Groceries are a huge expense for most families, even the biggest expense in many cases. This makes them a prime opportunity to earn credit card rewards and pay yourself back on some of your spending (which we could all use right about now).
Earning anything on grocery purchases is better than nothing, but some credit cards reserve their best rewards rates for these transactions.
For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers its highest cash back rate on U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, with its second-best rate on U.S. gas stations and eligible transit. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, on the other hand, provides the same elevated rate on grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. For cards with categories that change (either because you can change them or the card does it for you), we recommend the Citi Custom Cash® Card, Chase Freedom Flex®, and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.
Learn more about what each of the best credit cards for groceries has to offer.
How we evaluate products
To choose the best credit cards for grocery spending, we considered rewards credit cards that earn elevated rates on spending at grocery stores and/or supermarkets. We favored cards with no annual fees in our analysis but included some picks with lower annual fees when justified by the earning potential.
When evaluating each grocery credit card, we considered:
- Earning rates on grocery store purchases and other categories, when applicable
- How a card defines grocery stores or what “counts” as groceries
- Spending limits to earn the maximum cash back rates
- Ease of accessing the best rates (i.e., whether offers need to be manually activated or not)
- Redemption methods/flexibility
- Annual fees
We did not include all possible credit cards in our research, but we did analyze the options we feel are the best fit for as many of our readers as possible.
Best grocery credit cards
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Chase Freedom Flex®
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Best for shopping at specific stores
Compare the best credit cards for groceries
Card | Reward rate | Excellent for |
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6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases | U.S. Supermarkets and U.S. gas stations |
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3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases | Groceries and restaurants |
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5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1% cash back), plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases; plus, as a special travel offer, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026 | Varied grocery spending |
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5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases | Groceries and drug stores |
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3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and 1% on all other purchases | Online grocery shopping |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Reward rate: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases
- Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months
- Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (then 18.24% - 29.24% (variable)).
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter
With the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, you can earn up to 6% cash back on U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services. This is one of the most generous cashback rates we’ve seen for supermarket spending, and the definition of “groceries” is similarly appealing.
- ALDI
- FreshDirect
- Gelson's
- Hy-Vee
- Kings Food Markets
- Meijer
- ShopRite
- Smart & Final
- Stop & Shop
- Trader Joe's
- Vons
- Whole Foods
- Winn-Dixie
The card’s annual fee is a downside we won’t ignore, but the potential rewards significantly outweigh its cost. If you were to only spend $5,000 at U.S. supermarkets and not use it for anything else, you'd earn $300 in cashback rewards (in the form of statement credits) each year.
We’d recommend the Blue Cash Preferred card for those who spend a lot on groceries and want to redeem their rewards for statement credits. Bonus if you pay for a lot of U.S. streaming services.
However, if you do most of your shopping at specialty shops or superstores, steer clear. Groceries purchased at Amazon, Walmart, Target, or warehouse stores aren't eligible for the 6% cashback rate.
Would the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express be a better fit for you?
If you prefer to pay no annual fee and don't mind earning only 3% at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year on purchases in each category, then 1%), you could opt for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express to still earn solid rates on U.S. supermarket spending.
- Wide range of U.S. supermarkets qualify for elevated cash back
- Intro APR offers on purchase and balance transfers
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter annual fee
- $6,000 annual spending cap on 6% cash back
Learn more or read our full Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express review.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Reward rate: 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)).
- Annual fee: $0
The $0-annual-fee Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 3% cash back on grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, and there is no limit to how much you can earn. If you spend $5,000 on groceries in a year, you could earn $150 in bonus cash back. That’s significantly less than you'd earn with the Blue Cash Preferred, but we’d argue that the Savor’s rewards and redemption options are less limiting. You can redeem your cash back for statement credits or checks, gift cards, purchases, travel, and more.
This card is my go-to for all food-related spending. My partner and I both check out at the grocery store with our Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and use it when ordering take-out or visiting restaurants, and it earns me more cash back each year than many of my other credit cards. If a lot of your spending goes toward keeping your pantry stocked and your stomach happy each month, I strongly suggest this one.
You typically need good-to-excellent credit to qualify, so the Savor card isn't for everyone. However, this recommended credit range is typical for many of the best cash back credit cards.
- $0 annual fee
- Intro APR offers on purchase and balance transfers
- No spending cap on 3% cash back
- Doesn’t earn the highest cash back rate possible on groceries
Read our full Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Reward rate: 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1% cash back), plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases; plus, as a special travel offer, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026
- Welcome offer: Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back
- Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)).
- Annual fee: $0
We would recommend the Citi Custom Cash® Card over the other grocery credit cards on this list if you want a card that can continue to bring the rewards even when your grocery spending is softer. With the Citi Custom Cash, you’ll earn up to 5% cash back on groceries in months when that’s your top category, but this high rate will be designated to a different category if you start spending more somewhere else.
This card is unique because, unlike other cash back credit cards with rotating categories, you won’t have to choose or activate a category each billing cycle or quarter yourself — Citi does this for you. This makes it a more hands-off option than other cards since you don’t have to plan ahead or sacrifice any rewards. I’d also recommend this one to fans of Citi Travel because Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed for travel (though not transferred, sadly).
However, just keep that $500 monthly spending cap in mind. You’ll only earn 5% cash back on up to that amount each billing cycle, and you might find that you reach this threshold before you’re done buying groceries for the month. Also note that, again, Walmart and Target don’t count as grocery stores.
If your grocery spending is often neck-and-neck with another spending category or you just don’t want a card that will only earn an elevated rate at supermarkets and grocery stores, consider this one.
- $0 annual fee
- Automatically activates categories for you
- Intro APR offers on purchase and balance transfers
- $500 monthly spending cap on 5% cash back
- Can’t earn highest rate on more than one category at a time
Read our full Citi Custom Cash® Card review.
Editor’s note
According to the research we used to create the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, the average U.S. household spends around $14,000 a year on groceries, which comes out to around $1,167 each month.Chase Freedom Flex®
- Reward rate: 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 19.49% - 28.24% Variable)
- Annual fee: $0
The Chase Freedom Flex® is another $0-annual-fee grocery card with rotating categories, like the Citi Custom Cash. Unlike the Citi Custom Cash, though, the Chase Freedom Flex® earns 3% on drugstores all the time, in addition to providing the option to earn 5% cash back at eligible grocery stores when that category comes around.
Because this is a Chase cash back card, you’ll earn rewards in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These are often hailed as some of the most valuable rewards points out there, especially when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
I’d feel confident this would be the best card for anyone who splits their spending between drug stores (like CVS and Walgreens) and grocery stores, but it’s an especially great choice for anyone with other Chase credit cards as you can increase the value of your points by transferring them to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® for a potential 25% or 50% points boost. Learn more about how to pair Chase Freedom and Sapphire cards.
- $0 annual fee
- Earn highest rate on category of your choice plus travel purchased through Chase Travel
- Intro APR offers on purchase and balance transfers
- $1,500 quarterly spending cap on 5% cash back
- Need to remember to activate quarterly categories yourself
- Rotating categories won’t always be a fit for your spending
Read our full Chase Freedom Flex® review.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
- Reward rate: 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and 1% on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
- Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 billing cycles (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable)
- Annual fee: $0
Last but not least for grocery credit cards, we’ve identified the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card as one of the best options because it’s more customizable than most, in addition to including more retailers in its categories. Once per month, you can choose from:
- Online shopping
- Gas
- Dining
- Travel
- Drugstores
- Home improvement and furnishings
One category in particular, online shopping, is relatively rare among cash back cards, and it’s the reason we’d choose this card for anyone who likes to make a lot of their grocery purchases online. Plus, the card earns 2% on grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter) all the time. This time, Walmart counts for online shopping, and wholesale clubs like Costco are included in the 2% bucket. All in all, this card defines its categories more favorably than others.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card also has a higher quarterly spending maximum of $2,500 for 3% cash back, but you do share it between the top two categories.
We wouldn’t pick this card for you if you aren’t prepared to do a bit of strategizing. You’ll have to be diligent about making sure your chosen 3% category reflects your actual spending since 3% is already lower than the 5% offered by other category cards.
- $0 annual fee
- Intro APR offers on purchase and balance transfers
- Need to remember to activate quarterly categories yourself
- Doesn’t earn the highest cash back rate possible on groceries
Learn more or read our full Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card review.
Best cards for buying groceries at specific stores
Target Circle Card
If you do most of your grocery shopping at Target, signing up for the Target Circle Card may be a good choice. You'll receive 5% off your eligible purchases at Target (in store and online). If you spent $5,703 on groceries each year, you'd save $285.15 with the Target Circle Card. That's a great offer from a credit card without an annual fee.
The card does charge a higher-than-average APR (annual percentage rate), so make sure you pay off your balance in full each month to avoid costly interest fees. Plus, the card is a store card, meaning it can only be used at Target stores and Target.com. But because it's a store card, you may be more likely to qualify for it than other cards. The Target Circle Card requires you to have a "fair" credit score.
Check out our full Target Circle Card review.
Prime Visa
Is shopping on Amazon one of your spending habits? If you buy groceries at Whole Foods Market, with AmazonFresh, or with Amazon Prime Pantry, consider the Prime Visa.
Cardholders can 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 at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. There's no cap on how much you can earn, so if you spent $5,703 on groceries at Whole Foods, you'd earn $285.15 in rewards. Those are excellent rewards for a card with no annual fee.
If you are not an Amazon Prime Member, there is also the option of the Amazon Visa, but it only earns 3% on Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel purchases.
Check out our full Prime Visa review.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
If you have a big family or like to shop at Costco, the Costco Anywhere Visa card may be for you. You'll earn 2% cash back on Costco and Costco.com purchases. If you spend $8,000 per year on groceries, that means you'll earn $160 in rewards.
You'll also earn:
- 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Unlike most store-branded credit cards, the Costco Anywhere Visa card has strict credit requirements; your credit score will need to be in the "excellent" range to qualify.
And while it has no annual fee, you should be aware that you'll need to have a Costco membership to apply. A basic membership costs $65 per year.
Check out our full Costco Anywhere Visa card review.
What's considered a "grocery store?"
When thinking about which card is best for you, it's important to remember how companies typically define a "grocery store" as "supermarket purchases." In most cases, companies consider grocery stores to be supermarkets that primarily sell food, such as Giant Food, SuperFresh, Whole Foods, or Winn-Dixie.
Wholesale clubs and superstores, like Target or Walmart, don't usually count as grocery stores, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule. For example, a Walmart might be considered a grocery store depending on the grocery offerings it has. As always, read the details on your particular card before creating your spending plan.
FAQs
What is the best credit card for grocery shopping?
The best credit card for grocery shopping depends on where you shop and how much you spend. Overall, though, the Blue Cash Preferred Card by American Express has one of the highest earning rates at 6% on U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services.
If you spend more than $10,000 per year on groceries, you could be better off with the American Express® Gold Card, which earns 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X).
Is Walmart considered a grocery store for credit cards?
Walmart is not usually considered a grocery store by most credit card issuers. It's often considered a supercenter, but you might discover this designation can vary depending on the setup and offerings of your particular Walmart location.
Is Costco considered a grocery store for credit cards?
No, Costco is not considered a grocery store by most credit card issuers. It's considered a wholesale club.
Bottom line
Putting food on the table is likely one of your biggest expenses as a family. However, finding the best cashback credit cards for buying groceries can help you earn valuable rewards and even discounts, softening the impact on your budget — and saving you money on food.
Consider the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Citi Custom Cash® Card, Chase Freedom Flex®, and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card to earn cash back on grocery spending. We chose these as the best grocery cards because they offer better earning rates on groceries and supermarkets than most other cards, with flexible redemption options and other perks such as welcome and intro APR offers.
By using the best rewards credit cards for groceries wisely, you can maximize your rewards without carrying a balance.