American Express Gold Card vs Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Gold Card on hotels, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card on dining.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
American Express Gold CardAmerican Express · $325/yr
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit CardCapital One · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- American Express Gold Card$325Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- American Express Gold CardAs high as 100,000 points — offers varyCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card$200 cash back
- Rewards
- American Express Gold CardAmerican Express Membership RewardsCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit CardCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- American Express Gold CardNoneCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit CardNone
- Network
- American Express Gold CardAmerican ExpressCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit CardMastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Dining
- American Express Gold Card4xCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card3%
- Grocery Stores
- American Express Gold Card4xCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card3%
- Entertainment
- American Express Gold Card1xCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card3%
- Flights
- American Express Gold Card3xCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card1%
- Streaming
- American Express Gold Card1xCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card3%
- Everything else
- American Express Gold Card1xCapital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card1%
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Rideshare & transit
- American Express Gold Card
- $120 Uber Cash · $10 monthly
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card— - Dining & delivery
- American Express Gold Card
- $100 Resy credit · $50 every 6 months
- $120 dining credit · $10 monthly
- $84 Dunkin' credit · $7 monthly
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- American Express Gold Card
- $100 property credit at 1,300+ upscale hotels worldwide
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card— - Other perks
- American Express Gold Card
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- American Express Preferred Access
- Events with Amex & Presale Tickets
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Capital One Dining
- Complimentary Concierge Service
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- American Express Gold Card
- Trip Delay Insurance up to $300
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Travel accident insurance
- Baggage
- American Express Gold Card
- Baggage Insurance Plan up to $1,750
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card— - Rental car
- American Express Gold Card
- Secondary rental car insurance for damage and theft
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card— - Purchase & returns
- American Express Gold Card
- Purchase Protection up to $10,000 per item for 90 days
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card— - Extended warranty
- American Express Gold Card
- Extended Warranty up to one additional year · up to $10,000
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Extended warranty
- Other protections
- American Express Gold Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
- Dispute Resolution and Fraud Protection
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Credit monitoring
Pros & cons
- Pros
- American Express Gold Card
- 4X points on dining worldwide - industry leading
- 4X at U.S. supermarkets up to $25k/year
- $424 in annual credits (face value) cover the $325 fee if you use at least $325 of them
- No foreign transaction fees
- Transfer to 19 airline and hotel partners
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- No annual fee for a card with 3% back on dining and entertainment
- 3% cash back at restaurants on a card with no annual fee
- 3% on entertainment covers streaming, concerts, movies, and more
- 3% at grocery stores provides solid everyday value
- 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases is exceptional
- Cons
- American Express Gold Card
- $325 annual fee with no waived first year
- 4X grocery excludes Costco, Walmart, Target
- No lounge access included
- Limited non-food spending categories
- Amex acceptance less universal than Visa/MC
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Only 1% cash back on purchases outside bonus categories
- No travel-specific benefits like lounge access or trip insurance
- Cash back only - no transfer partners for travel redemptions
- Grocery bonus typically excludes warehouse clubs like Costco
Category-by-Category Winner
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card wins in 2 of 3 categories. The American Express Gold Card leads in 1. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
American Express Gold Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Flights
American Express Gold Card earns 3X vs 1X
Dining
Depends: up to $50,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Entertainment
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | American Express Gold Card | Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $67 Year one: $67 | Rewards: $192 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $192 Year one: $392 | Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $607 Year one: $607 | Rewards: $768 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $768 Year one: $968 | Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr — that's $325 more than the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $325 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The American Express Gold Card includes dining credits. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $325 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $325 fee gap means the American Express Gold Card needs roughly $325 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and dining and everyday spend.
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card $0/yr — a $325 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the American Express Gold Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr vs $0/yr for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $325 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the American Express Gold Card also lists dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the American Express Gold Card or Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the American Express Gold Card have that the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn't?
- The American Express Gold Card offers dining credits. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the American Express Gold Card or the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the American Express Gold Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $325/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.