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Looking for the best credit cards for restaurants and dining? Everyone should have a plan to maximize their dining rewards on restaurant purchases and takeaways. After all, we all love having someone else do the cooking—and our spending habits reflect that.
In fact, according to USDA statistics, over 37% of all spending on food in the U.S. is spent dining out. That's a considerable portion of overall credit card spending each year. Consequently, if you’re not using the right credit card on dining purchases, you’re leaving thousands of points on the table each year.
How to Choose the Best Credit Cards for Restaurants and Dining Out in 2023
The best credit card for dining purchases depends on your eating habits, travel goals, and whether you want to earn travel rewards or cash back on dining. Are you chasing flexible rewards points that transfer to airline or hotel partners? Or do you prefer earning fixed-value rewards points at restaurants to pay for other travel expenses? Maybe you would rather earn cash back on dining.
No matter your goal, we want to make maximizing your purchases easier. To that end, let's dive into our list of top credit cards for restaurants and dining purchases, and see which card takes the top dining credit card spot.
Page Contents
- How to Choose the Best Credit Cards for Restaurants and Dining Out in 2023
- Best Dining Credit Card for Each Rewards Category
- Other Great Options for Dining & Restaurants
- Table of the Best Rewards Credit Cards for Dining & Restaurants
- Stack with a Dining Program
- What Purchases are Included in the Dining & Restaurant Category?
- Final Thoughts
Best Dining Credit Card for Each Rewards Category
No matter which type of rewards you want to earn, there are plenty of great credit cards for dining. Let's go through some of our favorites and break down the best choices for every earning preference.
Best Flexible Rewards Earning Credit Cards for Restaurants
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 1X on other purchases
- Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
Of the best dining cards currently open to new applicants, the American Express® Gold Card (full review) delivers the most bang for your buck at your favorite eatery over the long term. That's because it earns 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants—including takeout and delivery.
The American Express® Gold Card comes with a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees). However, that's almost fully offset by two valuable benefits:
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Credits: Get $10 per month deposited into your connected Uber account — which can be used for taking an Uber or through Uber Eats. This credit expires at the end of each month if not used.
To take advantage of the monthly Uber credits, just add your Amex Gold as a payment method in your Uber account. You can find more details on the Amex-Uber partnership here.
Plus, you'll earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). So, this card is great for racking up points on your food bill, no matter how you purchase them.
Best Credit Card for Dining with No Annual Fee
- Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
The latest addition to the Ultimate Rewards stable, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ (full review) sports a dizzying array of point-earning potential and bonus categories—including 3% cash back on dining at restaurants (or 3X Ultimate Rewards points), including takeout and eligible food delivery services.
When used as a cash rewards credit card, these points are worth 1¢ each towards a selection of redemption options, including cash back. However, the value increases if you also hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or another Ultimate Rewards card charging an annual fee. If so, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points and redeem them for an increased fixed value towards travel. Or you can transfer points to partners for potentially much higher value.
This transforms that 3X points on dining into a potential 4.5%+ return, making this one of the most rewarding credit cards for dining. If you don't hold a supporting Ultimate Rewards card, you can potentially get a better return with a card that gives straight cash back on dining like the Savor Rewards from Capital One listed below.
The new 3X dining category has also been added to the Chase Freedom Unlimited® as part of its recent refresh.
Best Card for Earning Cash Back
- $300 Cash Back after you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, plus 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- 4% cash back on dining
- 4% cash back on entertainment
- 4% cash back on popular streaming services
- 3% cash back at grocery stores
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
If cash back on dining is your thing, the Savor Rewards from Capital One card is a fantastic option. That's because the card includes the ability to earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining purchases. So, if you spend $3,000 a year on dining (the national average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), you'll earn $120 in cash back. That's a great return—especially since the annual fee is $95.
Best Dining Rewards Card for Small Businesses
- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- MORE REWARDS: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases.**
- **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
- PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month-or pay over time with interest.*
- *Terms Apply
- Rates & Fees
- Airfare purchased directly from airlines
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants
- U.S. purchases for shipping
*4X points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year; then earn 1 point per dollar.
For small business owners, there isn't much competition. No other card comes close to that of the American Express® Business Gold Card—with one major caveat.
With the Business Amex Gold, it's possible to earn 4X Membership Rewards points on up to $150,000 at U.S. restaurants. However, to accomplish that, U.S. restaurant purchases need to be one of your business's top two spending categories in every billing cycle. If this matches your business's spending tendencies, then it doesn't get much better than this. You can learn more about how the 4X earning categories work in our full card review.
Other Great Options for Dining & Restaurants
Outside of the top picks listed above, these next cards represent solid earning options for three of the major transferrable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, and Amex Membership Rewards.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Sapphire Preferred announced improved earning rates in August 2021, including a major boost to the points you earn on dining. Instead of 2X points, cardholders now earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide (including eligible food delivery services and takeout).
The card also added a new 10% anniversary points boost, which awards a bonus equal to 10% of your total spending in the previous year (at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent). That means the Sapphire Preferred‘s earning rate is just a little better than other cards earning 3X on dining.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase
- 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)
- 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase
- 3X points on all other travel
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which earns 3X points on dining, is another great choice for those that prefer to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards over Amex Membership Rewards. This card comes with a hefty annual fee of $550, so you'll need to be able to utilize the card's many benefits to make this a good choice over the Sapphire Preferred for dining.
Sapphire Reservealso added a massive 10X bonus category on purchases made through Chase Dining, but the enhanced earning rate only applies when you prepay through the Chase Dining website. For those in an area with an ample selection of restaurants that allow you to pay through Chase, 10X Ultimate Rewards points is a huge return on dining spend.
Related: Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Worth $550 per Year?
Citi ThankYou Points
- 60,000 point signup bonus worth $800 towards airfare through the ThankYou Travel Center, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through ThankYou.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, hotels, and at gas stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Earlier this year, Citi announced a major overhaul for its mid-tier rewards card, the Citi Premier® Card. This included several bonus category updates, including increasing the earnings on dining to 3X ThankYou points. That's a solid return for a low-annual fee card.
The card currently comes with a bonus of 60,000 ThankYou points after meeting spending requirements. With only a $95 annual fee, it's easily one of the best mid-tier rewards cards available.
- $250 Travel Credit each calendar year
- 5X points on air travel and at restaurants; and 3X points at hotels and on cruise line purchases
- 4th Night Free when you book any eligible hotel through thankyou.com
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership
- This card is no longer available to new applicants
- 5X points on air travel and at restaurants
- 3X points at hotels and on cruise line purchases
- 1X point per dollar on all other purchases
Following Citi’s overhaul of the Citi Prestige® Card, it jumped to the top spot on our list, earning a staggering 5X ThankYou Points on dining worldwide. Unfortunately, Prestige Card is no longer accepting new applications. If you don't already have one, this won't be an option.
Citi ThankYou Points are worth a minimum of 1¢ each when redeemed for cash back. Even at that rate, earning 5X translates into a solid 5% cash back. But, that's just the minimum return. By utilizing Citi's transfer partners, those same ThankYou Points could be worth much more. In fact, my baseline valuation for ThankYou points is ~1.6¢ per point. Now, 5X translates into at least an 8% return on restaurant spending—which is simply phenomenal.
Of course, there's a catch. The Prestige Card charges a hefty $495 annual fee. So, you'll need to get good use out of the Prestige Card‘s many other benefits—or have exceptionally high restaurant spending—to justify the annual fee.
American Express Membership Rewards
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
- $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
- $100 LoungeBuddy: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
- Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit - you'll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
- Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you're traveling, when you use your American Express® Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
- $150 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3x Membership Rewards® on travel
- 3x Membership Rewards® at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3x Membership Rewards® on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more
- 1x Membership Rewards® on other purchases
American Express has a lot of great options for earning points while dining out. However, Amex's stars—the Amex Gold and Business Amex Gold—both sport a significant annual fee. If you're willing to sacrifice one point per dollar, the American Express® Green Card card (full review) might be a better option at only $150 per year. (Rates & Fees)
Table of the Best Rewards Credit Cards for Dining & Restaurants
We've got most of the bases covered with the cards detailed above. However, to present an even broader perspective of the category, we've created a table covering most of the major cards. For candidates to make it onto this table, the card needs to provide at least a 3% return on restaurant spending.
| Credit Card | Points Earned on Dining & Restaurants | Other Bonus Categories | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Prestige® Card | 5X Thankyou Points on dining | 5X points airfare 3X points on hotels and cruise lines | $495 |
| American Express® Gold Card | 4X at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S | 4X points at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year) 3X points on airfare on a scheduled flight charged directly with the airline or amextravel.com (charter flights/private jet flights excluded) | $250 - Rates & Fees |
| American Express® Business Gold Card | 4X points at U.S. restaurants (if it's one of the 2 categories where your business spends the most in a billing cycle) | Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle from the list below: • Airfare purchased directly from airlines • U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio) • U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions • U.S. purchases at gas stations • U.S. purchases at restaurants • U.S. purchases for shipping *4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year; then earn 1 point per dollar. | $295 - Rates & Fees |
| Citi Premier® Card | 3X Thankyou Points on dining | 3X points on airfare and hotels 3X points on gas 3X points on groceries | $95 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and takeout purchased through Ultimate Rewards) 3X points on dining | 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase 3X points on other travel worldwide | $550 |
| American Express® Green Card | 3X on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US. | 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals, plus 3X on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways | $150 - Rates & Fees |
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services | 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3% on drugstore purchases | $0 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | 3% on dining at restaurants | 5% on travel purchased through Chase 3% on drugstore purchases 1.5% on all non-bonus purchases | $0 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 3X points on dining | 5X points on travel purchased through Chase 3X points on eligible streaming services 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) 2X points on all other travel | $95 |
| Savor Rewards from Capital One | 4% cash back on dining | 4% cash back on entertainment 4% cash back on popular streaming services 3% cash back at grocery stores 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023 | $95 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card | 4X points on takeout, food delivery, and dining | 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, and gas stations | $0 |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. | N/A | No annual fee - Rates & Fees |
| Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi | 3% cash back on restaurants | 4% cash back on gas and EV charging purchases (up to $7,000 per year, then 1% after that) 3% cash back on eligible travel purchases 2% cash back at Costco stores and Costco.com | $0 (with a paid Costco membership) |
| U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® | 3% cash back at restaurants | 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Rewards Center 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations 3% cash back at office supply stores 3% cash back at cell phone service providers | $0 |
Stack with a Dining Program
If you’re hunting even higher returns on your dining spend, don’t forget to join the numerous dining rewards programs offered by rewards programs.
For example, say you agree to receive emails from Alaska's Mileage Plan Dining Program and clock up 12 qualifying transactions in a calendar year. Any subsequent dining purchases earn 5X Mileage Plan miles at the program's over 10,000 participating restaurants. That return alone is a better return than ANY credit card on this list. But, you don't have to choose one or the other. Dining rewards' programs stack these miles on top of the dining credit card points you earn for the same purchase!
What Purchases are Included in the Dining & Restaurant Category?
The merchant category code defines purchases included in the dining category. Consequently, the merchant must code the purchase correctly for you to receive bonus points. When in doubt, we recommend using the AwardWallet Merchant Category Lookup Tool to see how previous purchases have coded.
Chase
“…merchants whose primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants as well as fine dining establishments.”
Citi
“…restaurants (including cafes, bars, lounges and fast food restaurants)…”
American Express
“…restaurants…” (Personal)
“…restaurants located in the U.S…” (Business)
Capital One
“…purchases made at dining establishments.”
Final Thoughts
Now that the Prestige Card has been closed to new applicants, the Amex Gold takes over as our top pick. You'll earn 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar at restaurants—including takeout and eligible delivery services. Plus, the card's dining credit offsets a good portion of the $250 annual fee.
For frequent diners who'd prefer to avoid a yearly fee, the Freedom Flex provides a stellar return at 3% cash back on dining or 3X Ultimate Rewards points if you hold a card that can transfer to partners.
At the end of the day, the best card for you will depend on which rewards you want to earn and how much you spend on dining and takeout. But as long as you pick a card and use it consistently, you'll be well on your way to building your rewards balances.
Have a favorite credit card for dining and restaurants we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Green Card (Rates & Fees), and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Thank you for these suggestions, to which I would add the new Citi Custom Cash card, which is free, and provides 5% back on the first $500 spend every month (or rather statement period).
I would add to this list the new Citi Custom Cash card, which is free, and gives you 5% rewards on up to $500 spending per month in whatever category you use most –which includes Restaurants.
Great point! Thank you.
I am going to miss the Pay Yourself Back for dining with the Sapphire Reserve. That has made this card my first choice for dining. At the end of this month I guess I’ll go back to using my Amex Gold card as my top choice for dining.
Rumored to be extended until the end of the year. Keep an eye on your email, etc for confirmation.
hmmmm… several FREE cards with 4x / 4% cash back are ignored…. in favor of a 3x card….
This screams of a lack of objectivity driven by who is paying the site money…..
My reading? The Savor card is a MUCH better deal at $95 a year and 4x than the Amex….(and i have neither so not biased).
Don’t forget the 5% Discover Rewards in certain quarters! The best returns for dining occur when one stacks their favorite dining rewards card with offers (e.g., Amex Offers or Chase Offers) and dining club programs.
I repeatedly stack offers with bonus categories and coupons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a $5 off coupon on top of a 10% off offer to Panera.
The main issue with the discover card is the lack of acceptance in many many restaurants, but I’d like to use it when accepted.
Capital One Savor actually counts bakeries as dining. I don’t know any other cards which include bakeries with the dining category.
Great suggestions! Hope that the pandemic ends soon so we can get back to restaurants.
It is fantastic to be able to collect miles like this, when I lived in NY it was very easy to get miles, now in South America there are no really convenient programs.
I really like the resere card. Remember that Amex simplycash can be set to 3% cashback on restaurants. Thanks!
Considering annual fee, Chase Freedom Flex is my best choice!
While the Prestige gives 5x on dining, the hefty annual fee combined with the reduction in benefits really make it a very limited proposition. I have had a prestige for the past few years but am planning to downgrade coz the AmEx gold at 4x gives me a fairly close earning rate with a much better value proposition.
Might switch to AMEX Blue after reading this. My prestige AF is due in November and can’t justify the AF anymore. It lost it’s luster and now just taking up a space. I cashed out my TYP, so likely will just go to a straight cash back card like the DC
I have both the CSR and Amex Gold, and I prefer to use the Gold card for dining because I can cash out at a higher rate of 5 cents per dollar when combined with the Amex Schwab Platinum.
@Robert – Agreed on the preference for 3x UR over 5x TY.
Also, while it was nice that Chase bumped up the dining bonus to 3x on the Freedom Unlimited (and of course introduced the Freedom Flex), I would really have liked to see Chase simultaneously bump the CSR to 4x on dining to keep that card at the premium level in all categories. Being able to earn 3x UR with a no-AF card is unfortunately also a stealth devaluation of the CSR.
The Amex gold has always been been my favorite card for dining but it has now been supplanted by the CSR. Dining is one of the only categories that earn multiple points per dollar that also qualify for pay-yourself-back. That gives the most value for my situation.
I like cards with the most flexibility for redemption so my pick is AMEX but that’s mostly because I’m limited in which cards I can have. I can either use the points as is or convert then to whatever airline miles makes the most sense at the time.
I appreciate the multiplier points that they sometimes offer as well.
I like to stick in the chase ecosystem with the sapphire reserve but would love them to up the points to compete with some of the other brands
As much as I like earning 5x with the Prestige, my card of choice will often be the CSR.
There is an opportunity for STACKING to earn an additional 5-10¢ per $ cash back on top of the 5-3x.
DOSH will often pay out 5% This can be used with any registered card. The other stack is VISA local offers. This too has up to 5% cash back automatically added to your Uber account.
After hanging on to the CSR since it first launched I’m finally looking at dropping it this year if they won’t waive the annual fee – without being able to utilize any of the travel benefits it just doesn’t make sense to pay at this point.
Until the CSP and CSR are updated, the Freedom cards are the way to go. For me, 3 UR points is preferable to 5 TY points.
The Sapphire Reserve is hard to beat! Go for it!
Uber card and Capital one savor both look quite nice and useful. Will have to check them out.
Don’t forget double points on the Marriott card. Not the greatest unless you are trying to accumulate for a reward or towards your lifetime status. With either of those goals, the double points can be quite helpful.
Don’t forget 1 SPG point = 3 Marriott Rewards. https://awardwallet.com/blog/everything-about-the-marriott-rewards-program/
Also for those looking to earn hotel points, honorable mention should go to the 7x HH points that the AmEx Hilton Reserve card earns.
At certain airports the merchant shows up as the airport itself.
CSR is definitely top card for dinning.
Chase Sapphire is always on the top.
Interesting that Amex doesn’t classify purchases inside nightclubs as restaurants and that Barclay does.
I do constantly see that the Chase Sapphire Reserved is at the top of many lists as a great card. That is why I have the preferred one, just cannot do the higher AF. But I did just get the freedom unlimited and now I think I’ll be able to show my husband why we got all the cards by almost being able to pay nothing for a trip to see my family this Nov.
I don’t know if I ever would have thought about stacking the cards and then transferring it all to my sapphire or even would have looked at the sapphire because of the AF, if I hadn’t had explanations here of the benefit. Sometimes it can take a really long time to earn miles and then use them. Now it’s not as long since I’m able to earn UR faster than airline miles directly. That dream to take my hubby in first to syd just got a little better now that United will go iah to syd! Yeay! Now I just have to build up UR points and transfer.
I’m still considering the switch to the Sapphire Reserve but the fee for authorized users is also a hurdle. It’s free for the Sapphire Preferred and I have two authored users. Any data points on whether they ever waive the authored user fee for the Reserve?
That is a valid concern — it definitely gets expensive quickly. I’ve never heard of those fees being waived — Chase has to pay for the benefits provided on those cards, otherwise, they’d simply lose money.
Know I eat out but doubt I get anywhere near the 30% statistic level. I was surprised it was that high but I guess those of you who travel frequently may pull those statistics up some. Great benefit to capitalize on dining out with credit card usage.
Going to look into the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, thanks for the heads up, looks good for my use
Amex simplycash can be set to 3% cashback on restaurants.
Excellent point.
For Costco members, I find the Citi Costco CC really valuable. Yes you have to wait for the yearly statement to get your reward certificate, which you can redeem at any Costco for cash, but with 4% back on Gas, 3% on dining, 3% on travel its hard to beat. Plus no annual fees as long as you’re a Costco member (any level).
Costco is great for a ton of reasons — the credit card is definitely one for the list. I just wish I had one within 100 miles of where I live 🙁
This is a great analysis of how to obtain the highest value for your dining dollar! Thanks!
For a no-fee card, the Uber Visa’s 4% cash back on dining is outstanding
Thats a good advice!
CSR moved to the front of my wallet almost as soon as I activated it. When dining out I use it w/o hesitation.
Pretty hard to beat this card.
While it’s not 4.5% when redeemed for travel through Chase’s site, like the Chase Sapphire Rewards card, the Bank of America Premium Rewards card is worth mentioning. If you have $100,000 with Bank of America, including Merrill Lynch (move a $100,000 IRA balance to Merrill Edge, Bank Of America’s discount brokerage, and the 2% on dining and travel is increased by 75% to 3,5%, redeemable for cash (your $100,000 balance lets you maintain a free Bank Of America checking account with a free safe deposit box also). The $99 annual fee gives you a $100 annual airline incidentals cfedit, a TSA Precheck of Global Entry fee rebate, and 1.5%, increased to 2.625% rebate on all other purchases with the $100,000 balance.
The Bank of America program is an excellent one. The $100k requirement is a roadblock for many which is why we don’t cover it more.
That’s true. I figured the idea of moving a $100,000 IRA to Merrill Edge, their discount (cheap-no commission) brokerage may be easier for some people, although that, obviously, is only for people with a $100,000 IRA to move. I should have added that Merrill Edge has a promotion offering at least $200 depending on how much you move, You also get a lower percentage boost to the credit card cash back with lower balances.
Chase Sapphire Reserve seems to come out on top on a lot of your articles. Wonder if that’s advertiser bias or just the cold hard facts. I’m thinking the latter.
If this card didn’t have a permanent slot in our wallets it wouldn’t be on the list. At 3x earning for travel + dining and all of the other card perks, it is difficult to NOT include this card in such a list!
Thanks! I love using Rewards Network for dining and easily made VIP with 12 dines last year.
CSR is obviously the best. Just depends if you can make up the remainder of the value ($150 after travel credit) in dining and other benefits.
Haha! We must go out to eat too much, because that’s never an issue for us!
The CSR is my hands-down favorite card for dining, not only because of its everyday earnings of 4.5x when I redeem UR points through Chase Travel but also because of its frequent lucrative offers to earn additional points on restaurants.
The Reserve Card is my favorite