There are a number of rewards cards that offer cash back for each dollar spent, although they don’t all work in the same way. Some cash back credit cards let you earn a flat rate of rewards regardless of what you buy, while others have rotating rewards categories that change each quarter. From there, you’ll also find cash back cards that offer tiered rewards for different types of purchases.

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card* and Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card are two popular rewards credit cards that fall in the latter category. Both cards offer bonus rewards for dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases, but the cards vary on annual fees and rewards rates.

What counts toward the Capital One Savor cards’ entertainment categories?

While grocery store purchases and dining are pretty straightforward bonus categories, it’s easy to wonder what counts as “entertainment” with the Capital One Savor cards. Fortunately, Capital One spells out exactly which purchases count as entertainment on its website (see the frequently-asked-questions sections for the Savor and SavorOne).

Ticket purchases that count as entertainment with the Capital One Savor cards include:

  • Movie theaters
  • Theatrical promoters
  • Sports promoters (professional and semi-professional live events)
  • Amusement parks
  • Tourist attractions
  • Aquariums and zoos
  • Dance halls
  • Bowling alleys
  • Pool halls
  • Record stores

Purchases that do not count as entertainment with Capital One include:

  • Golf courses
  • Collegiate sporting events
  • Non-industry entertainment merchant codes like cable, digital streaming and membership services

Do popular streaming services count as entertainment?

Purchases from popular streaming services do not count as entertainment purchases. Instead, “popular streaming services” is its own category.

Some eligible music and video streaming services that qualify for cash back include:

  • Netflix
  • Hulu
  • Disney+
  • Max (formerly HBO Max)
  • Apple.com, iTunes and Apple Music
  • Peacock
  • Spotify
  • ESPN+
  • FuboTV
  • Bandcamp
  • DirecTV
  • Sirius XM
  • Sling TV
  • Starz Entertainment
  • Tidal

Purchases from popular streaming services that do not qualify for cash back include:

  • Prime Video
  • AT&T TV
  • Verizon Fios On Demand
  • Audiobook subscription services
  • Fitness programming

How to earn entertainment rewards (and more) from home

If you don’t go out much, you may be wondering how you can maximize the bonus categories on these cards. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to take advantage of Savor entertainment rewards from the comfort of your home.

For example, both Savor cards offer 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. If you’re planning to buy concert tickets or seats to a sporting event for next year or beyond, the Savor cards can help you rack up cash back fast in this category.

Also, keep in mind that the Savor cards offer rewards on dining purchases. So, if you’re ordering takeout and picking it up from your favorite restaurant, you can earn bonus rewards on those purchases, too. Plus, both cards offer 10 percent cash back on purchases made through Uber and Uber Eats (through Nov. 14, 2024).

Lastly, use your Savor card for all eligible streaming purchases so you earn cash back while binging your favorite shows.

A closer look at the Savor and SavorOne

At this point, you’re probably wondering how much you could earn in rewards with the Savor cards’ entertainment, popular streaming services and dining categories. While both let you earn more rewards than usual in these bonus categories, how much you can earn depends on which of these Capital One credit cards you sign up for.

Generally speaking, you’ll choose the Savor card if you want a higher sign-up bonus and a better rewards rate for dining and entertainment. On the other hand, the SavorOne card might be a better choice if you’re willing to earn a lower rewards rate in exchange for no annual fee.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

  • Earn a $300 cash bonus when you spend $3,000 on your card within three months of account opening
  • 10 percent cash back on purchases made through Uber and Uber Eats (through Nov. 14, 2024); 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 5 percent cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 4 percent cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 3 percent cash back at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target); 1 percent back on other purchases
  • Qualify for benefits like no foreign transaction fees, travel accident insurance, 24-hour travel assistance services and more
  • $95 annual fee

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

  • Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on qualifying purchases within the first three months
  • 10 percent cash back on purchases made through Uber and Uber Eats (through Nov. 14, 2024); 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 5 percent cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 3 percent cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming subscriptions and grocery store purchases (excluding Walmart and Target); 1 percent on all other purchases
  • Qualify for benefits like no foreign transaction fees, travel accident insurance, 24-hour travel assistance services and more
  • $0 annual fee

How to get the most out of your Savor card

To get the most out of either Savor card, you’ll want to use your credit card for all purchases that qualify for bonus rewards. With either card, this includes qualifying dining and entertainment purchases as outlined by Capital One. However, it’s worth noting that some merchants may use a category code other than “entertainment.” In this case, any purchases made with these merchants would not qualify as entertainment purchases with Capital One. For example, some amusement parks may use the category code “merchandise” instead of “entertainment” for online tickets.

Also, keep in mind that both cards let you earn 3 percent cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Walmart and Target). In the meantime, you may also be able to boost your rewards haul if you take advantage of the 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10 percent cash back on purchases made through Uber and Uber Eats (through Nov. 14, 2024).

Finally, to make the most of either Savor card, pay your credit card balance in full each month so you avoid interest charges.

The bottom line

If you want to maximize the entertainment category with either Capital One Savor card, it’s smart to stay informed about which types of entertainment purchases count. Fortunately, this is a broad rewards category, so it’s easy for consumers to receive cash back on entertainment. Plus, Savor cardholders can earn rewards on popular streaming services, dining and other categories.

*The information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.