Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card Review (2024)

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he original Capital One Savor card was discontinued a few months ago. However, in a fancy bit of C1 switcheroo, the surviving, no annual fee SavorOne sibling has since been converted into a Savor card. So, the Savor still remains – but with all the features of the credit card previously known as the SavorOne.

Confused? Don’t be.

Here’s a complete breakdown of what’s now the “new and improved” Savor Rewards card.

Complete Guide to the Savor Cash Rewards card

a round container with a lid on top of it
Like your caviar with a side of 3% cash back? This could be the card for you.

Capital Savor Cash Rewards Current Welcome Offer

Card Offer and Details
$250 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
One time bonus: $250 after $500 spend in 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
Earning rate: 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming services, and purchases at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) ✦ 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel (terms apply) ✦ 1% everywhere else
Base: 1%
Dine: 3%
Grocery: 3%
Other: 3%
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: No foreign transaction fees

Capital Savor Cash Rewards Review

The Capital One Savor is a great pick for those who spend a lot on dining, entertainment and grocery; particularly if you’re willing to pair this card with a Capital One Miles-earning card. A particularly interesting feature of this card is the 3% “entertainment” category, something that Nick has found to be appealingly broad.

  • Annual Fee: $0
    • Authorized User Annual Fee: Free
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: None
  • What points are worth: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card earns cash back, which can be redeemed for a statement credit at face value. However, if you have a miles-earning Capital One card, you can move rewards to your miles card at a 1:1 ratio and then transfer to travel partners. Our current Reasonable Redemption Value for Capital One miles is 1.45 cents each, so you get better value when you combine the SavorOne with a miles-earning card.
  • Best Use for Points: Converting rewards to Capital One Miles will usually yield the most value if you have that option available, as they can then be transferred to travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. Our favorite hotel transfer partner is probably Wyndham Rewards, because of the terrific redemptions that can be had with Vacasa Vacation Rentals. Airline partners can be an excellent value as well, and include Air Canada AeroplanAir France/KLM Flying BlueBritish Airways Avios and Turkish Miles and Smiles.
  • Earning Categories: 
    • 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
    • 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital one Travel
    • 3% back on dining, entertainment, grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart) and popular streaming services
    • 1% back everywhere else
  • Additional Perks:
    • No foreign transaction fee: The ability to earn strong bonus categories in dining and grocery while abroad and without incurring a transaction fee should make this card appealing to those who frequently spend in those categories in foreign countries.
  • Purchase Protections:
    • Extended Warranty: One additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less (US warranties only).
  • Who’s this card for? Folks who spend a lot on dining, entertainment and grocery, especially if you’re already plugged into the Capital One ecosystem.
  • Is the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards credit card a keeper? The Savor card is a great fit for most people, given that it earns 3% back on grocery, dining, entertainment, and streaming services…all with no annual fee. This could make it a keeper card, especially if you are willing to pair it with a rewards-earning card like the Capital One Venture or Venture X.

Capital One Savor Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Earns very good (and unlimited) category bonuses on dining, entertainment, streaming, and grocery purchases.
  • 3% entertainment category provides some unique opportunities for bonused spending when compared to other cards.
  • Cash back rewards can be converted to miles by moving rewards if you have a miles-earning card, making the bonus categories effectively 3x on dining, entertainment, streaming and grocery.
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • Only 1% back on purchases outside of the bonus categories, which is not a competitive rewards rate
  • Can be difficult to get approvals for multiple Capital One cards

Capital One Application Tips

  • 48 Month Rule: Existing or previous cardholders are not eligible for the same personal card if they have received a new cardmember bonus for the same product within the last 48 months. This doesn't apply to business cards.
  • 2 card limit no more? Conventional wisdom and user experience used to be that you can have at most 2 Capital One cards. However, there are now frequent data points of some people having many more.
  • 1 Charge Card Limit: Capital One only allows cardholders to be have one business charge card, so it's not possible to be the primary cardholders on both the Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus. This doesn't apply to authorized users.
  • Hard inquiries often get issued through all 3 credit bureaus.
  • Velocity Limits? It used to be thought that Capital One will only approve you for one card every six months. While this is still many people's experience, we've now frequently seen data points of approvals for a second card within that timeframe.
  • Application Status: Call (800) 903-9177 to check your application status.
  • Reconsideration: If denied, call (800) 625-7866 for reconsideration.

Related Cards

Capital One Consumer Cards

Card Offer and Details
$200 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
One time bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
FM Mini Review: While you can do better with a 2% cash back card that has no annual fee, the Quicksilver card often offers excellent discounts with popular services such as Spotify.
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1.5%
Other: 5%
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: No foreign transaction fees
$250 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
One time bonus: $250 after $500 spend in 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
Earning rate: 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming services, and purchases at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) ✦ 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel (terms apply) ✦ 1% everywhere else
Base: 1%
Dine: 3%
Grocery: 3%
Other: 3%
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: No foreign transaction fees
20K miles ⓘ Affiliate
Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
FM Mini Review: Decent welcome bonus for a card with no annual fee, but other cards offer better rewards for ongoing spend. Click here for our complete card review
Earning rate: 1.25X miles everywhere ✦ 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1.25X (1.81%)
Other: 5X (7.25%)
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: Redeem miles for travel at value of 1 cent per mile ✦ Convert "miles" to airline miles & hotel points
75K Miles ⓘ Affiliate
75k miles after $4k spend within first 3 months. (Rates & Fees)
$95 Annual Fee
Alternate Offer: Airport Kiosk offer of 80K miles after $4K spend in the first 3 months See this post for details.
Recent better offer: Expired 9/9/24: 75K after $4K spend in 3 months + $250 Capital One Travel credit in first cardholder year
FM Mini Review: This card earns 2 "miles" per dollar, which are worth exactly 1 cent each toward travel. This makes the return on spend similar to a 2% cash back card (though in this case you must redeem your miles to offset travel in order to get 1 cent per mile). One big advantage over cash back: Capital One allows transfering their "miles" to airline miles & hotel points. Click here for our complete card review
Earning rate: 2X miles everywhere ✦ 5X miles on hotels, vacations rentals and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Other: 5X (7.25%)
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: Receive up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® ✦ Redeem miles for travel at value of 1 cent per mile ✦ Convert "miles" to airline miles & hotel points ✦ No foreign transaction fees
75K Miles ⓘ Affiliate
75k miles after $4k spend within first 3 months. (Rates & Fees)
$395 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 3/14/22: 100K after $10K spend in 6 months + $200 credit for vacation rental spend in first year
FM Mini Review: This card offers annual rebates that easily mitigate the fee for those who travel often. Authorized users are free and also get access to perks like Priority Pass, Capital One Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, and more. The card earns 2 "miles" per dollar on most purchases just like the Capital One Venture Rewards card, which are worth exactly 1 cent each toward travel. This makes the return on most spend similar to a 2% cash back card (though in this case you must redeem your miles to offset travel in order to get 1 cent per mile). One huge advantage over cash back: Capital One allows transfering their "miles" to airline miles & hotel points. Click here for our complete card review
Earning rate: 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel ✦ 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One travel. ✦ 2X miles everywhere else.
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Other: 10X (14.5%)
Card Info: Visa Infinite issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: $300 annual credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel ✦ 10,000 bonus miles each year starting at first anniversary ✦ Up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® ✦ Capital One Lounge access ✦ Priority Pass membership w/ unlimited guests (lounges only) ✦ Plaza Premium lounge access ✦ Cell phone insurance ✦ Trip insurance ✦ Primary CDW coverage ✦ Redeem miles for travel at value of 1 cent per mile ✦ Convert "miles" to airline miles & hotel points

Capital One Business Cards

Card Offer and Details
$750 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
Earn a $750 cash bonus when you spend $7,500 within the first 3 months.
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
FM Mini Review: A good option for business owners who prefer simple cash back rewards.
Earning rate: 2% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 2%
Card Info: Visa Signature issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: No foreign transaction fees
$2,000+ Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
Earn a $2K cash bonus when you spend $30K in the first 3 months + earn an additional $2K bonus for every $500K spent within the first year.. (Rates & Fees)
$150 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 3/14/22: $3K after $50K spend in 6 months
FM Mini Review: This may be a good option for business owners who prefer simple cash back rewards. Note that this is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month.
Earning rate: 2% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 2%
Card Info: Visa issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Big spend bonus: Spend at least $150,000 annually and get $150 annual fee refunded.
Noteworthy perks: No foreign transaction fees ✦ No preset spending limit
$500 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
One time bonus: $500 after $4,500 spend in 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 9/9/24: $750 Cash Back after $6k spend in 3 months
FM Mini Review: This is a good option for business owners looking for simple cash back rewards with no annual fee. If you spend $30,000 or more per year, though, you would be better off with the 2% Spark Cash Plus card.
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1.5%
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: No foreign transaction fees
50K Miles ⓘ Affiliate
Earn a one-time 50K miles bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months. (Rates & Fees)
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
FM Mini Review: This card is similar to the Spark Cash Plus card, but it has the advantage that "miles" earned with this card can be transferred to a large number of airline & hotel programs.
Earning rate: 2X Miles everywhere ✦ Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacations rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: Redeem miles for travel at value of 1 cent per mile ✦ Convert "miles" to airline miles & hotel points ✦ No foreign transaction fees ✦ Up to $120 fee credit for TSA PreCheck® application fee or Global Entry application fee
50K after $4,500 spend in 3 months from account opening
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
FM Mini Review: This card is similar to the Spark Cash Select for Business, but rewards are intended to be used to offset travel purchases. This is a good option for business owners who prefer simple rewards with no annual fee, and who value free travel over cash back. If you spend more than $19K per year, though, go for the 2X Spark Miles card.
Earning rate: 1.5X miles everywhere ✦ Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel
Base: 1.5X (2.18%)
Card Info: Mastercard issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: Redeem miles for travel at value of 1 cent per mile ✦ Convert "miles" to airline miles & hotel points ✦ No foreign transaction fees
150K Miles ⓘ Affiliate
Earn a one-time bonus of 150K miles after $30K spend in the first 3 months
$395 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 3/31/23: 250K Miles after $50K in spend.
FM Mini Review: Similar to the Venture X consumer card, the business version offers annual rebates that easily mitigate the fee for those who travel often and could be worth it for the lounge access and travel protections given the cost/benefit ratio. Unlike the Venture X, free authorized users do not get Priority Pass access. The card earns 2 "miles" per dollar on most purchases just like the Capital One Venture X Rewards card, which are worth exactly 1 cent each toward travel. This makes the return on most spend similar to a 2% cash back card (though in this case you must redeem your miles to offset travel in order to get 1 cent per mile). One big advantage over cash back: Capital One allows transfering their "miles" to airline miles & hotel points. Click here for our complete card review
Earning rate: 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel ✦ 5x on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One travel. ✦ 2X everywhere else.
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Other: 10X (14.5%)
Card Info: Visa issued by CapOne. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Noteworthy perks: $300 annual credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel ✦ 10,000 bonus miles starting at first anniversary ✦ Up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® ✦ Capital One Lounge Access ✦ Priority Pass w/ unlimited guests ✦ Plaza Premium lounge access ✦ Cell phone insurance ✦ Trip insurance ✦ Primary CDW coverage ✦ Redeem miles for travel at 1 cent per mile ✦ Convert "miles" to airline miles & hotel points
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Christian

I just called recon at Capital One since I didn’t get a letter with a reason I was declined and it’s been over three weeks. The pleasant rep I spoke with said that they do not have the authority to override the computer’s decision. Even the managers. If that’s the case, why even have a reconsideration number?

NK3

I think you missed a part of the rebranding. They removed the “cash” from the name. It is Savor Rewards now, not Savor Cash Rewards.

Stephen Pepper

We’ve just double checked this with our rep and they’ve confirmed that the official name is Savor Cash Rewards, despite that not being what’s listed on the application page.

Sam

Currently using AMEX gold for the 4X dining and groceries. even though a bit higher annual fee but able to use most of the $10 uber & $10 grub hub (I would say about ~$200 used per year..so effective annual fee for me is around $50). But very tempting since I have Venture X already. Been debating of switching my Gold to SAVOR if cannot use uber/grub hub as effectively.

Lee

And, the new Resy credit . . . if that works for you.

Pam

Please adjust the F’M site’s new(ish) settings so it doesn’t time out while posting! Truly frustrating & has happened several times when I need to stop & return to finish! Thank you

Greg The Frequent Miler

Pam, no one on the team was aware of this time out issue. We asked Boarding Area about it and this was the response (I have no idea if it will help):

This actually sounds like a result of Chrome’s new(ish) “Memory Savor” feature which frees up memory from tabs you aren’t currently using. The tab would be reloaded once active again but anything on the page (i.e. comment form entry) would be lost. This feature is enabled by default but can be disabled manually.

https://blog.google/products/chrome/new-chrome-features-to-save-battery-and-make-browsing-smoother/

Mbh

One caveat, while I really like my savor card and intend to keep it, they are really bad about not calling something “entertainment” even when it clearly fits their own stated criteria. Live entertainment is probably my single largest annual expense, possibly eclipsing my mortgage. I subscribe to several local theatres, go to frequent concerts and make 2-3 trips to NYC just for theatre each year. (7-8 shows in 5 days if u do it right!)

But at least every other month I get awarded just 1 pt/$ for obvious ticket purchases at, e.g., “Fox Theater.” I keep meaning to call and challenge but haven’t yet tried. I guess I’m convinced I’ll get that whole “coding” argument.

Teal Rock

I noticed that on my local theatre purchases, also. I found it to be because my theatre is technically a non-profit, so purchases class as “charitable donations” or the like.

(DP side note for Freedom/Freedom Flex cards, local theatre does not trigger the Q4 5x bonus.)

Mbh

That parenthetical at the end is helpful. Thanks.