back on Capital One Entertainment and Uber
The Savor card also rewards certain types of purchases very handsomely. This includes Uber and Uber Eats purchases and spending through Capital One Entertainment or Capital One Travel.
If you book car rentals or hotels through Capital One Travel, you’ll earn 5% back, boosting the rewards you can earn on travel. Uber purchases earn a whopping 10% back — through Nov. 14, 2024 — and Capital One Entertainment purchases earn 8% back.
If you’re frequently riding with Uber, ordering delivery through Uber Eats, or buying tickets to concerts and sporting events, these categories could help maximize your cash back rewards.
Other rewards
The unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases is standard among cash back cards. While it's nice to have no limit on rewards in this base earning category, other cards offer a higher rate of up to 2% back on non-bonus spending.
Rewards can be redeemed for a statement credit, check, gift card, and more. Cash back earned with the Savor never expires if your account remains open and in good standing. The flexibility to redeem rewards anytime and in any amount is a plus.
Capital One Savor Credit Card benefits
Another benefit of the Savor card is its 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (regular variable APR of 19.74%-29.74% applies after).
An introductory APR offer this long can provide a lot of value for cardholders looking to pay off a large purchase or transfer a balance from a high-interest credit card. Just be aware that a 3% balance transfer fee applies.
The Savor Cash Rewards offers a few ancillary benefits through Capital One and Mastercard, including:
- Complimentary concierge service
- Extended warranty protection
- Travel accident insurance
- 24-hour travel assistance services
- Access to exclusive dining and entertainment experiences
While these perks aren't super flashy or valuable, they're nice and can come in handy when needed.
Downsides to the Capital One Savor Cash rewards card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card does have a few notable downsides to consider.
Lower welcome bonus: This card offers a relatively lower welcome bonus of $250 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. Other cash back cards offer bonuses of $250-$300 with the same or lower minimum spending requirement.
May not offer the best cash back rates for you: The Savor Cash Rewards card offers the highest cash back on entertainment and Uber purchases. If you spend most on essentials like groceries or gas, you may be better off with a cash back card geared towards those categories.
Lacks some added benefits: The Savor Cash Rewards also lacks some benefits on other cash back cards, such as cell phone protection and rideshare credits. If you value those perks, you may opt for a card that provides more lifestyle benefits.
If you love the bonus rewards with the Savor Cash Rewards card but don't want to settle for earning 1% cash back on regular spending, consider pairing this card with one that earns 2% cash back on everything you buy. That way, you can use the Savor Cash Rewards for bonus category spending and switch to your other card for everything else.
Is the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card best for you?
If you're curious if the Savor Cash Rewards card is for you, you'll need to decide what you care about the most. This card is a good fit for:
- Foodies who dine out frequently: This card offers an excellent rewards rate on dining and groceries, so it can be a smart choice for foodies of all types.
- Those who stream and attend live entertainment: If you buy tickets to concerts or live events or are a regular Netflix user, this card's rewards rate could be a good fit.
- Occasional travelers who want to avoid foreign transaction fees: If you travel overseas and don't want to pay foreign transaction fees, any credit card from Capital One could work.
- Anyone wanting a no annual fee card with solid rewards: Those who want to earn cash back without paying an annual fee should consider this card alongside other no annual fee cards.
Conversely, this card is not the best choice if you want premium travel perks like airport lounge access or hotel elite status. The Savor Cash Rewards is a cash back card, first and foremost, and offers no luxury travel benefits.
This card also may not be the best pick for those who don't spend much on dining and entertainment, as you won't get as much value out of the bonus categories. Likewise, if you do the bulk of your grocery shopping at superstores like Walmart or Target, you'll miss out on earning 3% back in that category.
How we rated this card
Every credit card review we publish has undergone a rigorous editorial process to ensure accuracy and objectivity.
We rate all credit cards on a 10-point system, with 10 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest possible score. We assess each card across several key factors, weighted based on what our research shows matters most to readers like you. Learn more about our methodology here.
The bottom line
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a top-notch option for foodies and entertainment lovers. The unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and groceries is extremely generous for a card with no annual fee and makes the Savor Cash Rewards stand out from the competition.
While it may lack the flashier perks of premium cards, the Savor Cash Rewards delivers a lot of value through its high cash back earning rate, long introductory APR offer, and flexible redemption options. The fact that rewards never expire is also a huge plus.
Editorial disclosure: Opinions expressed are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.