Best Credit Card for Groceries 2024

One of the main expenses is groceries, and studies have shown that Americans spend more on the food they buy in U.S. supermarkets to cook at home. Since you’ll be spending a lot of money on stocking up on groceries, you should get a card that will give you rewards like cash back or bonuses when you shop at a grocery store.

With our guide, you can get the best credit card for groceries. This guide covers the best grocery credit cards from top lenders and other important information like how to apply and choose the best one for you. Let’s take a closer look.

Credit Cards for Groceries: Best Offers

Cards for groceries offer different rewards, starting from a welcome bonus after the account opening process. Then, you can win other rewards with grocery store spending and card membership.

When compiling our list of the best grocery rewards cards, we compared dozens of available cards and prioritized the rewards rate as the main factor. Other factors include the account opening offer, annual fees, and interest rates.

As long as you choose the right credit cards for purchasing groceries, there are different rewards, cashbacks, and points that you can look out for. Based on these factors, we compiled the top 5 grocery cards, so look below.

Lender	Interest Rates	Annual Fee	Rewards Rate	Welcome Bonus
American Express® Gold	18.99% – 25.99% (Variable)	$250	4X	60,000 points
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	16.99% – 27.99% (Variable)	$95	6% cash back	$350
Target RedCard™	22.90% (Variable)	$0	5%	N/A
Citi Custom Cash℠	16.99% – 26.99% (Variable)	$0	5%	$200
Amazon Rewards Visa	16.49% – 24.99% (Variable)	$0	1% – 3%	Amazon gift card

American Express® Gold

At the top of our list is the Gold from American Express, offering up to 4x points to its users. After spending $4,000 in the first six months, you earn 60,000 membership points. You can also earn 4x membership rewards points up to $25,000. Other rewards include 3x membership rewards points on fights, Uber cash, and dining credit. It is similar to the Savorone Cash Rewards credit card but has better rates.

Details

Annual Fee: $250

Interest Rates: 18.99% – 25.99%

Variable Rewards Rate: 4X

Credit Score: 700 – 749

Welcome Bonus: 60,000 points

Pros

Possible to win high rewards
Can avoid annual fees with five additional users
Allows point transfer to other partners
Offers different color options.

Cons

High APR and annual fees
Limited options for balance transfers.

Conclusion

The Gold Card is perfect for foodies and travelers with good to excellent credit. The annual fee is a bit high and can overshadow the statement credit, but there are a lot of benefits in the eligible spend category to look out for.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

When using the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, you get a $350 credit after spending $3,000 within the first six months. The rewards rate is 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000. You can enjoy balance transfers with 0% APR and also get cashback on select U.S. streaming subscriptions and other grocery purchases. You can also get cash back at U.S. gas stations.

Details

Annual Fee: $95 Interest Rates: 16.99% – 27.99%

Variable Rewards Rate: 6% cash back

Credit Score: 700 – 749

Welcome Bonus: $350

Pros

High cashback for different grocery spending
Comes with travel benefits
Automatic card with no enrollment required
Offers 0% APR with balance transfer card.

Cons

6% cashback is limited and becomes 1%
There is an annual fee.

Conclusion

If you spend a lot of money at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, or transit like rideshare and taxis, you can get a lot of cash back at stores with the Blue Cash Preferred. It is similar to the Blue Cash Everyday Card. There is an annual fee, but not so much that it affects your statement credit.

Target RedCard™

If you shop at Target frequently, this card will offer you a 5% discount on almost all purchases, whether online or in person. But, not all items at target qualify. There are no annual fees, and the website will give free shipping. As for the interest rate, it is variable and fixed at 22.9%.

Details

Annual Fee: $0

Interest Rates: 22.90%

Variable Rewards Rate: 5%

Credit Score: 700 – 749

Welcome Bonus: N/A

Pros

5% discount on almost all Target purchases
Extends the return dates to 30 days
Free 2-day shipping on the website
No annual fees.

Cons

APR is high and rigid
There are late payment fees.

Conclusion

Those constantly getting groceries and supplies from Target will enjoy the generous rewards of 5% discount each month on the 0% annual fee card. There are late payment fees and high APR, so pay on time to prevent losing your statement credit.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Once you get the no-annual fee Citi Custom Cash, you can receive $200 cashback on the first $1,500 purchases. There is a 0% APR balance transfer, and your earnings adjust automatically when you spend at grocery stores. There is 5% cashback up to the first $500 before becoming 1%. Plus, stores have 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.

Details

Annual Fee: 0%

Interest Rates: 16.99% – 26.99%

Variable Rewards Rate: 5% up to $500

Credit Score: 700 0 749

Welcome Bonus: $200

Pros

No registration is needed for bonus rewards
No annual fees
0% APR on balance transfer
No need to activate or select bonus categories.

Cons

High foreign transaction fee
Balance transfer comes with high fees.

Conclusion

Citi Custom Cash will help you leverage cash back at U.S. stores if you want to enjoy rotating bonus categories. But, the foreign transaction fees are a bit high.

Amazon Rewards Visa Signature

Once your card gets approved, you will receive an Amazon gift card. The rewards include 3% cash back on U.S. supermarkets, including Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, and 2% for restaurants, drugstore purchases, and cash back at U.S. gas stations. 1% is also offered on all other purchases. You can redeem rewards in bonus cash, gift cards, or travel. There are different rewards for travelers, too.

Details

Annual Fee: $0

Interest Rates: 16.49% – 24.99%

Variable Rewards Rate: 1% to 3% cash back on different categories

Credit Score: 700 – 749

Welcome Bonus: Amazon gift card

Pros

Unlimited 3% cashback on Amazon and Whole Foods
There is no foreign transaction fee
A wide range of benefits are offered
0% annual fee.

Cons

High balance transfer fee
3% cashback is limited to Amazon sites.

Conclusion

Shoppers at Amazon.com and Whole Foods can benefit from the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. There are additional cashbacks and no annual fee.

You can also consider some different cards, like Home Depot or MasterCard.

What is Considered a Grocery Credit Card?

A grocery card allows you to earn cash reward dollars when you buy groceries. After the provider sends money through direct deposit to your credit account, you can use the statement credit to purchase store items. Then, card providers and U.S. supermarkets provide cashback, airline miles, and other bonus rewards.

Some lenders like Chase Ultimate Rewards offer programs instead of credit cards. The rewards can be limited or unlimited. Because of these benefits, grocery rewards credit cards come with higher credit score requirements, usually good to excellent, unlike some personal loans.

You’re not only limited to groceries, as other eligible purchases include dining, travel, gas stations, transit, online grocery purchases, streaming services, entertainment purchases, home improvement stores, and other purchases. Also, remember that not all stores are considered grocery stores, and the card-issuer might not recognize names like Walmart or Costco, so you’ll be spending your statement credits monthly with no rewards.

How to Choose the Best Grocery Credit Card?

You must consider specific factors when choosing the best grocery store credit card. This is especially true since there are a lot of options. Consider these factors:

How Much You Spend on Groceries

First, you should keep in mind how much you will spend using that grocery rewards card. Some card providers place limits on their rewards, so you get a smaller bonus if you surpass the limit. For instance, the Preferred Card puts a 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on the first $6,000, but if you exceed this, you get 1%.

Annual Fee

Some grocery rewards credit cards come with an annual fee, which always seems like they offer better rewards and benefits to users. But, you should consider whether you can afford the annual fee and other fees that might be required.

How Many Credit Cards

You can get even more rewards from grocery shopping when using more than one card, especially by leveraging the welcome bonus upon account opening. But juggling more than one card for combined purchases can be confusing, so you can consider cards that provide unlimited bonus rewards instead.

How to Buy Groceries Online with Your Credit Card?

Rather than going to the grocery store, you can opt for online retail purchases with a card and still enjoy different benefits. If you use a store card like the Target RedCard or the Amazon Rewards Visa, shopping directly at their website is best. If not, you can shop for card providers at any allowed retailer. Here’s how:

Create an account with the online shopping platform.
Please select the items you want to purchase and put them in your online cart.
After shopping, check out and choose your delivery method.
Input your card information, and you might receive a cashback, depending on your provider.
Wait for your delivery time.

Should You Apply for a Grocery Card?

Grocery credit cards give shoppers a lot of benefits, so anyone purchasing groceries consistently can consider this. For one, these credit cards are well suited for budget shoppers since they help them save more money and get grocery rewards.

Also, food lovers will benefit significantly from credit cards, especially cash rewards on dining like Capital One Entertainment purchases and the American Express Gold Card.

This way, eating out or at home is still rewarding. Another group of people that grocery cards are suited for are college students because they usually look for ways to save money. If you fall into any category or want to enjoy rewards each time you buy food and other purchases, you should consider applying for a cash rewards credit card.

How to Earn Rewards with Grocery Cards?

Grocery cards come with many rewards that help you maximize your shopping experience. The main reward is cashback, which offers a certain percentage of your shopping money. When using cashback, some credit card issuers make it unlimited while others put a limit.

The cashback can be reduced or taken away if you reach the amount limit. To fully earn your credit card rewards, you should consider which grocery store purchases count towards cashback and other rewards on the grocery card.

Also, you should focus on following the fixed monthly plan fee to avoid the interest building up while you earn cash rewards. Purchasing gift cards also offers different grocery rewards on credit cards, and if you’re using a store card, sign up for their loyalty rewards program.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for ways to save on shopping, consider the best grocery credit card on our list. Compare the providers based on whether they offer bonus rewards, yearly fees, account opening bonuses, and APR, and select the one that works best for you. From there, you can start shopping online or in person.

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FAQ

How do you use a credit card for groceries?

Make eligible purchases at your card-provider’s stores and pay with your card. You can also do this online. The provider stores your information as you shop and will reward you accordingly.

What grocery store has a card?

Some grocery stores like Target and Whole Foods come with credit cards, and you can enjoy excellent benefits when you shop at them. With store cards, you don’t have to worry about whether it is allowed by the provider or not.

Is it good to buy groceries with a credit card?

As long as you make your monthly payments on time, buying groceries and other purchases with a card is a great idea. You can win cashbacks and enjoy benefits on other supermarket purchases.

Does buying groceries with a credit card build credit?

Buying groceries with a rewards credit card will increase the utilization rate, potentially increasing and building your credit.