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Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards review: Build credit, earn unlimited rewards on dining & streaming

The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is the perfect partner for students eager to earn cash back on everyday purchases. With no annual fee, an easy-to-earn welcome bonus, and impressive rewards on dining, entertainment, and groceries, this card makes it easy for students to optimize their spending — and stretch their budgets with perks — while building their credit.

  • Annual fee
    $0
  • Welcome offer
    Earn a $50 cash bonus after spending $100 on purchases within the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Student, Cash-back, Dining
  • Purchase APR
    19.74% - 29.74% variable
  • Recommended credit score
    No credit history required
  • Rewards rate
    • 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
    • 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)
    • 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad

How to earn rewards

You’ll earn 1% cash back on all purchases, and there’s no limit to the rewards you can earn with the Savor Student Cash Rewards card. However, balance transfers and cash advances don’t earn cash back.

To sweeten the deal, you’ll get an additional 2% (for a total of 3% cash back) in some appealing categories — dining, entertainment, and streaming services — and on most grocery purchases.

Read more: How to get a credit card for the first time

How to redeem rewards

This Capital One card gives you multiple options for redeeming rewards.

  • Redeem for cash. You can redeem your awards as a statement credit into a connected Paypal account or receive a written check from Capital One.

  • Cover your purchases. This option allows you to offset recent purchases with your earned rewards.

  • Get gift cards. Use your earned rewards on certain types of gift cards.

Rewards don’t expire as long as you have an open account, and there’s no minimum to meet before you can cash in rewards.

Additional benefits

The primary benefits of the Capital One Savor Student card are the welcome bonus and 3% cash back, but it also offers many other perks:

  • No annual fee

  • Travel accident insurance

  • Extended warranty protection

  • $0 fraud liability

  • Access to exclusive travel and events only available through Capital One

  • No foreign transaction fees

  • Capital One Shopping tool to find available discounts

  • 24-hour travel assistance and concierge services

Who is the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Card best for?

You must be a college student enrolled in a four-year university, community college, or other higher education institution to qualify for the Savor Student Cash Rewards Card. Its rewards are tailored to common spending categories for college students, but to really maximize the cash back dining, grocery, or entertainment purchases should be a regular part of your budget.

This card is also a great option for students without much credit history. As a starter credit card, it’s qualification requirements are more relaxed than more premium cards. With responsible usage and regular on-time payments, a student credit card like the Savor can help you build credit.

Read more: What is a student credit card, and how do you pick one?

Capital One Savor Student Cash pros

  • Solid cash-back rewards in popular categories

  • Easily attainable welcome bonus

  • No annual fee

  • No foreign transaction fees

Capital One Savor Student Cash cons

  • High variable APR makes carrying a balance expensive

  • No intro APR available

  • Higher cash-back rate is limited in some categories — grocery purchases made at superstores like Target and Walmart are not eligible, for example

Where can you use the Savor Student Cash Rewards card?

This card can be used anywhere that accepts Mastercard, making it widely accepted in the United States and worldwide. The card also has no foreign transaction fees.

How to make a Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card payment

  • Online: Log in to your Capital One account through the website and select “Make a Payment.” You can pay by connecting a bank account and choosing the amount you want to pay. You can schedule up to three payments at a time or enroll in automatic payments.

  • Mail:
    Capital One
    Attn: Payment Processing
    PO Box 71083
    Charlotte, NC 28272-1083

  • Phone: 1-800-227-4825

  • Mobile app: Via the Capital One app for iOS and Android

Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards customer service info

Alternative cards to consider

If the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card isn’t quite right for you, here are a few other options that can help you build credit.

Read more: Best student credit cards

Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card

Why we like it: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is perfect for students wanting to build credit with an easy-to-manage credit line. The card offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase and the ability to turn the security deposit into a statement credit with regular on-time payments.

Recommended credit score: No credit history required

Discover it® Student Cash Back Credit Card

Why we like it: The Discover it Student Cash Back Card offers an unlimited cash-back match for all rewards earned during the first year, 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories, and an introductory 0% APR for the first six months.

Recommended credit score: No credit history required

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Why we like it: The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no annual or foreign transaction fees. Check out our full review of the card.

Recommended credit score: No credit history required

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn


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