Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver: Supercharge your leisure spending or flat cash back on everything?
Travel rewards cards come in many forms. Some are cobranded with a specific airline or hotel loyalty program, while others earn transferable points, such as American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards. Cardholders can then convert their rewards into airline miles or hotel points with various different travel partners.
Then, there are credit cards that earn cash-back points, which can be redeemed at fixed rates toward travel and other purchases. For many consumers, these are the most useful types of travel credit cards. They take the guesswork out of earning and redeeming and typically offer a solid return on spending.
Capital One issues several of the best cash-back rewards cards, including the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Here is a quick look at which one you should get.
The information for the Capital One Savor has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver comparison
| Benefit | Savor | Quicksilver |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome offer | $300 after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months | $200 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months |
| Earning | 4% on dining, entertainment and select streaming services
3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) 1% on everything else |
1.5% on everything |
| Additional benefits | 24/7 concierge service
Extended warranty |
24/7 concierge service
Rental car insurance, extended warranty |
| Annual fee | $95 | $0 (see rates and fees) |
Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver welcome offer
The Savor Rewards card offers a higher sign-up bonus — $300 cash back after you spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening.
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards card offers a $200 cash back sign-up bonus — but you only have to spend $500 in the first three months.
If you intend to make one of these cards a primary fixture in your wallet, you might want to go for the higher bonus offer. However, if earning cash-back rewards is just a small part of a larger points strategy, you might be better off with the Quicksilver’s lower spending requirement.
Just remember that Capital One has some potentially confusing application rules that might restrict your eligibility for either card. You can only have two open personal Capital One credit cards at a time. So, your application might be denied if you have other Capital One cards open.
The issuer is also known to restrict consumers to opening just one new card every six months, so if you’ve applied for another product within that time frame, you might want to hold off.
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Winner: Savor. Its welcome offer is more valuable.
Related reading: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions
Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver benefits
While neither of these cards offers a major slate of other benefits comparable to more premium rewards cards, they still have a few perks worth noting.
Both waive foreign transaction fees (for the Quicksilver, see rates and fees) and offer concierge services and extended warranty protection.
The Savor Rewards has a $95 annual fee, whereas the Quicksilver has no annual fee (see rates and fees).
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer a decent amount of valuable perks.
Earning cash back with the Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver
The Quicksilver earns a flat 1.5% back on all purchases, which falls in line with competitors from other issuers such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but it’s less than you can expect with other cards such as the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees).
By contrast, the Savor Rewards maintains a tiered earning structure that will most benefit folks whose major spending categories include dining and entertainment since it earns an impressive 4% cash back in both.
Entertainment includes tickets to movies, plays, concerts, sporting events, tourist attractions, theme parks, aquariums, zoos, dance clubs, pool halls, bowling alleys, and purchases at record and video stores. Dining applies to a broad range of businesses, including restaurants, cafés, bars, lounges, fast-food chains and bakeries.
The card also earns 4% cash back on popular streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores and 1% back on everything else.
If you often dine out and attend live events or spend the bulk of your credit card spending at grocery stores, this card’s elevated earning rates are solid. However, if you plan to use your cash-back card for other types of purchases, the Quicksilver might be the better option.
Winner: Savor. Its earnings rates are more valuable.
Redeeming cash back with the Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver
Both are cash-back cards, plain and simple. You can redeem your cash back in different ways, including as statement credits, shopping at Amazon.com or gift cards.
These are all decently valuable redemption options, making your earnings that much more valuable.
Winner: Tie. The two cards have the same redemption options.
Related: Best cash-back credit cards
Should I get the Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver?
It depends on where you spend your money. The Quicksilver is a great no-annual-fee (see rates and fees) option for folks who want a simple 1.5% return on their spending and tend to make purchases at a wide variety of merchants.
Conversely, the Savor Rewards card is tailor-made for people who tend to spend the most on dining, entertainment and groceries. Just note the $95 annual fee on the Savor.
Bottom line
Both the Savor Rewards and the Quicksilver are strong cash-back options. The former earns up to 4% back on purchases and is a particularly strong choice for consumers whose major spending categories are dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and groceries. The latter is a stable, no-annual-fee card (see rates and fees) with a fixed 1.5% return on spending, making earning simple.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Capital One Savor and the Quicksilver Cash Rewards.
Apply here: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards
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.
