Best credit cards for groceries of October 2026

Groceries are an essential expense, making rewards credit cards an invaluable tool for maximizing the value of these purchases. Our editors meticulously analyze the market to identify the best credit cards for groceries, encompassing cash-back, travel rewards, and other rewarding options.

While store-branded cards may offer limited discounts, a broader strategy often proves more advantageous. A grocery credit card provides the flexibility to earn rewards at top grocery stores, empowering consumers to shop where they prefer while accumulating valuable rewards. Moreover, many leading cards extend bonus rewards beyond grocery purchases, maximizing the return on everyday spending.

Types of grocery credit cards

Not everyone shops for groceries the same way. Maybe you make weekly trips to Kroger or Publix, or perhaps you’re more of a Costco shopper. You might prefer to pick out all your groceries yourself, or you might opt for grocery delivery instead. 

The good news is there are grocery credit cards for all of these shopping styles. Here are the main types to consider.

General cash back credit cards

If you want to earn cash back on regular supermarket trips, start with a general cash back card. Some cards offer a better rewards rate specifically at U.S. supermarkets, while others offer a flat rate on most purchases. 

Cards such as the card_name, card_name and Capital One Savor take different approaches to grocery rewards. The right one for you will depend on how much you spend, whether you want to pay an annual fee and how you want to use your rewards.

 ➤  SEE MORE: Best cash back credit cards

Store and co-branded credit cards 

If you do most of your shopping at one store, a store or co-branded credit card could be worth a look. These cards can offer rewards on purchases at a specific retailer or group of retailers, which can be useful if you regularly shop at places like Costco, Target, Walmart or Sam’s Club. 

Just keep in mind that these cards aren’t always a good fit for every grocery trip. A card that works well at your favorite warehouse club may not offer the same rewards at your local supermarket. 

Cards in this group include the card_name, Target Circle™ Card, Walmart OnePay CashRewards® Card and Sam’s Club® Mastercard®.

 ➤  SEE MORE: Best credit cards for wholesale clubs

Travel rewards cards with grocery categories

What if you’d rather turn your grocery bill into a future vacation? Some travel credit cards offer bonus points on supermarket purchases, letting you earn travel rewards while buying the things you already need. 

The American Express® Gold Card, Citi Strata Premier Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are examples of travel cards that reward grocery spending in different ways. These cards may make sense if you want to earn points for flights, hotels or other travel instead of cash back.

Online and grocery delivery cards

If your grocery shopping happens mostly online, don’t overlook cards that reward online purchases or grocery delivery. Depending on the card, you may earn extra rewards when you order groceries through a delivery service or through a retailer like Amazon or Whole Foods. 

The Prime Visa and Instacart Mastercard® are examples of cards aimed at shoppers who spend more of their grocery budget online. Other cards may offer bonus rewards for online grocery purchases without being tied to one particular store.

Before applying, check the card’s terms to see which purchases qualify. A grocery order placed through a third-party delivery service doesn’t always earn the same rewards as a purchase made directly at a supermarket.

How to choose the best grocery credit card for you

The card with the best rewards rate on groceries isn’t always the best fit. Before you apply, think about where you shop, how much you spend and whether you’ll actually use the card’s other benefits.

Assess where you actually shop

Take a look at your credit card or bank statements from the last few months. How much of your grocery spending took place at traditional supermarkets? How much did you spend at Costco, Sam’s Club or other warehouse clubs? Did you buy any groceries at Walmart or Target? How often did you order your groceries through a delivery service? 

This matters because a card that offers a generous rate at U.S. supermarkets may not offer that same rate at a wholesale club or superstore. Knowing where your money actually goes can help you narrow down your options. 

Estimate your monthly grocery spend against reward caps 

Picking a card with generous rewards on groceries may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t forget about rewards caps that apply. Some cards only offer their highest rate on a set amount of grocery spending each year. After that, you may earn a lower base rate. 

For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% after you reach the limit. A household that spends $700 per month in this category would reach the $6,000 cap during the ninth month of the year. After that, the remaining supermarket purchases would earn 1% instead of 6%. 

Other cards have much higher spending limits. The American Express® Gold Card, for example, offers 4x Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x point per dollar.

Flat-rate vs. bonus-category rewards

A card with bonus categories can be a great fit if most of your grocery spending takes place at stores that qualify for bonus rewards. But if your shopping is spread across Costco, Walmart, Target, local stores and online retailers, a simple flat-rate card may come out ahead. 

For example, a 2% cash-back card earns the same rate on every purchase, while a grocery card may offer a higher rate only at qualifying supermarkets. A little math can show you which approach gives you more rewards based on your actual spending.

Weigh the annual fee against expected earnings

A card with an annual fee needs to earn enough extra rewards to make that fee worthwhile. One simple way to compare cards is to look at how much more you could earn with the fee card than with a similar no-fee card. 

For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year and has a annual_fees. (See Rates and Fees) The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has no annual fee and earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year. (See Rates and Fees)

A household spending $400 per month at U.S. supermarkets would spend $4,800 per year. At 6% back, that would mean $288 in cash back rewards with the Blue Cash Preferred. At 3% back, the same spending would earn $144 with the Blue Cash Everyday. After subtracting the annual fee, the Blue Cash Preferred would leave the household with $193 in grocery rewards compared with $144 from the no-fee card. 

In this example, the more generous grocery rewards more than make up for the annual fee. But your numbers may look different depending on how much you spend and whether you can use the card’s other benefits.

Compare welcome offers and other perks

Grocery rewards for regular spending are a nice perk, but there are other perks to watch out for, too. A welcome bonus can add a big chunk of value during your first year, while other card benefits may be useful long after you’ve earned the bonus. 

Depending on the card, you might also get benefits such as streaming credits, dining credits, travel perks or 0% APR on purchases for a limited time. These extra benefits shouldn’t make you overlook the card’s annual fee or ongoing rewards, but they can change the overall value of a card. 

The best grocery card for you is the one that fits your spending and gives you rewards you’ll actually use.

How much can you earn with a grocery credit card?

How much you can earn with a grocery credit card depends on where you shop, which rewards card you have and how much you spend on groceries and household supplies. 

The average U.S. consumer unit spent $6,224 on food at home in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about $518 per month. 

To keep the math simple, let’s say you spend $500 per month on qualifying grocery purchases, or $6,000 per year. Here’s how much you could earn with a few different types of cards.

These numbers show why grocery credit cards can be worth considering over less-specific card types. A 2% cash-back card would put $120 back in your pocket on $6,000 in grocery spending, while a card earning 6% on the same purchases could return $360. 

Keep in mind that the actual amount you earn depends on where you shop and whether your purchases qualify for the card’s bonus rate. Some cards also have spending caps, which can lower your rewards once you reach the limit. The Blue Cash Preferred, for example, earns 6% at U.S. supermarkets on the first $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1%. 

So don’t just look at the biggest percentage in the card’s advertising. Look at your own grocery bill, where you shop and how much of your spending will actually qualify for the higher rate.

Tips to get more from your grocery credit card

Once you’ve picked a grocery store card, there are a few ways to get more value from it. You don’t have to use every trick here. Even one or two can add up over the course of a year. 

Pair a supermarket card with a co-branded card for wholesale clubs or superstores

If you shop at both traditional supermarkets and warehouse stores like Costco, using two cards can help you earn more rewards across your grocery budget. 

For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year. Costco purchases don’t qualify for that supermarket rate. That said, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi earns 2% on eligible purchases at Costco and Costco.com. 

Say you spend $300 per month at Kroger and $200 per month at Costco. Putting the Kroger spending on the Blue Cash Preferred would earn $216 in cash back over a year, while putting the Costco spending on the Costco Anywhere Visa would earn $48. That’s $264 in rewards from the two cards, before taking annual fees and other cardholder benefits into account. 

In contrast, putting all your grocery spending on a card that earns 2% cash back on all purchases would net just $120 in rewards over one year. 

The trade-off here is having to keep track of two cards. If that’s more trouble than it’s worth, a flat-rate card can still be a simple option.

Stack credit card rewards with store loyalty programs and cash back apps

You don’t necessarily have to choose between credit card rewards and other grocery savings. Store loyalty programs and cash back apps can sometimes be used alongside your credit card, giving you more than one way to save on the same purchase. 

For example, you might use a Kroger Plus digital coupon, activate a cash back offer through an app such as Ibotta or Fetch, then pay with a credit card that earns grocery rewards. If all three offers apply to the same purchase, you could save through the store, earn cash back through the app and earn credit card rewards on the purchase amount. 

Just check the terms before you count on stacking. Some offers exclude purchases made with certain coupons or other promotions, and the details can change.

Time large purchases around welcome bonus windows

Rewards credit cards often give you a welcome bonus after you spend a certain amount on purchases within a few months of account opening. If you know you’ll have a large purchase coming up, timing that spending within the bonus period can help you reach the requirement without buying things you don’t need. 

Think about normal expenses such as a big holiday grocery run, a birthday party or stocking up on household staples. You could also time a new credit card signup around holiday spending or needed home repairs. The key is to use the bonus as a reason to put planned spending on the card, not a reason to spend more than you normally would. 

Use one card for both gas and groceries

If you’d rather keep things simple, look for a card that rewards both groceries and gas. That can be especially useful for households that spend a lot in both categories. 

The Blue Cash Preferred, for example, earns 6% at U.S. supermarkets and 3% at U.S. gas stations. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card also earns 3% at U.S. supermarkets and 3% at U.S. gas stations, each on up to $6,000 in purchases per year. 

Meanwhile, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi offers 5% cash back on gas purchases at Costco, 4% back on other eligible gas and EV charging purchases (5% and 4% earn is on a combined $7,000 spend per year, 1% thereafter), 2% cash back on Costco and Costco.com purchases and bonus rewards in other categories. 

If you want one card for both gas and groceries, check the details carefully. A card can offer generous rewards in both categories but still have limits that affect how much you actually earn.

When should you consider more than one grocery credit card? 

For some households, one grocery credit card is all they need. But if you spend heavily on groceries or shop at several types of stores, having more than one card can help you maximize rewards on food purchases throughout the year. 

Consider two or more credit cards for groceries if any of the following apply.

You regularly hit your primary card’s rewards cap

If you spend a lot on groceries, you may eventually run out of room under your card’s highest rewards rate. That’s when a second card can come in handy. 

For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back. A household spending $800 per month on qualifying supermarket purchases would use up the $6,000 allowance during the eighth month of the year. After that, the rewards rate drops to 1%. 

One option would be to use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express for the rest of the year’s supermarket spending. It earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, giving you a higher rate on those purchases than the 1% rate you’d get after reaching the Blue Cash Preferred’s cap. 

With $800 in monthly grocery spending, switching to the Blue Cash Everyday after reaching the Blue Cash Preferred’s $6,000 annual cap would put the remaining $3,600 of grocery spending at the 3% rate instead of 1%. That would earn $108 in cash back instead of $36, giving you an additional $72 in rewards. 

If you regularly spend enough to hit your card’s grocery rewards cap, a second card can help you keep earning a higher rate on the rest of your grocery spending. 

Your grocery shopping is split across supermarkets, wholesale clubs and online stores

More than one card can also make sense if your grocery budget is spread across several types of stores. 

For example, you might use one card for Kroger or Publix, another for Costco or Sam’s Club and a different card for online grocery purchases. You don’t necessarily need a separate card for each type of purchase, but two or more cards can give you more flexibility than trying to make one card work everywhere. 

Before adding another rewards card, look at how much you actually spend in each category. If the extra rewards aren’t enough to make the added card worth managing, keeping things simple could make more sense.