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Using the right credit card for groceries can help you earn a meaningful amount of extra points or cash back each year. Many top rewards cards offer bonus earnings with specific types of merchants, and for most people, groceries are one of the most valuable of these categories. After all, we all buy food!
In this post, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best grocery credit cards. If you’re wondering whether a specific store qualifies for bonus rewards, we’ll explain how to check later in the article.
But first, let’s take a look at why each card earned a spot on our list.
Page Contents
Our Top 7 Card Picks for Grocery Spending
Here’s a high-level overview of our top seven picks for credit cards to use at the supermarket. You’ll find options for a range of budgets and grocery spending levels, which makes it easier to find the right card for you.
| Credit Card | Points Earned on Groceries | Other Bonus Categories | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express® Gold Card | 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X). | • 4X points at restaurants (on up to $50,000 per year, then 1X) • 3X points on airfare on a scheduled flight charged directly with the airline or amextravel.com (charter flights/private jet flights excluded) | $325 (Rates & Fees) |
| Citi Custom Cash® Card | Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (categories include grocery spending) | Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (other bonus categories include Restaurants, Gas Stations, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment) | $0 |
| Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets | • 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com • 3X points per $1 spent on airfare and other hotels, gas stations, EV charging stations, and restaurants | $95 |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%) | • 6% back on eligible purchases at select US streaming services • 3% back on eligible transit, including trains, taxi cabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways • 3% cash back on eligible purchases at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (Rates & Fees) |
| Prime Visa (Rates & Fees) | Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership | • Unlimited 2% back on local transit and commuting (including rideshare) • Unlimited 2% back at restaurants and at gas stations | $0 |
| Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. | 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services. | $0 |
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at U.S. supermarkets | • 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, on eligible purchases for each category on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). • 3% Cash Back with U.S. online retailers (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%) | $0 (Rates & Fees) |
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Every Spending Category
The Best Credit Cards for Groceries
If you’re looking to maximize returns over the long run, you’ll want a card with a permanent grocery bonus. The right choice depends on your budget and whether you prefer points or cash back.
Here’s a closer look at all of our top picks.
Best all-around grocery card
If your grocery budget is $500 or more per month, there’s a clear choice for the best grocery card: the American Express® Gold Card.
The Amex Gold earns 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X). While the card carries a $325 annual fee (Rates & Fees), its lengthy list of benefits can easily justify the cost to carry it.
This also earns 4X on up to $50,000 spent each calendar year at restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and includes up to $120 in Uber Cash credits for rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. each year, plus up to $120 in dining credits each year with select merchants. Both of these are issued as up to $10 per month in statement credits. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Amex Disclosure: To receive $10 monthly credits (up to $120 per year) in Uber Cash, you must add the American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account and select it as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 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
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Related: Amex Gold Full Review
Best grocery credit card for modest spending
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a great fit for anyone who spends up to $500 per month on groceries.
Unlike similar no-annual-fee cards in the same category, which typically feature rotating bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash earns 5% cash back (issued as 5x ThankYou® points) on the eligible category in which you spend the most each month, including grocery purchases.
If you spend ~$500 per month on groceries, you can earn 5X ThankYou® points per $1 spent at supermarkets up to the monthly $500 cap.
Notably, if you also hold a Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) or Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, you could combine points across cards and transfer them to any one of Citi's 21 airline or hotel transfer partners, making this one of the best earning rates available for grocery spending.
- Sign-up bonus of $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening, issued as 20,000 ThankYou® Points
- 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category on up to $500 of purchses each billing cycle
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for--the top earning category adjusts automatically each month to the eligible category in which you spend the most.
- Excellent intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent
- 1% cash back thereafter, plus, you'll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal.
Related: Citi Custom Cash Full Review
Best mid-tier grocery credit card
The Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) is also a great card to use for groceries on its own. This $95 annual fee card earns 3X Points per $1 spent on supermarkets — with no caps.
While you'd earn more on your grocery purchases (and unlock full access to transfer partners) by pairing this card with the Citi Custom Cash, the Citi Strata Premier is a top pick if you're more interested in a single-card strategy.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
Related: Citi Strata Premier Full Review
Best grocery credit card for cash back
If you prefer cash back, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is our top recommendation, earning Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%) This card's simplicity is its most attractive feature.
Cash back gives you maximum flexibility. But unfortunately, you cannot combine the rewards earned on this card with Amex points earned through a Membership Rewards-earning card. Still, the bonus categories on offer make the Blue Cash Preferred difficult to ignore.
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Low Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49% - 28.49%.
- Plan It®: Buy now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don't have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you'll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%)
- 3% Cash Back on eligible transit purchases including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 3% Cash Back on eligible purchases at U.S. gas stations
- 1% Cash Back on other eligible purchases
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Related: Blue Cash Preferred Full Review
Best grocery credit card for Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods
If you exclusively purchase groceries through Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, look no further than the Prime Visa (Rates & Fees).
This no-annual-fee card earns 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, plus 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare).
However, you do need to have a Prime membership to enjoy all this card has to offer.
Don't have Amazon Prime yet? Click here enroll now and help support AwardWallet.
- Limited-Time Offer: Get a $250 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
- Best Amazon Gift Card offer for Prime Visa
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
- No annual credit card fee
- No more waiting. Redeem daily rewards at Amazon.com as soon as the next day
- Member FDIC
- Unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 2% back on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- Unlimited 2% back at restaurants and at gas stations
- Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Best grocery store credit cards with no annual fee
It doesn't always make sense to choose a premium card that charges an annual fee. If your monthly budget is small, the best card for groceries may be one without a fee that cancels out some of the rewards you earn throughout the year.
In addition to the Citi Custom Cash, top no-annual-fee cards for groceries include:
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at U.S. supermarkets
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.
(Terms apply)
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back with U.S. online retailers (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%)
- 1% back on other eligible purchases
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- 8% cash back on purchases made via the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 1% on all other purchases
Which Stores Earn a Grocery or Supermarket Category Bonus?
One of the main challenges with all bonus categories is predicting whether a merchant will qualify before you swipe your card to make a purchase. You won't find a complete list of Amex supermarkets or Chase grocery stores from either card issuer. However, you can type a local business name into AwardWallet's merchant lookup tool to see which rewards cards earned bonus points on recent transactions.
Our reverse lookup tool takes the opposite approach. Start with a card and choose a category; then, you'll see a list of merchants that should qualify for the bonus. The data for both tools is crowdsourced from AwardWallet members, so it isn't perfect.
But, if you pick the Amex Gold and “Grocery Stores” in the reverse lookup, you'll get a much more detailed list of Amex supermarkets than you'll find on the American Express website.
Here are the specific exclusions noted by each bank:
- Amex: “Superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services are NOT considered supermarkets.”
- Chase: “…larger stores that sell a wide variety of goods and groceries, such as warehouse clubs, discount stores and some smaller merchants such as drugstores, and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items. Purchases made at gas stations from merchants who also operate grocery stores are not included in this category. Delivery service merchants will be included if they classify as a grocery store merchant.”
- Citi: “Excludes purchases at general merchandise/discount superstores; wholesale/warehouse clubs; candy, nut and confectionery stores. Purchases made at online supermarkets or with grocery delivery services also do not qualify if the merchant does not classify itself as a supermarket by using the supermarket merchant category code.”
- Capital One: “Excludes superstores like Walmart® and Target®.”
Final Thoughts
For most people, the Amex Gold offers the best return on groceries. It's even one of the best cards for dining at restaurants, to boot. But any of the top cards on our list will return a handy sum of points or cash back on grocery spending, depending on your budget and spending needs.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 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
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), Prime Visa (Rates & Fees), Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
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