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The best credit cards for groceries can earn you a ton of cash back or points one of your largest recurring expenses.
Which grocery credit card is best for you will depend on how much you spend on groceries, and whether you prefer to earn points or cash back. In this article, we cover the best credit cards to use your for your grocery shopping so that you can find the best card for you.
In this article
The best grocery credit cards for cash back
Here are the cards that earn the most cash back on grocery store purchases.
| Card | Cash back grocery rewards | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
 AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card | 5% cash back at grocery stores until $500 of cash back is earned each year in bonus categories, then 1% | $0 |
 Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%. | Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee in the first year, then $95. (See Rates and Fees) |
 Citi Custom Cash℠ Card | 5% cash back on the first $500 in your top eligible spending category each statement cycle. Eligible spending categories include groceries. | $0 |
. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | 3% cash back at grocery stores. | $0 |
 Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express Annual fee: $0 (See Rates and Fees) | 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. | $0 (See Rates and Fees) |
 Target RedCard™ Mastercard | Groceries at Target 5% discount on all purchases at Target and Target.com, including groceries. | $0 |
 Prime Visa | Groceries at Amazon stores 5% cash back on Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and Amazon.com purchases. | $0 Requires Amazon Prime membership. |
 Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card | Pick-up and delivery groceries at Walmart 5% cash back on Walmart.com, including pickup and delivery. | $0 |
The best grocery credit cards for transferable points
If you prefer collecting transferable points to earning cash back, you’re probably most interested in collecting points within your preferred rewards ecosystem. Here are the best grocery rewards strategies for each of the major transferable point programs.
Amex Membership Rewards® grocery rewards strategy: Earn up to 4.5x on groceries.
You’ll commonly see the American Express® Gold Card (review) touted as the card that earns the most Membership Rewards® on groceries. But this isn’t entirely true, it is possible to do even better than the 4x points you’ll get with the Gold.
Here are the best cards for Membership Rewards on grocery store purchases.
- The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card can get you the most Membership Rewards points on groceries, but you’ll need to jump through some hoops. You can earn a base 3x points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases. But if you make 30 or more purchases on your card within a billing period you’ll earn 50% more points on those purchases. This potentially boosts the card’s grocery rewards to 4.5x Membership Rewards.
- If you prefer simplicity or spend more on groceries, American Express® Gold Card offers 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25k/year in purchases, then 1x.
- If you want a no-annual fee card, of you spend enough on groceries each year, the best you can do with Membership Rewards is the Blue Business® Plus Card, which gives you 2x Membership Rewards on all eligible purchases, on up to $50k spent per calendar year.
Chase Ultimate Rewards® grocery rewards strategy: Earn up to 5x on groceries… sometimes.
Within the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program, you’ll find a bunch of cards that offer some rewards on some grocery purchases some of the time. Unfortunately, no card earns rewards on standard grocery store purchases. If your grocery store purchases don’t fit into the category bonuses of the Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card (review) or the online grocery category of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card (review) you might be better off using one of our cash back cards above.
Here are the cards to use for grocery store purchases if you want to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards:
- Use the Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card to earn 5x rewards in rotating categories when groceries is a quarterly category.
- Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card to earn 3x points on online grocery purchases, excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs.
- If none of the other, use the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card or the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card to earn 1.5x on grocery purchases.
Citi ThankYou® Points grocery rewards strategy: Up to 5x on groceries if you want it.
If you’re collecting ThankYou® Points, you really only have to choose between two cards. Within the ThankYou Rewards ecosystem, the choice for grocery rewards comes down to whether you use a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (review) or your Citi Strata Premier℠ Credit Card (review).
Here are the two cards to choose from to earn Citi ThankYou Points on groceries:
- The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card earn 5x ThankYou Points on up to $500 in spending in the eligible category in which you spend the most each statement cycle. If you use the card for groceries, it can become a 5x grocery card since groceries is an eligible category. The downside is that you give up the opportunity to earn 5x in a different category. That is, of course, unless you get multiple Custom Cash cards.
- The Citi Strata Premier℠ Credit Card earns 3x ThankYou Points on an unlimited amount of spending at supermarkets.
Capital One Venture Rewards: 3x on groceries
Capital One offers a backdoor way to earn unlimited 3x Venture Rewards points on groceries, thanks to the fact that you can transfer your rewards between your cards that earn cash back and your cards that earn points.
Here’s how to get the most grocery rewards within Capital One’s Venture Rewards program:
- Use either the Savor Rewards or the SavorOne Rewards cards to get unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores. You can transfer your cash back rewards to your other card that earns points. This converts your cash back rewards into points which can be transferred to Capital One’s Venture transfer partners.
Other ways to earn rewards on groceries.
Here are some other options for earning the most possible rewards on groceries:
- Consider using rotating category cards. Rotating category cards offer increased rewards in categories that change, usually quarterly. Most rotating category cards offer 5% cash back on a limited amount of groceries at least once during the year.
- If you get your groceries delivered, use a card that offers increased rewards on grocery delivery. Most of the cards on this list won’t give you additional rewards on purchases from delivery services like Instacart.
- Consider your grocery store’s branded card. The vast majority of grocery stores are regional. If you shop at a regional grocery store, chances are your store offers a co-branded rewards credit card that can give you rewards on groceries.
- Grocery store rewards and fuel points programs. Many grocery stores participate in some sort of fuel points or rewards program. Be sure that you sign up for this program in addition to using the best credit card to earn additional rewards on your groceries.
- Use grocery store spending for welcome bonuses. Your grocery store spending is probably fairly consistent, which means that you can easily use it to earn a credit card welcome bonus. Consider if you can use your grocery store spending for one of our best cash back welcome bonuses or any of the other bonuses that you’ll find on the menu at the top of this site.
More on the best cash back credit cards for groceries.
Here’s a bit more on the best cards for cash back rewards on grocery purchases.
AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card
The AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card is a card that doesn’t get talked about a lot, but it offers one of the best rates of cash back on groceries with no annual fee.
You can earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases until you’ve earned $500 in cash back on grocery stores, wholesale clubs, and gas stations combined. After that, you’ll earn 1% cash back rewards on your grocery store (and other category) purchases. If you use the card just for groceries, that means you can earn 5% cash back on up to $10,000 of grocery store purchases each year.
You don’t need to be a AAA member to get the card.
To get the card, you’ll need to go to the AAA website, find your local club, and find a link to on the page to apply for the card. Since AAA requires you to enter the zip code of your local club when you hit its website, we can’t publish a direct link.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 6% cash back on your first $6,000 of U.S. supermarket spending annually
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns market-leading cash back rewards at U.S. supermarkets.
The card will give you 6% back on your first $6,000 of purchases at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1%.) The card is also great to use for gas purchases, thanks to its 3% cash back rewards in this category and it offers $84 in annual credits for The Disney Bundle. (Enrollment required.)
Learn more about the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees
(See Rates and Fees)
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express welcome bonus
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Some people have reported being targeted for a slightly higher $300 offer once they reach the American Express website.
More about this card
Benefit highlights:
$84 The Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required.)
Return protection.
Extended warranty.
Purchase protection.
Rewards:
6% at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6k of purchases each calendar year, then 1%.
6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
3% on gas at U.S. gas stations.
3% on transit purchases.
1% on other purchases.
Rewards are earned as cash back.
Learn more:
Learn more in our review of the Blue Cash Preferred.
Compare this card against the other best cards for groceries and the best cards for gas.
Citi Custom Cash℠: 5% on your top eligible spending category, including groceries, with no annual fee
The Citi Custom Cash℠ (review) earns 5% cash back on the first $500 of your top eligible spending category each statement cycle. Grocery stores is included in the list of eligible 5% categories.
The best way to use the Custom Cash is to pick a single eligible category (such as groceries) and spend at most $500 on the card each month. Purchases beyond $500 a month and outside your top eligible spending category earn 1%. Use another card, such as a 2% cash back card for other spending.
Learn more about the Citi Custom Cash℠ and how to use the ThankYou® Points you earn with the card.
Annual fee: $0
This is a direct bank link. All information about the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card sign-up bonus
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The 6-month window to earn this bonus makes it an easy bonus to earn.
More about this card
Benefit highlights:
Citi Entertainment® – Access to event ticket pre-sales.
Rewards:
5% cash back on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, on up to $500 of purchases.
5% eligible categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.
1% cash back on all other purchases.
Rewards are earned as ThankYou® Points.
Learn more:
Learn more about the Citi Custom Cash in our review of the card.
See our overview of the ThankYou® Rewards program.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Unlimited 3% cash back on groceries with no annual fee
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card gives you simple, unlimited cash back rewards on groceries.
The card earns unlimited 3% rewards on groceries, dining, entertainment and popular streaming services with no annual fee. The card doesn’t offer many additional benefits, but in the categories where it earns the most rewards, card benefits are largely moot.
Learn more about the SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card from our overview of the card.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card welcome bonus:
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Click here to learn more and apply.
Our take on the welcome bonus: Earning $200 after $500 of spending puts this card on our list of easy cash back welcome bonuses.
The link above is a link directly to the bank’s website. We don’t make money when you use the above link, but we always show you the best offer.
SavorOne Cash Rewards at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 3% dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Travel accident insurance.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 3% cash back on $6,000 of groceries at U.S. supermarkets with no annual fee
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a good choice if you spend a limited amount of money at U.S. supermarkets and want a card with no annual fee.
The Blue Cash Everyday will earn you 3% cash back on up to $6,000 of groceries at U.S. supermarkets, then 1%. It also offers increased rewards on gas at U.S. gas stations and at U.S. online retail merchants.
Learn more about the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offer: $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in 6 months, plus 10% back at restaurants. (Annual fee: $0)
Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus receive 10% back as a statement credit on purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $150 back. Get this welcome bonus.
(See Rates and Fees)
This is the best welcome bonus we know about on this card—you likely won’t see the 10% restaurant offer on most other sites, since it is not available through affiliate networks.
Bonus rewards at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail. $84 ($7 monthly) Disney Bundle Credit (Enrollment required). (More in our card review.)
This is a link to a public offer available exclusively through Resy. All information about the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Target RedCard™ Mastercard: 5% discount at Target, including on groceries
If you buy groceries at Target, the Target RedCard™ Mastercard should be in your wallet.
The RedCard will give you a 5% on most purchases at Target and at Target.com. The Target RedCard is also available as a credit card or debit card.
Learn more about the Target RedCard™ Mastercard or check out our article on the best cards to use at Target.
Target RedCard Mastercard welcome bonus:
Save $50 on a future qualifying purchases of over $50 when approved for a credit or debit RedCard.
Our take on the welcome bonus: The Target RedCard frequently offers a similar bonus for new cardmembers. If Target isn’t currently offering a welcome bonus, just wait a few weeks and they’ll launch a new offer. $50 off of $50 matches the largest offer we’ve seen on this card.
The link above is a direct link. We don’t make any money when you use the link above, but we’ll always show you the best offer.
Target RedCard™ Mastercard at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% discount at Target and Target.com. 2% on dining and gas. 1% everywhere else.
Benefits: Free 2-day shipping at Target.com. Additional 30 days to return at Target.
Amazon Prime Visa: 5% back at Whole Foods for Prime members
If you buy your groceries at Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh and are an Amazon Prime member, the Prime Visa will get you the most rewards on your groceries.
You’ll earn 5% back on your grocery store purchases at Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh, plus you’ll have one of the best cards for purchases at Amazon.
Learn more about the Amazon Prime Visa.
Amazon Prime Visa welcome bonus:
Amazon Prime Visa from Chase: Receive a $100 Amazon gift card upon approval when you have a Prime membership. (If you do not have Amazon Prime, you’ll see an offer for the non-Prime version of the card, the Amazon Visa.)
Click here to learn more and apply:
Our take on the welcome bonus: The Amazon Prime Visa is an essential card for Amazon shoppers with Prime. A $100 Amazon gift card after approval is the best welcome bonus we know of on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Amazon Prime Visa at a glance:
Annual fee: $0 (requires paid Amazon Prime membership)
Rewards: 5% Amazon.com, Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh. 5% Chase Travel. 2% gas, restaurants, local transit and commuting. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Amazon 0% financing offers.
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card: 5% on groceries when you order online at Walmart.com for in-store pick-up
Walmart shoppers who order groceries for in-store pick-up or delivery will earn the most rewards on groceries with the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card.
The card earns 5% cash back on orders placed online at Walmart.com, including orders for in-store pick-up. Be aware that the Capital One Walmart card will only give you 2% cash back rewards for in-store purchases.
Learn more about the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card.
Annual fee: $0
This is a direct bank link. All information about the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card
The Capital One Walmart Rewards card offers no traditional welcome bonus, but it does offer 5% cash back in Walmart stores for the first 12 months when you use Walmart Pay.
The lack of a welcome bonus on this card is disappointing, considering that other retailers cards usually offer at least some welcome bonus.
More about this card
Benefit highlights:
Capital One doesn’t promote the benefits of the Walmart Rewards® Card, but the card will come with a suite of benefits depending on whether Capital One issues the card as a World Mastercard or a World Elite Mastercard.
Cards issued as World Mastercards should include: Purchase assurance, price protection, and extended warranty.
Cards issued as World Elite Mastercards should also include: Cellular wireless telephone protection, MasterRental coverage, Worldwide automatic travel accident, baggage delay and trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and lost/damaged luggage coverage.
The exact suite of benefits you receive will be detailed in the guide to benefits you receive with your card.
Rewards:
5% at Walmart.com, including pickup & delivery.
2% in Walmart stores & fuel stations.
2% at restaurants and on travel.
1% on other purchases.
Rewards are earned as cash back.
Learn more:
Learn more in our review of the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card.
My take on grocery rewards credit cards
When it comes to selecting a card to use at grocery stores, the only thing that matters for most people is the amount of the reward or discount you get on your groceries. You’re not going to need to make a return protection claim on tomatoes, there’s no warranty on milk, and travel benefits are largely irrelevant. So that’s what we’ve focused our list on: rewards.
For most people buying groceries at traditional grocery stores, picking up the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and/or the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card will be the easiest path to maximizing grocery store rewards.
- If your monthly grocery bill is under $500, pick up one of these cards and just use it for groceries.
- If your monthly grocery bill is over $500 and under $1,000, use the Custom Cash for the first $500 of grocery store purchases each month, and the Blue Cash Preferred for the rest.
- If your monthly grocery bill is >$1,000 consider adding the Capital One SavorOne card to the mix.
Personally, grocery store spending is one of the easiest categories to earn extra rewards on because it’s a type of purchase that you’re going to consistently make.
My grocery credit card cash back strategy
If you spend a lot on groceries, you might want to carry multiple grocery store credit cards. The best cards for groceries often have caps on the amount of rewards you can earn. Plus, rotating category cards only offer grocery rewards during certain times of the year. Here’s how I use my grocery store credit cards.
Keep in mind that your grocery card strategy may be different due to your spending patterns. For example, if you buy groceries at Target or Whole Foods, you’ll almost certainly want the Target Red Card or the Prime Visa in the picture.
Here’s how I use my credit cards for grocery store purchases.
My grocery store credit card strategy summarized
Generally, I allocate my grocery store spending to credit cards that offer 5% cash back rewards or more on a time-limited basis first. Then, I use up grocery store category rewards that have annual limits. Then I go to my Citi Custom Cash and my everyday cash back card.
Use rotating category cards for groceries first.
I hold the trifecta of rotating category cards, so half the year, I can get 5% cash back on groceries through a bonus category on one of these cards. Since rotating categories are time-limited and dollar-limited offers, I usually have these cards at the top of my wallet for grocery store spending.
Put the next $6,000 of groceries on my Blue Cash Preferred® Card.
If I don’t have a rotating category card I can use, the next card I’ll pull out of my wallet is my Blue Cash Preferred® Card. I can spend up to $6,000 at U.S. supermarkets and get 6% rewards, but the limit on that category resets annually. I’ll continue to use my Blue Cash Preferred® Card until I’ve spent $6,000 on groceries.
Use my Citi Custom Cash Card
I like to reserve my Citi Custom Cash℠ Card for other categories like dining, home improvement store purchases, and live entertainment. But if I’ve maxed out the bonus category on my Blue Cash Preferred®, I’ll switch up to $500 of grocery store spending to the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card to earn 5% rewards.
Use a 2% card as a last resort
Finally, I’ll use a 2% cash back credit card if none of the above options are available.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get 5% on groceries with no annual fee?
Yes. When you use the Citi Custom Cash, you earn 5% on your top category on up to $500 in spending each month. You can also get 5% on groceries using rotating category cards which have no annual fee.
Do grocery store purchases at Walmart or Target earn extra cash back?
The cash back you earn with a grocery credit card depends on how the merchant processes the transaction. Typically, big box retailers that also sell groceries like Target and Walmart will not be processed as a grocery store transaction. The Target Red Card gives you a 5% discount on all your Target purchases, making it a great option for Target shoppers.
Can I get a Chase Freedom Flex℠ card if I have a Chase Freedom Unlimited®?
Yes. You can have both the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® cards. If you already have one, you can get the other card with the 5% gas and grocery welcome offer.
What is the best card for groceries at Target?
The Target RedCard is the best card for groceries at Target. Using the Target RedCard, you’ll get at 5% discount on your groceries, excluding some items like alcohol. No other card can get you uncapped 5% rewards on all of your groceries at Target.
American Express disclosures
- For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
- For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
- For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
Amex Basic Purchase Protection benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited to up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Premium Purchase Protection benefit disclosure: Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited to up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Extended Warranty benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Return Protection benefit disclosure: With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Amex Basic Trip Delay Insurance benefit disclosure: Up to $300 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
