Best No Annual Fee Card
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards rate
1% - 10%Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024 Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®). Earn 1% on all other purchases.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Pay over time APR
Regular APR
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Overview
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card may be the ultimate no-annual-fee cash back card for foodies, social explorers and streaming fans alike. It offers a high cash back rate on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases, making it one of the market's most versatile everyday cash back cards.
That said, the SavorOne doesn’t offer the highest rate in any of its bonus categories compared to other top-rated cash back cards. While this card’s category coverage is impressive, another card may be a better fit if you spend heavily in a specific category, like groceries.
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Rewards
- 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 using Capital One Travel
- Unlimited 3 percent cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming subscriptions and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)
- 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
- Redeem at any amount, any time.
Expert Appraisal: Good
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Welcome offer
- Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $1,000 on qualifying purchases within the first three months.
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
0% APR offer
- 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 15 months
- 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months (3 percent fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months)
- 19.74 percent to 29.74 percent variable ongoing APR
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- APR: 19.74 percent to 29.74 percent
- Annual fee: $0
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Cash advance fee: 3 percent (minimum $3)
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- Complimentary Concierge Services: 24-hour travel assistance service*
- Extended Warranty*, which automatically doubles the original manufacturer's warranty on eligible purchases made with this card
- Price Protection*, with which if you find a lower price on an eligible new item purchased with this card within 120 days of purchase you may be reimbursed for the difference
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit card pros and cons
Pros
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It has no annual fee, so you won’t need to offset recurring costs with rewards.
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It offers an intro APR period for purchases and balance transfers, a combo which allows you to avoid interest while paying down your balance.
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You can earn this card’s welcome offer with relatively minimal spending.
Cons
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The barrier to entry for this card is a bit high — we recommend applicants have at least good credit.
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If your spending falls outside its tiered rewards categories, you may not reap the most benefits from this card.
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You must book through Capital One Travel to get the boosted rewards on hotel and rental car bookings.
Why you might want the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards card
For a credit card with no annual fee, the SavorOne offers competitive cash back rates in everyday categories and plenty of redemption options. It also carries a good intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers that may appeal to new cardholders.
Rewards: Boosted, unlimited cash back rates
The SavorOne earns 3 percent cash back in several everyday categories, including dining, entertainment, grocery store purchases (excluding Walmart and Target) and popular streaming services.
Generous cash back on these categories can be hard to find, especially since the SavorOne has no spending limits on your boosted cash back rate. Although other cards come close to matching this offer, they might include different categories or have spending limits for the highest-earning categories before the rate drops to 1 percent. For example, the Blue Cash Everyday Card® from American Express offers the same cash back rate at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retailers, but it’s capped at $6,000 in purchases per year, then it earns 1 percent.
The SavorOne card’s categories cover many significant expenses, making the card an excellent option for earning cash back every day without limits. While most major grocery store purchases earn 3 percent, superstore and wholesale club purchases will only earn 1 percent back. Furthermore, the card’s list of eligible streaming services excludes a few major services like Prime Video and some popular audiobook and fitness programming subscriptions.
One downside to SavorOne's cash back rates is that the highest-earning cash back categories are very specific. You’ll only get the card's best cash back rates on Capital One Travel and Entertainment purchases and through Uber and Uber Eats. If you like to order your food through a different app or plan your travel and social calendar on different platforms, then this card may not benefit you.
Sign-up bonus: Valuable welcome offer
Rates and fees: Decent intro APR for a low-fee card
The Capital One SavorOne card is affordable both upfront and over time. It lacks some of the fees you might find on other cards and cements itself as a user-friendly choice in a card landscape saturated with options. It comes with no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee, making it a low-cost card to carry.
It’s not common for rewards-specific cards to have a solid intro APR offer for new cardholders, and the SavorOne keeps itself competitive with a slightly-longer-than-average offer. The balance transfer fee is on the lower end, too: 3 percent of the amount transferred in the first 15 months of account opening. Many cards also apply a higher balance transfer fee after a few months, but new SavorOne cardholders have the entire 15 month promotional window.
Why you might want a different cash back card
The Capital One SavorOne can be a great choice as a cash back card because of its generous rewards rates, welcome offer and intro APR. However, it has some downsides that consumers should consider before applying.
Applying: High credit requirements
We recommend that you have at least good credit (a FICO score of 670 or higher) before applying for the SavorOne, which may put it out of reach for people with fair credit, but this is typical for cards in this category. If you don’t meet this card’s credit requirements, you can still build your credit over time.
A great first step would be to apply for and open a credit card like the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. If you aren’t a student, any starter credit card from Capital One could be a good choice. Whichever route you choose, you can apply for the SavorOne Cash Rewards card when you’ve established a healthier credit score.
Benefits: Shrug-worthy perks
The Capital One SavorOne card comes with standard Mastercard benefits, including fraud coverage, MasterRental® Coverage and ID theft protection*. This is a relatively thin portfolio of benefits compared to what Visa offers with its Visa Signature cards.
Many of the SavorOne card’s fiercest competitors are Visa Signature cards. They may carry more benefits, including roadside dispatch, auto rental collision damage waivers, emergency cash disbursement and extra benefits at Luxury Hotel Collection properties.
It does come with somewhat useful benefits like MasterRoadAssist® Service*, which can be handy. However, other cash back cards with better perks — like complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership — are available.
How the Capital One SavorOne compares to other cash back cards
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards card slots nicely between two industry heavyweights: the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card and the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. While both of these cards feature a $0 annual fee and strong rewards, each card excels over its competitors and falls short in some areas.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards rate
Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024 Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®). Earn 1% on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Annual fee
Intro offer
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards rate
Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). Earn automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). Earn unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual fee
Intro offer
Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Rewards rate
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service 1.5% on all other purchases
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best cards to pair with the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards card
While groceries, dining and entertainment are three of the SavorOne’s highest cash back categories, these are not the biggest spending categories for everyone. Here are cards you can pair with the Capital One SavorOne to bolster your cash back strategy and maximize your earnings.
Who is the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards card right for?
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Capital One SavorOne worth it?
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card is one of the best cash back cards on the market, especially for foodies and social butterflies. The sheer variety of the card’s bonus cash back categories allows you to earn cash back at a great rate on plenty of purchases while enjoying a generous introductory offer on new purchases. For a card with no annual fee, you can find plenty of value with the SavorOne.
However, if you don’t spend a lot of money on entertainment, groceries or dining, you could have difficulty maximizing rewards with this card. Plus, there are other rewards cards that have higher rates on some of the SavorOne’s purchase categories, although those cards might not include all of the categories. The SavorOne is a great catch-all card if you want to just hold one credit card. But rewards strategists and maximizers may be better off pairing a flat-rate card with a rewards card that comes with higher rates in one or two categories.
*All information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.