Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card review: Cash back rewards for students

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The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card outshines many competitors in the student credit card market, offering unlimited bonus cash back rewards without an annual fee. It's designed to help college students build credit while earning rewards on popular spending categories.

How the Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card works

Strong student cards should have a few key features:

• Easier qualifications for students to build credit
• No annual fee or security deposit required
• Rewards aligned with student spending habits

The Capital One SavorOne student credit card checks all of these boxes. You have good odds for approval if:

• You're currently enrolled or admitted to an accredited university, community college, or other higher education institution
• You have a U.S. mailing address and a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
• You have some form of income, even if it's part-time work or allowance from parents
• You're not currently past due or over the limit on any Capital One credit card

A fair-to-good credit score (580-739 on the FICO scale) can boost your chances of approval. You may even be approved with a limited credit history — you can check if you're prequalified on their website without hurting your credit score.

This no-annual-fee card offers unlimited 3% cash back in four bonus spending categories, making it an attractive option for students looking to build credit and earn rewards.

New cardholders can earn a $50 cash bonus after spending $100 in the first three months from account opening — an easy target if you're buying textbooks. You can redeem your cash back for statement credits or gift cards.

Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card rewards

This card rewards you for being, well, a student. You can earn unlimited cash back in the following categories:

• 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores
• 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 1% on all other purchases

Here’s how it breaks down:

Dining

This category includes restaurants, cafes, bars, lounges, fast-food chains, and bakeries. It excludes delivery services like DoorDash and UberEats, which might disappoint students who frequently order in.

Streaming

Because how else are you going to procrastinate on that paper? A recent Deloitte survey found that the average person spends $61 monthly on streaming. Factor in those student discounts, and you're looking at solid rewards for watching your favorite shows and movies.

Grocery stores

Especially for students living off-campus and stocking their own kitchens, 3% cash back on groceries offers significant savings. Keep in mind that Walmart and Target don't count as grocery stores for this category.

Entertainment

The Capital One SavorOne Student is one of the few cards offering entertainment as a bonus category. This includes movie tickets, professional and semi-professional live sporting events, amusement parks, tourist attractions, aquariums, zoos, dance halls, record stores, pool halls, and bowling alleys.

However, golf courses and collegiate sporting events don't make the cut, which might disappoint some students.

Capital One Travel and Capital One Entertainment

As a cardholder, you'll earn 5% cash back on hotels or rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal and 8% cash back on purchases made through Capital One Entertainment.

Capital One Travel is the issuer's online booking platform for flights, hotels, and rental cars. Capital One Entertainment is their ticketing service for concerts, sporting events, and more. These perks give you a chance to boost your rewards on travel and fun experiences.

This rewards structure is particularly appealing compared to other student credit cards — you don't have to keep track of spending caps or rotating bonus categories.

Redeeming rewards

The Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card offers flexible redemption options:

• Cash back as a statement credit or check: Apply rewards to your bill or request a check.
• Gift cards: While this option is fun, it doesn’t always offer the best redemption value.

Your rewards won't expire as long as you keep your account open. You can redeem any amount or set up automatic redemptions for specific dates or thresholds.

Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card benefits

The Capital One SavorOne has several benefits for an entry-level credit card.

Welcome bonus

New cardholders earn a $50 cash bonus after spending $100 within the first three months.

While it’s a modest offer, it's easily attainable for most students.

For comparison, the Discover it® Student Cash Back Card offers a cash back match at the end of year one, potentially worth more than $50, depending on your spending.

Additional perks

This card also includes:

• No foreign transaction fees: When making purchases outside of the United States — as study abroad students may do — you won’t have to worry about extra fees tacked on.
• Extended warranty: Capital One doubles the manufacturer's warranty up to 24 months on eligible items purchased with your card.
• 24-hour travel assistance services: If you lose your card or it gets stolen, you can call Capital One for an emergency replacement card and a cash advance.
• Travel accident insurance: When you use your card to pay for travel, this insurance offers peace of mind. There’s some fine print on what counts as a “covered loss,” but it’s still a solid benefit.
• Capital One Dining: This benefit gives you access to cardholder-only reservations and curated culinary events.

Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card drawbacks

While the Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card has many advantages, it falls short in a couple of areas.

No graduation to a non-student card

Student credit cards are meant to be stepping stones to “regular” credit cards for young adults just starting with credit. After a period of building your credit, learning how to use the card responsibly, and making on-time payments, your credit limit typically increases along with your credit score.

Unlike some competitors, Capital One doesn't automatically review accounts for upgrades to regular credit cards. Students may need to apply for a new card as their credit improves.

No introductory APR offer

This card doesn't offer an intro APR period on purchases or balance transfers. If you're worried about carrying a balance, consider an option with an intro APR period, like the Discover it® Student Cash Back Card.

How the Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card compares

Let's see how this card stacks up against the competition:

Who should consider the Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card?

This card is a great fit for most college students, but it's especially great if:

• You spend in the card’s main categories: If you spend heavily on streaming, dining out, groceries, and entertainment like concerts or sporting events, this card is hard to beat.
• You plan to study abroad: The lack of foreign transaction fees makes this card ideal for international travel.

Who should choose a different card

You might want to look elsewhere if:

• Your spending doesn't align with the bonus categories: If you don't spend much on the card’s bonus categories, consider a flat-rate card like the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
• You're new to credit cards and financial responsibility: The potentially high APR (which is typical for student cards) and lack of a 0% intro APR period could lead to debt if you carry a balance. If you’re not confident in your ability to manage credit responsibly, consider starting with a secured credit card or a student card with lower limits and fewer frills.

How we rated this card

Every card review we publish undergoes a rigorous editorial process to ensure accuracy and objectivity. Learn more about our methodology here.

Here are some of the factors that influenced this card’s overall score:

• Rewards: The Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card offers solid bonus categories with unlimited earning potential, which is exceptional for a student card.
• Redemption flexibility: This card provides more redemption options than some cash back cards, including statement credits, checks, and gift cards. However, it's not as flexible as points-based cards that allow transfers to travel partners.
• Annual fee: The card charges no annual fee, making it an excellent choice for students students looking to build credit without additional costs.
• Benefits: The card offers a decent set of entry-level benefits, which provide good value for a no-annual-fee student card.
• Welcome bonus: The welcome offer is modest compared to some competitors, but it's achievable for most students.
• Rates and other fees: The card has no foreign transaction fees, which is great for students who plan to study abroad.

The bottom line

The Capital One SavorOne Student Credit Card offers a well-rounded package of rewards tailored to students, can help you build credit, and provides valuable perks. Its bonus categories align with student spending habits, and the lack of foreign transaction fees benefits students studying abroad.

Despite not automatically upgrading to a non-student card and offering a modest welcome bonus, the card's unlimited earning potential provides long-term value beyond graduation.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

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.