Best Credit Cards for Groceries

For most households, groceries are the largest single line on the credit card statement — which makes the grocery earn rate the highest-leverage number in your wallet. The best grocery cards pay 6% cash back or 4x points at supermarkets, but the fine print around which stores count decides whether you actually earn it.

How we compare

Methodology

• Assumptions: Rankings use a $9,000/year supermarket spend profile ($750/month — a typical family), assume the cardholder pays in full monthly, and subtract any annual fee from rewards before comparing.
• Points valued conservatively: Transferable points at 1.5 cents each, so cash back cards aren’t shortchanged in cross-type comparisons.
• What we scored: grocery earn rate and annual/monthly caps, fee drag, and how the card performs on the rest of your spending (a grocery card you only use for groceries still has to justify its fee).
• What we didn’t test: We did not grocery-shop on these cards or verify merchant coding firsthand. Figures come from issuer pages and established publishers, opened and verified September 2026.

Best cash back: Blue Cash Preferred (6%)

The Blue Cash Preferred from American Express is the grocery category king: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in purchases per year (then 1%). On a $9,000 annual grocery bill, that’s $360 on the first $6,000 plus $30 on the remaining $3,000 — $390 back on groceries alone. It also pays 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and at U.S. gas stations, and 1% elsewhere, plus a $120 annual Disney streaming credit ($10/month, enrollment required).

The card carries an annual fee (check Amex’s current terms — it has changed in past refreshes), so run the fee math: at 6%, you need roughly $1,600 in annual supermarket spending for the extra 3 points over a free 3% card to cover a ~$95-level fee. Most families clear that bar easily; single-person households buying $200/month in groceries ($2,400/year) earn $144 at 6% versus $72 at 3% — a $72 gap that may or may not clear the fee, which is exactly when the Blue Cash Everyday below wins.

Best for points: Amex Gold (4x)

The American Express Gold Card earns 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per year (then 1x) — a much higher cap than the Blue Cash Preferred’s $6,000, which matters for large families or anyone who puts serious volume through grocery stores. At a conservative 1.5 cents per point, 4x is a 6% effective return with no $6,000 ceiling to hit in month eight.

The $325 annual fee demands the full picture: the Gold is also a 4x dining card (restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000/year), so households that both eat out and cook at home concentrate enormous earning on one card. Transfer the points to airline partners and the return climbs further; cash them out poorly and a 6% cash back card beats it. Our dining cards guide covers the restaurant side in detail.

Rough rule: grocery spending above ~$500/month with good redemption habits favors the Gold; below that, the Blue Cash Preferred’s 6% cash back is simpler and often richer.

Best no annual fee: Blue Cash Everyday (3%)

The Blue Cash Everyday is the rare card that’s genuinely excellent with a $0 annual fee: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000/year, then 1%), 3% on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000/year), and 3% at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000/year) — three of the biggest household categories, all at 3%, all with no fee. Plus an $84 annual Disney streaming credit ($7/month, enrollment required).

For a household spending $6,000/year at supermarkets, that’s $180 back with nothing to earn back and no fee to justify. It won’t beat the Preferred’s 6% on groceries, but as a single no-fee card covering groceries, online shopping, and gas, it’s one of the strongest free cards in the market. See the broader field in our best no-annual-fee rewards cards.

Best flexible 3%: Capital One Savor

The Capital One Savor pays 3% cash back at grocery stores with no annual fee, no caps, and no foreign transaction fees — and unlike the Amex cards, the 3% also covers dining, entertainment, and streaming on the same card. The trade-off is the exclusion list: superstores like Walmart and Target don’t count as grocery stores, so the 3% only applies at actual supermarkets.

Pick the Savor over the Blue Cash Everyday if your grocery spending is spread across many stores (no $6,000 cap to track), you want dining and groceries on one card, or you travel abroad and want no foreign transaction fee. Pick the Blue Cash Everyday if your supermarket spending fits under $6,000/year and you also want 3% on online shopping and gas.

More grocery contenders

• Citi Custom Cash — automatic 5% cash back when groceries are your top category, up to $500 per billing cycle, no annual fee. The highest rate available, but capped at $25/month in bonus rewards.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred — 3x Ultimate Rewards points on online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), $95 annual fee. Better for delivery/pickup orders than in-store runs; points transfer to United, Southwest, and Hyatt.
• Discover it Cash Back — 5% in rotating quarterly categories when groceries are featured (activation required, quarterly cap), no annual fee, plus the first-year Cashback Match.
• Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards — 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (no annual fee), on the first $2,500 in combined quarterly category purchases. Notably, wholesale clubs do count here — rare.

The warehouse-club trap

This is where grocery rewards go to die. Nearly every “supermarket” bonus excludes Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, and other wholesale clubs — they code as discount or warehouse merchants, not supermarkets. If your $900/month “grocery” budget is really $500 at Costco and $400 at a supermarket, only the $400 earns the bonus rate.

Options for warehouse shoppers: the Costco Anywhere Visa earns 2% at Costco (4% with an Executive membership tier bonus), and the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards is one of the few cards whose 2% grocery/wholesale-club category explicitly includes wholesale clubs. Or just accept 2% flat from a card like the Citi Double Cash on warehouse spending and reserve the bonus card for real supermarkets. For fuel, by the way, warehouse clubs are a different story — see our best credit cards for gas.

Frequently asked questions

What credit card gives the most cash back on groceries?

The Blue Cash Preferred’s 6% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/year) is the highest standard grocery rate. The Citi Custom Cash’s automatic 5% beats it only within its $500/month category cap.

Does Costco count as a grocery store for credit card rewards?

No — Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Target are excluded from nearly every supermarket bonus category. They code as warehouse or discount stores. Use a warehouse-specific card or a flat 2% card there instead.

Is the Blue Cash Preferred worth it over the free Blue Cash Everyday?

If you spend more than about $400/month at U.S. supermarkets, the Preferred’s extra 3% (6% vs. 3%) earns $144+/year more — enough to cover a ~$95-level fee with room to spare. Below ~$250/month, the free Everyday usually wins. Check Amex’s current annual fee when you compare.

Do online grocery orders earn bonus rewards?

It depends on the card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3x specifically on online grocery purchases. The Amex grocery bonuses apply to U.S. supermarkets generally, including their online storefronts in most cases. Delivery-app coding can vary.

What’s the best no-fee grocery card?

The Blue Cash Everyday (3% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000/year, plus 3% on online retail and gas) for supermarket shoppers, or the Capital One Savor (uncapped 3% at grocery stores, no foreign transaction fee) for split grocery/dining spending and travelers.

This article is for education, not financial advice. Earn rates, caps, and fees change; verify current terms on the issuer’s site before applying. Kevin Park and Reward Radar don’t provide personalized financial recommendations.

Sources: American Express Blue Cash Preferred page (6% groceries/streaming, 3% transit/gas, caps); American Express Blue Cash Everyday page (no fee, 3% categories, caps); American Express Gold page (4x supermarkets/dining, caps); The Points Guy — Capital One Savor review (3% groceries excl. superstores, $0 fee); Citi Custom Cash press release (5% top category, $500 cap); Motley Fool — best travel cards, Sept 2026 (Sapphire Preferred 3x online groceries); Motley Fool — best credit cards, Sept 2026 (Discover it, BofA Customized Cash). All opened and verified September 2026.