Capital One Venture Card vs. Capital One Savor Card [Detailed Comparison]

Updated: April 16, 2024, 2:55pm CDT

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Capital One Venture Card vs. Capital One Savor Card [Detailed Comparison]

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First-time credit card applicants may be drawn to credit card issuer Capital One due to the wide variety of cards the company offers, the simplicity of the card structures, and the fact that the issuer has a card option for every credit rating.

For our comparison today, we’ve selected 2 of the most popular mid-tier Capital One cards. These cards are designed for consumers with excellent credit who want to earn rewards on every purchase they make.

However, that’s where the similarity ends when comparing the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card. Each of our featured cards has its own earning and redemption structure, and as a result, one could prove to be a better fit depending on your spending mix and redemption priorities.

Join us as we dig deeper into the attributes of these 2 Capital One cards and compare how the cards earn rewards, your options at redemption time, and the benefits you can expect to receive on each card.

Capital One Venture Card vs. Capital One Savor Card — Overview

Before we dive into the details of our 2 featured cards, we’ll compare them side-by-side to help you sort out the best features and benefits of both cards.

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	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.	Earn $300 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning Rewards	5x miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other purchases	10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats, plus a complimentary Uber One membership through 11/14/2024 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cards book through Capital One Travel 4% cash-back on dining, entertainment, and select streaming services 3% cash-back at grocery stores 1% cash-back on all other purchases
Redemption Options	Transfer miles to airline and hotel partner programs to purchase award flights, free hotel nights Purchase travel via Capital One with miles worth 1 cent each Shop at Amazon, redeem via PayPal, redeem for gift cards, or statement credits	Redeem rewards for a check or statement credit
Travel Benefits and Protections	Lost and damaged luggage reimbursement Travel assistance services Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement of up to $100 every 4 to 5 years	Emergency Card Replacement No foreign transaction fees
Shopping Benefits and Protections	Purchase assurance Capital One Offers	Capital One Offers
Annual Fee	$95 (rates & fees)	$95

The Value of a Welcome Bonus

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome OfferEnjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros

5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)
Access to Capital One transfer partners

Cons

$95 annual fee (rates & fees)
Limited elite benefits

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

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

Welcome OfferEarn 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

Excellent (740-850)

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

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

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

You’ll have a unique opportunity after card approval to secure an initial welcome bonus worth hundreds of dollars with either of our featured cards.

The Capital One Venture card has a generous bonus after completing the minimum spending requirements in the first 3 months after card approval. We value Capital One miles around 1.8 cents each, but at redemption time they could be worth more if you utilize the option to transfer miles to travel partners. We’ll elaborate on this option shortly.

The Capital One Savor card offers a cash-back bonus after completing spending requirements in the first 3 months after card approval.

Welcome offers do change, so be sure to confirm the current offer before submitting an application. We’ve provided a snapshot above of the current offers for each of our featured cards.

Bottom Line: If you can complete the minimum spending requirement in the first 3 months after card approval, the Capital One Venture card offers a superior welcome bonus over the Capital One Savor card.

Earning Rewards

Couple with menu — With the right rewards card, every purchase you make can earn rewards. Image Credit: cottonbro via Pexels

Every purchase you make with either of our featured cards will earn rewards. Let’s take a closer look at how the cards differ when it comes to the level of rewards you’ll earn on each purchase.

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Capital One Venture Card	Capital One Savor Card
5x miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel 2x miles on every purchase	10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment 5% cash-back on Capital One Travel 4% cash-back on dining, entertainment, and select streaming services 3% cash-back at grocery stores 1% cash-back on all other purchases

If you spend a lot on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and at grocery stores, you’ll likely come out ahead with the Capital One Savor card. If your spending mix is mostly in categories other than those bonus categories, the Capital One Venture card may be the better earning card for your situation.

For example, if you spent $20,000 each year in 4% cash-back categories on the Capital One Savor card, you would earn $800 in cash-back, but only $720 worth of Capital One miles on the Capital One Venture card (using a value of 1.8 cents per mile).

If, however, your greatest spending is at gas stations, on school tuition, or other non-bonus categories, you may fare better with the Capital One Venture card at 2x miles per dollar spent on those (and all other purchases) versus 1% cash-back on the Capital One Savor card.

Bottom Line: The better card for earning rewards will depend on your spending mix. If you spend a lot on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and at grocery stores, the Capital One Savor card may offer greater earnings. If your greatest expenses are in other categories, you could fare better with the Capital One Venture card.

Redemption Options

Paris France Eiffel Tower — Whether you want to use rewards for travel or you’d rather earn cash-back, there’s a Capital One card to fit your preferences. Image Credit: Elina Sazonova via Pexels

When it comes time to redeem your hard-earned rewards, you’ll want to select an option that delivers the best value and matches your preferences. Here are the choices for redeeming rewards earned on our featured cards, in order of the best potential value:

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Capital One Venture Card

Capital One Savor Card

Transfer miles to airline or hotel loyalty programs to purchase award flight tickets or hotel stays
Redeem for travel via Capital One Travel for 1 cent per mile in value
Shop at Amazon, redeem via PayPal, purchase gift cards, or request a statement credit (may result in less than 1 cent per point)

Redeem miles for a check or statement credit
Use miles for shopping at Amazon, redeem via PayPal, or purchase gift cards (may result in less value than a check or statement credit)

If you want to redeem your rewards for travel, the Capital One Venture card would be the better card option as you have several choices to receive 1 cent in value, or better, for each mile redeemed. You may also receive greater value when transferring miles to travel partners, a travel redemption option you won’t have with the Capital One Savor card.

Bottom Line: The best value for miles earned on the Capital One Venture card may be realized by transferring miles to airline frequent flyer programs. For the Capital One Savor card, you’ll receive full value when requesting a check or statement credit.

Travel Benefits and Protections

Car driving near ocean — You won’t pay extra for the travel benefits and protections that come complimentary with your card. Image Credit: Simon via Pexels

Both of our featured cards come with useful travel benefits and protections. But because the cards are issued by different networks, coverages will vary depending on whether your card is a Mastercard or Visa. Fortunately, you’ll enjoy worldwide acceptance with either card.

Here is an overview of the travel benefits and protections you can expect with both cards:

Travel Assistance Services – Available 24/7 to help connect you with local emergency and assistance resources when you’re away from home

This is just an overview of some of the key travel benefits and protections and not an all-inclusive list. The actual benefit and protection descriptions, limits, terms, and conditions will be spelled out in each card’s Guide to Benefits.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

Shopping benefits and protections can save you money or provide coverage should you experience a covered loss to an eligible item purchased with your card. Here are some of the coverages you can expect to find on our featured cards.

Purchase Assurance* – Eligible purchases made with your card are replaced, repaired or reimbursed if a covered loss occurs within the first 90 days of purchase
Capital One Offers — Log in to your account and click through Capital One Offers for cash-back on purchases at select retailers.

Additionally, the Capital One Savor card comes with price protection coverage:

Price Protection — Purchase a qualifying item with your card and if you find the item advertised for less within 120 days from the date of purchase, you could receive up to $250 per item. There is a limit of 4 claims for each 12-month period.

Bottom Line: While both of our featured cards come with purchase assurance, and Capital One Offers, the Capital One Savor card comes with hard-to-find price protection.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

It’s recommended that you have an excellent credit score (generally 740 to 850) to qualify for either of our featured cards. Capital One defines excellent as “have never declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan, not been more than 60 days late on any credit card, loan, or medical bill in the last year, and have had a loan or credit card for 3 years or more with a credit limit above $5,000.”

Fortunately, you can find out in advance if you may be targeted for a Capital One credit card offer by utilizing the CardMatch tool. This risk-free tool is easy to use, requires minimal information, and there’s no hard inquiry done on your credit report. You’ll know immediately if you have card offers available to you.

Capital One also offers its own risk-free inquiry tool, but it does require you to submit a lot more information.

These pre-qualification tools do not guarantee that you will be approved for a card but do give you an idea of which cards you’re likely to be approved for.

Prior to applying for any card, you’ll want to obtain a (free) copy of your credit report to find out where you stand and to check it for any potential errors.

You may also find value in reviewing this article on the pre-qualification process and how to find card offers.

Bottom Line: Capital One recommends you have excellent credit to qualify for the Capital One Venture card or the Capital One Savor card. Use the CardMatch tool or Capital One pre-qualification tool to see if you have card offers available to you prior to submitting a card application and review your credit report for accuracy.

Alternative Cards To Consider

You’ll generally need excellent credit to qualify for either of our featured cards. With excellent credit, you’ll be in a position to have choices when it comes to rewards-earning cards.

While either of our featured cards may be a good choice for your situation, here are 2 additional recommended rewards cards, for comparison, that require excellent credit.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

POPULAR FIRST CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros

5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide
$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt

Cons

$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

We like that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with a generous welcome bonus and that the card earns valuable and flexible Ultimate Rewards points. Additionally, when you redeem points for travel via the Chase travel portal, your points will be worth 25% more. You can also transfer points to the Chase airline and hotel transfer partners for even greater potential value.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is also one of the best cards for travel benefits including primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption, luggage insurance, and more. Read more about the associated travel insurance benefits of the card.

American Express^® Gold Card

BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

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 OfferEarn 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

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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

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

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

If your spending centers more around everyday purchases such as those made at U.S. supermarkets or at restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.), you’ll find rewards will add up quickly with the Amex Gold card.

This dual-purpose card is also great for earning Amex Membership Rewards points on travel purchases. Membership Rewards points, in turn, can be redeemed for travel or transferred to airline or hotel partners for the possibility of greater value.

Hot Tip: Learn more about these 2 popular cards in our detailed comparison of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Amex Gold card.

Final Thoughts

If you travel and prefer a card that earns rewards you can redeem for travel purchases, the Capital One Venture card may be the better choice of our 2 featured cards.

The Capital One Savor card, however, is an excellent everyday spending card that helps you earn cash-back quickly. If you spend a lot in everyday categories such as dining out, groceries, entertainment, and streaming services, you could fare better with this card.

The better of the 2 cards for you will, of course, depend on your spending mix, redemption preferences, and which benefits you will be able to utilize.

If you own a business, regardless of size, you may also want to explore some of the best business cards Capital One has to offer.

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.

The information regarding the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, the Capital One Venure card or the Capital One Savor card?

The better card for you will depend on your spending mix. If you spend a lot on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and at grocery stores, the Capital One Savor card could offer higher earnings.

If your greatest spending is in other categories and you want a good-value redemption option for travel, the Capital One Venture card could be the better choice.

Regardless of which card you select, you’ll have worldwide acceptance with Visa and Mastercard networks.

Is the Capital One Venture card a Mastercard or Visa?

The Capital One Venture card is a Visa Signature card and therefore comes with several Visa Signature benefits such as car rental insurance, Luxury Hotel Collection benefits, and more.

Which is better, cash-back or Capital One miles?

The better rewards structure for you will depend on your redemption preferences.

Cash-back rewards are simple to redeem and it is possible to receive 1 cent in value for 1 cent in rewards earned. Some redemption options for your cash-back will yield less than 1 cent in value.

Capital One miles may have greater potential value when transferred to frequent flyer programs and used to purchase award ticket flights. There are several travel redemption options for your miles that yield 1 cent per mile or greater.

If you travel, you may want to earn and redeem miles. If you rarely travel, you may prefer cash-back.

Can I redeem Capital One miles for flights?

Capital One miles are not frequent flyer miles and cannot be redeemed directly with an airline for flights. Capital One miles are more like flexible points that can be transferred to airline and hotel partner loyalty programs and then redeemed for award flights or hotel nights.

You also have the option to purchase travel using your Capital One miles via Capital One Travel.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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