Credit Cards Cash Back Credit Cards

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card [2024]: Which Cash Back Card Wins?

Both the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards cards provide lucrative cash back on everyday expenses — but which card offers you the most value?

Updated Oct. 22, 2024
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Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.9
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    An achievable early spend bonus
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    Solid intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers. Note that a balance transfer fee applies.
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    No foreign transaction fees.
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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.5
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    Has a $0 annual fee
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    Has an easy-to-earn welcome offer
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    Offers a simple rewards program and flexible redemption methods
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    Comes with intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers
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    Doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees
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Our view

Given that both the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are no-annual-fee cash back cards, the better option for you will really depend on what your wallet is missing.

The Savor card earns elevated rewards on specific purchase categories, including dining, groceries, and Capital One Entertainment. On the other hand, the Quicksilver card earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day.

If you’d benefit more from a flat-rate credit card, choose Quicksilver. If you’d earn more by maximizing your rewards on food-related spending, choose Savor.

I love my Savor card because I spend a good chunk of my income on groceries and food every month, and this card earns me more cash back than most of my others on a day-to-day basis. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s better for most people. I recommend having both a flat-rate rewards card and a card with a higher rate on your top spending categories.

How we evaluate products

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card have no annual fees, equal intro APRs, and comparable sign-up bonuses and perks. The main difference between these two is how you earn cashback rewards.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards vs. Quicksilver Cash Rewards card details

When you compare these credit cards, you can see that both offer valuable earning potential. But the Savor Cash Rewards card earns up to 8% on select categories and 1% on everything else, while the Quicksilver Cash Rewards card earns 1.5% cash back on everything.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.9
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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.5
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Annual fee $0 $0
Early spend bonus Earn a limited-time $250 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Earning rate 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
FinanceBuzz value calculation1 Year one: $1,155

Year two: $905

Year one: $763

Year two: $563

Intro APR 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable)); Balance transfer fee applies

0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable)
0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, then 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable); Balance transfer fee applies

0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable)

Annual credits None None
Foreign transaction fee None None
Credit needed Excellent, Good Excellent, Good
Learn more Learn more

When to go with the Capital One Savor card

  • If you regularly dine out, attend concerts, pay for many streaming platforms, or enjoy other ticketed events.
  • If you spend a lot at grocery stores (excluding superstores such as Walmart and Target).
  • If you don’t want to keep track of rewards category caps found with similar cards.
  • If you already have a flat-rate rewards card for purchases not under bonus categories.

High-value rewards

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers the most earning potential on food-related spending and Capital One-specific travel and entertainment purchases, with the potential for a much higher annual payout than the Quicksilver. I like to think of this card as my “treat yourself” card for when I don’t want to bother to cook and/or want to do something fun, like go to the movies or a zoo. It also doubles as my regular grocery card, so I like it more than some of my other rewards cards with bonus categories that change or don’t fit into my everyday spending (like the Chase Freedom Flex®).

The card's low base rewards rate of 1% cash back on all other purchases is arguably its worst feature. But it doesn’t claim to be an all-purpose card, and the bonus categories will likely be easier to hit without trying than with a rotating category card — everyone eats.

Easy spend bonus

This card has a generous early spend bonus, helping cardholders earn a limited-time $250 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. This is one of the highest payout-to-spending ratios I’ve ever seen, and it should be easily doable for most households, even sticking strictly to the bonus categories.

According to our Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which we use to estimate the potential rewards earnings for cards based on average household spending across common categories, a typical household spends around $3,500 on dining out and $14,000 on groceries each year (for comparison, “everyday spending” is the second-highest category at $9,000).

Entertainment benefits

Like all Capital One rewards cards, the Savor provides access to exclusive experiences through Capital One Entertainment. These can generally be categorized as sports, music, and dining events, and they include things like food tastings and concerts. I just checked out events near me, and I could get tickets to a cardholder-only iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert in December (if it weren’t sold out, womp). Not all experiences you can book through Capital One Entertainment are strictly for CapOne cardholders, but you’ll also earn an elevated rate on other entertainment. The Quicksilver also includes access to Capital One exclusive events, but with a lower rate.

For homebodies like me, streaming also counts. The list includes the big ones: Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. The rewards on these won’t make you rich, but you can soften the blow of some of your recurring bills (or pay to remove ads?).

Good to know
The current Capital One Savor card is actually not the first version of this card. The Savor card recently changed — for the better, I think — being rebranded in October 2024 and basically taking on the Capital One SavorOne Rewards card benefits and earnings structure instead. In this transition, the Savor card also sloughed off what was probably its main drawback. While the Savor credit card used to have a $95 annual fee, it now has none.

Learn more in our Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review.

When to go with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card

  • If you prefer a straightforward cashback structure with a flat rewards rate.
  • If you want to maximize cashback rewards while paying a $0 annual fee.
  • If you don't want to keep track of bonus categories.
  • If you already have a credit card with high earning rates in your top spending categories.

Flat rewards

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers benefits that cater to a wide range of cardholders. It helps you earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). This flat-rate rewards structure can be easier to manage than a card with bonus categories to keep track of.

If reading the Savor categories made you feel overwhelmed, or you just didn’t feel like they fit with your lifestyle, this might be the better card for you. It isn’t the heaviest of hitters for all spending, but it could be the card you reach for when making a purchase that doesn’t fit into a high-earning category for any of your other rewards cards, if you have them. You’ll enjoy a simple cashback structure without the need to track spending categories.

Easy early spend bonus

I’m including this as a Quicksilver benefit even though I already used it for Savor because a good bonus is a good bonus. This card helps you earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Make no mistake: This is great, even though it isn’t quite as good as Savor’s.

Learn more in our Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card review.

Should you have both cards?

If you look at the differences between the Capital One Savor and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards cards, you’ll notice they’re pretty much neck-and-neck until you get to the rewards. And when you look at the cashback categories, it’s easy to see how the best card depends on the situation.

The Capital One Savor has a higher overall earning rate than Capital One Quicksilver, but the latter’s simple rewards structure may be more appealing to some. The Capital One Savor earns 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, which will likely be its main draw for many people. The Capital One Quicksilver earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply).

Because neither card charges an annual fee, I’d make a case for having both — you could use the Savor for everything that would earn an elevated rate and the Quicksilver for everything else for a combined value higher than one or the other.

Expert tip

Capital One has an unofficial (but widely known) rule that you can only get approved for a new card once every six months. But I don’t recommend applying for two credit cards within a short time frame anyway. You typically add a hard inquiry to your credit report every time you apply for credit, which often dings your credit score by a few points. On top of that, having back-to-back new credit inquiries could make you seem risky to issuers.

Shared features

On both cards, you can take advantage of travel assistance services if your card is lost or stolen while traveling. For other travel assistance, use the free concierge services to get personalized help with anything you need, including dining reservations, concert tickets, or travel suggestions.2 Lastly, neither card has foreign transaction fees, so feel free to use your card while traveling abroad without having to worry about additional fees.

When it comes to purchase protection, Capital One Quicksilver benefits are nearly identical to Capital One Savor benefits. The extended warranty protection can help protect eligible purchases by extending their manufacturer’s warranties.

FAQs

Which is better, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards or Quicksilver Cash Rewards?

The better card between Capital One Savor and Capital One Quicksilver is the one that best fits your spending habits and financial goals. Both cards earn cash back, but the Capital One Savor card is designed for purchases related to food and fun (to put it simply).

The Capital One Quicksilver, though, earns the same rate of cash back on any type of purchase, but it’s not as high of an earning rate as the bonus categories on the Capital One Savor. Check out where you do most of your spending by reviewing your bank and credit card statements. If you already have multiple rewards cards, choose one that could bridge the gap between categories where you’re not earning as much as you possibly could.

What credit score do you need for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards?

Credit card issuers look at a variety of factors when considering you for a card, and your credit score is just one of these factors. You may have better odds of approval if you have an excellent credit score. An excellent FICO credit score typically starts around 800. Ultimately, approval is at the credit card issuer's discretion and will likely depend upon your credit profile as well as other factors.

Is the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card hard to get?

You should have a good-to-excellent credit score to apply for the Capital One Quicksilver. Good credit starts with a FICO credit score of 670, and if your credit score is around 800 or higher, your chances of qualifying for this card should be higher as that’s considered excellent credit.

Again, approval is at the credit card companies' discretion and will likely depend on your credit history and other factors. If you have a fair credit score, you may want to consider an alternative like the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which also offers generous cashback rewards. With this card, you also get benefits like automatic credit line reviews, which could result in automatic credit limit increases if you use your card responsibly.

Other cards to consider

If you are open to applying for a card with a different issuer, you have several great options for cashback cards besides the Capital One Savor and Quicksilver, including:

Chase Freedom Unlimited®: This card offers a generous welcome offer. You can earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). And while it's marketed as a cash back card, you actually earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you spend. Those points can be redeemed for cash, gift cards, travel, and more. Unlike the Capital One cards, this Chase card is a Visa..

Learn more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

Citi Double Cash® Card: If you don't want the hassle of tracking spending categories and just want simple, flat-rate cash back, this card is worth considering. Cardmembers can earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. The Citi Double Cash is a Mastercard..

Learn more in our Citi Double Cash® Card.

Bottom line

Both the Capital One Savor and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card have strengths and weaknesses, and I’d truly recommend considering both. But if you want to choose, the Capital One Savor is ideal for earning the highest rates possible on a few common spending categories, while the Capital One Quicksilver is a flat-rate card for low-maintenance spending.

You don’t have to sweat an annual fee (and making the worth paying for) with either, but there’s a good chance you can earn more each year with the Savor — as long as you use it at the right place and time.