Why I recommend the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Editor's Note
As a young adult and student who writes and talks about credit cards nonstop, I often get many questions about their significance and value from my peers. Typically, I first explain the lasting benefits of building credit. Applying for your first credit card at a young age allows you to establish your credit history early, giving it more years to mature.
The length of credit history makes up 15% of your FICO score, a pretty significant portion that can be easily strengthened by establishing credit early in life. And if you later apply for a loan or mortgage, you will likely benefit from a higher credit score by having a longer credit history.
I am often asked, “What is the best card to apply for?” For college-aged students, my reply is usually the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. While this card frequently flies under the radar for students compared to the Discover it® Student Cash Back Card, here is why I recommend the student version of the classic Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
The information for the Discover it Student Cash Back 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.
Related: The best credit cards for college students
Great everyday spending rewards categories
Compared to the lack of rewards offered by debit cards, students are often thrilled to get 1% back on their purchases with a credit card. While I always advise trying to get at least 2% back on purchases — which is easily achievable with cards like the Citi Double Cash® Card (1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off; see rates and fees) — some people with limited credit histories may not be approved for a card with a higher earning rate.
Comparatively, the Savor Student card offers unlimited 3% cash back on dining, groceries (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), entertainment and popular streaming services, which is almost unheard of for student credit cards and is better than many nonstudent cards. As a student, I know that most of my budget goes toward restaurants and activities, which perfectly match these categories. Additionally, the card offers 1% cash back on purchases that do not fall within these categories.
Dining includes everything from fancy restaurants to the fast-food drive-through at midnight. Additionally, entertainment covers football games, other event tickets and even playing a round of golf. Add in grocery store purchases and streaming services, and I can imagine that many students with this card would earn 3% back on the majority of their day-to-day spending.
Related: Credit vs. debit cards: Which is the smarter choice?
Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
The TPG community loves a good welcome bonus, especially thousands of points with one new card. However, these welcome bonuses can be out of reach for many students since they sometimes require $5,000 or more in spending within three months.
The bonus for the Savor Student card is much more attainable. This card offers a $50 cash bonus after spending $100 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Related: Credit card welcome bonuses you can earn with $1,000 or less in spending
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
The last thing a student wants to worry about with expensive tuition and a tight budget is paying an annual fee. Luckily, the Savor Student has no annual fee, making it easy to continue earning rewards without a yearly fee.
Additionally, you won't incur any foreign transaction fees when you use the card. This means that when studying abroad in Europe or on spring break in Mexico, you won't need to worry about fees being added to every purchase you make.
No foreign transaction fees are a great and less common benefit among credit cards with no annual fees, let alone on a card for individuals with less credit history. This should not be ignored.
Related: Foreign transaction fees: Everything you need to know
Easy-to-use rewards
Some credit cards make it difficult to redeem their rewards, but this is not the case for the Savor Student card. For starters, rewards do not expire for the life of the account. Rewards can be redeemed for cash, used directly against your balance to reimburse a recent purchase from your bill or redeemed for travel using the Capital One Travel portal.
Down the road, once a longer credit history has been established — and one has a higher credit score — adding another Capital One credit card, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, would allow students to convert their cash-back rewards to miles.
These miles can then be transferred to one of the card’s 15-plus airline or hotel partners to book travel. This method may require more effort, but it can increase the value of the rewards, as TPG's October 2024 valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.85 cents compared to the 1-cent cash back on the Savor Student card.
Related: Cashing in Capital One miles? How to get the maximum value when redeeming miles
Bottom line
The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is an excellent all-around card. Its bonus categories perfectly match many students’ spending habits and rival nonstudent cards for individuals with a more developed credit score.
In addition to no annual or foreign exchange fees and an easy-to-earn welcome bonus, this card comes with some of the typical benefits you may not find on debit cards. These include $0 fraud liability on unauthorized charges, extended warranty protection and price protection.
In order to start building credit, I always advise students to apply for their first card as early as possible (after making sure they know how to handle a credit card responsibly), and my pick for their first card is the Savor Student card.
Related: 8 things you should know before applying for a credit card in college
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.