Key takeaways
- When it comes to earning cash back on popular spending categories, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® are strong choices.
- The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card could be a better long-term fit for people who spend heavily on outings and entertainment.
- The Chase Freedom Unlimited, on the other hand, has a stronger welcome bonus and rewards rate for 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®. While the Savor will allow you to earn more cash back on groceries and entertainment-related purchases, the Freedom Unlimited focuses on offering a competitive flat rate on general purchases.
Here’s everything you need to know about what these rewards credit cards offer:
Main details
| Capital One Savor Cash Rewards | 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% cash back on Lyft purchases (through March 2025) 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases 1.5% back on all other purchases |
| Welcome bonus | Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within 3 months of account opening | Earn an extra 1.5% on top of your regular rewards rates on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent) in the first year — worth up to $300 cash back. |
| 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 at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR. |
0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then 19.74% – 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 |
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.
Welcome bonus winner
-
The Capital One Savor allows you to earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, which is a solid welcome bonus that should be easy for cardholders to reach.
However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited wins this category because its welcome bonus has a higher earning potential of $300. The Chase Freedom Unlimited allows you to earn an extra 1.5 percent on top of your regular rewards rates on everything you buy in the first year of card ownership — although there’s a spending limit of $20,000. So for the first year, you’d earn:
- 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 4.5% on dining and drugstores
- 3% on all other purchases
Although you won’t earn your welcome bonus until the end of the year, you could still wind up netting a higher payout by $100 than you would with the Savor — but keep in mind that you’ll have to charge $20,000 to the card over the course of the year to do it. That would break down to around $1,667 a month.
Rewards rate winner
-
The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers a significantly higher cash back rate on “everything else,” which are purchases that don’t qualify 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.
The Savor, though, offers 3 percent cash back for 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, 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.
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 — and if they own additional eligible Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, they can combine and potentially boost their rewards value by 25 or 50 percent through the Chase TravelSM.
Annual fee winner
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Neither Capital One Savor Cash Rewards nor Chase Freedom Unlimited charge annual fees, so potential cardholders can’t go wrong with either one.
Foreign transaction fee winner
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Like all Capital One cards, the Savor waives foreign transaction fees. The Freedom Unlimited, however, charges a 3 percent transaction fee for purchases made overseas or from foreign websites that involve 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 | $300 | $9 | $4.50 |
| Streaming | $50 | $1.50 | $0.75 |
| Travel (through the 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 | $769.20 | |
| Annual cash back total (2nd year and beyond) | $536.40 | $469.20 |
As you can see in this spending example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited comes out ahead in the first year thanks to its first-year welcome offer, but the Savor provides slightly higher rewards in the long run.
Of course, if you spend a lot more on miscellaneous purchases 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 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 for this year to see if another option better suits your needs.
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