Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Two of the most popular Capital One mid-tier cards are the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. Both cards charge a modest $95 annual fee, but both cards have earning rates and benefits that make the fee worth paying.
Despite their same annual fees, these are two very different cards. The Savor is a cash-back card, while the Venture is a travel rewards card. Which card is better for you will depend on your spending habits and rewards preferences.
Let’s take a closer look at their features to decide which card is a better fit for your lifestyle and spending.
Related: Cash-back vs. travel rewards: How to choose a credit card
The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card 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 Venture vs. Capital One Savor comparison
| Capital One Venture | Capital One Savor | |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening | Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within three months from account opening |
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| Earning rates | 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2 miles per dollar on all other purchases |
10% back on Uber and Uber Eats (through Nov. 14, 2024)
5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services 3% at grocery stores 1% on all other purchases |
| Benefits | Two complimentary Capital One or Plaza Premium lounge visits per year
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100) every four years Access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining Auto rental collision damage waiver Travel accident insurance Extended warranty |
Complimentary Uber One membership (through Nov. 14, 2024)
Access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining Extended warranty Travel accident insurance |
Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture welcome bonus
Currently, the Capital One Savor is offering a welcome bonus of $300 after you spend $3,000 in your first three months of account opening.
The Capital One Venture (see rates and fees), meanwhile, is currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 in your first three months from account opening. TPG values Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,388.
Winner: Capital One Venture. It has a higher spending requirement, but its bonus is worth more than four times the welcome offer on the Savor.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular Capital One cards based on offer history
Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture benefits
Cash-back cards aren’t known for offering extensive benefits, and the Capital One Savor is no exception. Still, it comes with some decent ones:
- Complimentary Uber One membership through Nov. 14, 2024
- Access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining
- Extended warranty
- Travel accident insurance
While it has a shorter list of benefits, the Uber One membership is worth $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, so this perk alone can make the $95 annual fee worth paying.
As a travel rewards card, the Capital One Venture (see rates and fees) comes with a longer list of travel benefits:
- Two visits per year to Capital One or Plaza Premium lounges
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100) every four years
- Access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining
- Auto rental insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Extended warranty
One Capital One Lounge visit ordinarily costs $65, so your two complimentary visits alone are a perk valuable enough to make the annual fee worth paying.
Winner: Venture. Its travel benefits are more valuable than those you’ll get with the Savor.
Related: The best cards for airport lounge access
Earning rewards on the Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture
The Capital One Savor has some impressive bonus categories:
- 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases (through Nov. 14, 2024)
- 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 4% back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services
- 3% back at grocery stores
- 1% back on all other purchases
This is a great earning structure if you want to earn cash-back rewards on everyday purchases. However, if you spend much of your budget on general travel or non-bonus spending, you’ll do better with a different card.
The Capital One Venture (see rates and fees), on the other hand, earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other spending.
If you hold both cards, the cash back earned on the Savor card can convert to Venture Miles. That means you could earn 10 miles per dollar spent on Uber and Uber Eats, 4 miles on dining, entertainment and streaming, and 3 miles at the grocery store. Then, you could use your Venture card for all travel and non-bonused spending. These cards are a great combination.
Winner: Tie. If most of your spending falls in the Savor’s bonus categories, it’s your better option. But if you spend more on purchases outside those categories, the Venture is your better earner.
Related: Flat rate vs. bonus category credit cards
Redeeming rewards with the Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture
Since the Capital One Savor is a cash-back card, your simplest redemption option is for cash-back as a statement credit or check. You can also redeem your rewards for gift cards or donate them to charity.
The Capital One Venture (see rates and fees), on the other hand, earns Capital One miles and gives you a wider range of redemption options. To get the most value, you can transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s 18 hotel and airline partners. You can also redeem them for travel by booking through Capital One Travel at a rate of 1 cent per point or for a statement credit toward travel spending at the same value.
Less valuable redemption options include redeeming your miles for gift cards or using them to pay when you shop through Amazon, PayPal or Capital One Entertainment at a rate of 0.8 cents per point and for cash-back at an abysmal rate of 0.5 cents per point.
However, if you hold both cards, you can combine your rewards and unlock the best redemption options for each. This would mean that if you want to redeem your rewards for travel, you could transfer the rewards from your Savor card to Capital One’s transfer partners. Similarly, if you wanted to redeem them for cash, you could redeem your miles from the Venture at the Savor’s higher rate of 1 cent per point.
Winner: Venture. It gives you the more valuable redemption option of transferring your miles to airline and hotel partners.
Related: How to redeem Capital One miles for maximum value
Transferring rewards with the Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Venture
With the Capital One Venture, you can transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s 18 hotel and airline partners, including valuable options like Avianca LifeMiles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
TPG senior credit cards editor Matt Moffitt especially loves to transfer his miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to get great deals on business-class flights to Europe and to British Airways Executive Club to book nonstop domestic flights on American Airlines.
Again, the Capital One Savor is a cash-back card alone, but you can unlock the full range of Capital One transfer options by pairing it with a card that earns Capital One miles.
Related: How long do Capital One transfers take?
Should I get the Capital One Savor or the Capital One Venture?
The Capital One Savor is your better option if you’re focused on earning cash-back rewards on everyday spending. But if you want more travel perks and to earn transferable miles, you’ll want to go with the Capital One Venture (see rates and fees).
If you like what these cards offer but can’t justify their annual fees, you may want to consider their no-annual-fee versions. The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) earns 3% cash-back in the same bonus categories as the Savor, and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) earns 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases.
Related: The best Capital One cards
Bottom line
Whether the Capital One Savor or the Capital One Venture is a better fit for you depends on your spending habits and rewards goals.
If you want the versatility of cash-back rewards and spend most of your budget on everyday expenses, you’ll get great value with the Capital One Savor. If, however, you want travel benefits and spend more money on non-bonus spending, the Capital One Venture is your winner.
Of course, no rule says you have to choose. You can get both cards and benefit from their complementary earning structures and wide range of redemption options. No matter what you decide, you’ll have excellent earning potential with either (or both) of these cards.
For more details, please see our full reviews of the Capital One Savor and Capital One Venture Rewards.
Apply here: Capital One Venture 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
Additional reporting by Katie Genter.
