Key takeaways
- When it comes to earning cash back on popular spending categories, such as dining and travel, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® are both strong choices.
- The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card could be a better long-term fit for people who spend heavily on groceries and entertainment.
- The Chase Freedom Unlimited, on the other hand, has a stronger rewards rate for drugstores miscellaneous spending.
- Before you decide between the two cards, be sure to consider the long-term value of each.
You have tons of options for earning cash back on key spending categories like dining, groceries and entertainment. Often, choosing a cash back credit card comes down to the rewards structure that best suits your spending habits.
In this battle, we’re looking at the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. The two cards offer the same rewards rate on dining and eligible travel booked through each issuer’s respective travel portals. But while the Savor will allow you to earn more cash back on groceries and entertainment-related purchases, the Freedom Unlimited offers better rewards on drugstore purchases as well as on miscellaneous spending.
Here’s everything you need to know about what these rewards credit cards offer:
Main details
|
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
|
|
Rewards rate |
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases • 5% back on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel • 3% back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) • 1% back on all other purchases |
• 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel • 3% back on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstore purchases • 2% back on eligible Lyft purchases (through Sept. 30, 2027) • 1.5% back on all other purchases |
|
Welcome bonus |
• Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, receive a $100 credit through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. |
• Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. |
|
Intro APR |
• 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then 19.24% – 29.24% Variable) • A 3 percent balance transfer fee applies on amounts transferred within the first 15 months. A 4 percent balance transfer fee applies to any balances transferred at a promotional APR at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Purchase APR. |
• 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then 18.99% – 28.49% Variable) • A 3 percent ($5 minimum) balance transfer fee applies to all balance transfers made within the first 60 days of card ownership. After that, the fee increases to 5% (minimum $5) |
|
Annual fee |
• $0 |
• $0 |
|
Foreign transaction fee |
• None |
• 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars |
How do the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards and Chase Freedom Unlimited compare?
Both of these no-annual-fee cards offer competitive rewards rates in popular spending categories — especially dining. But which one is best for you depends on other areas of your budget and how you like to earn.
-
The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Capital One Savor also has a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in 3 months, but sweetens the deal for a limited time with an additional $100 credit for Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. The Capital One Travel credit is automatically given to eligible cardholders, with no spending requirement to earn it, and can be applied to purchases through Capital One Travel at checkout. You can use the credit on a single purchase or spread it over multiple purchases, but you won’t earn rewards on the portion of the purchase the credit applies to. The credit will expire after the first year of account opening.
-
The Savor offers 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 3 percent cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart purchases), which are all popular spending categories. While the Freedom Unlimited also offers 3 percent cash back on dining and even throws in 3 percent cash back at drugstores and 2% cash back on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027), it notably lacks a grocery-specific category and doesn’t give any cash back for entertainment-related purchases. Those who do a lot of category spending will have more boosted rewards rates to work with if they get the Savor.
However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers a significantly higher cash back rate on “everything else,” which are purchases that don’t fall under any particular category (1.5 percent cash back compared to the Savor’s 1 percent). If you’re looking for a card to swipe everywhere you go, the Freedom Unlimited’s higher general rate makes it more lucrative.
Both cards offer 5% cash back on eligible purchases through each issuer’s respective travel portal (Capital One Travel and Chase Travel). However, eligible purchases that earn the 5% cash back rate with the Savor are limited to hotels and rental cars, while the Freedom Unlimited offers 5% cash back on all Chase Travel purchases.
It’s ultimately up to you, however, to decide which categories you’re most interested in since these cards have differing rewards structures. Concert fanatics who see shows every month, for example, would do well with the Savor’s 8 percent cash back on shows booked through the Capital One Entertainment portal, as well as those who spend a lot on groceries.On the other hand, consumers who do a variety of spending will reap solid rewards with the Freedom Unlimited’s 1.5 percent cash back on everyday purchases.
-
Neither Capital One Savor Cash Rewards nor Chase Freedom Unlimited charge annual fees, so potential cardholders can’t go wrong with either one.
-
Like all Capital One cards, the Savor waives foreign transaction fees. The Freedom Unlimited, however, charges a 3 percent transaction fee for purchases made abroad or involving a currency exchange.If you travel or buy items from overseas frequently, the Savor is the better pick.
Which card earns the most?
Both the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards and the Chase Freedom Unlimited are great for people who are constantly on the move and enjoy a night out. However, they have categories that they pull ahead in that can help determine which card is better for you.
Savor Cash Rewards vs. Freedom Unlimited spending example
The cash back you’ll earn will depend on your lifestyle. If you lean more toward miscellaneous spending, your rewards will look different from those who spend a bit more on entertainment and frequent the grocery store more often.
Here’s how much you stand to earn with each card, based on an entertainment-heavy spending profile of about $20,000 spent annually:
|
Spending category |
Monthly spend |
Savor cash back |
Freedom Unlimited cash back |
|
Dining |
$400 |
$12 |
$12 |
|
Groceries |
$250 |
$7.50 |
$3.75 |
|
Entertainment (not purchased through Capital One Entertainment) |
$300 |
$9 |
$4.50 |
|
Streaming |
$50 |
$1.50 |
$0.75 |
|
Travel (through each issuer’s portal) |
$200 |
$10* |
$10 |
|
Drugstore |
$70 |
$0.70 |
$2.10 |
|
Misc purchases |
$400 |
$4 |
$6 |
|
Monthly cash back total |
$44.70 |
$39.10 |
|
|
Annual cash back total (1st year, including max welcome bonus) |
$736.40 cash back + $100 in value from the Capital One Travel credit |
$669.20 |
|
|
Annual cash back total (2nd year and beyond) |
$536.40 |
$469.20 |
*Capital One travel portal spending that uses the Capital One travel credit does not earn points, so your cash back earnings will be slightly lower if you choose to apply the credit.
As you can see in this spending example, the Savor provides moderately higher rewards both in the first year and in the long run.
Of course, if you spend a lot more on miscellaneous purchases or drugstores and not as much in categories like entertainment or grocery spending, the Freedom Unlimited may pull ahead in terms of long-term value.
Why should you get the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card?
The Savor Cash Rewards is worth it for anyone who does a lot of spending at the grocery store, out at restaurants, on entertainment-related purchases and on travel. Here’s a look at some Savor features that may increase its value for you:
Why should you get the Chase Freedom Unlimited card?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth it for those interested in an all-purpose cash back credit card with specific rewards on dining, drugstores and travel. And for those who already own a Chase Ultimate Rewards points-earning card, its value can only grow.
The bottom line
Whether the Capital One Savor or the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers more value depends on your spending habits, lifestyle and goals. Before you make your decision, be sure to consider the long-term value of each card — and check out Bankrate’s list of the best cash back credit cards to see if another option better suits your needs.
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