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Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Review: Big Bonus Cash Back for No Annual Fee

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
Nathan Alderman
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation.

For college students who go out often, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) could be a winner. It offers bonus rewards on dining and entertainment purchases, along with several other useful perks. Read our full Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card review to see if it's a fit for you.

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair (300-669)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Fair (300-669)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases. Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply. Earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal.

1%-8% cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months

Earn $50 Cash Back

  • One of the top student credit cards, with no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and rewards that go toe to toe with just about any card.

    • Competitive cash back rewards
    • No annual fee
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • Sign-up bonus
    • Purchase and travel coverage
    • No intro APR offer
    • Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
    • Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
    • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
    • Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
    • Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
    • Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
    • Earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal
    • Build your credit with responsible card use
    • Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for cash back on rotating categories
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for cash rewards on everyday spending
$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for unlimited rewards on purchases
25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5-3 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Full Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Students who often spend on dining, entertainment, groceries, and/or streaming services.

Top perks

Some student cards are light on perks, but that's not the case with this one.

Earn $50 sign-up bonus

As a new cardmember, you can earn Earn $50 once you spend $100 on purchases in the first three months. It's not the biggest sign-up bonus, but it's a nice perk for a student credit card, and it's easy to earn. (See rates and fees.)

Competitive cash back rewards

The best top student credit cards offer rewards, but this Capital One card takes it to another level. It earns an impressive cash back rate of 3% in the following bonus categories:

  • Dining
  • Entertainment
  • Popular streaming services
  • Grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart or Target)

Whether you go out to eat or buy groceries and cook at home, you'll earn plenty of cash back. Those aren't the only bonus categories, either. It also earns:

  • 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
  • 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

Other purchases earn the standard rate of 1% cash back. These aren't just great cash back rates for a student card. They're up there with what the very best cash back credit cards offer.

SEE MORE: Best Cash Back Credit Cards

No annual fee

The last thing you need when you're in college is more bills. No annual fee cards like this one are a good choice because you don't need to pay anything extra to keep them open. You can use this card while you're in college and keep it open in the years to come, which can also help your credit score.

No foreign transaction fee

Capital One credit cards don't charge a foreign transaction fee. Many credit and debit cards tack on a fee for transactions processed outside the United States. The typical fee amount is 3%, so you'll definitely want a card without this type of fee if you study abroad or go on any international vacations.

MORE OPTIONS: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards

Purchase and travel coverage

One of the nice things about quality credit cards is the extra protections they offer. With this student credit card from Capital One, you get:

  • Extended warranty: Additional warranty protection at no charge on eligible items purchased with your credit card.
  • Travel accident insurance: Automatic insurance for a covered loss at no charge when you use your credit card to purchase your fare.

What could be improved

There aren't any major issues with this card, but it has a drawback worth knowing about.

No intro APR offer

Some credit cards, including select student cards, have a 0% intro APR. The APR on a credit card is the interest rate. If a card has a 0% intro APR on purchases, it means you can pay off what you buy over that intro period interest free.

The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn't have any kind of introductory APR offer. It's not a good choice for paying off purchases over time, because you'll be charged interest right away. If you need some time to pay back a large expense, like books or tuition, check out more credit card reviews for one with this benefit.

RELATED: How Credit Card Interest Works

Suggested credit score

As a student credit card, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card has no minimum credit score requirement. Student cards are designed for young adults just starting to build credit.

This doesn't mean approval is guaranteed. Capital One will consider many factors, including your finances and any credit history you have, to evaluate your application.

SEE MORE: Best Starter Credit Cards

The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is right for you if:

You're a college student and you want to earn cash back while building your credit. The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the best options for cash rewards. It has a high rate across several everyday spending categories and no annual fee, making it a great value for practically any student.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • Yes. You must be currently enrolled, or admitted and planning to enroll in the next three months, at a college or university to qualify for the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.

  • Yes, any credit card can build credit, including the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. For the best results, use your card every month, don't let the balance get too high, and always pay the bill on time. It's also a good idea to pay the bill in full to avoid interest charges.