Best Credit Cards for Groceries of July 2022

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If you spend a lot of money on groceries, it makes sense to use a credit card that earns bonus rewards at the supermarket to make the most of this unavoidable expense. Fortunately, there are lots of credit cards that offer bonus points, miles, or cash back at the grocery store — and some even don’t charge an annual fee.

One of the best picks if you like earning flexible points is the American Express® Gold Card
, which earns 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in spending per year (then 1x). That’s my go-to card for grocery spending, but if the supermarket I’m shopping at doesn’t accept Amex, I’ll use my Citi Premier® Card to earn 3x points instead. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a new entry on this list, because it now offers 3x points on

online grocery

purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) — including meal kit delivery services.

Here are our top credit card picks for earning the most rewards at grocery stores.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Best for earning points at US supermarkets: Amex Gold 

Best for online grocery purchases: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Best for earning bonus points on groceries and lots of other categories: Citi Premier Card

Best if groceries is your highest spending category: Citi Custom Cash Card

Best credit card for cash back on groceries at US supermarkets: Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Best for cash back on groceries with no annual fee: Capital One SavorOne 

Best for Whole Foods and Amazon: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

Best for Amex points with a sub-$100 annual fee: Amex EveryDay Preferred

Compare the best grocery credit cards

American Express® Gold Card (jump to Amex Gold card details »)

The American Express® Gold Card is an excellent all-around choice for foodies, offering 4x points on up to $25,000 in combined annual purchases (then 1x) at U.S. supermarkets. It also earns 4x points at restaurants, 3x points on airfare booked with the airline or through Amex Travel, and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

In addition, cardholders receive up to $120 per year in dining credits** (up to $10 per month) with participating restaurants and food delivery services, and up to $120 per year (up to $10 per month) in Uber Cash credits**. The card charges a $250 annual fee, but if you take advantage of these credits and other perks, you can more than offset the yearly cost.

Read our American Express Gold card review to learn more.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (jump to Chase Sapphire Preferred card details »)

The pandemic has shifted consumer grocery shopping habits, with many now preferring to order groceries online for curbside pickup or delivery. As part of a recent refresh, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card now offers 3x points for online grocery purchases.

You’ll earn bonus points when you use your card to pay for grocery pickup and delivery orders that are placed online with grocery stores, specialty food stores, meal kit delivery services, or delivery service merchants that classify as grocery store merchants (excluding membership and subscription fees).

Purchases from Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs, liquor stores, and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items do not qualify. Pharmacy purchases (even from those located in supermarkets), gift cards, gift boxes, and gift baskets aren’t eligible, either. Our Chase Sapphire Preferred card review has more details.

Citi Premier® Card (jump to Citi Premier card details »)

The Citi Premier® Card might not be the first card that comes to mind for groceries, but if you’re looking for an all-purpose card that earns bonus rewards in lots of categories — including the supermarket — it’s an excellent choice.

Along with a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, you’ll earn 3x points at supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and on airfare, and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Citi ThankYou points are often underrated, but they’re incredibly versatile — you can transfer them to airline and hotel partners, use them to book travel through the Citi ThankYou portal, or redeem them for gift cards, cash back, merchandise, and more.

Read our Citi Premier credit card review to learn more.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (jump to Citi Custom Cash card details »)

The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is unique in that it automatically earns 5x points (5% back) in your highest eligible category each billing cycle, on up to $500 in spending (then 1x). Qualifying categories include grocery stores (as well as restaurants, gas stations, select travel, select transit, select

streaming

services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment).

There’s no annual fee, and the card offers a solid welcome bonus: $200 in cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $750 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. It’s a good choice if your spending habits change from time to time, or if you prefer a hands-off approach and don’t want to keep tabs on activating or tracking bonus categories.

Learn more in our Citi Custom Cash card review.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (jump to Amex Blue Cash Preferred card details »)

If you prefer earning cash back on your grocery spending, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express can’t be beat. It earns 6% cash back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year (then 1%) — so by maximizing this category alone by spending, on average, $500 a month on groceries, you can earn $360 in cash back each year.

The card also offers 6% back on select US streaming services, 3% on transit, 3% at US gas stations, and 1% on all other purchases. There’s an annual fee of $95, but if you spend a lot in the card’s bonus categories, you can make up for the cost easily (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars).

Read more in our Amex Blue Cash Preferred card review.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (jump to Capital One SavorOne card details »)

If you like earning cash back without paying an annual fee, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is an easy choice — especially since there are no caps or geographic restrictions on what you can earn. Cardholders earn an unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back on groceries, dining, entertainment, and streaming services, and 1% back on everything else.

The card offers a decent welcome bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, and it doesn’t add foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good choice if you’re traveling abroad.

Read more in our Capital One SavorOne credit card review.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (jump to Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card details »)

Amazon Prime members can take the sting out of their Whole Foods grocery bill when they use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. With a Prime membership, cardholders earn 5% back on Whole Foods and Amazon purchases (including Amazon Fresh), 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores, and 1% back on all other purchases.

If you don’t have a Prime Membership, the card earns 3% back instead of 5%. There’s no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, so this card is a good pick if you spend a lot at Whole Foods and Amazon. If you shop at other supermarkets, though, you’ll likely do better with a card that earns a bonus at all grocery stores.

Read the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature credit card review to learn more.

Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
 (jump to Amex EveryDay Preferred credit card details »)

Of all the Amex cards in my wallet, I’ve had the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card the longest. Before I opened the Amex Gold Card, this was my primary card for grocery spending because it earns 3x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending per year (then 1x). It also earns 2x points at U.S. gas stations, and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

The card has a trick up its sleeve, too. If you make at least 30 purchases on the card in a billing cycle, you’ll get a 50% bonus on all the points you’ve earned, effectively bumping the rate to 4.5x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to spending limits). The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card also comes with a much more manageable annual fee of $95 compared to the Amex Gold Card.

Best credit card for groceries frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Are grocery credit cards worth it?

Opening a credit card specifically for grocery purchases is definitely worth it for those who spend a lot at the supermarkets, especially with food prices climbing nowadays. Families with large grocery bills in particular can do quite well by earning rewards for these purchases.

It’s an even better deal if you choose a card that also earns bonus rewards in other everyday categories. For example, families that spend a lot on gas and dining out as well as groceries can maximize these expenses with the Citi Premier® Card, which earns 3x points supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations (as well as air travel and hotels).

What credit score do you need to open a grocery credit card?

Most of the grocery credit cards we recommend require a

credit score

in the good to excellent range. This means a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 700.

However, there are a handful of student credit cards — which don’t require a long credit history — that earn bonus rewards on grocery purchases. For example, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3% cash back on groceries, dining, entertainment, and eligible streaming services.

If your credit score still needs a bit of TLC, have a look at our guides on improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score.

What’s the best credit card for cash back on groceries?

Hands down, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is the best cash back grocery credit card if you make your purchases in the US. No other card can match its 6% cash back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year (then 1%).

However, if you tend to spend more than $6,000 on groceries each year (or have grocery expenses overseas), choosing another cash-back card (or adding a second card) could make sense. In that case, a card like the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns an uncapped 3% cash back at the grocery store, would be a solid choice.

What counts as a grocery store or supermarket for bonus credit card rewards?

Each bank has a slightly different definition of what counts as a grocery store purchase when it comes to earning bonus rewards. Be aware that most credit card networks do not consider superstores like Walmart or Target, or warehouse clubs like Costco, as part of the grocery category, so you won’t earn extra points or cash back on those purchases.

There are other restrictions to keep in mind. For example, American Express only awards bonus points or cash back at “US supermarkets” and not retailers abroad. It defines supermarkets as a retailer that offers a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products, and pet supplies. This does not include superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, or meal-kit delivery services.

Meanwhile, Chase’s definition includes supermarkets, merchants that offer a full-service grocery line of merchandise including a deli and bakery, and smaller grocery stores. Larger stores that sell a wide variety of goods and groceries, like warehouse clubs, discount stores, drugstores, and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items aren’t included, but delivery service merchants (like Instacart) are included if they classify as a grocery store merchant.

Jasmin Baron, CEPF

Editor