Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Card: A Diners’ Delight

In-Depth Review: Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Savor® Cash Rewards card is a fan-favorite cash back credit card and one of the first of its kind. While there is no shortage of credit cards that offer dining and grocery rewards, the card offers all that and more – namely, 4% cash back on entertainment.

Who Can Benefit from the Savor Card?

The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card caters to individuals who lead active lifestyles and frequently spend on dining out, entertainment, and groceries. With 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores, and 1% on all other purchases, this card is tailored for those who enjoy dining out, attending events, and managing household expenses.

Credit Needed

Capital One offers credit cards for all credit profiles. The Savor Rewards Card, however, is aimed at applicants with good to excellent credit scores.

How to Earn Rewards with the Savor Credit Card

Welcome Offer

The Savor doesn’t have a massive welcome bonus to match its premium price tag. Instead, the card has a reasonable, highly-achievable bonus to please foodies. New accounts earn a one-time $300 cash bonus once they spend $3,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.

There is no introductory APR with the Savor Card. Those looking for a Capital One rewards card with introductory APR should consider the Capital One Venture Rewards or VentureOne Rewards Cards.

Earn Up to 4% Back on Dining and More

The Savor Cash Rewards is one of the very best entertainment and dining credit cards on the market, and it is easy to see why. The card offers 4% cash back on dining and entertainment (including streaming services), 3% at grocery stores, and 1% on everything else.

What Does Capital One Consider “Dining?”

That 4% back is extra impressive as it applies to many merchants, not just restaurants and TV. For example, here is what Capital One classifies as “dining”:

What Does Capital One Consider a “Streaming Service?”

And here are all the services that Capital One counts as an “eligible streaming service”:

While there is no shortage of credit cards that offer dining and grocery rewards, the card offers all that and more – namely, 4% cash back on entertainment. This previously untapped rewards category includes museums, water parks, amusement parks, sports events, and concert tickets. High cash-back returns and broad reward categories make this card a fantastic option as someone’s main credit card or a supplementary one.

Keep in mind these lists are continuously updated. Always check the Capital One terms & conditions before applying.

Other Bonus Cash Back Categories

Savor Rewards credit cardholders also earn enhanced cash back rates with select Capital One partners:

• Uber: Earn 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats through November 14, 2024
• Capital One Entertainment: Earn 8% cash back on eligible purchases through Capital One Entertainment

How to Redeem Rewards

One of the Capital One Rewards program’s great features is its flexibility. Capital One Rewards do not expire for the life of the account and are redeemable for various options. Cardholders can use their points towards various award options, including cash back as statement credits, shopping, and travel through the Capital One travel portal. Shopping is a robust category thanks to the ability to make purchases with Amazon or via PayPal Pay with Points.

Savor Card Benefits

Dining and Entertainment Features

At its heart, the Savor Card is an entertainment credit card. Because of that market positioning, the card provides cardholders with a very impressive lineup of benefits for the $95 annual fee:

• Complimentary Uber One Membership: Savor cardholders enjoy a complimentary Uber One membership until November 14, 2024 – a $9.99 monthly value. Remember that the Uber One membership will roll over the next year at a rate of $99.99 in one installment, so cancel your account before that date to avoid the additional charge.
• Capital One Entertainment: Capital One Entertainment is a ticketing platform that offers exclusive access to VIP packages, events, and on-site perks for eligible Capital One rewards cardholders. It allows cardholders to redeem rewards for over 500,000 events in music, sports, dining, and more, providing flexibility in payment options through rewards, Capital One credit cards, or a combination of both.
• Capital One Dining: Capital One Dining is a feature that allows Capital One cardholders to earn rewards and receive special benefits when dining at participating restaurants. Cardholders can earn bonus rewards and access exclusive dining experiences; all operated through the Capital One mobile app.
• Capital One Café: Enjoy 50% off all handcrafted beverages daily at any Capital One Café.

Other Card Benefits

Other features include no foreign transaction fees, Mastercard travel accident insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, and 24-hour travel accident assistance. Added peace of mind also comes as account alerts from Capital One’s virtual assistant, Eno.

Here are all the Mastercard protections and benefits:

Comparisons

Dining Credit Card Comparison

Capital One Savor Comparison

Tips to Maximize Rewards with Savor

While the Savor Rewards card has a $95 annual fee, cardholders will find it easy to recoup the costs from the returns on their everyday spending in a single category. Here’s how much you would have to spend to make up the cost of the Savor Rewards annual fee through one category alone:

• Dining & Entertainment (4% cash back) = $2,375 per year / $197.91 a month
• Grocery Stores (3% cash back) = $3205 per year / $266.83 a month
• Everything Else (1% cash back) = $9,500 per year / $791.66

What We Like About the Savor Rewards Card

The best thing about the Savor Rewards from Capital One is the generous rewards it provides cardholders. Cardholders earn up to 4% cash back on everyday dining and entertainment purchases, plus up to 10% back with select partners like Uber.

Things to Consider

But those lucrative rewards come at a price. In the case of the Savor Rewards Card, that price is an annual fee of $95.

Charging an annual fee for enhanced rewards isn’t unique, as American Express does something similar with its Blue Cash Preferred® Card. That card also charges a $95 annual fee but differs in two critical regards: first, the annual fee is waived for the first year with the Amex card, and second, the Blue Cash Preferred provides 2% more cash back on its categories (U.S. grocery stores and streaming).

Capital One Ratings

How is Capital One a credit card issuer? Here is a selection of reviews for the bank from consumers and experts alike:

Should You Apply for the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card?

The diverse rewards categories make this card a good fit for most wallets. It’s perfect for date nights, family vacations, and hitting the town with friends. Suppose you love live entertainment in all its forms. In that case, you mustn’t miss out on the Capital One® Savor card and unprecedented access to premium dining, entertainment, and sporting events around the country. 

You must have excellent credit to apply for the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card – if you’re not there yet, you can learn how to raise your credit score.

Ultimately, the major drawback to the Savor Rewards Card from Capital One is the $95 annual fee. For those that love entertainment and dining, it might seem like a no brainer, but for those who don’t spend enough on those categories, other options are available for no annual fee.

Some of those options include the no annual fee SavorOne Rewards Card, also from Capital One, or the Chase Freedom Flex and Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. Another exciting card option is U.S. Bank’s Altitude Go Visa Signature.