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Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited: For Foodies, the Choice Is a No-Brainer

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Steven Porrello
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Steven is a personal finance writer covering topics from mortgages to credit cards to market news. He has written for The Motley Fool Canada, Ramsey Solutions, Nerdwallet, Clever Real Estate, and other major outlets. Steven launched his writing career at the age of four with his first book, "Revenge of the Bad Guys." He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

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The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are cash back cards that earn bonus rewards on many popular categories, like restaurants. Both cards come with generous welcome offers, 0% introductory APR periods, and no annual fees.

But while they share some perks, the Capital One SavorOne can help you save on groceries, while the Chase Freedom Unlimited® acts more like an all-purpose card. With that in mind, let's delve into the Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited® debate and see which is better for you.

Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited overview

As of Jun. 18, 2024
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Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Chase Freedom Unlimited®
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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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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Apply Now for Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

On Capital One's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit Rating Requirement: 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: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Credit Rating Requirement: 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: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

$200 Cash Back

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Up to $300 cash back

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024. Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment 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 1% cash back on all other purchases.

1%-10% cash back

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

1.5% - 5% cash back

Intro APR:

Purchases: 0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months (Balance Transfer Fee Applies)

Intro APR: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular APR:

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Regular APR:

20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Annual Fee:

$0

Annual Fee: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$0

Highlights:

  • Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases
  • Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
  • Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment 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
  • No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
  • 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • No annual fee

Highlights:

  • INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
  • Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
  • After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
  • No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
  • Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.
  • No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
  • Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
  • Member FDIC
Apply Now for Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

On Capital One's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Show More Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content Show Less Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content

Here's my personal experience with the Capital One SavorOne

I've been a cardholder of the Capital One SavorOne since 2021, and it remains one of my favorite cash back cards. I love how simple the rewards are -- a flat 3% back on food and entertainment -- and I'm a big fan of the 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats. The complimentary Uber One membership basically nullifies the delivery fees, which lets me order groceries through the app with an unbeatable 10% back.

Insider tip: You can get more value from your cash back by redeeming it for certain gift cards through Capital One. For example, you can get a $25 Apple or Uber Eats gift card for $22.50 of cash back.

Why Capital One SavorOne might be the ideal choice

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal for those who want a no-frills way to earn bonus cash back on food expenses, including groceries, dining out, take-out, and delivery. Its 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats is also unbeatable. Finally, it also earns 3% back on entertainment (8% on Capital One Entertainment), 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and a sweet $200 welcome bonus when you spend $500 within the first 3 months.

When Chase Freedom Unlimited could be the better option

Chase Freedom Unlimited® has one of the highest welcome bonuses of any no fee credit card: Up to $300 cash back within your card's first year. Although it doesn't earn extra cash back on groceries, it does earn 3% back on restaurants, drugstores, takeout, and eligible food delivery. It also has a strong base rate of 1.5%, which can capture any non-categorized or miscellaneous spending. This might make it a better all-purpose credit card than the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns 3% for general spending.

Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited comparison

Deciding between the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® really comes down to how you want to earn cash back. With that in mind, let's put these cards head to head and see how they compare.

Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited annual fee

Thankfully, neither credit card charges an annual fee. That said, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) comes out slightly ahead in that it doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. The Chase Freedom Unlimited®, however, has a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

Winner: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited welcome offer

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has a straightforward welcome offer. New cardholders can earn a $200 Cash Back bonus after they spend $500 in the first 3 months. This amount is pretty standard among the best cash back credit cards. Even so, if you want a quick bonus to snag, this could be low-hanging fruit.

In contrast, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® gives you an opportunity to earn up to $300 as a welcome bonus. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited intro APR

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) offers a 0% intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, the card will revert to its standard 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) APR. For balance transfers, you'll pay a fee of 3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time.

Likewise, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a 0% intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. For balance transfers, it charges 3% of the amount being transferred (or $5, whichever is greater) within 60 days of opening your account. After that, you'll pay: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Winner: Tied

Capital One SavorOne vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards

For foodies, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a no-brainer. This card's headliner perk is its 3% cash back rate on groceries, dining, takeout, and entertainment. It also earns 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats, plus gives you a complimentary Uber One membership through Nov. 14, 2024. In addition to food and entertainment, it also earns 8% back on Capital One Entertainment, 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 1% back on other purchases.

For its part, Chase Freedom Unlimited® also earns hefty cash back for dining out, though it lacks the same cash back bonus for groceries. The card earns 3% back on restaurants, drugstores, takeout, and eligible food delivery. Plus, it earns 5% cash back on travel and 1.5% on other purchases.

As far as which rewards are better, it really depends on how much you spend on groceries. If groceries are a big expense -- and for most of us, they are -- Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card takes the lead. Likewise, earning 10% back on Uber and Uber One is one of the most lucrative bonus rates on any cash back card. However, if you have a lot of miscellaneous or non-categorized spending, the 1.5% rate on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® could generate slightly more cash back.

Winner: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Final take

Both credit cards have many overlapping perks, such as no annual fees (see Capital One SavorOne rates and fees) and intro 0% APR periods. That said, these cards really break down in their welcome bonuses and how they earn cash back.

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card might be the better choice if you're looking for a food credit card that earns bonus cash back on groceries. The welcome offer can also be earned relatively quickly -- or at least within three months -- which would suit those who don't want to earn the bonus slowly over their card's first year.

Meanwhile, Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 1.5% on general spending, which can turn into 3% for your card's first year. While some cash back cards earn 2% on general spending, these cards typically don't have any bonus rates. In contrast, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has several bonus rates, including 3% back for drugstores, restaurants, dining out, and eligible takeout.

Though the Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn't earn extra on groceries, be on the lookout for Chase's special offers. Every now and then, Chase will put a bonus rate for groceries on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® for its first year. In the past, it has even stacked this extra bonus rate on top of the card's normal welcome offer, giving you two bonuses in one. While there's no guarantee it will do this again, it's a pleasant surprise when it does.