Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One - Should You Apply?

The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One is an excellent card for anyone who spends a lot on dining. If you are someone who lives in a big city, and frequents cafes, restaurants or other dining establishments, this is currently one of the best cards to have in your wallet. If you are more concerned with saving on gas or groceries, there are other credit cards you should consider.

Review: Our Thoughts On The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One

The newly released Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One is a solid cash back credit card and one of the best for those who frequently dine out. The card’s 3% cash back return on dining is better than most credit cards out there, especially at this price-point. With no annual fee, the purchases you put on this card will translate to net profits. You don't have to worry about breaking even or coming out ahead, as you do with certain other dining-focused credit cards. This is assuming you’re always paying off your balances in full, as you should with any rewards credit card. If you are only interested in saving on grocery shopping, we recommend taking a look at the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express instead.

*6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)

As always, there are credit cards that may perform better for you, depending on how your budget looks. For some, the flat-rate Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card may produce the best rewards on average. We recommend using our comparison tool below that does the math behind cards for you, to produce a personalized recommendation.

Being a Capital One credit card, the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One is also excellent for travelers. The card doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees. Most other credit cards charge their users a 3% surcharge when they are used outside of the United States. This can be problematic for anyone who frequently finds themselves abroad on vacations or for business. The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One waives this charge so that you can use it wherever you travel.

Bottom Line: The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One is an excellent no-annual-fee credit card for consumers who want to save on dining out and groceries. Before committing to it, however, we recommend checking out other options, as they may work better on your specific budget.

Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One Benefits & Features

The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One offers an unlimited 3% cash back rate on dining, 2% on groceries and 1% on all other purchases. The rewards you gather through the card can be redeemed as statement credit or a check. These can be sent to you automatically on certain dates, or whenever you reach specific reward threshold.

Know that Capital One uses merchant category codes (MCCs) to determine whether you’re shopping at a restaurant, dining establishments or elsewhere. This will, in turn, dictate your return. Supermarkets, wholesale clubs and discount stores may not qualify for the 2% rate, even though you buy groceries there. For example, 7/11 stores are often categorized as gas stations, even if they don’t actually sell gas. If you buy food sold at a superstore, Wal-Mart, that also may not necessarily be classified as a dining establishment. You can look up how specific stores are classified through Visa’s website.

Annual Fee	No Annual Fee
Purchase APR	14.99%, 19.99% or 23.99% Variable
Card Details	$100 once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months 3% cash back on dining 2% on groceries 1% on all other purchases No foreign transaction fees

The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One currently comes with a $100 bonus. To qualify, cardholders must spend at least $500 on their card within the first 3 months of account opening. The bonus can only be attained through purchases. Other types of transactions, including balance transfers and cash advances, will not count towards the $500 minimum.

How Does The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One Compare To Other Credit Cards?

We looked at how the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One compares to some other available options. This way, consumers looking to apply for just one new credit card can make a better-informed decision.

Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One vs Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card

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The Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card is the better card for people who have more varied spending. It awards a flat 1.5% cash back rate on all purchases, no matter the category. Depending on how much you spend on dining and groceries, this may be better or worse for your budget. Here are a few example budgets:

The two cards are comparable from all other major aspects. Both don’t charge their users an annual fee or foreign transaction fee. They also offer the same early spend bonus. Since both cards have no annual fee, a valid strategy is to get both. That way you can maximize your returns. Use the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One whenever you are shopping at grocery stores or dining out, and the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card everywhere else.

Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One vs AARP® Credit Card

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The AARP® Credit Card is another strong credit card to be used for dining purchases. Like the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One, it provides an unlimited 3% cash back at restaurants. However, instead of giving cardholders 2% back at grocery stores, the AARP® Credit Card awards 3% back at gas stations. If you spend more on gas than you do at the grocery store, the AARP® Credit Card is the easy choice. If you have a mix of expenses, you can use the following trick to figure out which card is better for your budget. Add your monthly gas and grocery expenses. Then divide your gas purchases by the sum from the first step. If the answer is 0.35 or higher, you will be better off with the AARP® Credit Card. Otherwise you should go with the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One.

Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One vs Chase Freedom®

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The Chase Freedom® is one of our picks for best cash back credit cards, and is especially beneficial for point-optimizers. The card awards you 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. These categories can include things like gas stations, restaurants and holiday shopping. The 5% rewards are clearly superior to getting just 3% back, though they require a bit of work. As long as you manage to fit at least 50% of all your purchases in the bonus categories, you will always come out ahead of the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One – this is assuming you also fit within the $1,500 category limits. If you aren't willing to keep track of these bonus categories and activate them every quarter, we don't recommend getting the Chase Freedom®.

We should also note that the Chase Freedom® currently offers a better welcome bonus. Users get $150 after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of cardmembership. That is $50 better than what the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One provides.

Compare The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One Based On Your Budget

The effectiveness of cards like the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One varies greatly, depending on how your budget looks. To help you skip the math, we developed a tool that estimates the value of credit cards based on how you spend. Enter your estimated monthly spending by category below to see how the Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One compares against similar cash back options.

RewardsNet Rewards RateAPRAnnual FeeBonus ValueRewards By MonthRewards Rate By Month

Name

Savings Through (Through 24 Months)	Rewards	Dollars

Monthly Spend: $1,430

General:

Gas:

Groceries:

Airlines:

Hotel:

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Computing:

Card	Annual Fee	Net Rewards Rate ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. The estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.	Bonus ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. The estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.	Rewards Value ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. The estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.
Citi Double Cash Card
	No Annual Fee	1.91%	$0	$686
Read Review	Graph Card	Read Review	More Details
Annual Fee No Annual Fee APR 12.99%, 17.99% or 22.99% Variable Card Details 1% cash back on purchases and another 1% cash back when you pay for those purchases Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 686 686 Total 686 686
Chase Freedom Unlimited℠
	$0	1.85%	$150	$665
Apply Now	Graph Card	Read Review	More Details
Annual Fee $0 APR 15.49%-24.24% Variable Card Details Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase - it's automatic Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.49-24.24%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum Redeem for cash - any amount, anytime Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open No annual fee Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 51,480 515 Bonuses 0 150 Total 51,480 665
AARP® Credit Card
	No Annual Fee	1.80%	$100	$650
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Annual Fee No Annual Fee APR 16.49% Card Details 3% cash back at restaurants and gas stations 1% cash back everywhere else No Annual Fee 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 550 550 Bonuses 0 100 Total 550 650
Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One
	No Annual Fee	1.76%	$100	$633
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Annual Fee No Annual Fee APR 14.99%, 19.99% or 23.99% Variable Card Details $100 once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months 3% cash back on dining 2% on groceries 1% on all other purchases No foreign transaction fees Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 53,280 533 Bonuses 0 100 Total 53,280 633
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
	$0	1.71%	$100	$615
Apply Now	Graph Card	Read Review	More Details
Annual Fee $0 APR 13.49% - 23.49% (Variable) Card Details One-time $100 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months of approval Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day No rotating categories or sign ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back doesn't expire and there's no limit to how much you can earn 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 13.49%-23.49% variable APR after that Balance transfers also have a 0% intro APR for 9 months; 13.49%-23.49% variable APR after that; a 3% fee applies to each balance transferred Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees Note: The information in this box was provided by Capital One® and is not part of our independent analysis. Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 515 515 Bonuses 0 100 Total 515 615
Chase Freedom®
	$0	1.37%	$150	$493
Apply Now	Graph Card	Read Review	More Details
Annual Fee $0 APR 15.49%-24.24% Variable Card Details Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - it's automatic 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.49-24.24%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum Enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open No annual fee Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 343 343 Bonuses 0 150 Total 343 493
Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Credit Card
	$39	1.21%	$0	$437
Apply Now	Graph Card	Read Review	More Details
Annual Fee $39 APR 24.99% (Variable) Card Details Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day No rotating categories or sign ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back doesn't expire and there's no limit to how much you can earn Get access to a higher credit line after making your first 5 monthly payments on time Fraud coverage if your card is ever lost or stolen Use online banking to access your account, even from your smartphone, with our mobile app Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use Note: The information in this box was provided by Capital One® and is not part of our independent analysis. Estimated Rewards Through 24 Months Card Rewards Dollars* Spending Rewards 515 515 Less Annual Fees 78 Total 515 437

Our Picks For

• Best Cash Back Credit Card
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2017 Featured Cash Back Credit Cards

• Chase Freedom® Credit Card
• Discover it®
• Capital One® Quicksilver®
• Citi Double Cash Credit Card
• American Express Blue Cash Card
• Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card

Rewards Program Guides

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• Review
• Benefits & Features
• How Does The Premier Dining Rewards From Capital One Compare?
  • vs Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
  • vs AARP® Credit Card
  • vs Chase Freedom®
• Comparison Tool