Our Picks: Best Grocery Credit Cards
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%. Cardholders can also earn 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, including taxis, ride-sharing services, tolls, trains, buses and parking. Plus, earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. See our full review.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: With the Hilton Honors American Express Card, you will earn five points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. You can earn seven Hilton Honors bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, and all other eligible purchases earn three points per dollar. This card charges no annual fee and offers complimentary silver status in the Hilton Honors rewards program as a perk. See our full review.
Instacart Mastercard®
Why this is one of the best grocery credit cards: Get a free year of Instacart+ and a $100 Instacart credit automatically upon approval. Membership auto-renews. Terms apply. upon approval, and earn 5% cash back on eligible Instacart purchases and on travel booked through the Chase Travel Center. Cardholders also earn 2% cash back on purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and on select streaming service supscriptions. All other purchases earn 1% cash back. Redeem rewards for cash back or travel. See our full review.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: U.S. supermarkets are the highest-earning reward category on the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, with purchases gaining 3% cash back (on up to $6,000 annually, then 1%). Cardholders also get 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%, and 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Cardholders earn up to $250 – Here’s How: Earn up to $150 back when you shop with PayPal. Earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases when you use your new Card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $150 back. Plus, earn $100 back as a statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. See our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: If Delta is your preferred airline, this card can help you earn free award flights faster. Purchases from Delta and at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets earn 2 miles per dollar, and you’ll earn 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. You’ll also get your first checked bag free on Delta flights, priority boarding on Delta flights and 20% savings as a statement credit when you charge Delta in-flight purchases. See our full review.
Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer earns 1% cash back when you spend, plus 1% back when you pay your credit card bill. The card doesn’t have an annual fee. Although the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer doesn’t offer extra cash back for grocery store spending, it earns a solid flat rewards rate and doesn’t require users to keep track of different spending categories. See our full review.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: Earn an unlimited 3% cash back on groceries with the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. Receive 3% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases and 1% back on everything else. The card offers 0% intro on purchases for 15 months; 17.99% to 27.99% (variable) APR on purchases after that. It also offers 0% intro on balance transfers; a 3% balance transfer fee will be applied after. See our full review.
American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card offers 2 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases, groceries or grocery delivery services and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. Cardholders can receive an introductory bonus of 10,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles and receive a $50 statement credit after making $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. The card has no annual fee and can earn unlimited miles. See our full review.
Citi Rewards+® Card
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: With the Citi Rewards+ card, you’ll earn two points per dollar at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 spent per year, then one point per dollar). You can also earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com. For a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at restaurants up to $6,000 in the first 12 months and 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent thereafter. See our full review.
American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Why this is one of the best grocery rewards credit cards: You can $150 Statement Credit $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months. If you spend a lot on groceries, that breaks down to about $350 monthly on this card with no annual fee. The card comes with a 15-month 0% annual percentage rate on purchases and then 16.99% to 27.99% variable, plus unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. See our full review.
U.S. News has been helping consumers make money decisions for decades. For our Best Grocery Store Credit Cards list, we considered overall issuer satisfaction ratings, grocery rewards earning rates, annual fees, annual percentage rates and sign-up bonus values. Satisfaction data is based on an annual nationwide survey.
The cards on our Best Grocery Store Credit Cards list earn bonus rewards at supermarkets – some in the form of cash back, and others in the form of points or travel miles. When choosing a card that might help you maximize the rewards you earn from purchasing groceries, consider things such as whether you’d get more value from earning cash back, points or miles, as well as how much you can earn on grocery purchases and other spending categories for which you might use the card.
What Is Considered a Grocery Credit Card?
Supermarkets themselves may also offer credit cards that earn rewards. For instance, the grocery chain Harris Teeter has a card that offers two rewards points for every dollar spent in its stores. For every 1,000 points, you earn $10 in free groceries.
How Do Grocery Credit Card Rewards Work?
If an average family of four spends more than $11,000 on groceries annually, and their grocery rewards credit card earns at least 2% cash back, that’s more than $200 back each year for supermarket spending.
Some cards don’t limit your bonus rewards to grocery purchases and may have a few additional bonus rewards categories. This can make a grocery rewards card a good choice for earning everyday rewards. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, for example, earns 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets and then 1% thereafter; 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit; and 1% back on other purchases, with no cap.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Grocery Cards?
Be sure to consider these when determining if a grocery card is right for you.
Pros
- It’s easy to earn rewards. Whereas some people may struggle to earn rewards in categories such as travel, it’s hard to find an adult that can’t earn rewards on groceries.
- Cash in on other spending. Most credit cards that reward grocery shopping also reward other typical spending, such as for gas and dining out. These cards usually offer at least 1% on all other qualifying purchases.
- Access additional perks. Depending on the card you choose, you could earn basic benefits such as access to your FICO score or plush perks like access to luxury airport lounges – all for simply being a cardholder.
Cons
- Exclusions may apply. Many credit cards that reward grocery purchases exclude stores such as Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco and BJ’s. Be sure to check the card’s terms to ensure your store of choice is included.
- Low rewards and caps are possible. Because grocery purchases are common, some cards offer lower reward values and/or cap your reward earnings, so be sure to choose a card that will provide the greatest value.
What to Consider When Choosing a Grocery Store Credit Card
Here are some things to keep in mind when determining which credit card might be best for your grocery shopping habits:
- How much do you spend on groceries? Some grocery rewards cards have limits on the bonus rewards you can earn on grocery purchases quarterly or annually. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, for instance, earns 6% on the first $6,000 in annual U.S. supermarket purchases, then 1% after that. If you spend $10,000 on groceries annually, you will exceed the limit of the card’s bonus rewards for U.S. supermarket purchases. Once the bonus no longer applies, you will earn much less.
- Should you use multiple credit cards? You can maximize your potential reward earnings for grocery expenses by shopping with more than one credit card during the year. For example, you could use the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express for your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases and then switch to another card with grocery bonus rewards for the rest of the year. If you don’t want to juggle multiple credit cards or track your spending carefully, a card that offers unlimited grocery bonus rewards may be a better choice, though it may have a lower cash back rate.
- Does the card charge an annual fee? Cards with an annual fee may feature a more competitive rewards earning rate and other benefits. But you’ll need to look at your spending to determine whether the card is worth the cost.
How Can You Maximize Rewards With a Grocery Credit Card?
Although everyday grocery spending can earn bonus rewards, certain strategies can help you rack up even more rewards.
- Consider which stores count toward grocery store purchases. “Some stores, like Walmart or Costco, don’t actually code as supermarkets or grocery stores,” says Alex Miller, founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, a website that helps consumers maximize their credit card rewards. If that’s the case, you won’t earn grocery store bonus rewards at that store. If you’re uncertain, make a small test purchase to make sure you can earn points with a retailer that is not exclusively a grocery store.
- Purchase gift cards from the grocery store. You can earn bonus rewards when you buy gift cards for movie theaters, retail stores and other merchants at the grocery store, says Richard Kerr, founder of Award Travel 101, a Facebook community that helps members maximize rewards programs.
- Sign up for store loyalty rewards programs. Grocery stores often have their own rewards systems, so you could also earn credit card bonus rewards and grocery store loyalty points when shopping there.
- Pay off your balance each month. As with all credit cards, paying off your balance each month is a good idea to maximize the value of your grocery rewards. The interest charged on any balance you carry will easily outweigh the value of your rewards, even if you’re earning as much as 6%; the average annual percentage rate for all cards in the U.S. News database is 15.56% to 22.87%. Also, avoid spending more than you normally would to earn rewards.
