Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Savor Card [Detailed Comparison]

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the average family spends more on eating out than on groceries. This statistic translates to the average family spending around 11% of their household income on eating away from home. Add in the expense of weekly groceries and food becomes a major household expense.

We’re all about ensuring that significant household expenses earn the most rewards possible. It’s a primary reason to secure a card that will earn well on everyday purchases that include dining out and groceries.

Earning rewards on dining and at the grocery store is the foundation for selecting the cards in today’s comparison. The American Express^® Gold Card and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earn well in each category, offer flexible redemption options, and come with benefits you can use.

(Information was collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Join us as we look closely at these 2 popular cards, each a worthy option for foodies and families.

Amex Gold Card vs. Capital One Savor Card — Overview

We’ll dive into the details of the Amex Gold card and Capital One Savor card, but first, let’s look at a helpful overall summary of the key benefits of our featured cards.

The Value of a Welcome Offer

As soon as you’re approved for either the Amex Gold card or Capital One Savor card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus.

Welcome bonuses can be earned immediately after card approval by meeting the minimum spending requirements.

The Amex Gold card offers a generous welcome bonus of Membership Rewards points, and with the Capital One Savor card, you can earn bonus cash-back.

Welcome offers do vary, so we’re providing these card snapshots that include information on the most recent offers available:

BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,320

Annual Fee

$250

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
• Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
• Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
• Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
• Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

• $250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
• Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
• Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $250.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

More Reads

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• Benefits of the Amex Gold
• Upgrade Amex Gold to Amex Platinum
• Amex Gold Benefits for Military
• Amex Gold vs Blue Cash Preferred
• Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold
• Amex Gold vs Delta Gold

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

An excellent cash-back card that offers rewards for categories like dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

An excellent cash-back card that offers rewards for categories like dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Welcome Offer

Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

$300

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74%-28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-850)

Why We Like This Card

 

When it comes to rewards credit cards, you can break up most savvy consumers into 2 camps: those who prefer travel rewards and those who prefer cash-back.

Both options can be very lucrative to you and your wallet, especially if you’re using the right card. For those who fall in the “cash is king” camp, you’ll likely find the Capital One Savor card quite compelling.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats
• 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment
• 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 4% cash-back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
• 3% cash-back at grocery stores
• 1% cash-back on all other purchases
• Complimentary Uber One membership through November 14, 2024
• Roadside assistance and rental car insurance
• Purchase protection/price protection/extended warranty
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• This is strictly a cash-back card, so it features no travel rewards like other cards offer

Card Highlights

• Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment.
• No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74%-28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees:

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Cash Back Credit Cards

Earning Potential

While most of the rewards you’ll earn on the Amex Gold card or Capital One Savor card may come from spending on the card, you can also earn rewards by referring family and friends.

Here are the details for earning rewards via referral bonuses and when spending on your card.

Referral Opportunites

As soon as you’re approved for the Amex Gold card or the Capital One Savor card, you can begin referring family or friends and earn bonus rewards.

Amex Gold Card

You can refer family or friends from your Amex Gold card by logging in to your online card account and scrolling down the page until you see the Refer a Friend link. Once you click on the link, you can enter your referral’s information or copy a link to send to them directly.

If your family member or friend selects any available American Express card and is approved, you’ll receive a referral bonus. American Express Gold Card Referral bonuses can vary but are generally up to 30,000 points for each approved referral, up to 55,000 per year.

Capital One Savor Card

The Capital One Savor card also has a referral bonus of $100 for each approved referral, up to $500 each year. With Capital One, you will only receive the bonus if your referral is approved for the same card. Just like the Amex Gold card, you can find the Refer a Friend link by logging in to your Capital One Savor card online account.

Spending on the Card

The Amex Gold card earns rewards in the form of Membership Rewards points, while the Capital One Savor card earns cash-back.

Every purchase you make on either card will earn rewards, but many purchases will receive bonus earnings.

Here is a breakdown of the bonus-earning categories and how you’ll earn rewards on each of our featured cards:

Matching your actual spending patterns to the card that rewards those categories is the key to maximizing a card’s earning potential.

For example, if you spend a lot on streaming services and Uber, you’ll notice the Capital One Savor card earns 4% cash-back on streaming services versus the Amex Gold card’s 1x points. The Capital One Savor card earns a generous 10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats.

If you spent $25,000 at the grocery store each year, you would earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points with the Amex Gold card. The Capital One Savor card would earn $750 in cash-back on those same purchases.

While we value Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents each and cash-back at a fixed face value, the actual value you’ll receive will depend on how you redeem your rewards.

Next, we look at the redemption options you’ll have with the Amex Gold card and Capital One Savor card.

Redemption Options

Once you’ve accumulated a stash of Membership Rewards points or cash-back, it’s time to redeem. Redemption time is when you discover the real value of your rewards.

Here are the options you’ll have to redeem your rewards:

Membership Rewards points earned on the Amex Gold card can have a variable value based on your redemption choice.

The best potential value for your Membership Rewards points may be realized by transferring points to Amex airline (or hotel) partners. JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, and ANA are just a few of Amex’s airline transfer partners offering value, but you’ll find several valuable redemption ideas for premium flights in our article on the topic.

Cash-back earned on the Capital One Savor card has a fixed value of 1 cent at redemption time. If you have a card that earns Capital One miles, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can transfer cash-back rewards to that card. This will allow you to utilize Capital One’s airline or hotel partners available and receive potentially greater value for your rewards.

Travel Protections and Benefits

We could all use the peace of mind and economic relief travel protections can provide if something goes wrong during a trip. Travel benefits can save you money or make your trip more comfortable.

Here are the travel protections and benefits the Amex Gold card and Capital One Savor card have in common and a list of protections and benefits unique to each card:

Amex Gold Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Trip Delay — If your trip is delayed 12 hours or more, you could receive reimbursement for eligible incidentals and lodging, up to $300.
• Baggage Insurance — Receive up to $1,250 for damaged, lost, or stolen carry-on, up to $500 for checked baggage.
• The Hotel Collection Benefits — Book and pay for your 2-night stay, or longer, with your card, and receive elite-style benefits. Benefits include a $100 onside experience credit and an upgraded room, when available.

Capital One Savor Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption — If your trip needs to be canceled or is disrupted for a covered reason, you could receive up to $1,500 per trip.
• Roadside Dispatch — Pay just 1 low prearranged price for a service call and receive limited towing, standard winching, free fuel delivery, lockout service, changing of an inflated space, and jumpstart service.
• Uber One Membership — In addition to earning 10% cash-back on Uber rides and Uber Eats, cardholders will receive a complimentary Uber One membership through November 14, 2024.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Shopping protections can help if something goes wrong with an eligible purchase you make with your card. Purchases including computers, cell phones, watches, household appliances, and outdoor equipment are just some examples of items that may be covered.

Shopping benefits can save you money on your purchase or allow you to earn bonus rewards.

Here are the shopping benefits and protections both the Amex Gold card and Capital One Savor card have in common. We’ve also listed the additional benefits that come with each card:

Amex Gold Card — Additional Shopping Protections and Benefits

• Monthly Dining Credit — Each month, you could receive up to $10 in statement credits, up to $120 each year for qualifying purchases. Earn credits on purchases at Goldbelly, Grubhub, Milk Bar, The Cheesecake Factory, participating Shake Shack locations, and Wine.com.
• Monthly Uber Cash Credit — Register your card in your Uber account and receive $10 in Uber Cash each month, up to $120 each year, deposited into your Uber account wallet. Uber Cash can be used for Uber rides and Uber Eats in the U.S.

Capital One Savor Card — Additional Shopping Protections and Benefits

• Price Protection — If you find that an eligible item purchased with your card is advertised for less within 120 days after purchase, you could receive up to $250 per item. There is a limit of 4 claims each 12-month period.

It’s worth noting that we have not listed every protection or benefit on the Amex Gold card and the Capital One Savor card, only key ones for comparison purposes. We’ve also abbreviated the descriptions and not included applicable terms and conditions. You’ll want to access each card’s Guide to Benefits for complete information.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

A card’s annual fee should be considered to ensure you’ll receive enough benefits from a card to offset that fee. The Amex Gold card has an annual fee of $250, and the Capital One Savor card has a fee of $95 (rates & fees).

Authorized users can help you earn rewards faster. When adding authorized users to the Amex Gold card, there is no charge for up to 5 additional users. For additional authorized users beyond 5, there is a fee of $35 for each user. There is no additional fee to add authorized users to the Capital One Savor card (rates & fees).

Final Thoughts

If cash-back is a priority for you, consider the Capital One Savor card. It earns well on several everyday purchases, including dining, supermarkets, select streaming, entertainment, and Uber. Plus, it has a low annual fee.

If you prefer to redeem your rewards for travel, the Amex Gold card is the stronger card and could prove to be a better fit. You’ll earn comparable rates as the Capital One Savor card on dining and at supermarkets, but you’ll also be able to earn on select travel purchases and redeem your points for travel. Membership Rewards points can also provide more potential value at redemption time than fixed-rate cash-back.

There is the issue of a higher annual fee with the Amex Gold card. This should be fine if you can use the monthly dining and Uber Cash credits.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for eligible persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a common carrier vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York state residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered Trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the purchase protection benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip delay insurance coverage benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, up to $300 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. 

For the extended warranty benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.