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The American Express® Gold Card is known for its earning potential at grocery stores. However, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card also has excellent bonus rates at grocery stores plus several other benefits, making it a worthy competitor to the Amex Gold.
Which card is best for your grocery spending? Let's take a close look at these two top choices for grocery cards.
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Grocery Rewards: Earning Rates and Limits
The Amex Gold Card earns 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X). It's long been one of the best cards for groceries — hands down.
On the other hand, the Capital One Savor Cash card earns 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.. But you can turn your cash back into valuable Capital One miles if you also carry a miles-earning card, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
What makes the Capital One Savor Cash stand out is that there is no limit to the rewards you can earn on groceries or any other category of purchases. Your rewards are unlimited!
Related: Complete Guide to Capital One Rewards Miles
Annual Fees and Key Details
The Amex Gold and the Capital One Savor Cash also feature different annual fees, benefits, and unique earning rates. Moreover, their welcome bonuses aren't in the same ballpark. Here's a breakdown of each card's key details.
Amex Gold
- Welcome offer: As a new applicant for the card, you can earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months (apply and find out your offer, welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer).
- Key benefits: Get up to $120 per year in Uber Cash ($10 per month), an $84 Dunkin' credit ($7 per month), a $100 Resy credit ($50 semi-annually), a $120 dining credit $10 per month), and more. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- Annual fee: $325 (Rates & Fees).
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind - backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on cruises booked and paid through amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Amex Disclosure: To receive the Uber Cash benefit, you must add American Express Platinum Card® to your account in the Uber app. Please see full terms for more details.
Capital One Savor Cash
- Welcome offer: As a new applicant for the card, you can earn $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
- Key benefits: Access the Capital One Travel portal and utilize a 24/7 travel concierge, security alerts, $0 fraud liability, and more.
- Annual fee: $0.
- Earn $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 1% on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 8% cash back on purchases made via the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 1% on all other purchases
Which Card Is Right for You?
Ultimately, the choice between the Amex Gold and the Capital One Savor Cash depends on several factors:
- How much will you spend on groceries each year? The Amex Gold earns an extra point per $1 spent at U.S. supermarkets. Is the much-higher $325 annual fee worth paying?
- Which reward currency do you prefer to earn — Amex Membership Rewards points, cash back, or Capital One miles? Remember, you can only transfer the cash back earned on the Capital One Savor Cash to miles if you have a miles-earning card.
- Do you send more than $25,000 annually on purchases at U.S. supermarkets? If not, either card is a safe bet. But if you spend more than this, you'll then earn 1X Amex points per $1 spent with the Amex Gold.
Final Thoughts
Both the Amex Gold and the Capital One Savor Cash are fantastic cards for grocery spending. While they differ in terms of annual fees, benefits, and the rate at which you earn rewards, you can't go wrong by outfitting your wallet with either one.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
