AmEx Gold vs Savor vs. AmEx Green — Which is Best for Diners?
American Express Gold and Capital One SavorOne cards

Amex Gold vs Capital One Savor vs. Amex Green — Which is Best for Diners?

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It’s time for a rewards credit card showdown — or should I say chow down? A while back, a friend of mine was asking me about various dining card options and specifically wanted to know my thoughts on the American Express® Gold Card versus the Capital One Savor [formerly the SavorOne]. Incidentally, I happen to have had both card options in the past, which I’ll explain in a bit. So, let’s get to comparing these two picks (with a bonus thrown in for fun).

Dining Reward Showdown: Amex Gold vs Capital One Savor vs. Amex Green

American Express Gold Card

American Express Gold and Pink Gold Cards
  • Dining Rewards: 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent, $100 per year in Resy credits
  • Annual fee: $325
  • Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Best for: Diners willing to pay an annual fee for additional rewards, those already in the Amex ecosystem, or who prefer the upside potential of points over cashback.

The Gold Card (including the Rose Gold variant) is the dining card option in American Express’s premium line-up. Furthermore, the card is often regarded as a “point workhorse” when compared to the Platinum card. When you look at the multipliers the card offers, it’s easy to see why as it boasts 4x points at restaurants worldwide, 4x on purchases at U.S. supermarkets, 3x on flights booked directly or via AmexTravel.com, and 1x on everything else. 

Beyond those rewards, the Amex Gold continues the dining-centric theme with the credits it offers. One of the newer features added to the card is up to $100 per year in Resy credits. This is divided up semiannually, with $50 available from January through June and the other $50 valid from July to December. To use this credit, all you need to do is visit a restaurant listed on Resy and pay with your Gold Card (in other words, you don’t need to actually book your reservation with Resy to earn the credit).

As for the other credits, they’re all monthly. Another new addition is up to $7 per month for purchases at Dunkin’ (excluding certain locations such as those found in gas stations… as I learned firsthand). Elsewhere, each month, cardholders can earn $10 in Uber Cash, which can be used for rides or Uber Eats orders. Then, there’s also a $10 monthly Dining Credit that’s triggered by purchases from select retailers and restaurants. The recently updated list of participating brands includes Grubhub, Goldbelly, The Cheesecake Factory, Wine.com, and now Five Guys locations. Note that these credits are “use them or lose them,” so you’ll want to make sure you take advantage of them each month.

As far as downsides go, the Amex Gold Card does have a fairly sizeable annual fee at $325 — which is up from the previous $250 annual fee. However, if you value the available credits fully, then that’s $424 in savings ($120 per year in Uber Cash, $120 a year in Dining credits, $100 in Resy credits, and $84 in Dunkin’ credits) that more than offset that fee. Plus, the current welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $6,000 on the card in your first 6 months means that you’ll be off to quite a head start in the Membership Rewards points department. And, again thanks to those 4x categories, those points will also be the beginning as you quickly rack them up from there.

Capital One Savor Card

  • Dining Rewards: 3% cashback
  • Annual fee: $0
  • Welcome bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Best for: Those who prefer cashback to points, those wanting to avoid an annual fee, and those who value “entertainment” in addition to dining

Although this is an article that’s focused on dining, I have to say that the Capital One Savor card — which was previously known as the SavorOne card — is actually a quite well-rounded rewards option. Starting with the dining, the card offers 3% cashback. On top of that, you’ll also earn 3% back on entertainment, 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart), 3% on select streaming service purchases, and 1% on everything else. Actually, there are even more rewards categories, as you can also score 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Unlike the Gold Card, there are no additional credits to write about with the Savor. On the other hand, there’s also no annual fee! Should you find yourself dining internationally, it’s also worth noting that the card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees either.

Another reason I love the Savor is its super reasonable welcome bonus. Currently, when you spend just $500 on the card in your first three months, you’ll score $200 in cashback. To me, that’s a pretty great deal. In fact, this is a pretty great card that’s awesome for dining, entertainment, groceries, and more (and all for no annual fee!).

American Express Green Card

  • Dining Rewards: 3x Membership Rewards points
  • Annual fee: $150
  • Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of card membership.
  • Best for: Those who want to earn a decent multiplier on dining and are in the Amex ecosystem but aren’t ready to pay the $325 annual fee for the Gold Card

Previously, when I first wrote this article, my bonus comparison card was the original Capital One Savor Card, which carried a $95 annual fee. That card has since been discontinued, with the SavorOne taking over the moniker. So, instead, let’s talk about the American Express Green Card.

Staring with dining, the card earns 3x at restaurants worldwide as well as takeout and delivery in the United States. Beyond that, it also earns 3x on travel purchases (including airfare, hotels, tours, campgrounds, car rentals, cruises, vacation rentals, and more), 3x on transit (such as trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways), and 1x on all other purchases.

Of course, the Green Card does also carry an annual fee — but its $150 fee is less than half of the Gold Card’s $325. What more, that fee is more than offset by the $199 per year CLEAR Plus credit. Sure, CLEAR Plus has nothing to do with dining, but it could come in handy if you’re a traveler.

Ultimately, while the Green Card may not be a dining-centric card like the others on the list, I do see it as an alternative to the Gold Card for Amex fans… which is exactly why I’m now a Green cardholder myself.

Why I Had Both the Amex Gold and Savor

American Express Gold Card and Capital One SavorOne Card

As I noted at the top, until recently, I personally carried both the American Express Gold Card and the Capital One SavorOne card. Why? Well, let me explain.

My wife and I actually picked up the Savor first, intending for it to fill the hole left by the former Uber Credit Card’s death. In addition to the 3% cashback on dining, we were also intrigued by that 3% entertainment category along with some other perks. Plus, with no annual fee, there was little reason not to give it a shot.

In terms of where the Gold card came in, that was mostly thanks to a couple of factors. First, American Express added a $10 per month Uber credit to the card, which could not only be used for Uber Eats but also combined with the similar credits offered by my Platinum card. Then, Amex unveiled a welcome bonus that I couldn’t resist. So, for a few years, both of these cards had a spot in my credit card line-up.

Now, here’s how I’ve managed to make use of each. Truth be told, the Gold Card was my go-to for most dining and grocery spending. Additionally, I’ve been sure to use up those Uber credits each month by placing Uber Eats pick-up orders and then using the Dining Credit with either a Grubhub pick-up order or getting Five Guys (which took the place of Shake Shack following the recent update).

Speaking of the recent update, the increased annual fee of the Gold Card gave me pause. Plus, the lack of Resy restaurants in my area made it harder to justify the new $325 annual fee. So, as of last week, I’ve now downgraded to my Gold Card to a Green Card so that I can continue to earn Membership Rewards points on dining purchases but at half the cost.

Meanwhile, the Savor’s main superpower for us is the entertainment category, which we make regular use of as Disney Parks fans. On top of that, since we have yet to make any big Membership Rewards point redemptions, sometimes it’s nice to earn cashback instead. So, from time to time, we’ll end up using the Savor at restaurants on a whim — and it may get more action as I navigate having the Green card and the Savor.

Which Card is Ultimately Best for Diners?

UberEats burger and fries order

As I’ve laid out, there are several reasons why diners might prefer one of these cards over the others. However, instead of copping out on this question, I think my recommendation for most people is this: go with the Capital One Savor.

With no annual fee, solid rewards on dining, entertainment, and groceries, and an easy-to-obtain welcome bonus, the Savor is not only one of my favorite dining cards but is among my top picks for cashback rewards cards in general. Therefore, I think it’s a winner in nearly anyone’s wallet. Of course, should you decide to add an Amex Gold card later on, you can totally do so and still see value from the Savor.

That said, the best option for you depends on, well, you. So, armed with this info, hopefully you’ll be better able to choose the dining card that truly hits the spot.

Fioney has partnered with third party sites for our coverage of credit card products. Fioney.com and the third party sites may receive a commission from card issuers.” (Note: advertising relationships do not have any influence on editorial content. Advertising compensation allows Fioney.com to provide quality content for free. All editorial opinions are those of the individual author and/or Fioney staff.)

Author

Kyle Burbank

Head Writer ~ Fioney
Kyle is the head writer for Fioney. He is a personal finance nerd, constantly looking for new apps and services to test and incorporate into his own financial game plan. In addition to his role at Fioney, he's written for other publications including Born2Invest, Lifehack, and Laughing Place, as well as his own site Money@30. He also creates personal finance and travel-related videos for Fioney's YouTube channel, which has garnered more than 2 million views. Currently, Kyle resides in Springfield, Missouri with his wife of 10 years. Together, they enjoy traveling (including visiting Disney Parks around the world), dining, and playing with their dog Rigby.

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