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When you use credit cards responsibly (i.e., you pay your balance off in full every month and on time), you can earn some very valuable rewards just from your everyday spending.
But if the thought of airline miles and rewards points overwhelm you, you may want to consider a simple cashback credit card like the .
You can earn cashback on everyday purchases and gain access to a number of other benefits.
Quick Facts: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Rewards rate: 8% cashback on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming subscriptions, and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores); 1% on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $0
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Overview of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
For a card with no annual fee, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card allows you to earn a lot of cashback in spending categories that make up a big chunk of a typical budget. Overall, it’s a good entry-level cashback card.
But if you buy most of your groceries at superstores/big-box stores, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the card only earns its base 1% rate for those purchases.
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Highest cashback rate applies to several everyday spending categories
- Easy to earn the card’s welcome bonus
Cons
- Highest cashback rate doesn’t apply to “superstores” like Target and Walmart
- Few travel perks
LEARN MORE: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card Benefits
Earning cashback is a helpful way to get a little extra money in your pocket, but earning those rewards does require spending money. When choosing a credit card, take into account the other benefits that don’t require spending.
For example, with the Savor, you don’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees, which gives the card some basic use as both a cashback card and a travel card.
Other notable Savor card benefits include:
- Extended warranty protection: Extend the warranties on certain purchases free of charge
- 24-hour travel assistance services: If you lose your credit card while traveling, you can gain access to an emergency replacement card and a cash advance
- Travel accident insurance: Automatic insurance for a covered loss at no extra charge when you book the trip with the card
- Exclusive travel deals: Special travel prices even after you’ve already booked
- Credit monitoring: Alerts through CreditWise when your TransUnion or Experian credit report changes
- Concierge service: Complimentary access to personalized assistance in dining, entertainment, and travel
Who Should Get the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card?
When deciding if you should apply for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, you need to evaluate the card’s rewards categories and how much you stand to earn for each one.
For example, because this credit card earns a decent amount on dining out and at grocery stores, it’s a particularly good fit for foodies. As long as you pay your balance off in full every month, you can earn money back when you order your favorite takeout or stock up at the supermarket.
Who Shouldn’t Get the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card?
The Savor has limitations that might not make it a good fit for certain lifestyles. If you buy a lot of groceries at big-box retailers like Walmart or Target, it’s better to look for a card that will help you maximize the cashback you can get for those purchases.
If you’re a frequent traveler, consider travel credit cards instead, which offer rewards for airline and hotel bookings, as well as additional travel-friendly perks.
Alternatives to the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Citi® Double Cash Card
- Rewards rate: Up to 2% on all purchases: 1% when you buy, and another 1% when you pay your balance; earn 5% total cashback on hotel, car rental, and attractions when booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal (through 12/31/2025)
- Welcome offer: Earn $200 cashback after you spend $1,500 in the first 6 months
- Annual fee: $0
. . .
If you really want to simplify how you earn cashback, the Citi® Double Cash Card is very appealing. You earn 1% when you make a purchase, and 1% once you pay the purchase off.
Which credit card you can earn more with depends on your spending habits. The Savor Cash Rewards offers higher cashback on some categories.
But if you dine out infrequently or do a lot of your grocery shopping at big-box stores like Walmart, it makes more sense to go with an all-purpose cashback card like the Citi Double Cash.
Both cards are free of annual fees.
All information about the Citi® Double Cash Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Chase Freedom Flex®
- Rewards rate: 5% cashback on rotating categories each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%; activation required) and travel purchases through Chase Travel℠; 3% on dining and drugstore purchases; 1% on all other spending
- Welcome offer: Earn $200 cashback after spending $500 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $0
. . .
If you want more flexibility, consider the Chase Freedom Flex®, which earns rewards that can be converted into cashback (statement credit or deposited into your bank account), or redeemed for gift cards from various retailers or travel through Chase Travel℠.
You can also link your points to your Amazon account and buy items there with your rewards.
The only catch with the Freedom Flex is its highest-earning categories rotate every quarter, and you have to remember to activate them each time.
Neither credit card charges annual fees.
LEARN MORE: Chase Freedom Flex®
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Rewards rate: 6% cashback on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and on select streaming services; 3% on U.S. gas station and transit purchases; 1% on all other spending (cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout)
- Welcome offer: Earn $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first six months
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)
. . .
If you don’t mind paying an annual fee after the first year, you can earn even more rewards from the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
It earns the bulk of its cashback on U.S. supermarkets, streaming, gas, and transit, which tend to be where many of us spend most of our money anyway.
Your cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout.
LEARN MORE: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The Bottom Line
If you’re a beginner looking to get started with easy cashback, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice. It doesn’t have rotating categories that you need to activate and it has no annual fee, so you can keep it in your wallet forever, even if you stop using it.
While it does come with travel accident coverage and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, it doesn’t have travel perks like lounge access or baggage insurance that come with more premium travel credit cards.
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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
