Editorial reviews
What we think of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Savor Card is ideal for food and entertainment fiends. Its generous cash-back structure allows cardholders to earn unlimited 3% cash back on grocery store purchases, dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services— categories many people already spend a lot in.
The Savor Card also stands out for its limited-time enhanced welcome bonus: currently, new cardholders can earn a $250 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. This higher initial bonus is a considerable draw, especially for those looking to maximize rewards immediately. And while it’s only a $50 increase from the standard bonus on this card, it’s a solid jump considering the low spending requirement.
The card’s additional perks like access to the Capital One Travel portal, no foreign transaction fees, and 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel also help to boost its value for travelers.
▶︎ Read more: Capital One Savor Card review
What we think of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
In contrast, the Capital One Quicksilver Card shines for its simplicity. Offering 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases, it’s an excellent choice for those who prefer a straightforward rewards structure without having to track spending across various categories. This makes it especially appealing for individuals who may not spend heavily in specific areas or simply want to avoid the hassle of category management.
The Quicksilver Card features the standard welcome bonus: new cardholders can earn $200 after spending $500 in the first three months. Even though it’s slightly less lucrative than the Savor, it still provides a solid incentive for new applicants. It also has the same standard perks as the Savor, such as access to the Capital One Travel portal, no foreign transaction fees, consumer protections, and 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
▶︎ Read more: Capital One Quicksilver Card review
Where the Savor Card Wins
Bonus categories
The Savor Card excels in terms of bonus categories, earning:
- 3% cash back on dining
- 3% cash back on entertainment
- 3% cash back on streaming services
- 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores, wholesale stores, gas stations, convenience stores, or discount stores)
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
These categories may cover many people’s typical spending habits, helping to boost the value of every dollar spent.
Conversely, Quicksilver earns 1.5% back on all purchases and 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Enhanced welcome bonus
The Savor Card’s current $250 welcome bonus after spending $500 in the first three months is a great benefit. This higher initial reward can help new users offset their spending and kickstart their cash-back earnings right away.
Quicksilver has a standard bonus of $200 after spending $500 in the first three months.
Where the Quicksilver Card Wins
Simplicity
The Quicksilver Card stands out for simple rewards, earning:
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
While Savor is the easy choice if your spending aligns with its bonus categories,— dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores— Quicksilver’s 1.5% back on everything means you can swipe your card wherever and know you’re earning 1.5% back on those purchases. The lack of bonus categories could make this card appealing if simplicity is important to you.
Where there’s no clear winner
Fees and rates
Both cards share identical fee structures:
- Annual fee: $0
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Balance transfer fee: 3% during the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR Capital One may offer you at any time
- Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
- Regular APR: 19.74% - 29.74%
Additional benefits
Both cards also include standard Capital One card perks such as:
- Extended warranty on qualifying purchases.
- Travel assistance for a quick card replacement if your card is lost or stolen.
- Travel accident and rental car coverage when booked with the card.
- Access to the Capital One Travel, Dining, Entertainment, and shopping portals for exclusive discounts and deals (Savor gets an extra point here for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases).
- 0% fraud liability protection and CreditWise.
Rewards
Welcome bonus
Typically, these cards’ bonuses are equal. However, currently, Savor has a leg up with its limited-time offer:
- Savor: Earn $250 after spending $500 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Quicksilver: Earn $200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months after account opening
Earning rewards
Here’s how each of these cards earns rewards:
Savor
- 3% cash back on dining
- 3% cash back on entertainment
- 3% cash back on streaming services
- 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores, wholesale stores, gas stations, convenience stores, or discount stores)
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
Quicksilver
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Which is better, Savor or Quicksilver?
If it comes down to one of these cards over the other, the Savor hedges slightly ahead in our data analysis. The potential for rewards is slightly better with the Savor card, and with the fees, interest rates, and perks being fairly close (if not identical) between the cards, you don’t lose anything making this call. But if the bonus categories of Savor don’t fit into your spending habits, the simple structure of Quicksilver could be a better fit.
Does it make sense to have both cards?
It could. However, since these cards hold similar benefits and the 1.5% cash back is the only real difference, you may be better off with a card from a different league (like a travel card or another cash-back card).
For example, here’s how you could pair Savor with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to help stretch your dollar further:
- 3% cash back on dining (Savor)
- 3% cash back on entertainment (Savor)
- 3% cash back on streaming services (Savor)
- 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores, wholesale stores, gas stations, convenience stores, or discount stores) (Savor)
- 5X miles on airfare and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel (Venture X)
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (Venture X)
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases (Savor)
- 2X miles on all other purchases (Venture X)
Converting miles to cash back and vice versa may seem a bit confusing, but miles can be redeemed at a 1 cent per mile value for travel (or more through transfer partners!). This pairing goes even further because cash-back rewards can also be transferred to mile-earning Capital One cards at a 1:1 rate, allowing you to pool your points for even more value.
However, you could still maximize your rewards somewhat by holding both Savor and Quicksilver cards in your wallet. You might do so by using the Savor card to pay for anything that would net you the 3% cash rewards and using the Quicksilver card to pay for everything else. The Quicksilver card does offer an extra half a percentage in cash back on those other purchases.
