Cash Is King: Here’s the Cash Back Credit Card I Recommended (Above All Others) to My Aunt

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INSIDER SECRET: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers bonuses in many of the categories other rewards-earning cards don’t, like entertainment and grocery stores.

I always have family members calling me up to ask questions about getting into the miles and points hobby. Usually, they’re planning a trip somewhere to celebrate a special occasion and they’re hoping I can help them get there for less.

One of the biggest hurdles, though, are the minimum-spending requirements that come with many of the best credit cards for travel. So on occasion, I end up recommending a cash back credit card instead. Using travel rewards for free travel is a dream for many, but it isn’t the right goal for everyone all the time.

For example, my aunt and uncle don’t do much international travel because of health concerns and family obligations. They also, understandably, don’t have a lot of time or bandwidth to invest in learning about miles and points.

After a long discussion with my aunt, we decided that the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card would make the most sense for them. It has a good sign-up bonus and an easy-to-meet minimum-spending requirement. Plus, it earns bonus cash back in categories that align with their spending habits.  

I’ll explain more about why we chose the Capital One Savor card and why you might consider it, too.

The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

My aunt will do well with a cash back credit card. The Capital One Savor Card earns 4% cash back at restaurants, which can really add up. (Photo by Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock)

Why I Often Recommend the Capital One Savor Cash Back Credit Card

Read our review of the Capital One Savor  

When you apply for the Capital One Savor card, you’ll earn $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

In addition to the bonus, you’ll earn bonus points in certain categories:

  • 4% cash back on dining
  • 4% cash back on entertainment
  • 4% cash back on popular streaming services
  • 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)

You’ll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases, and there are no caps on how much bonus cash back you can earn. Plus, the card’s $95 annual fee.

Often go to Happy Hour with friends after work? You can earn 4% cash back on those slurp-worthy mojitos. Love catching a flick with your better half? You can earn 4% cash back on that, too. You’ll even earn 3% bonus cash back at grocery stores, where many folks tend to spend a large portion of their budget.

The bottom line is, the Capital One Savor offers bonuses in many of the categories other travel-rewards-earning cards don’t.

Plus, using the cash you earn couldn’t be easier. You can request a check or statement credit any time, with no minimum redemption amount. Or set up an automatic redemption such as $25 back per month.

For all of these reasons, I decided the Capital One Savor would be the best credit card for my aunt. She’ll have no trouble earning the welcome bonus, given the reasonable minimum spending requirement. She’ll earn bonus cash back on categories in which they frequently spend. And she won’t have to invest what little extra time she has into learning about award charts or rewards redemption options in order to reap the benefits of the card.

You can read our review of the Capital One Savor hereAnd check out Joseph’s take on why he likes the Capital One Savor so much.

What’s your favorite cash back credit card? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

For the latest tips and tricks on traveling big without spending a fortune, please subscribe to the Million Mile Secrets daily email newsletter.

Meghan Hunter is an editor for Million Mile Secrets. She covers points, miles, credit cards, airlines, hotels and general travel. Her work has also appeared in The Points Guy.

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)

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