| Cash Back Rating: | 4.9 / 5 |
| Rewards Value: | 4.3 |
| Annual Percentage Rate: | 1.0 |
| Rewards Flexibility: | 4.8 |
| Features: | 3.0 |
| Issuer Customer Experience | 4.0 |
In a Nutshell:
The Savor card offers a good rewards rate for cardholders who spend a heavy amount on food, but most cardholders are probably better off searching for a card with a flat 2% rate.
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Capital One Customer Service Ratings
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Other Notable Features: No foreign transaction fee (See rates and Fees), car rental insurance, roadside assistance, complimentary concierge service, extended warranty, price protection, ID theft services, emergency card services, contactless card technology
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review: More Details
The Capital One Savor card is a top pick for foodies, rewarding both dining in and eating out with a generous rate of cash back on both restaurant and grocery store purchases. Plus, it doesn’t charge an annual fee (See rates and Fees). If you frequently dine out and want to take advantage of the card’s bonus on dining purchases or are looking for a decent intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers, this card could work well for you; balance transfer fee applies (3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time).
However, if you have a fair credit score, qualifying for the card may be challenging. Still, there are many more benefits to having the card than there are downsides, so, depending on your circumstances, the Capital One Savor Card may be a beneficial rewards card to have in your wallet.
Why you might want the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card is a well-rounded choice for people who want to earn rewards in a variety of spending categories, such as restaurants, entertainment, and streaming services, and who want a reasonable length of time to pay off those purchases thanks to an intro APR offer. Combine it with a good sign-up bonus and numerous redemption options for reward earnings, and you’ve got yourself a strong competitor.
High earning rate on popular spending categories
The earning rate on the Savor card is clearly designed with foodies in mind. Cardholders earn 3% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases (such as concerts or movie tickets), 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 3% back on popular streaming services and 1% cash back on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. For users who spend a lot in these categories, this is a great rewards rate for a card with no annual fee (See rates and Fees). It also makes a great pair to a flat rate card for users who don’t mind weighing their spending to different bonus categories.
However, more modest spenders – or cardholders who want to put all of their purchases on one card – might get a bit more value out of a card that offers a flat rate of cash back or different bonus categories. Based on average consumer spend (determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics), we estimate the Savor earns an average of 2.41% cash back, one of the best rates you can find. This could even beat out the Citi Double Cash® Card, which earns up to 2% cash back on every purchase – 1% when you buy and an additional 1% for paying your bill on time.
Many of these cards with a higher average rewards rate charge a higher annual fee, so you’ll have to consider how that fits into your budget before jumping at an impressive rate.
See related: Best fixed bonus category cash back cards
Decent sign-up bonus
For cardholders who spend at least $500 in the first three months, the Savor card comes with a limited-time $250 cash back sign-up bonus. This is a solid introductory offer, on par with the bonus value you’ll find on several competing no-annual fee rewards cards.
Flexible cash back redemption options
The Savor card has one of the most flexible redemption setups available among cash back cards. There is no minimum required to redeem, and you can opt for a statement credit, check or gift card. You can also set up automatic redemptions, either once per year or at a set threshold.
These features make it easy to use your cash back. While you can’t use rewards for travel purchases, you can always redeem for a statement credit to cover the cost.
Generous 0% intro APR for new purchases and balance transfers
The Savor offers an impressively lengthy interest-free period on new purchases and balance transfers: Get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, with a 19.74% to 29.74% APR thereafter (See rates and Fees). The Savor charges a 3 percent balance transfer fee if you transfer within the first 15 months (See rates and Fees) to take advantage of the intro APR; then 4 percent at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. This 15-month intro period makes the card a great option for cardholders looking to finance a large purchase with time to pay it down or pay down a large debt. You’ll have over a year to make steady payments before accruing interest. Just be sure not to charge more than you can pay off and have a plan to pay off that debt in the introductory period, as the ongoing APR can be high.
Why you might want a different card
Though the card has some great perks, such as a high rewards rate for common spending categories, a decent 0% intro APR offer on new purchases and balance transfers, flexible reward redemption, and more, there are a few potential snags that may put off potential cardmembers.
Approval odds will depend heavily on credit history
The Savor card is designed for users with good to excellent credit (above 670), so you’ll want to ensure you meet those qualifications before you apply. If you are worried about meeting the criteria and want to avoid a hard pull on your credit score, you can take advantage of tools like CardMatch™ to see if you pre-qualify for the offer.
Capital One also limits the number of cards you can have open at a time, so if you already have 5 or more open credit cards with the bank, you might not be eligible for this card. Additionally, you cannot apply for a Capital One credit card more than twice in a 30-day period.
Low customer service reputation
Among major issuers, Capital One has a good – but not great – customer service reputation. In J.D. Power’s 2020 customer satisfaction survey, the bank scored 808, ranking fifth out of 11 credit card issuers. While Capital One does offer 24/7 customer service and an online chat feature, the chat service is difficult to find on the website.
On the plus side, the Capital One app rates well among users, rating 4.8 out of 5 in the Google Play Store and 4.7 out of 5 in the Apple App Store.
Other benefits
For a card with no annual fee (See rates and Fees), the Savor comes with a decent set of additional perks that can help users save money while shopping and traveling. Here’s a quick look at some of the most valuable benefits:
- No foreign transaction fee – Less common among cash back cards, the Savor doesn’t charge a fee on foreign transactions (See rates and Fees), boosting its appeal for travelers.
- Car rental insurance – For car rentals booked and paid with your card, you can receive secondary coverage in the case of damage or theft.
- Extended warranty –Double qualifying manufacturer’s warranties of 24 months or less.
- Price protection – If you purchase an eligible new item with your Savor and find a better price in the next 120 days, you can be reimbursed for the difference.
All of these benefits can save you a lot of money when you travel or shop, so you should put major purchases on the card to take advantage of its protections.
Approval odds
The Savor card is designed for users with good to excellent credit (above 670), so you’ll want to ensure you meet those qualifications before you apply. If you are worried about meeting the criteria and want to avoid a hard pull on your credit score, you can take advantage of tools like CardMatch™ to see if you pre-qualify for the offer.
Capital One also limits the number of cards you can have open at a time, so if you already have 5 or more open credit cards with the bank, you might not be eligible for this card. Additionally, you cannot apply for a Capital One credit card more than twice in a 30-day period.
Customer service
Among major issuers, Capital One has a good – but not great – customer service reputation. In J.D. Power’s 2020 customer satisfaction survey, the bank scored 808, ranking fifth out of 11 credit card issuers. While Capital One does offer 24/7 customer service and an online chat feature, the chat service is difficult to find on the website.
On the plus side, the Capital One app rates well among users, rating 4.8 out of 5 in the Google Play Store and 4.7 out of 5 in the Apple App Store.
How does the Savor compare to other cash back cards?
While the Savor card is a great choice for people who spend a lot on restaurant and grocery store purchases, applying for the card might not make sense for every kind of spender. Here are a few popular cash back alternatives:
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| Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 |
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Citi Double Cash Card
For cardholders who prefer to earn a flat rate of cash back on every purchase, the Citi Double Cash Card is one of the highest earning options available. Users earn 1% cash back on every purchase, plus an additional 1% cash back as they pay for those purchases – which means that each purchase can earn you up to 2% cash back.
If you only spend a moderate amount on dining out, putting all your purchases on one great flat rate card might make more sense for you. You won’t have to worry about keeping track of bonus categories or weighing spending.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Several of the Citi Custom Cash card’s eligible bonus categories overlap with the Savor card’s, but depending on your spending habits, the Custom Cash could give you even more rewards value and flexibility. That’s because this card automatically gets you 5% back in whichever category you’ve spent the most in each billing cycle (on up to $500 in spending per billing cycle, then 1%). Eligible categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment. Since your cash back automatically adjusts based on your spending each billing cycle, you can be a bit more strategic about when you make certain purchases to maximize your rewards. It makes for an especially good card to pair with another cash back card and fill any gaps in your rewards strategy.
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card
A popular choose-your-bonus-category rewards card, the Bank of America Cash Rewards credit card offers 3% cash back in a category of your choice (including gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores or home improvements and furnishings) and 2% cash back on grocery store and wholesale club purchases (on up to $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter on 2% and 3% categories). While this card’s rate on groceries is lower than the Savor card’s it offers extra flexibility by allowing you to switch your 3% cash back category once per month.
Why get the Savor card?
- You frequently dine out and want to take advantage of the card’s bonus on dining purchases.
- You prefer cash back to points or miles.
- You are looking for a decent intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers; balance transfer fee applies.
How to use the Savor card:
- Spend at least $500 in the first three months to earn the sign-up bonus.
- Use the card to pay for all dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases.
- If you take advantage of the intro APR to finance a large purchase or transfer a debt, be sure to make a plan to pay it off in the first 15 months to avoid interest.
- Pair the Savor card with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card to earn extra cash back on purchases that don’t fall in the Savor’s bonus categories.
Is the Savor Cash Rewards Card right for you?
If you spend a lot of money on food, whether eating out or cooking for yourself, the Savor card has a great cash back rate on those purchases. Plus, it comes with generous travel benefits for a rewards card with no annual fee (See rates and Fees). However, cardholders who prefer to put all their spending on one card might be better off opting for a card with a flat-rate cash back.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
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