Comparing Capital One Savor Cash Rewards and Capital One Venture Rewards: Should you opt for one — or possibly both?

Among the most sought-after mid-tier cards from Capital One are the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. Both come with a reasonable $95 annual fee (refer to Venture Rewards rates and fees), yet their earning potentials and perks justify the cost.

Even with identical annual fees, these cards cater to different needs. The Savor functions as a cash-back card, whereas the Venture Rewards serves as a travel rewards card. The right choice for you hinges on your spending habits and preference for rewards.

Let’s delve deeper into their features to determine which card aligns better with your lifestyle and spending patterns.

The details for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card have been independently gathered by Dinogo. The information presented on this page has not been verified or supplied by the card issuer.

Comparison of Capital One Venture Rewards and Capital One Savor

Welcome bonus for Capital One Savor versus Capital One Venture Rewards

Currently, the Capital One Savor is providing a welcome bonus of $300 when you spend $3,000 within the first three months of opening your account.

On the other hand, the Capital One Venture Rewards is currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. TPG values these Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, and when combining the value of the miles with the Capital One Travel credit, this welcome bonus amounts to $1,388.

Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards. Although it has a higher spending threshold, its bonus exceeds the welcome offer on the Savor by more than five times.

Benefits comparison: Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture Rewards

Cash-back cards typically don’t provide a wide range of benefits, and the Capital One Savor is no exception. However, it does offer some notable perks:

• Access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining
• Travel accident insurance
• 50% discount on handcrafted beverages at any U.S. Capital One Café
• Extended warranty protection

As a travel rewards card, the Capital One Venture Rewards offers an extensive array of travel benefits:

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $120)
• Access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining
• Extended warranty protection
• 24-hour travel assistance
• No foreign transaction fees (refer to rates and fees)
• Travel accident insurance

This is an impressive array of benefits for a card with a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), particularly with the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit included.

Winner: Venture Rewards. Its travel perks surpass those offered by the Savor.

Earning rewards with Capital One Savor versus Capital One Venture Rewards

The Capital One Savor features some remarkable bonus categories:

• 8% back on Capital One Entertainment
• 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
• 4% back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
• 3% back at grocery stores
• 1% back on all other purchases

This rewards structure is excellent for earning cash-back on everyday purchases. However, if a large portion of your spending goes toward general travel or non-bonus categories, another card might serve you better.

Conversely, the Capital One Venture Rewards earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.

If you have both cards, cash back earned on the Savor can be converted into Venture miles. This means you could earn 4 miles on dining, entertainment, and streaming, and 3 miles at grocery stores. Using your Venture Rewards card for travel and non-bonus spending creates a great combination.

Winner: Tie. If most of your spending aligns with the Savor's bonus categories, it’s the superior choice. However, if you spend more outside those categories, the Venture Rewards is the better option.

Comparing reward redemption: Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture Rewards

As a cash-back card, the Capital One Savor provides the easiest redemption option through cash-back as a statement credit or check. You can also redeem rewards for gift cards, purchases on Amazon, or donate them to charity.

In contrast, the Capital One Venture Rewards earns Capital One miles and offers a broader array of redemption options. You can transfer your miles to any of Capital One's 15-plus hotel and airline partners for maximum value, or redeem them for travel by booking through Capital One Travel.

Less advantageous redemption options involve using your miles for gift cards or paying through Amazon, PayPal, or Capital One Entertainment, as well as for cash-back.

However, if you possess both cards, you can combine your rewards to access the best redemption opportunities. This means you could transfer rewards from your Savor card to Capital One's transfer partners for travel redemptions.

Winner: Venture Rewards. It offers the more valuable option of transferring your miles to airline and hotel partners.

Transferring rewards: Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture Rewards

With the Capital One Venture Rewards, you can transfer your miles to any of Capital One's 15-plus hotel and airline partners, including notable options like Avianca LifeMiles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

TPG managing editor Matt Moffitt particularly enjoys transferring his miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue for fantastic business-class flight deals to Europe and to British Airways Executive Club for booking nonstop domestic flights on American Airlines.

While the Capital One Savor functions solely as a cash-back card, combining it with a card that earns Capital One miles allows you to access the full range of Capital One transfer options.

Winner: Venture Rewards. Since the Savor lacks access to Capital One's transfer partners on its own, the Venture Rewards stands out as the clear choice.

Should I choose the Capital One Savor or the Capital One Venture Rewards?

The Capital One Savor is the better choice if your priority is earning cash-back rewards on everyday purchases. However, if you prefer more travel benefits and want to earn transferable miles, the Capital One Venture Rewards is the way to go.

In conclusion

Choosing between the Capital One Savor and the Capital One Venture Rewards depends on your spending habits and rewards objectives.

If you seek the flexibility of cash-back rewards and primarily spend on everyday expenses, the Capital One Savor offers great value. Conversely, if you prefer travel perks and tend to spend more on non-bonus categories, the Capital One Venture Rewards is your best bet.

Of course, there's no requirement to choose just one. You can opt for both cards and enjoy their complementary earning structures along with a wide array of redemption options. Regardless of your choice, you'll have excellent earning potential with either (or both) of these cards.

For additional information, please refer to our comprehensive reviews of the Capital One Savor and Capital One Venture Rewards.

For Capital One products mentioned on this page, some benefits are provided by Visa or Mastercard and may differ by product. Please see the corresponding Guide to Benefits for specifics, as terms and exclusions apply.