Advertiser Disclosure
CAPITAL ONE SAVOR AND SAVOR ONE CREDIT CARD REVIEWS [UPDATED 2019]
Capital One may have regained the rewards card crown with the release of the new Capital One Savor and Savor One credit cards. These cards offer the highest point value for dining and entertainment and have very solid cash back bonuses if you plan to spend either $500 or $3,000 in the first 3 months of owning the card.
The only difference between the two cards is a $95 annual fee on the Savor card which earns you an extra 1% on dining and entertainment plus $350 extra in bonus rewards if you meet the 3-month spending minimum.
If a big chunk of your monthly budget goes to eating out, entertainment and food at the grocery store, the Capital One Savor cards is likely the best rewards card available for you.
PROS
- Earn 3-4 rewards points on every $1 spent on restaurants and entertainment. 2 points back at grocery stores and 1 point back for all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Earn $150-$500 bonus cash back rewards when you spend either $500 or $3,000 in the first three months after you open the card. A $500 bonus is the best it gets among credit card offers.
CONS
- Capital One Savor has a $95 annual fee; Savor One has no annual fee but a lower rewards and bonus rate.
- Must spend $500-$3000 to get bonus value.
- Requires excellent credit, so not all applications will be approved.
- Grocery category excludes big box stores like Walmart, Costco, and Target.
SIGNUP BONUS
In addition to earning four rewards points for every single dollar spent on dining and entertainment cardholders also get $150-$300 of bonus cash reward when they spend $500-$3,000 or more within three months of acquiring this credit card. A $500 cash bonus is a very good offer and is the highest bonus out there. The Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus is worth up to $750, but only if you spend it on more travel and in a very specific way.
$500 of cash is just about as good as it gets.
Don’t Spend It If you Don’t Have It.
If you can’t pay that $500-$3,000 off in a timely manner (monthly when it comes due), it may not be worth going for the bonus rewards. A balance of $500-$3,000 will accumulate around $100 and $550 respectively of annual interest charges. These charges are as high as the rewards bonus.
ANNUAL FEES
Savor Card
No fee for the first year then $95 thereafter. This fee is in line with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card but much lower than the current king of rewards cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card at $450 annually.
Savor One Card
No annual fee
INTEREST RATES
Savor Card
The Savor Card charges interest between 16.74%-25.74% depending on your credit score and if you have any late payments. This rate is about 1% higher than the Savor One card, which would cost you $10 a year for each $1,000 you owe.
Savor One Card
15.24%-25.24% range depending on your credit score and if you have any late payments. Savor One charges 1.5% less interest on the low end and 0.5% less on the high end. The lower interest rate is likely to compensate for the lower rewards rate and lower cashback bonus.
OTHER FEATURES
Savor Card
The Savor card is not great for balance transfers as there is no low or 0% APR period. The card doesn’t charge a fee for balances transferred however.
Even though the $500 cash bonus could help you PAY DOWN DEBT, the fact that you already have debt you owe means you likely should not be charging any more to your card to try and cash in the bonus offer.
Savor One Card
The Savor One version of the card charges a 3% fee for all balances transferred but makes up for that by offering a 15 month 0% APR period. The 0% APR period far outweighs the balance transfer fee. If you transferred a $1,000 balance your $30 fee would be recouped after only 2 months of 0 interest.
A 15-month teaser APR is good, but there are other cards that offer 18- and even 21-month 0% APR periods such as the Citi Simplicity card.
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for either Capital One Savor card, you must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years of age. You must also have an excellent credit score, which is usually above 750.
SO WHICH CARD IS BEST?
The Savor card is the winner as long as you can qualify for the $500 cash bonus.
- Cash bonus is $350 more than the Savor One card, offsetting 3.5 years of annual fees
- Savor Card earns 1% more on restaurants and entertainment.
- Taking the cash bonus out of the calculation, you need to spend at least $10,000 a year on restaurants and entertainment for the Savor card to offset the annual fee savings of the Savor One card.
If you can afford $3,000 of spending in the first three months, the $500 cash bonus and 1% extra reward rate on the Savor card is well worth the extra $95 of annual fees.
WHO SHOULD NOT GET THIS CARD
The Savor card is best for people who can afford to spend at least $2,500 a year on restaurants and entertainment. If you need a card to consolidate or PAY DOWN DEBT, there are better cards with longer 0% APR periods and lower normal interest rates.
This is a card for those who like to go out. For those who travel, are trying to PAY DOWN DEBT, or save on interest costs, there are better cards out there than the CapitalOne Savor card.
ALTERNATIVE CARD: CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED
A comparable card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. It offers more rewards for travel and has a signup bonus worth $625 if you use it to book travel through Chase’s online portal.
If you still eat out quite a bit but do more traveling than shopping at grocery stores, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a good alternative to the rewards of the CapitalOne Savor card.
CONCLUSION
The CapitalOne Savor cards offer class-leading signup bonuses and rewards rates on eating out and entertainment.
The Savor card is the best rewards card on the market right now if you can’t stomach the $450 annual fee from Chase Sapphire Reserve and aren’t spending $15,000 a year minimum on travel and dining.
About Author
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