Capital One Savor Review: Tasty Rewards for Dining & Entertainment

The credit score that you need for the Capital One Savor card is 700+. This means at least good credit is required for approval. You may still get approved for the Capital One Savor with a lower credit score, but the odds are best with scores above that mark.

Other Capital One Savor Approval Requirements:

While your credit score carries a lot of weight, Capital One will consider your entire credit history when it reviews your application. That includes your payment history, amount of debt, and number of open accounts, among other things. Capital One will also review other factors such as your income, employment status, and housing information.

Plus, you must be at least 18 years and a U.S. citizen with a Social Security number to get this card. If you want a better idea of whether you'll qualify for the Capital One Savor card, check your credit score for free on WalletHub.  

The Capital One Savor credit limit will be based on your creditworthiness once your application has been approved. When determining credit limits, factors such as your debt-to-income ratio, repayment history and the length of your credit history will play a significant role.

Unfortunately, there's no surefire way of knowing your Capital One Savor credit limit before applying and getting approved. Keep in mind that Capital One Savor requires at least good credit for approval, so make sure you know where you stand before applying.

How to get a higher Capital One Savor credit limit

If you're not happy with the limit you receive, you can apply for an increase online once you've made payments on time for several months. Capital One uses soft pulls for these credit inquiries, so requesting a Capital One Savor credit limit increase won't affect your credit score.

The Capital One Savor annual fee is $95. Capital One charges the fee to pay for the card's benefits and rewards, but people who use the card regularly and always pay the bill in full by the due date can more than make up for the cost. 

You can cover Capital One Savor's annual fee for several years just by earning the card's initial bonus of $300 for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after opening an account. Capital One Savor's substantial ongoing rewards will also help you pay future annual fees. You'll get 1 - 5% cash back on purchases. 

Alternative Credit Card Option with No Annual Fee

If you think the Capital One Savor's annual fee is too high but you like the card's rewards and features, you should consider applying for the Capital One SavorOne, instead. It has a similar rewards structure but offers less cash back, and its annual fee is $0.

With this card, you can earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases, along with 1% back on all other purchases (except for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10% back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats).

Capital One Savor is a Mastercard. That means you can use your Capital One Savor at nearly 11 million merchants nationwide. Plus, you can use it abroad in more than 210 countries and territories.  

Here's what you should know about the Capital One Savor card acceptance:

• Card network-level benefits: Capital One Savor is a World Elite Mastercard. That means it offers the Mastercard network's highest level of benefits. Notable perks include up to $1 million in travel accident insurance and $1,500 per trip in trip cancellation insurance. The card's extended warranty benefit also adds up to two extra years to an item's original warranty and gives as much as $10,000 in coverage. Plus, the card offers rental car insurance, roadside assistance, purchase protection and more.
• No foreign transaction fees: On top of the Capital One Savor's wide global acceptance, frequent travelers will also enjoy the card's $0 foreign transaction fees. That means you'll be able to use this card abroad without having to pay a surcharge on everything you buy. Cards with foreign transaction fees typically charge an extra 1% to 3% on international purchases.
• Other perks: The Capital One Savor card provides plenty of its own rewards and perks to complement Mastercard's array of benefits. For example, the card offers 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores and 1% back on all other purchases (except for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10% back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats). 

Ultimately, there are a few differences between Visa and Mastercard credit cards, such as the network-level benefits they offer, but those differences are relatively small. The two card networks have a lot in common, including extensive worldwide acceptance. As a result, it's more worthwhile to compare individual credit card offers than to focus on getting a card from a particular network.

The Capital One Savor foreign transaction fee is $0. In fact, all Capital One credit cards benefit from $0 foreign transaction fees. That means you can use the Capital One Savor card anywhere in the world that accepts Mastercard without paying a surcharge. The same applies for online purchases made through an international merchant. 

Capital One Savor Fees

• Annual fee: $95 annual fee. 
• Cash Advance Fee: 3% (min $3)
• Foreign Fee: $0
• Balance Transfer Fee: $0
• Max Late Fee: $40

Apart from offering $0 foreign transaction fees on all of its credit cards, Capital One does not require you to set a travel notification before heading abroad, either. Just make sure you keep your contact information updated while traveling abroad in case Capital One needs to reach you.

No, the Capital One Savor Card's $500 bonus is not available anymore. It was a temporary promotion that ended in May 2019. Cardholders had to spend $3,000 within the first 3 months after opening an account to receive the bonus. It's not clear whether the $500 promotion will ever come back.

More info about the Capital One Savor Card's initial bonus:

Although you can't get a $500 bonus with Capital One Savor, the card's current bonus is still substantial. Right now, you can get $300 for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. This card's bonus is one of the best cash bonuses on the market. Plus, it can help offset the cost of the card's $95 annual fee for a few years.

Ultimately, if initial bonuses are important to you, you can also check out our editors' latest picks for the best credit card sign-up bonuses on the market to weigh your options.

The biggest differences between the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card are that the first comes with more generous rewards while the latter features a $0 annual fee. Both cards require good credit or better (700+), and both feature a $0 foreign transaction fee. Which you get really depends on how much you plan to charge to the card, especially in its bonus categories.

Here are the differences between the Capital One Savor and Capital One SavorOne:

• Initial bonus: Capital One Savor offers $300 for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Capital One SavorOne offers $200 for spending $500 in the first 3 months.
• Ongoing rewards: Capital One Savor earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores and 1% back on all other purchases (except for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10% back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats). Capital One SavorOne earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases, along with 1% back on all other purchases (except for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10% back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats).
• Interest rates: Capital One SavorOne benefits from introductory APRs of 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers - 19.24% - 29.24% (V), based on the specifics of your credit, thereafter. Capital One Savor has a regular APR of 20.24% - 28.24% (V), determined according to the specifics of your credit.
• Cash advances: Capital One Savor cash advances accrue interest immediately at an APR of 28.24% (V) - each cash advance is subject to a 3% (min $3). Capital One SavorOne cash advances accrue interest immediately at an APR of 29.24% (V) - each cash advance is subject to a 3% (min $3).
• Annual fees: Capital One SavorOne features a $0 annual fee. Capital One Savor charges a $95 annual fee.

Overall, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a better option if you don't mind paying the annual fee. The initial bonus alone offsets the annual fee, so if you think you meet its spending requirements and spend enough to benefit from its ongoing spending rewards, Capital One Savor will serve you well. If you don't plan on spending as much, or want to finance a purchase, the Capital One SavorOne is the better choice.

To get the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card bonus, new cardholders must spend $3,000 within the first 3 months of opening an account. The Capital One Savor card bonus is $300. Capital One Savor's rewards can be redeemed for a statement credit, a check, or gift cards.

What you should know about the Capital One Savor bonus:

• The spending requirement for the Capital One Savor bonus is quite high, but you will get back a percentage of what you spend. More specifically, you will earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores and 1% back on all other purchases (except for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10% back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats). 
• The card also has a $95 annual fee. But if you qualify for the initial bonus, that alone will cover the cost of the annual fee for a few years.
• Keep in mind that the bonus is a one-time offer for new Capital One Savor accounts, so it's not possible to earn it twice.

The Capital One Savor bonus is one of the highest among similar cash back cards. If you prefer not having to pay an annual fee, there are several no annual fee rewards credit cards available right now on the market.

Capital One Savor vs. Venture pits a cash back card against a travel rewards card. Capital One Savor offers 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% cash back at grocery stores, and 1% cash back on all other types of purchases. The Venture card gives 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases. Venture's miles are worth 1 cent each toward travel. Both cards charge a $95 annual fee.

Both cards come with an attractive signup bonus. Savor gives $300 after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Venture offers 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That's worth up to $750 when redeemed toward travel. There are no introductory 0% APR offers available for either card. The regular APRs are also pretty high.

Each card comes with a wealth of benefits such as travel accident insurance, roadside assistance, extended warranty protection and more. Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee. So you can use either card for purchases abroad without having to pay a surcharge.

At the end of the day, Capital One Venture is the obvious choice for frequent travelers. But if you're a big spender on dining and entertainment and don't travel much, then go with the Savor card.

You can apply for the Capital One Savor online.

Alternatively, you can apply in a Capital One branch or by calling 800-695-5500.

No matter how you do it, your application is taken into account for instant approval. You'll need your personal information and the application will result in a hard inquiry, so that's a slight dent in your credit score, for a short while.