- Intro Offer
-
$200 Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.74% – 29.74% (Variable)
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 10% Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024; Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply; Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); Earn 1% on all other purchases
Our take
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card* offers cash-back rates that complement most leisure spending nicely, offering elevated rewards when you order takeout, check out a new restaurant or catch a live show from your favorite band. And all for no annual fee.
The SavorOne’s claim to fame is its unlimited 3% cash-back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart). What’s more, the introductory APR will afford you some breathing room on purchases and balance transfers, making this a great card if you’re looking to ride out the economic turbulence as inflation lingers.
The catch? You’ll typically need good to excellent credit -- so, a credit score of at least 670 -- to get approved. Plus, there are a few other factors we’ll explain below to help you decide if this card is a good pick for you.
Who this card is best for
The SavorOne is the right call if you want a straightforward way to earn rewards on dining and entertainment, whether at home or on the go. Instead of spending caps and or rotating bonus categories, this card offers unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming services and at grocery stores.
You also get 10% cash back at Uber and Uber Eats, and a complimentary Uber One membership (through Nov. 14, 2024). So if the bulk of your budget goes toward restocking the fridge or dining out, this card can be valuable.
If you travel often, you may benefit from building a Capital One duo or trifecta -- this card can complement the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card* well. You can then convert your cash back to miles to use toward future travel.
However, steer clear of this card if entertainment and food aren’t your top spending categories. In this case, a more general cash-back card could offer a better return on your spending.
Pros and cons of the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards
Pros
Welcome bonus
Introductory offer for new purchases and balance transfers
Unlimited cash back
Boosted rewards on Uber, Uber Eats, Capital One Travel and Capital One Entertainment
Plenty of rewards redemption options
Cons
Limited streaming services available for 3% unlimited cash back
Balance transfer fee
Boosted cash back only applies to select categories
No boosted rewards for Capital One Dining
Rewards
The Capital One SavorOne offers unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart). For other purchases, you’ll earn 1%. You also earn 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases.
Dining and grocery stores are a large part of most budgets, and 3% is a strong cash-back rate for any card or rewards category. With food prices still high and costing an average of 6% more in February 2023 than in February 2022, rewards earned in this category can be applied to future grocery store purchases. We like that you can earn an unlimited 3% on both groceries and dining (including takeout). Most rewards cards usually offer one or the other in this category.
Entertainment is a more niche category, but could be lucrative for the right cardholder. Entertainment purchases include movie theaters, sports promoters (professional and semi-professional live events), amusement parks, tourist attractions, aquariums, zoos, dance halls, record stores, pool halls and bowling alleys.
And if you’re interested in earning rewards on streaming purchases, make sure your streaming subscriptions are included. While the SavorOne’s boosted streaming services rewards rate includes Netflix, Hulu and Disney It excludes others, including Prime Video and audiobook subscriptions. See our picks for the best streaming services credit cards for a wider selection.
Capital One offers its own branded portals where you can book restaurant and travel experiences: Capital One Dining and Capital One Travel. Features and partners are still being rolled out with both programs, so options may be more limited than those of the competing American Express and Chase portals -- but you can earn additional cash back if you can make use of its current offerings.
If you book a hotel or rental car through Capital One Travel, you’ll earn 5% cash back (terms apply). The same does not go for Capital One Dining, however. While you can book unique experiences through the platform, you won’t earn additional cash back. However, you can also earn extra cash back -- a whopping 8% -- on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
This card also offers a few other opportunities to earn boosted rewards rates, but they are less robust than these categories and come with stipulations.
Read more: Don’t Let Inflation Ruin Your Fun. How to Save on Restaurants, Gas and Gadgets
Rewards redemption
The primary rewards redemption method with the Capital One SavorOne is for cash back in the form of a statement credit or check. You can schedule regular cash-back redemptions ahead of time through your online account, either on a certain day each calendar year or every time you reach a certain rewards threshold. We like that there is no minimum threshold for redeeming your rewards, while some card issuers require you to redeem rewards in certain increments ($10 or $20).
You can also redeem your rewards for previous purchases or gift cards, but redemption values may vary when doing so. If the cash-back options aren’t right for you, you can use your rewards when you check out with PayPal or at Amazon.com -- you just have to have your card connected to the respective account. But your SavorOne rewards never expire as long as your account remains open.
Welcome offer
You can earn a $200 cash bonus when you spend at least $500 in the first three months of having the account. That only requires spending an average $167 each month. This is one of the best values on the market for a welcome bonus when compared to its spending threshold, although some of our best welcome bonuses are higher.
Introductory APR
The SavorOne card can suit multiple needs. You can use this card to earn rewards, finance a large purchase or transfer a balance from a high-interest credit card to save on interest and tackle debt more quickly.
It comes with a 0% introductory APR for 15 months, on both purchases and balance transfers (19.74% to 29.74% variable APR thereafter; 3% balance transfer fee on amounts transferred within the first 15 months). The new purchase and balance transfer offer is on par with others, but if you need more time, there are other balance transfer cards and 0% APR cards with longer introductory periods.
Other perks and rewards
Like all other Capital One credit cards, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card comes with no foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal card to pay for nights out while traveling abroad.
Comparable cards
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card* is an upgrade from the basic SavorOne. While you’re on the hook for a $95 annual fee, you’ll net higher rewards rates and a better welcome bonus compared to the SavorOne.
With the Cash Rewards card, you earn 4% on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% on grocery stores (excluding superstores such as Target and Walmart) and 1% on all other purchases. So if you’re a big spender on nightlife and food, this card may offer a better value. Like the SavorOne, you also have the opportunity to earn 8% cash back on entertainment bookings made through Capital One Entertainment, in addition to the extra cash-back opportunities that come with the SavorOne.
You’ll have to spend a lot more to earn the Savor Cash welcome bonus ($3,000 within the first three months to earn $300). And if you need to take advantage of an introductory APR the SavorOne is a better bet since the Savor Cash doesn’t currently have an offer.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers the most similar spread of benefits to the SavorOne while maintaining no annual fee.
You’ll earn more rewards on dining out, but less at groceries stores compared to the SavorOne. The Altitude Go card offers 4x points on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2x points on grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1x point on all other eligible purchases. Points are generally worth 1 cent each when redeeming for a statement credit.
You can also take advantage of the 0% introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for purchases and balance transfers (then a 19.99% to 28.99% variable APR) -- which is approximately three months shorter than the SavorOne. And the welcome bonus offers 20,000 bonus points if you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases in the first 90 days from account opening -- a lucrative offer that requires you to spend around $334 each month -- nearly double what you will have to spend to reach the SavorOne welcome bonus.
How Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card compares to other cards
- Intro Offer
-
$200 Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.74% – 29.74% (Variable)
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 10% Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024; Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply; Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); Earn 1% on all other purchases
- Intro Offer
-
$300 $300 after you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $95
- APR
- 20.74% – 28.74% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 4% Earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; Earn 3% at grocery stores; Earn 1% on all other purchases
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
- Intro Offer
-
20,000 points Intro Offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.99% – 28.99% (Variable)
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1x – 4x 4X points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery.; 2X points on streaming services.; 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations, and EV charging stations; 1X point on all other eligible purchases.
FAQs
With so many excellent restaurant and dining credit cards on the market, it can be difficult to choose the best one for you. Many of the cards on our list offer comparable dining benefits, which means you may need to look a little closer at the rest of the terms and rewards. Pay attention to whether there’s a limit on the dining rewards you can earn and see what combination of rewards and terms best fits your lifestyle and spending habits.
Each credit card comes with different rules about what you can and can’t earn elevated rewards for. For example, some issuers only offer elevated rewards on money spent at actual restaurants, while others include takeout and delivery. Although bars are typically classified as restaurants, there may be a few instances where they are not.
Also, some cards may allow you to earn points at bars if they are also dining establishments, while others may allow elevated rewards at all establishments regardless of whether they serve food.
Cash-back credit cards offer cardholders rewards on their spending in the form of statement credits or cash. A statement credit is a reduction in the amount due to the credit card company on your monthly bill. Note that rewards are not always available the month you earn them -- they are usually applied to your balance by credit card issuers after one or two billing cycles.
The redemption process for cash-back credit cards varies. Some cards automatically apply cash rewards to your statement balance each month. Others require you to log in and redeem available rewards points for statement credits. Most points don’t expire, but you will lose them if you close the account before redeeming them.
Our methodology
CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash-back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles -- with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different -- and the designated function of a card.
*All information about the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
