Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Review: A Low-Cost Way to Rebuild Credit Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Review: A Low-Cost Way to Rebuild Credit

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Review: A Low-Cost Way to Rebuild Credit

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The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is designed for people with fair credit who still want to earn cash back on everyday spending. It offers rewards in popular categories like groceries, dining, entertainment, and streaming services, all for a modest $39 annual fee.

But is it the right card if you’re looking to rebuild your credit while earning rewards? Let’s take a closer look at the card’s details to see if it belongs in your wallet.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual Fee$39
Featured Offer: Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores, on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services with a $39 annual fee.
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid entry-level card for those who are working to establish a robust credit history. You'll get access to excellent earning rates on a variety of popular purchase categories for a modest $39 annual fee. Cardholders will be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months.
  • Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
  • Earn 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Earn 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
  • Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
  • Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

    Capital One SavorOne Pros

    • Solid cash back earning for those with fair credit
    • No redemption minimum threshold
    • No foreign transaction fees

    Capital One SavorOne Cons

    • $39 annual fee
    • No welcome bonus
    • Does not offer access to transfer partners
    close-up of a man looking at a credit card while reading something on a smart phone
    Credit: Anete Lusina/Pexels

    Capital One SavorOne Welcome Offer

    Currently, the Capital One SavorOne has no cash back welcome offer and does not include an introductory APR for new cardholders. That might sound disappointing, but it’s fairly typical for credit cards aimed at people with fair credit. As a result, the lack of a sign-up bonus here isn’t much of a surprise.

    Related: The Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards for Earning Transferable Points

    Earning Rewards With the Capital One SavorOne

    Where the Capital One SavorOne really shines is in its earning rates. Here's a snapshot of how you'll earn rewards with this card:

    • Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
    • Earn 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • Earn 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
    • Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
    • Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

    Redeeming Rewards With the Capital One SavorOne

    You can redeem cash back earned with the Capital One SavorOne in several ways. For example, you can apply it as a statement credit against purchases made with your card. You can also use your rewards for purchases through PayPal or Amazon after linking your card.

    Unfortunately, this card doesn’t allow you to convert cash back into Capital One miles. To do that, you’d need a card like the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card ($0 annual fee), which is geared toward people with stronger credit profiles.

    College students at a café talking together
    Credit: Brooke Cagle/Unsplash

    Capital One SavorOne Benefits

    The Capital One SavorOne includes a handful of additional benefits beyond its cash-back earnings on everyday spending.

    Discounts at Capital One Cafés

    Capital One operates more than 60 Capital One Cafés nationwide, and holders of the Capital One SavorOne receive 50% off prepared beverages when they pay with their card. However, this perk also applies to other Capital One credit cards and even debit cards, so it isn’t exclusive to the Capital One SavorOne.

    Photo from a Capital One Cafe
    Credit: Brie Bash / AwardWallet

    Credit score monitoring

    With Capital One’s CreditWise tool, cardholders get complimentary credit score monitoring. While you don’t need to be a Capital One customer to use CreditWise, it’s conveniently integrated into Capital One’s online and mobile experience.

    Related: Building Healthy Credit: A Beginner’s Guide to Credit Scores — And How Credit Cards Impact Your Score

    Fraud coverage

    Capital One protects Capital One SavorOne cardholders with a $0 fraud liability policy for unauthorized charges. As with any issuer, fraud claims are subject to review and verification.

    Access to Capital One Travel

    In addition to earning a solid 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars, access to Capital One Travel is a perk on its own. The portal also offers price protection on booked flights.

    To illustrate how this works, if your flight drops in price within 10 days of booking, you can receive up to a $50 statement credit. And if the price drops within 24 hours of booking, Capital One’s Price Match Guarantee applies.

    Access to Capital One Entertainment

    Capital One SavorOne cardholders earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment. This can be especially useful for concerts and sporting events, where prices are often similar to what you’d find elsewhere, and it’s even better when Capital One offers early or exclusive access to tickets.

    Application Restrictions

    There are a few application rules to keep in mind if you’re considering the Capital One SavorOne.

    First, Capital One limits how many of its credit cards you can hold at once. This is often reported as a cap of five cards, with additional limits within each card family like Venture, Savor, and Quicksilver, plus charge cards. However, Capital One doesn’t publish an official maximum. Business cards also typically don’t count toward these limits.

    You can also apply for only one Capital One card every six months. And because Capital One relies heavily on its own proprietary risk models, your application will usually be evaluated using credit reports from all three major bureaus.

    Cards That Complete With the Capital One SavorOne

    If you want to make a more informed decision about your next credit card, here are three great options that compete with the Capital One SavorOne:

    • If you’re looking for a credit-building Capital One card with no annual fee, consider the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. It’s designed to help people with fair credit build toward excellent credit without paying an annual fee, though it doesn’t earn rewards. Learn more about the Capital One Platinum in our full review.
    • If you’re looking for a rewarding card with no annual fee, check out the Citi Double Cash® Card. It earns 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Learn more about the Citi Double Cash in our full review.
    • If you’d rather earn Capital One miles instead of cash back, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers 1.25X miles per dollar on every purchase, plus 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel — with no annual fee. Learn more about the Capital One VentureOne in our full review.
    Capital One Platinum Credit Card
    Capital One Platinum Credit Card
    Highlights This is card is a great way start building healthy credit for anyone with a limited credit history.
    Annual Fee$0
    Credit ScoreAverage, Fair, Limited
    Citi Double Cash® Card
    Citi Double Cash® Card
    Welcome Offer Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
    Annual Fee$0Rates & Fees
    Credit ScoreExcellent, Good
    • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.

      Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
    Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
    Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
    Welcome Offer Earn 20,000 Miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
    Annual Fee$0
    Credit ScoreExcellent, Good
    • 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 5 Miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
    • 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.

    Related: The Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee and 0% Introductory APR

    Bottom Line

    The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a decent option for people rebuilding their credit, but its $39 annual fee eats into much of the card’s upside. To break even on that fee, you’d need to spend at least $1,300 in the 3% bonus category. It's possible that might be a tall order for many people in this card’s target market.

    There are also plenty of rewards cards with no annual fee. If you’re focused on rebuilding or building your credit, keeping that cost at $0 is usually the way to go. You can always upgrade to a more lucrative rewards card once your credit improves.

    Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
    Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
    Annual Fee$39
    Featured Offer: Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores, on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services with a $39 annual fee.
    The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid entry-level card for those who are working to establish a robust credit history. You'll get access to excellent earning rates on a variety of popular purchase categories for a modest $39 annual fee. Cardholders will be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months.
    • Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
    • Earn 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • Earn 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
    • Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
    • Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

      For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees)

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