The Best Grocery Credit Cards
5 Min Read | Published: May 15, 2026
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
Find the best grocery credit card for you to maximize rewards on everyday spending. Compare cash back, points, and fees to choose the right card for your needs.
At-A-Glance
- The right grocery credit card can help you save money or earn rewards on everyday purchases.
- Compare cash back, points, and other benefits to find the best card for your grocery spending habits.
- Understanding rewards caps, fees, and bonus categories can help you maximize your savings.
It’s a Friday night, and you’re tired after a busy week. You check your fridge, and it’s empty. An out-of-budget pizza delivery is calling your name. But then you realize, “Hey, if I just run to the grocery store and pick up a few things with my rewards credit card, I can save money and earn cash back on my purchases.”
With the right credit card, you can feel good about spending money on the groceries you need to stay within your budget, while earning rewards on your purchases. This guide will show you what to look for in a grocery credit card, how to compare options, and how to maximize your rewards.
What Makes a Credit Card Good for Grocery Spending?
At a basic level, you want your credit card to offer the most rewards possible for your spending. But what type of credit card provides that? And what type of rewards do you want for your spending? Let’s take a closer look.
Bonus Categories
Some credit cards may offer a flat rate of rewards for your spending, while others may have designated categories that allow you to earn more on certain purchases. One such category may be groceries. Cards that offer more rewards on your supermarket purchases can help you cash in at a later date.
As you shop for a new credit card for your everyday purchases, keep an eye out for cards that reward you for spending in the grocery category. Some cards may offer around 6% cash back on grocery spending, but for the best rewards, you may have to pay an annual fee.1
Rewards Type
Another element to consider as you find a grocery credit card is the type of rewards you’d like to earn. A rewards card may offer cash back on your spending, but it may also offer points that you can redeem for a variety of rewards, including travel, cash back, or statement credits. Some travel-specific credit cards may also offer a certain amount of frequent flyer miles per purchase, which you can redeem for airfare.
Grocery Store Eligibility
Some cards exclude certain grocery stores from their benefits and may be geared toward specific supermarket brands. Others may not consider specialty food stores, like butchers or fishmongers, as grocery merchants. Before you decide on a new card, double-check that your favorite store qualifies.
How to Compare Grocery Rewards Against Annual Fees
Many of the most rewarding credit cards have annual fees, but you may be surprised by how much cash back you can earn over the course of a year. With a little bit of math, you can see for yourself if a card is worth the fee for your spending habits:
- Calculate Your Annual Grocery Spending.
Take a look at your checking account and credit card statements for the past year, and add up all your grocery purchases. - Compare Rewards Earned vs. the Card’s Fee.
Then, using your total grocery spending, see how many rewards you would’ve earned on that spending with the grocery credit card you have in mind, and subtract the card’s annual fee from your rewards. - Consider a Card’s Rewards Cap.
Some credit cards have a cap on the amount of spending that they’ll reward. If your grocery card has a cap, make sure to only count the rewards you’d earn on your eligible spending. - Look for Cards with No Annual Fee.
If you find that the card’s fee is more than the amount you’d get in return from your spending, you may want to consider a rewards card with no annual fee that still rewards your grocery shopping.
Cash Back vs. Points: Which Is Better for Groceries?
Two of the main types of rewards that are offered by grocery credit cards are cash back and points. Both options reward your spending, and which one you choose may depend on personal preference.
- Cash Back
With cash back, you have a simple, flexible benefit that you can usually redeem as cash to your bank account or as a credit on your card statement. - Points
Points are a type of reward that can usually be redeemed for cash back or statement credits, but they also may be redeemable for travel experiences or other offerings from a card issuer. While they may take more effort to redeem, they can sometimes be redeemed for more value, depending on your card agreement.2
How Everyday Grocery Spending Adds Up to Meaningful Rewards
You probably know that your grocery spending accounts for a significant portion of your budget, but you may not realize how much you could save by using a rewards card responsibly to cover those purchases. Here’s an example that could put it into perspective:
Let’s say you spend $500 per month on groceries, and you have a credit card that earns you 5% cash back on your grocery store purchases. Assuming the card has no reward caps or annual fee, at the end of the year, you could earn $300 in cash back on your regular purchases alone. That $300 could end up in a savings account, pay for streaming services and subscriptions, or help you buy holiday gifts. By using the right credit card, you can get rewarded just for going to the grocery store.
Frequently Asked Questions
A quality grocery credit card is one that earns a high rewards rate for grocery purchases and delivers rewards you value. If you value airfare discounts, you may look for a credit card that earns miles at the grocery store. If you value cash back, you may prefer a card that offers that instead.
Both cash back and points offer valuable benefits, and which one is better may depend on your preferences. Cash back provides you with a clear idea of how much you can earn on your purchases, and the reward is simple: cash. Points may also be redeemable for cash back, but they can sometimes be redeemed for travel experiences or other valuable perks, too. If you want a simple benefit, cash back may be better for you, but if you’re comfortable redeeming points, they can be the more valuable option.
The Takeaway
At the end of the day, if you’re earning rewards on your regular spending, you’re getting more out of expenses that are already in your budget. That said, the right grocery card for you depends on your spending habits and financial goals. You may want to compare annual fees, eligibility requirements, and reward types before you make your decision.
Explore cards with top grocery rewards to find one that fits your needs today.
1 “What Counts as a Grocery Purchase for Rewards Credit Cards?,” Experian
2 “Cash Back vs. Points: Which Rewards Card Is Better?,” Experian
Scott Drueding Hanson is a content writer and copywriter based in Brooklyn. His work focuses primarily on personal finance.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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