Best Credit Cards for Groceries

When it comes to credit card rewards, the best ones are those you can earn with everyday purchases, such as groceries. It’s a much more realistic way of earning points or cash back— and since you’re spending anyway, you may as well get something out of it!

We’ve listed the best credit cards for groceries to help you save more in 2023.

11 Best Credit Cards for Groceries

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1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express can earn you 6% cash back at supermarkets around the U.S. on up to $6,000 annually (after which it’ll earn you 1%).

While this makes it the highest earner, with that $6,000 cap you do need to keep an eye on your spending. You’ll also need to pay attention to which groceries you can spend on, as there are some restrictions.

There are, however, some impressive intro perks.

After you’ve spent $3,000 within the first 6 months of holding your new card, you can earn a $250 statement credit with the Blue Cash Preferred Card.

And while there is an annual fee attached, it’s pretty low at $95 and waived for your first year.

There’s one more intro offer, which is a little more unconventional — the intro Buy Now, Pay Later Plan It Fees.

With this intro offer, you’ll incur $0 plan fees for the first 12 months when you use Amex Plan It, which can help you pay off larger items on an installment plan. After that, any new plans could incur a monthly fee of up to 1.33% on each eligible purchase amount.

All cashback can be redeemed for Reward Dollars, which then become statement credits (and this is automatic, so you won’t have to enroll in order to be eligible). Additionally, you get return protection on your shopping.

The fact that this card will allow you into the highly-coveted Amex Offers is a pretty great bonus, too, and you can save on multiple other purchases with this perk.

You can also earn on streaming subscriptions within the U.S. (6%) as well as at gas stations and transit services (3%), and then 1% on any other purchases. However, groceries are really king for earning here.

Bear in mind that you will need a good/excellent credit score to qualify, and a foreign transaction fee (2.7%) also applies.

2. Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

With the Citi Custom Cash Card, you won’t have to fuss around with bonus categories — you can simply earn 5% cash back on your grocery store shopping, as well as across a pretty great selection of other categories on up to $500 per billing cycle (1% after that).

If you’re after simple cashback while you’re doing your groceries, this is the card for you. Plus, once you’ve spent $1,500 within your first 6 months of having the account, you can earn $200 cashback (as 20,000 ThankYou Points).

There’s no annual fee with this card.

Points can be redeemed through ThankYou Rewards as statement credit, checks, or direct deposit, as well as gift cards, travel, and for shopping at Amazon.com (no minimum required to redeem for statement credits or direct deposit).

You can also join the Citi Entertainment program, which has some pretty decent perks and early access to a variety of live entertainment.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that both the balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees are high, and you can only hold one Citi Custom Cash Card account per person.

Learn more:

3. American Express® Gold Card

Our second Amex card on the list, the American Express Gold Card is coveted for a reason — even if it comes with a hefty $250 annual fee.

You can earn 4x Membership Rewards points on your grocery shopping in the U.S. on up to $25,000 annually (1x points after that), as well as 4x points on dining out worldwide or takeout and delivery within the U.S.

Flights will also earn you 3x points, and 1x points on all other eligible purchases.

The current welcome bonus is 60,000 Membership Rewards Points once you’ve spent $4,000 in your first 6 months (this can change, though). You can also access $120 dining credit annually at selected restaurants, and $120 credit annually for Uber (either rides or Uber Eats).

Generally, rewards — as with other Amex cards — are a great reason to have one of these cards in your wallet as Membership Rewards points can work out to 1 cent per point.

But for even greater value, you can transfer points to other Amex partners (eg, for travel or hotels). You can also add up to five users with no additional annual fee. Finally, there’s no foreign transaction fee, so this is a good one to travel with as long as the retailer accepts American Express!

For this card you’ll also need a good to excellent credit score.

Overall, this is a fantastic card to utilize for general groceries. And though the annual fee is high, you can easily make it worth it with the rewards. Plus, you can choose between gold or rose gold for your card for aesthetics!

4. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card can earn you unlimited 3% cash back on your groceries, as well as on dining out, entertainment, and some streaming services. All other purchases will earn you 1% cash back. Uber and Uber Eats will also earn you 10% cash back.

There’s no annual fee for this card.

There’s also a welcome offer of a $200 cash bonus once you’ve spent $500 within your first 3 months.

Additionally, there are a variety of benefits across travel, entertainment, dining out, and with brands such as Uber, PayPal, and Amazon.com.

There are no foreign transaction fees, either, and the Citi rewards system is pretty well structured. Whatever you earn will remain valid as long as your account is in good standing and open — so you can really build up your earnings for better rewards!

Better still, as there are no rotating categories to pay attention to, you can just spend and earn — ideal if you’re more a fan of the hands-off earning approach.

You will need good to excellent credit in order to be approved, and you should be aware that the cashback reward categories can be somewhat limited. However, for groceries and dining out, this is a good option to consider.

5. Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier Card is another good choice from Citi, with 3x ThankYou Points earned on your groceries. You can also earn 60,000 bonus points with Citi Premier after spending $4,000 within your first 3 months — that’s $600 worth of gift cards!

While the card does come with a $95 annual fee, you can more than likely make the rewards worth it with your ThankYou Points.

They can be transferred to airline partners, as well as redeemed on rewards such as purchases at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and gift cards.

Plus, you can earn a $100 discount once a year when you stay at a hotel that costs at least $500. As with other Citi cards, your points don’t expire, and there’s no earning cap.

While there are no foreign transaction fees, there’s also no intro offer APR period or travel and purchase protections.

You’ll need good or excellent credit again and, unfortunately, the annual fee applies from the get-go.

Learn more:

6. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

If you’re an Amazon.com or Whole Foods enthusiast, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a card that you can rack up a decent amount of points on.

You’ll get 5% cash back on your Amazon purchases, groceries at Whole Foods, and grocery deliveries with Amazon Fresh. There’s also an instant Amazon gift card welcome bonus and no annual or foreign transaction fees.

Additionally, as the card is a Visa, you can benefit from Visa Signature — including the 24-hour concierge service.

However, good to excellent credit is required, there’s no intro APR offer, and balance transfer fees are quite high.

There are other categories you can earn on, too, including restaurants and gas stations (2%). All other purchases will earn you 1% cash back.

You can redeem on purchases through Amazon.com as well as cash back, travel, and gift cards, and there are some travel protections too.

If Whole Foods and Amazon Pantry are your grocery stores of choice, then this card is a bit of a no-brainer for you.

7. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card

With the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card you can earn 2% cash back on grocery stores and wholesale clubs, as well as 3% in any other available category on your first $2,500 (combined). After that, you’ll earn 1%.

There’s a $200 cash bonus once you’ve spent $1,000 in your first 90 days of opening your account, and if you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards client, you can earn 25%–75% more cashback.

With no annual fee, you can earn pretty decently with this card.

However, there is a foreign transaction fee attached, and with the quarterly caps you’ll need to pay attention to your spending. Otherwise, you might want to look into utilizing multiple cards in order to benefit from the maximum rewards possible.

You’ll also need to be careful with the bonus categories, as you can only pick one monthly (though you can change it once if you need to). You should also be aware that you can’t use this card at either Walmart or Target.

8. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Last on our list, and another one from Amex is the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express.

You can earn 3% cash back on groceries with this Amex card, as well as on U.S. online retail purchases and gas. You can also get 1% cash back on all other purchases. There is a $6,000 spending cap, however, after which you’ll earn 1%.

However, if you’re the type of grocery shopper who does multiple trips in a week, this card could be a great option for you.

There’s no annual fee for this card.

You can also benefit from the same $0 Buy Now, Pay Later intro Plan It fees as the Blue Cash Preferred Card fees for your first 15 months.

In fact, the Blue Cash Everyday Card is very similar to the Blue Cash Preferred Card, with just a few differences.

It has the same excellent rewards program, and in addition, you can receive $180 in statement credits annually (up to $15 monthly) with HomeChef.com if you decide to give the groceries a miss (shipping is only available in the lower-48 states).

You will need a good to excellent credit rating in order to be approved, and you’ll have to pay attention to that spending cap in order to maximize your rewards. A foreign transaction fee also applies, so leave this card at home if you go traveling overseas!

If you’re a big spender on your groceries then you can earn decent rewards with this card; do keep in mind that that’s around $500 monthly that you’ll need to spend.

9. Target RedCard™ Credit Card

Issued by TD Bank, the Target RedCard Credit Card is an ideal one if you’re a regular Target shopper.

With a 5% discount on your purchases (some exclusions apply), free 2-day shipping when you purchase through Target.com, and extended returns, this card is a must-have for Target loyalists.

There’s no annual fee, though there are also no intro or bonus offers. You’ll also need good or excellent credit in order to apply.

However, with the RedCard, Target claims that you could save $675 in groceries annually.

So, if you’re a savvy card user and make sure you pay off your card every month and on time, you could be seeing a hefty decrease in overall grocery spending.

While you can only use your Target RedCard at Target, there are a few bonus perks such as a 5% discount at Starbucks, on gift cards, and on same-day delivery with Shipt. If you stay in your car, you’ll also get a 5% discount!

10. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Another Chase card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card will earn you 3x points on online grocery shopping (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs).

While this doesn’t seem like a whole lot, it’s worth bearing in mind that Chase points are redeemable on a 1:1 transfer on air miles with selected hotel and airline travel partners.

Additionally, once you’ve spent $4,000 in your first 3 months, you can earn 60,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

In addition, you can also redeem 5x points on travel, 3x points on dining out, and 2x points on all other travel purchases.

While travel is really the big spender category here, you can still earn a decent amount of rewards through groceries if you’re not on a tight budget. This is especially important as this card comes with a $95 annual fee.

It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that when you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel, they’ll be worth 25% more. That’s a pretty good deal!

Additionally, there are no foreign transaction fees — making this card a good one to take overseas with you when traveling.

11. Chase Freedom Flex℠

When it comes to the Chase Freedom Flex card, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 each rotating quarter within bonus categories that are activated (using combined purchases).

Groceries usually show up in one of those quarters, which means you’re more than likely going to be able to earn more on your spending.

Additionally, if you spend up to $12,000 in your first year on groceries (excluding Walmart and Target), you can earn 5% cash back (a total of $600) — and there’s a Freedom Flex bonus offer.

Once you’ve spent $500 on purchases (including groceries) in your first 3 months of opening your account, you can earn a $200 bonus.

All of those are already pretty great reasons to go for the Chase Freedom Flex. However, in addition to that, there’s no annual fee.

This card also earns bonus cash back in other categories, including 3% cash back on drugstores and dining out (including takeout and some delivery services), plus unlimited 1% cash back on everything else.

Rewards can be redeemed for cash back (no minimum required to redeem), gift cards, and travel, and cash back doesn’t expire as long as your account is in good standing and open. So, you won’t have to rush to spend.

If you’re looking for a card that can give you a variety of rewards but with a focus on groceries, you’ll find it with the Chase Freedom Flex.

However, bear in mind that you will have to stay on top of the bonus categories in order to earn your maximum number of rewards. You’ll also need good/excellent credit in order to be approved.

Learn more:

How to Choose the Best Credit Card for Groceries

When looking for a new credit card, make sure you shop around first regardless of the rewards. There are plenty of options out there and the best card for you is going to be the one that best suits your habits, lifestyle, and wants.

Here are a few things to consider:

Do you like to shop in multiple places, or are you loyal to a specific brand?

If you often shop at different grocery stores, then a credit card with general grocery store rewards is a good pick.

However, if you find that you specifically shop at one store (eg, Whole Foods), then you may want to consider a co-branded or flat-rate rewards card.

Are you a big spender on groceries?

If you generally spend a lot when you go grocery shopping, then a card without a cap on earnings (and likely with an annual fee) is going to maximize the rewards that you can accumulate.

These cards also often have better rewards, as well as more bonus categories that you could earn in.

However, if you’re on a tight budget and are deliberately not spending as much on groceries, look for a no-annual-fee card.

Chances are you’re not going to be able to spend enough to make it worth it otherwise, and you can still accumulate grocery-related points and rewards.

Would better rewards encourage you to go for a card with an annual fee?

Typically, the cards with the best rewards come with annual fees, but this also means that you have to make sure you’re spending enough to make the annual fee worth it. It’s a question that only you can answer!

What other benefits are you looking for?

Some credit cards will have an intro APR offer period, sign-up bonuses, travel perks, bonus rewards in other categories, or waived fees. If those are important to you then keep an eye out for these perks when shopping around.

How many cards do you already own?

If you already have a couple of cards that are rewards-specific (such as gas or cash back), do you want to add another to the stack? Or would you prefer to have one card that can offer you rewards across multiple bonus categories?

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Be rewarded for spending: You can save and earn on everyday spending. Additionally, you’ll earn better rewards on groceries, which is a big category.
  • Intro APR offers: There are very often intro APR offers periods, which allow you to save on any interest that you’d normally have to pay.
  • Welcome bonuses: Some cards come with welcome bonuses, which can earn you a large number of points or cash back, as long as you hit the minimum threshold within a certain period of time.
  • Typically no annual fees apply: Most grocery credit cards will have no annual fee, but this does vary, of course.
  • Returns protection: Some cards will offer you an extended returns policy period, which means that you can still be refunded if you used your rewards card for the purchase— even if the original retailer won’t take your return.

Cons

  • Spending limits: You’ll often find spending caps on rewards’ bonus categories, meaning that if you hit that spending cap your ability to earn points will be minimized
  • Co-branded cards are limiting: Usually, co-branded cards will only allow you to redeem rewards related to their store. That could work if you’re a loyal shopper. However, if you’re looking for bigger or better rewards, co-branded isn’t the way to go.
  • High variable APR: In general, outside of intro offer periods, the variable APR can be quite high on rewards cards. While you should be practicing good credit card habits regardless, you could be racking up some hefty fees if you happen to miss a payment.
  • Redemption options can be limited: Depending on the card, you may find that your only options for rewards come in the form of cashback. While that’s fine, if you’re looking for other rewards — such as miles — you’ll likely be out of luck.
  • Watch out for the fees: It’s always worth reading the fine print and seeing what sorts of fees you could get stuck with. There may be fees relating to cash advances, late payments, foreign transactions, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a credit card for groceries with no annual fee?

From our list, there are actually four cards with no annual fee!

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, Citi Custom Cash Card, Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, and the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card all have no annual fee attached.

How do grocery reward credit cards work?

Grocery reward credit cards are much the same as other credit cards.

The only difference is that when you spend with it, your rewards will come as points, cash back, or miles, and grocery spending rewards will likely be higher than in other categories.

Which American Express Card is the best for grocery shopping?

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express will earn you 6% cash back on your groceries within the U.S.

With no annual fee for your first year, followed by a relatively low $95 annual fee, this could earn you some pretty great rewards.

However, your cashback will be capped at $6,000 annually, thereafter only allowing you to earn 1% cash back.

Are Credit Cards for Groceries Worth It?

If you’re a big shopper when it comes to groceries, a credit card for groceries can help you save and earn while you shop.

Since you’re spending the money anyway, you may as well be rewarded for it!

However, in order to maximize your rewards you’ll need to be paying attention to spending caps, rotating bonus categories (which may need to be activated each quarter), and whether or not there’s an annual fee attached.

All of the cards we’ve covered also require you to have a good or excellent credit score, so if your credit score is average at best, you likely won’t be approved.

Whichever card you go for, compare and contrast their benefits before you make a decision. Always make sure that you practice good credit card habits to avoid paying any surprise fees or fines!