Best Credit Card for Dining Out or Ordering In
How we picked the cards to evaluate:
How we chose the winner:
- Rewards rates on restaurant dining (and whether delivery and drive-thru/takeout are included).
- Annual fees.
- Whether bonus rewards on dining are limited to a certain amount of spending.
- How much value is offered on purchases besides dining.
- How much effort is required to manage the card (for example, whether you must activate rewards categories).
- Sign-up bonuses.
- Redemption rules and options.
In the case of cards with annual fees, we looked at how much spending would be necessary before a consumer would come out ahead compared with no-fee options.
Cards' NerdWallet star ratings alone do not determine awards. Here's how our credit cards team distinguishes between star ratings and award selections:
- Star ratings are quantitative: We assess the features of a card, score those features according to how they compare with other options on the market and assign the card a rating of 1 to 5 stars based on those features. In general, a card that rates 4.5 stars will be a better value for more people than a card that rates 4.0 stars. However, the 4.0 card might be better than the 4.5 card for an individual consumer depending on that person’s circumstances.
- Selection for awards is both quantitative and qualitative: Selection for the awards is based on discussion among editorial team members and relies on the same criteria used for the star ratings. However, star ratings alone do not dictate awards. Rather, the awards identify the best cards for specific uses or specific types of consumers, such as regular restaurant-goers.
How we verified our data:
EXPLORE the AWARD WINNERS
