10 Best Credit Cards for Groceries of January 2025
Updated: Dec 23, 2024
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Families with big grocery bills can save hundreds of dollars by paying for them with a credit card that offers elevated rewards at the supermarket. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, using a card that earns 3% will net you more than $150 a year. Imagine saving that kind of money at the checkout — without even needing to clip coupons! You can do it with these cards. And in some cases, rewards rates apply to grocery delivery, too.
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Families with big grocery bills can save hundreds of dollars by paying for them with a credit card that offers elevated rewards at the supermarket. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, using a card that earns 3% will net you more than $150 a year. Imagine saving that kind of money at the checkout — without even needing to clip coupons! You can do it with these cards. And in some cases, rewards rates apply to grocery delivery, too.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards.
Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today,
The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America"
and many other national, regional and local media outlets.
Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
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Families with big grocery bills can save hundreds of dollars by paying for them with a credit card that offers elevated rewards at the supermarket. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, using a card that earns 3% will net you more than $150 a year. Imagine saving that kind of money at the checkout — without even needing to clip coupons! You can do it with these cards. And in some cases, rewards rates apply to grocery delivery, too.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Families with big grocery bills can save hundreds of dollars by paying for them with a credit card that offers elevated rewards at the supermarket. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, using a card that earns 3% will net you more than $150 a year. Imagine saving that kind of money at the checkout — without even needing to clip coupons! You can do it with these cards. And in some cases, rewards rates apply to grocery delivery, too.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
NerdWallet's Best Credit Cards for Groceries of January 2025
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Highest rewards rate
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Frequent restaurant diners
American Express® Gold Card: Best for Travel rewards and perks
Citi Custom Cash® Card: Best for Up to 5% cash back
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card: Best for Customizable cash back
Citi Double Cash® Card: Best for 2% cash back on everything
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best for Ongoing high cash back with no annual fee
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card: Best for Target / Walmart / wholesale club shoppers
Prime Visa: Best for Amazon and Whole Foods
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Best for Travel rewards
Show SummaryHide Summary
Best Credit Cards for Groceries From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Find the right credit card for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR GROCERIES
Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our pick for: Overall highest rewards rate
If your household spends a lot on groceries, gas, transit and streaming, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is for you. The rewards it pays in those categories — particularly at U.S. supermarkets and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions — are among the richest of any card. There's a nice welcome offer for new cardholders and an introductory APR period, too. The generous benefits come at a cost, though: Unlike most cash-back cards, this one charges an annual fee. Terms apply. Read our review.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Our pick for: Ongoing high cash back with no annual fee
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express pays elevated rewards at U.S. supermarkets, at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases. The rewards might not be as rich as on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, but this card doesn't charge an annual fee either. New cardholders get a decent welcome offer and an introductory APR period. Read our review.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Our pick for: Up to 5% cash back
The Citi Custom Cash® Card offers a lot of value for a $0 annual fee: 5% back automatically in your eligible top spending category on up to $500 spent per billing cycle (1% back on other spending). The list of eligible 5% categories is varied and includes biggies like restaurants, grocery stores and more. And unlike with its competitors, there's no activation schedule or bonus calendar to keep track of. Read our review.
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card
Our pick for: Target / Walmart / wholesale shoppers
The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card is tailor-made for consumers who spend a lot of money at retailers that don't fit into (or are specifically excluded from) the bonus categories offered by other credit cards. The card also offers a higher-than-usual rate on spending outside its bonus categories. The downside: There's an annual fee. Read our review.
Prime Visa
Our pick for: Amazon and Whole Foods
If you drop a lot of money at Amazon and/or Whole Foods Market, this is the card for you, with 5% back on such purchases, plus bonus rewards at restaurants and gas stations, plus local transit and commuting (including rideshare). There's no annual fee, but you have to be a Prime member, and that does have a fee. Read our review.
Instacart Mastercard®
Our pick for: Grocery delivery
You'll earn high rewards on Instacart grocery delivery and extra cash back in some other common spending categories. The bonus offer makes it even more enticing to have your groceries brought to you rather than driving to the store. Read our review.
Citi Double Cash® Card
Our pick for: 2% cash back on everything
Year after year, the Citi Double Cash® Card has been a top choice among flat-rate cash-back cards. You earn 2% cash back on every purchase — 1% when you buy something and 1% when you pay it off. There's no 0% intro period for purchases and no bonus categories, but the high rewards rate more than makes up for the lack of bells and whistles. Read our review.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Frequent restaurant diners
Some credit cards reward you well for going out, others for staying in. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is the rare card that does both. It offers a terrific cash-back rate not only on dining and entertainment but also at grocery stores and on popular streaming services. Toss in a good bonus offer and intro APR period, and this card is a winner. (see rates and fees). Read our review.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Our pick for: Customizable 5% cash back
If you don't mind putting some work into your rewards, check out the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. It might be the most customizable cash back card available. You pick which categories earn the most cash back — you get two 5% categories and a 2% category — and you can change those options every quarter. There's a good bonus offer for new cardholders, too. Read our review.
American Express® Gold Card
Our pick for: Travel rewards and perks
The American Express® Gold Card can earn you a pile of points from everyday spending, with generous rewards at U.S. supermarkets, at restaurants and on certain flights booked through amextravel.com. Other benefits include hundreds of dollars a year in available dining and travel credits and a solid welcome offer for new cardholders. There's an annual fee, though, and a pretty substantial one, so it's not for smaller spenders. Read our review.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
Our pick for: Travel rewards
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card earns bonus points on select travel, supermarkets, dining, gas stations and EV stations. There's a solid sign-up bonus as well. Read our review.
ASK OUR CREDIT CARD EXPERTS
Paul Soucy
Paul SoucyWHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. No one offers better rewards on my supermarket spending — even after taking into account the annual fee.
Paul Soucy
Content director, credit cards and travel rewards
Kenley Young
Kenley YoungWHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
I've been using the Citi Custom Cash® Card for grocery runs. It offers a reliable 5% back there, but the problem is that we routinely spend beyond the card's monthly cap. Taking suggestions!
Kenley Young
Editor, credit cards
Melissa Lambarena
Melissa LambarenaWHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
I use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. Some AmEx offers have also helped me save in this category as well.
Melissa Lambarena
Writer, credit cards
Caitlin Mims
Caitlin MimsWHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
I normally use my Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card for groceries. Yes, its 3% back is half what you’ll get with Blue Cash Preferred. But it’s worth it to be able to transfer rewards to my Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and take advantage of better redemption options.
Caitlin Mims
Content management specialist, credit cards and travel rewards
Sara Rathner
Sara RathnerWHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
If I'm working on a sign-up bonus, groceries go on that card (along with every other purchase). If not, I have the no-longer-available Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, and usually I just put groceries on that. It's not the highest cash-back rate one can get for groceries, but none of us are at our best 100% of the time, OK?
Sara Rathner
Writer/spokesperson, credit cards
WHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. No one offers better rewards on my supermarket spending — even after taking into account the annual fee.
Paul Soucy
Content director, credit cards and travel rewards
WHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
I've been using the Citi Custom Cash® Card for grocery runs. It offers a reliable 5% back there, but the problem is that we routinely spend beyond the card's monthly cap. Taking suggestions!
Kenley Young
Editor, credit cards
WHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
I use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. Some AmEx offers have also helped me save in this category as well.
Melissa Lambarena
Writer, credit cards
WHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
I normally use my Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card for groceries. Yes, its 3% back is half what you’ll get with Blue Cash Preferred. But it’s worth it to be able to transfer rewards to my Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and take advantage of better redemption options.
Caitlin Mims
Content management specialist, credit cards and travel rewards
WHAT CARD DO YOU USE FOR GROCERIES?
If I'm working on a sign-up bonus, groceries go on that card (along with every other purchase). If not, I have the no-longer-available Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, and usually I just put groceries on that. It's not the highest cash-back rate one can get for groceries, but none of us are at our best 100% of the time, OK?
Sara Rathner
Writer/spokesperson, credit cards
OTHER OPTIONS WORTH A LOOK
FLAT-RATE CASH-BACK CARDS
Some people like to juggle multiple credit cards, with a specific card for every major category of spending. Others prefer the simplicity of having one card for everything. If that's you, consider one of these cards that pay a solid rate on everything:
Citi Double Cash® Card: 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you make the purchase, 1% when you pay it off). Bonus offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 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.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: 2% cash back on all purchases. Bonus offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Apple Card: 2% cash back on all purchases through Apple Pay. Bonus offer: None.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: 1.5% cash back on all purchases (see rates and fees). Bonus offer: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: 1.5% cash back on all purchases outside the card's 3% and 5% bonus categories. Bonus offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card: 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Bonus offer: $200 online cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
BRANDED CREDIT CARDS
Most of the cards identified above can earn elevated rewards regardless of which supermarket or grocery store you shop at. If your grocery runs are always taking you to a specific store, though, you might be interested in that retailer's card. Some store-branded cards offer fairly pedestrian rewards, but some can be a valuable addition to your wallet. Below are a few more popular options.
Costco: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
If you buy your groceries wholesale-club-style, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi earns 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com. It also earns 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases (both at Costco and at other gas stations) on the first $7,000 per year (1% thereafter), as well as 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases. All other spending earns 1% back. The annual fee is $0, although you have to be a Costco member to apply, and membership starts at $65 a year. » Rewards on $5,000 a year in groceries at Costco: $100.
Target: Target Circle™ Credit Card
The Target Circle™ Credit Card doesn't offer rewards in the form of cash back or points, but you could argue that it gives you something even better: an immediate 5% discount on nearly everything you buy at Target, either in-store or online. You also get free shipping on most items at Target.com. If your grocery runs take you to a full-service Super Target — or just to the food aisles at a regular Target — this $0-annual-fee card is mighty attractive. » Savings on $5,000 a year in groceries at Target: $250.
5% ROTATING CATEGORY CARDS
The other cards featured on this page offer elevated grocery rewards year-round. The Chase Freedom Flex® and select Discover cards like the Discover it® Cash Back pay a higher rate on groceries for only one quarter per year when you activate rewards categories — but what a rate it is.
On each card, you earn 5% cash back in rotating categories that you activate, on up to $1,500 per quarter in spending, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. In recent years, both cards have offered grocery stores as a 5% category. (See current and past categories here.) Other bonus categories on both cards tend to be common expenses, meaning it's not hard to get great value out of them. Neither card charges an annual fee.
» Maximum rewards on $5,000 a year in groceries (assuming each card offers grocery stores for one quarter):
If using one card: $110.
If using both cards: $170.
METHODOLOGY
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
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