Credit Card Reviews

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card appeals to those who frequently dine out or go to the movies. This card offers card holders a cash back value of 3% on dining and entertainment purchases. This card also offers a no annual fee perk making it slightly different from its sibling card (Capital One Savor Card). It also offers a $150 cash bonus upon meeting the new member requirements. We’ll cover all of the details throughout this detailed review of the Capital One SavorOne Credit Card. Let’s dive in.

Rating

Pros & Cons

What we like

• Earn 3% on dining and entertainment purchases
• Earn $200 cash back Welcome Bonus
• No annual fee
• 0% APR for the first 15 months
• No foreign transaction fees

What could be better

• High APR after the first 15 months passes
• 3% on balance transfers during the intro APR
• Requires excellent credit

Welcome Bonus

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card currently offers new card holders $200 in cash back. All you have to do to receive this bonus offer is spend a minimum of $500 within your first $3 months of having your account activated.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Rewards

Earning Rewards

Earning rewards with the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is very easy and simple. Card holders will earn

• 3% cash back on their dining and entertainment purchases
• 2% at grocery stores, and
• 1% on all other purchases.

A couple things to keep in mind when using this card for purchases is that for the 3% reward, you can only use the card at locations such as:

• Restaurants
• Bars
• Cafes

For the 2% reward rate, you would need to use the card at locations such as:

• Supermarkets
• Specialty markets

Stores like Walmart or Target are excluded from this category.

You can also earn up to $500 when you refer a friend to Capital One for this card. If they are approved, then you will earn $100 in statement credits for each person. This program allows you to earn up to $500 each year.

Redeeming Rewards

Rewards can be set up to be redeemed automatically at a set time each year or when rewards reach a specific threshold (e.g., $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,500). Card holders can redeem rewards via cash back in the form of a check, statement credits or gift cards.

With gift cards, the standard rate is that each point is worth $0.01:

• 2,500 points = $25 
• 5,000 points = $50 
• 7,500 points = $75  
• 10,000 points = $100 
• 15,000 points = $150 
• 20,000 points = $200 
• 25,000 points = $250

With store branded gift cards, the value of rewards can vary.

0% Introductory Rates

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a 0% introductory APY for the first 15 months from account activation. This rate applies to purchases only, not to balance transfers. Once the introductory rate expires, the regular APR will apply to any remaining balance.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Benefits

• Account Alerts:  You will be sent an alert if Capital One finds a mistake or unexpected charge.
• Personalized Payment: This allows you to pick your own monthly due date, and even your payment method for no cost.
• Autopay: Choose to have your payment automatically withdrawn from your account monthly.
• 0% Fraud Liability: You will not be held responsible if your card becomes lost or stolen.
• Card Lock: This feature allows you to lock your card if you lose it, or if it gets stolen. This will prevent the card from being used.
• Security Alerts: If any suspicious activity is seen on your account, Capital One will notify via email, text, etc.
• 24 Hour Travel Assistance: This service helps you by getting you an emergency replacement card, or even a cash advance if your card becomes lost or stolen.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: No transaction fees when traveling outside of the United States.
• Roadside Assistance: Find assistance with this benefit when you’re needing a tire change, need a jump, or even a tow.
• Extended Warranty: Items you purchase with your credit card will get additional warranty coverage at no cost.
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Rent a vehicle with your credit card, and you will be covered for damage due to collision or theft.
• Eno Your Capital One Assistant: With this feature, Capital One will send you an alert if they find a mistake, or unexpected charge like a duplicate purchase or a sudden bill increase. Eno is active 24/7 and can always answer questions wherever you are.

FAQs

How Does the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Stack Up

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the most valuable travel rewards credit cards available today. It offers a signup bonus worth up to $750, 2x points on travel and dining purchases, and a 25% bonus when points are used to book travel through Chase. In this review we’ll dive into the details of this card, compare it to alternatives, and explore how to maximize the benefits of the card.

Snapshot

As regular readers know, I save and invest all of my credit card rewards. I’ve been doing this for about two years, and my Credit Card Financial Freedom Fund as I like to call it is up to $15,089.28.

My strategy includes a few of the best cash back credit cards as well as the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. That card comes with a hefty annual fee of $550. For those who want a great travel card without a monster annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is this answer.

Here’s what you need to know.

Rewards Program

The rewards program includes both bonus points and points earned on everyday purchases.

Bonus Points

The card gets a lot of attention for its 60,000 bonus points. Here’s how it works. If you spend $4,000 within your first 3 months of opening your account, Chase will give you 60,000 rewards points.

Normally these points would be worth $600 (1 cent per point). If you use the points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, however, you get a 25% bonus. This effectively increases the value of the 60,000 points to $. This is one of the largest signup bonuses available on any credit card.

Now to the Fine Print. This bonus is not available to those who have received a bonus from a Sapphire card in the past 48 months. Here’s the fine print from Chase:

This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.

Everyday Points

In addition to the bonus points, you’ll earn 2x points for every dollar charged to the card on dining at restaurants and on travel. You’ll earn  1 point per dollar on everything else.  There are no reward caps.

Using Points

While there are many ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points, there are only two “good” ways to redeem them:

Booking Travel Through Chase

You can of course redeem points for travel purchased with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card . As noted above, travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards qualifies for 25%, thus extending the value of the points.

Here’s how Chase describes this discount:

Each point you redeem for travel booked through Ultimate Rewards is worth $.0125 (one and a quarter cents), which means that 100 points is worth $1.25 in redemption value. This is like getting a 25% discount on travel you get with points when compared to the cash price. For example, a $500 airline ticket will only cost you 40,000 points. You would need 50,000 points to get $500 in cash through Ultimate Rewards and 40,000 points is 25% less than 50,000. The cost of travel and comparison of the points price and cash price is based on the rates and fares available through the Ultimate Rewards website and travel center, and may not reflect all rates and fares that are available through other sales channels.

Transferring Points

A big bonus comes in the form of transfers. You can transfer your points at full value to any of these Chase airline or hotel partners:

• Airline Partners
  • Aer Lingus AerClub
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
  • Iberia Plus
  • JetBlue
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
  • United Airlines MileagePlus
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Hotel Partners
  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy (including Ritz-Carlton)
  • World of Hyatt

Other Perks

The offers several additional benefits:

• Chip-Enabled Security: Enjoy enhanced security and wider acceptance with your chip-enabled card when used at a chip card reader
• $0 Foreign Transaction Fees: Pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card on purchases made outside of the United States
• 1:1 Point Transfer: Transfer points to participating frequent travel programs at full value. For example, 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points
• Exclusive Events & Experiences: Access special travel opportunities and exclusive events available to cardmembers.  Explore VIP packages to major culinary, entertainment and sporting events.

Pros & Cons

What we like about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

What could be better

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Reserve

	Sapphire Preferred	Sapphire Reserve
Signup Bonus	60000	50000
Signup Bonus Value*	$750	$750
Max Reward Rate	2x on dining and travel	3x on dining and travel
Annual Travel Credit	$0	$300
Annual Fee	$95	$550
Point Bonus*	25%	50%

Learn more about this and other travel rewards cards here.

The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers an excellent signup bonus, solid ongoing rewards, and $0 annual fee. That still doesn’t mean its best for you and your company. In this review, we’ll examine what the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card has to offer and compare it to other small business credit cards.

I’m a stickler for bookkeeping with my business. We balance everything to the penny, every month. A small business credit card makes it easy to track business expenses. The good news is that many business credit cards offer excellent rewards. The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card is one such card.

Ink Cash Business Card Snapshot

Click here to learn more about this and other business credit cards.

Cash Back Rewards Program

The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers several levels of rewards.

Signup Bonus: To start with, Chase offers a $750 bonus when new card members spend $7,500 in purchases within 3 months of opening an account. This is one of the richest cash signup bonuses available.

5% Cash Back: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend on combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline and cable TV services each account anniversary year. That’s a potential cash back of $1,250.

2% Cash Back: Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. That’s a potential cash back of $500.

1% Cash Back: Earn 1% cash back on every other purchase you make with your Ink Cash Business Credit Card with no limit to the amount you can earn.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

While the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card is a cash back card, you can convert the cash back into Chase Ultimate Rewards. This presents some unique opportunities. For example, you could convert to Chase Ultimate Reward points and then transfer them to any other Chase credit card that also earns CUR points. Why would we do this?

Because some cards pay a bonus when you use CUR points for travel booked through Chase. I carry the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, for example. It pays a 50% bonus when you use points for travel booked through Chase. Thus, the 5% you this card, once transferred to the Sapphire Reserve and used for travel through Chase, becomes a 7.5% reward rate.

If you carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, they work the same way, but the bonus is 25%. You can also transfer the points to Chase airline and travel partners. In many cases, this results in the highest value.

0% Introductory APR

This card offers a 0% introductory APR for a period of 12 months on purchases. As a result, you can earn substantial cash back rewards while taking time to pay off the debt over 12 months with no interest.

Other Perks

The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers several additional benefits:

• Purchase Protection: Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account
• Extended Warranty Protection: Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary when renting for business purposes and provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad
• Stay On Top of Your Spending: Set and change individual spending limits on employee cards,* and earn even more rewards from their purchases. Receive instant alerts for every purchase to help you control and track overall spending.
• Exclusive Mobile Experience: Snap, tag and file receipts instantly with our mobile app* designed exclusively for Ink customers.

Pros and Cons of the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card

What we like

What could be better

Small Business Features

The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers several perks aimed at small business owners:

Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card Comparison

The first thing is to compare the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card to the other Chase Business Ink cards. The standout feature of the Ink Business Cash is its 5% reward rate on purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. This rate is capped at $25,000 each account anniversary year. If you have purchases in this category approaching $25k a year, this is the card for you.

It may make sense to have more than one Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card, however. As noted above, the best values come when using rewards for travel. If you plan to book travel through Chase using rewards, you’ll want to get a second Chase card that offers a bonus.

If you don’t plan to spend anywhere near $25k on the 5% categories, then either the Chase Ink Business Preferred or the Chase Ink Business Unlimited will be a better option. The Unlimited is best if you spend a lot in these categories:

• Travel
• Shipping purchases
• Internet, cable and phone services
• Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines

Otherwise, the Ink Business Preferred is ideal, as it pays a flat 1.5% on all purchases.

There are of course other options. One that I’ve carried for a long time is the Capital One Spark Cash card. It pays 2% cash back on all purchases. This option is ideal if you just want the cash. If you will use the rewards for travel, Chase is by far the best option.

FAQs

Rating

Click here to learn more about this and other business credit cards.

The Platinum Card® from American Express boasts a unique experience with exceptional services and rewards. It offers 75,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. It also pays up to 5x points per dollar spent on select travel purchases. And it comes with a wide range of travel and other benefits. We’ll break it down and to help determine if these benefits are worth the hefty $550 annual fee in this detailed review of the card.

Introduction

The The Platinum Card® from American Express is among a select few elite card offers. It offers exceptional member service which is available 24/7. The card also offers 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines, as well as prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. Add to that no foreign transaction fees and a slew of credits, and this card is ideal for those who love to travel.

At a Glance

Pros

• 5x membership rewards points
  • For flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel
  • For prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
• Welcome bonus of 75,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $5,000 on the card in the first 6 months
• Up to $200 in Uber credits each year
• $200 airline fee credit each year
• Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck
• Add an additional card which earns you points for their purchases

Cons

• High Annual Membership of $550
• High APR on cash advances and Pay Over Time balance
• Limits on where you must book flights and hotels to earn 5x points

American Express Platinum Rewards Review

Earning Rewards

The Platinum Card® from American Express offers several ways to earn rewards:

Welcome Bonus: The Platinum Card gives 75,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus when you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months. The value of these Membership Rewards points depends on how you choose to redeem them.

For example, 60,000 Membership Rewards points would worth the following:-

• $600 gift card from Bed Bath & Beyond
• $420 gift card to Starbucks
• $360 statement credit
• $600 flight through American Express Travel
• $420 hotel through American Express Travel
• 60,000 Delta Skymiles

Note that these values can and do change over time.

Everyday Spending: With the Platinum Card you earn Membership Rewards points with every purchase:

• Earn 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel
• Earn 5x points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
• Earn 2x points using amextravel.com
• Earn 1x for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases

Redeeming Rewards

There are many ways you can redeem your points for rewards. Keep in mind that the value of the points varies based on how they are redeemed.

Transferring Points

Transfer points to eligible airline and hotel loyalty programs. Here is a list of some of the different loyalty programs and point conversion rates:

Air & Lodging

• Air France KLM: 1,000 points = 1,000 Flying Blue Award Miles
• British Airways: 1,000 = 1,000 Avios
• Delta Air Lines: 1,000 = 1,000 miles
• El Al Israel Airlines: 1,000 = 20 Matmid points
• Emirates: 1,000 = 1,000 Skywards Miles
• Jetblue Airways: 250 = 200 TrueBlue points
• Virgin Atlantic Airways: 1,000 = 1,000 Flying Club miles

Hotels

• Choice Privileges: 1,000 = 1,000 Choice Privileges
• Hilton Honors: 1,000 = 2,000 Hilton Honors Points
• Marriott Bonvoy: 1,000 = 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points

Each loyalty program is subject to change without notice.

There are three steps to transfer the points. First, link your loyalty account to your Membership Rewards, which you can do through the Amex website. This gives access to your points.

Second, choose the amount of points to transfer. Here you will want to make sure you check availability and points needed for your planned travel before completing a transfer, especially for booking a flight or hotel room. All transfers are final so researching beforehand can be very helpful and save you frustration in the end.

Third, redeem the points or miles with the provider. You will need to check your loyalty program account to confirm the points have been successfully transferred, then redeem directly with the loyalty program. 

Certificates and gift cards

Redeem gift cards from choices such as air and lodging, car service, retail, and American Express gift cards. For 10,000 membership rewards points you could get up to $100 from several choice retailers. Here are several examples of what 10,000 points could get you from the mentioned categories.

Air and Lodging

• Best Western Hotels & Resorts $85
• Carnival Corporation $100
• Delta $70
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts $100
• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts $70
• Hilton $85
• Hotels.com $70
• Marriott $70
• The Ritz-Carlton $70

American Express Gift Cards

• Any Design $50

Car Service

• Uber $70

Dining

• Bahama Breeze $100
• Bonefish Grill $85
• Carabba’s Italian Grill $85
• California Pizza Kitchen $100
• Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen $100
• Chili’s Grill & Bar $100
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar $85
• Longhorn Steakhouse $100
• Maggiano’s Little Italy $100
• Morton’s The Steakhouse $100
• Olive Garden $100
• Outback Steakhouse $85
• Panera Bread $85
• Starbucks Card $70
• The Cheesecake Factory $85
• Yard House $100

Retail

• App Store & iTunes $85
• Banana Republic $100
• Barnes & Noble $100
• Bath & Body Works $100
• Bed Bath & Beyond $100
• Best Buy $70
• Buybuy Baby $100
• Coach $100
• Crate and Barrel $100
• Gap $100
• Macy’s $85
• Neiman Marcus $100
• Nike $100
• Nordstrom $85
• Old Navy $100 
• REI $100
• Saks Fifth Avenue $100
• Sam’s Club $70
• Sephora $85
• Staples $100
• Target GiftCard $70
• The Home Depot $100
• Tiffany & Co. $100
• TJX Multi-Brand $85
• Victoria’s Secret $100
• Walmart $70
• Zappos.com $100

Other

• Aspen Snowmass $70
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort $100
• Regal Cinemas Gift Card $85 

Vouchers are also available for redemption, however, they are partner dependent. This means that the voucher reward partners determine the value their vouchers provide. You will need to check with the voucher partner to find out specific details and exemptions. For AMC Theaters, for example, 9,188 points could get you 4 AMC tickets and a $25 gift card. It comes as a certificate and the point value given could change at any time based on the partner. 

Pay With Points

You can use points to shop at various retailers including Best Buy, Boxed, Expedia, Grubhub, NYC Taxi, PayPal, Ticketmaster and Walmart. To use Pay With Points at Best Buy, for example, enter your eligible American Express Platinum card when checking out on BestBuy.com. You will need to click on “See Points Balance” to see your available points and the dollar value equivalency. Enter the dollar amount of points you want to use and place your order.

Expedia lets you use points to offset all or a portion of your booking total on flights, car rentals, activities, packages or pre-paid hotels on expedia.com when you select the option to pay online. Cruises and the pay later payment option are exclusions. While it is still advertised, pay with points is currently unavailable for Ticketmaster.com.

To cover a Ticketmaster charge with Pay with Points you will need to call 1-800-AXP-EARN. For all retailers, redemption options and point values are subject to change at any time. If you have more than one eligible card account linked to your membership rewards account, the value of points you receive will be the card that provides the highest point value. The minimum redemption is 5,000 points. 

Shop Amazon.com

Use your membership rewards points to shop at Amazon.com and have everything shipped to your door. First, you’ll need to create or sign into your Amazon.com account. Go to www.amazon.com/membershiprewards to complete registration.

Second, link your Membership rewards account to your Amazon.com account. There are instructions to guide you through how to link your account. Lastly, use your points to shop. Using your points can cover all or part of your purchases.

You have total control over how many rewards points you use. The points that are applied to your order will be deducted from your order total and displayed as Rewards Points in the Order Summer according to Amazon.com. 

Taxi fares

NYC Taxi lets you use pay with points so you can get around the city faster. You must have enough membership rewards points in your account to cover both total fare and tip. The payment option “Use Points” will not appear unless you have enough points. All you do is swipe your eligible Platinum card and you will see the point balance and what is needed for the ride. If you have enough you will select the option “Use Points”. NYC Taxi pay with points is only available in New York City. 

Cover Your Card Charges

If you have a Corporate Card account or additional card members, this option is not available. “You must have at least 1,000 available points in your account and points will only go towards the entire amount of an eligible charge,” according to American Express. You will need to look over your current online statement to view your eligible charges. When you select an eligible charge a checkmark will appear. By clicking on “Redeem Now” you will see a credit appear on your statement within 48 hours. You cannot use your points to cover a past due charge, or have a returned payment outstanding. According to Amex, “[t]he charge must have occurred in the U.S or in a U.S. territory. You cannot use a disputed charge with your points. All charges must be at least $1 to cover your charges.” 

While paying your card charges with points is convenient, it doesn’t offer the best value. A statement credit is worth just 0.6 cents per point. Redeeming points for travel or transferring points to an airline offer much higher values.

American Express Benefits

The Platinum Card® from American Express offers an abundance of benefits. These benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:

$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline at www.americanexpress.com/airlinechoice and you can receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental charges. Qualifying airlines include American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. You can change your airline one time each year in January, otherwise you will remain with the current airline of your choice.

The credit is available when incidental fees like checked bags and in-flight refreshments are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card. Incidental air travel fees must be separate charges from purchased airline ticket charges.

Purchase Protection: This protection covers you if a product you purchased using The Platinum Card® from American Express is damaged. The coverage is up to $10,000 for any one covered incident and up to $50,000 for all covered incidents per card member during a calendar year for the lesser of the cost to repair, replace or reimburse the item. Yes, that’s a lot of lawyer-speak, which means it’s important to read the coverage terms and conditions carefully.

For example, a covered incident because of a natural disaster will have a maximum per occurrence limit of $500 for any one covered incident. The purchase will be covered for 120 days from the date of purchase. For more information you can go here to see the list of states where the terms and conditions are different. 

Uber VIP Status: Receive VIP status and $15 each month in Uber Cash for U.S rides on your Uber account when you use your Uber Rides with Platinum. You even get a $20 bonus in December. To receive this benefit you must have downloaded the Uber App version 3.363.10000 or later for iOS or version 4.274.10000 or later for Android.

Your eligible Platinum card must be the method of payment in your Uber account. It takes up to 24 hours for the American Express benefit to become available in Uber Cash once your card has been added. The benefit will not apply to previous Uber transactions and cannot be used when paying with an UberFAMILY profile.

Your benefit can be applied to all Uber car types and UberEATS orders. There is no limit of how many transactions you apply your American Express benefit, but it will only cover up to $15 per month. In December, the total goes up to $35. 

The Global Lounge Collection: Traveling becomes luxurious with The Platinum Card® from American Express as it features access to more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries. Featuring worldwide coverage due to American Express’ own networks such as, The Centurion Lounge and The International American Express lounges. The Centurion Lounge has unlimited complimentary to all locations. Card members are allowed to bring up to two people with them. 

You must present your valid card, a boarding pass showing a confirmed reservation for same day travel, and a government issued ID. Without these three items you could be denied access to the luxurious experience. One must be 18 years old to enter without a parent or legal guardian. Those locations with a self service bar, the card member must be of legal drinking age to consume alcoholic beverages. 

Fine Hotels & Resorts: Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with fine hotels and resorts. There is a three room limit per card member per stay; back to back stays within 24 hours at the same property would be considered one stay. The amount is averaged for 2018 bookings for stays of two nights. Benefits would include daily breakfast for two, room upgrade when available, property amenities valued at $100, guaranteed 4PM late checkout, noon check-in when available, and complimentary Wi-Fi.   

Hotel Collection: Receive a $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying dining, spa and other resort activities when staying for at least two consecutive nights. A room upgrade will be given upon arrival if available. Payment must be made in full to be eligible. The eligible card member will receive hotel credit upon checkout equal to $1 for each eligible dollar spent, up to $100. It does not include taxes, gratuities, fees and cost of the room. The credit expires at check out.

Platinum Travel Service: Travel counselors specialize in providing “custom itineraries and tailored recommendations” to help make the most of traveling for wherever you may go. Personalized Travel Service is provided by third party franchises so fees may apply. 

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status: Enroll in the complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status. With this elite status, you will receive upgrades to enhanced rooms upon check-in when available. Marriott Bonvoy amenities may not be combined with the Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Any reservations made through third parties and online booking sources are not eligible. 

Hilton Honors Gold Status: Enroll to receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status.

No Forgein Transaction Fees: While American Express will not charge any foreign transaction fees, ATMs or merchants could charge a fee on foreign transactions.

Premium Access: Receive complimentary membership in premium car rental programs which include special upgrades and discounts. Benefits are subject to each car companies terms and conditions including age restriction and requires enrollment to receive benefits.  When using an eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the car rental counter, you can still be covered if the car is damaged or stolen. 

Premium Global Assist Hotline: If you are traveling more than 100 miles from home, Premium Global Assist Hotline gives you access to 24/7 medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost with authorization and arrangements by Premium global assist hotline.

Shop Saks with Platinum: You could get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue when you use your Platinum card. According to Amex, “each card account is only eligible for up to $50 statement credit from January to June and up to a $50 statement credit from July to December”. It is not valid on Saks Fifth Avenue Gift cards or purchases at outlet locations, including online.

Platinum Concierge: Receive complementary assistance 24/7 making arrangements such as for dinner, tickets to events or finding a gift for friends or family. There is no cost for services performed on your behalf. You are responsible for any purchases, fees or shipping charges you authorize to be charged to your account. The service is not responsible for notifying a restaurant of food allergies when suggesting or making reservations at restaurants. 

By Invitation Only: Get RSVP events tailored for you, such as sporting events, fashion forward runways, and fine dining experiences.

Preferred seating: Gain access to premium seats for “select cultural and sporting events.” Tickets are available through American Express Preferred Seating Program.

How Much Are American Express Membership Rewards Points Worth?

The value of Membership Rewards points varies based on how you spend them. For some retailers they offer more dollar value for the same amount of points than another retailer. For some retailers 20,000 points will get you $140 in a gift card, but for cover your charge it could only be up to $120. Generally, points are most valuable when used to book travel through American Express or transferred to one of Amex’s travel partners.

Will American Express Platinum waive the annual fee?

Yes, but only for members of the Armed Forces. The Military Lending Act provides these protections. Otherwise, Amex will not waive the fee.

Is Amex Platinum or Gold better?

It depends on if you’d like more benefits for dining or travel. The platinum is beneficial to those who are on the go and travel a lot. The gold card is more in sync with those who prefer fine arts and dining experiences.

A noticeable difference is cost. The Gold Card has an annual membership fee of $250, while the Platinum card’s annual fee is $550.

Final Thoughts

The Platinum Card® from American Express is ideal for those who travel, whether for leisure or business. Based on the benefits and rewards for travel, you could travel in style with utilizing the Global Lounge Collection and earn points booking with amextravel.com. The card provides a unique experience with exceptional service and rewards.

Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 in purchases in the first year. The bonus miles are worth $1,000 if used to pay for travel charges on the card. If you don’t qualify for this bonus, you can still earn the regular signup bonus described below.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a travel rewards credit card. It comes with a generous signup bonus and excellent ongoing rewards. But it also comes with a $95 annual fee. In this review, we’ll examine whether it’s worth the cost and how it stakes up to other travel credit cards.

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a straightforward travel credit card for those who travel frequently. It gives you a generous membership bonus reward (20,000 miles), as well as an earnings rate of 2x miles on every dollar you spend daily. But it does come with an annual fee and requires excellent credit for approval.

Capital One Venture Snapshot

Pros & Cons

What we like

• 2x miles earned on every dollar spent
• Membership reward of 60,000 bonus miles, OR
• No foreign transaction fees
• Miles can be used on any airline or hotel

What could be better

• $95 Annual Fee
• Requires excellent credit score

Capital One Venture Rewards

Welcome Bonus

Capital One Venture offers 20,000 bonus miles to new cardmembers. To qualify, you have spent $500 within your first 3 months of your account being activated. If you use the miles to pay for travel charged to the card, they have a value of $500.

Earning Rewards

The Venture Card allows its members to earn 2x miles for every dollar that they spend on everyday purchases. There is no limit to how many miles you can earn. The point value for the miles, however, varies depending on how they are redeemed (see below).

Redeeming Rewards

There are a few ways that you can redeem your miles. You can redeem for cash back, using your miles for statement credits on previously made purchases, transfer miles to another account, or use them for gift cards. The key thing to understand is that the miles are worth 1 cent when used to pay for travel purchases. Use the miles to pay for non-travel purchases or cash back and they are worth 1/2 cent each. As a result, this card is ideal only for those who will use their miles to pay for travel purchases. If that’s not you, a great cash back credit card is a better option.

You can also transfer your miles to Capital One’s travel partners. Here is a list of the airlines and hotels partnered with Capital One:

Refer a Friend

You can earn extra cash when making a referral with Capital One. If you have a Quicksilver®, Venture®, VentureOne®, Savor®, or SavorOne Card, you can earn up to $500 each year referring friends. For each friend that you refer to Capital One, you can earn $100 for each approved referral. You can have up to 5 referrals per year, thus giving you the $500 opportunity.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Benefits

• Proactive Account Alerts-  You will be sent an alert if Capital One finds a mistake or unexpected charge.
• Personalized Payment- This allows you to pick your own monthly due date, and even your payment method for no cost.
• Autopay- Choose to have your payment automatically withdrawn from your account monthly.
• 0% Fraud Liability- You will not be held responsible if your card becomes lost or stolen.
• Card Lock- This feature allows you to lock your card if you lose it, or if it gets stolen. This will prevent the card from being used.
• Security Alerts- If any suspicious activity is seen on your account, Capital One will notify via email, text, etc.
• 24 Hour Travel Assistance- This service helps you by getting you an emergency replacement card, or even a cash advance if your card becomes lost or stolen.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees- No transaction fees when traveling outside of the United States.
• Roadside Assistance- Find assistance with this benefit when you’re needing a tire change, need a jump, or even a tow.
• Extended Warranty- Items you purchase with your credit card will get additional warranty coverage at no cost.
• Premier Access- this service keeps you up to date with unique dining experiences, sporting events, and music festivals that happen near you.

FAQs

How Does the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Stack Up

Travel credit cards come in two flavors–co-branded and generic. A co-branded card is specific to an airline or hotel chain. In contrast, you can use a generic travel card for any travel on any airline or at any hotel. The Capital One Venture card is a generic travel card. Within that category, it is one of the best.

Keep in mind that rewards cards in general also fall into two categories–flat rate rewards and bonus categories. The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a flat rate rewards card–it pays 2 miles for every dollar spent. In contrast, a card such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a bonus category card. It pays, for example, 3 points per dollar spent on travel. But on purchases that fall outside of the bonus categories, it pays just 1 point.

Understanding this difference can help you pick the best card for you. If you want just one travel card, a flat rate card like Venture is often the better choice. You won’t earn as much in rewards on certain categories of spending, but you’ll make it up by earning 2% on everything else. If you want to carry more than one travel card, however, then consider those cards that offer bonus rewards in spending categories that match your spending habits.

All of that said, there is a better option to the Venture card–a 2% cash back card. For example, the Citi Double Cash card effectively pays 2% on all purchases–1% on the purchase and 1% when you pay the credit card bill. There are two big advantages to this card over Venture. First, the 2% is regardless of how you use the rewards. Remember that the Venture card is a 2% card only if you use the rewards to pay for travel. Second, the Citi Double Cash card doesn’t have an annual fee.

Rating

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of several cash back cards on the market today that pay 1.5% in rewards. It comes with a $200 signup bonus and no annual fee. We’ll cover all the details in this Capital One Quicksilver review.

The Capital One Quicksilver Card offers a simple rewards program. It pays 1.5% cash back on all purchases. It does charge an annual fee, and it offers a $150 sign up bonus. You can redeem cash back with no minimum increments, and your rewards do not expire. It’s about as simple as it can get.

Capital One Quicksilver Card Snapshot

Pros & Cons

What we like

• $0 annual fee
• 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months
• $150 sign up bonus
• 1.5% cash back
• No foreign transaction fees

What could be better

• Requires a high credit score for approval
• $39 penalty fee

Capital One Quicksilver Card Rewards

Welcome Bonus

So, you’re officially a new Capital One Quicksilver Card member. For starters, this means you will earn a $150 bonus if you spend at least $500 within 3 months of your account being activated. After you meet the qualifications for this bonus, Capital One will usually apply this to your rewards total within two billing cycles. 

Earning Rewards

Capital One Quicksilver Card helps you earn rewards on every purchase. You’ll earn 1.5% on each purchase you make. It’s that simple.

Let’s do some math. If an individual or family of four charges on average $3,000 to the card each month, cash back rewards would total $45 a month, or $540 a year.

Redeeming Rewards

There are several ways to redeem rewards. The primary redemption offer is for cash. You can redeem cash at any time and in any amount. There are no minimum cash redemptions required. You can also apply the cash back rewards to your Capital One balance as a statement credit. Note that using rewards as a statement credit does not reduce your required minimum monthly payment.

Beyond cash or a statement credit, however, you can also redeem rewards for gift cards and to shop at Amazon.

0% Introductory Rates

The Capital One Quicksilver card offers a 0% APR on purchases. The intro APR remains at 0% for the first 15 months of your account being activated. Once the 15 months has passed, the APR returns to a variable rated based on your creditworthiness.

Refer a Friend

You can earn up to $500 each year in statement credits when using your Quicksilver Card to refer friends to sign up for a Capital One card. Capital One offers card members a referral program to help them earn more points. For each approved referral, you can earn $100 in statement credits, up to no more than 5 referrals each year, giving you $500 in statement credits per year. The reward usually arrives in your account within 4 weeks after approval.

Capital One Quicksilver Card Benefits

• Proactive Account Alerts-  You will be sent an alert if Capital One finds a mistake or unexpected charge.
• Personalized Payment- This allows you to pick your own monthly due date, and even your payment method for no cost.
• Autopay- Choose to have your payment automatically withdrawn from your account monthly.
• 0% Fraud Liability- You will not be held responsible if your card becomes lost or stolen.
• Card Lock- This feature allows you to lock your card if you lose it, or if it gets stolen. This will prevent the card from being used.
• Security Alerts- If any suspicious activity is seen on your account, Capital One will notify via email, text, etc.
• 24 Hour Travel Assistance- This service helps you by getting you an emergency replacement card, or even a cash advance if your card becomes lost or stolen.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees- No transaction fees when traveling outside of the United States.
• Roadside Assistance- Find assistance with this benefit when you’re needing a tire change, need a jump, or even a tow.
• Extended Warranty- Items you purchase with your credit card will get additional warranty coverage at no cost.
• Premier Access- this service keeps you up to date with unique dining experiences, sporting events, and music festivals that happen near you.

FAQs

How Does the Capital One Quicksilver Card Stack Up

Just about every major credit card issuer offers a 1.5% cash back credit card. Until recently, they were all about the same. The all offered a signup bonus of $150. They didn’t charge an annual fee. All of that changed, however, when Chase introduced the new and improved Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Like Quicksilver, it offers 1.5% on purchases. Yet three things set it apart. First, its signup bonus is $200, not $150. Second, it offers several bonus categories that pay cash back as high as 5%. And third, rather than redeeming for cash, you can transfer the Chase Ultimate Rewards to another Chase card and earn 25% to 50% bonuses when redeemed for travel through Chase.

There still may be good reasons to stick with the Quicksilver card. You may bank at Capital One and want to keep all your financial products at one institution, for example..

But you should definitely consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited before making a choice:

Final Thoughts

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card represents a solid cash back card. It’s combination of signup bonus, ongoing rewards and no annual fee make it a top rated offer. Still, there may be better options for those who are not wedded to Capital One.

Still haven’t found what you are looking for? Check out our full list of the best cash back credit cards.