INSIDE: Looking for the best credit card for groceries and restaurants? Finding the right one can earn you a lot of cash back, plus other perks. Learn about the different types of credit cards and which ones are our top picks here.
There are many different kinds of credit cards available out there. Some credit cards provide the same amount of rewards for each and every kind of spending, while others provide a bonus category or two where you get extra rewards or cash back for eligible purchases at certain categories.
Grocery shopping and restaurants are two bonus categories that are common for credit cards to give extra points.
Most families make grocery purchases each month, which means finding the best credit card for groceries and restaurants can help provide you with extra cash back each month. Some of these cards have no annual fee, while others charge an annual for their benefits.
Types of credit cards for restaurants and grocery stores
There are several different types of credit cards that earn bonus points or cash back at restaurants and grocery stores. Some credit cards earn cash back, while others earn specific types of airline miles, hotel points or travel rewards points.
It will depend on your own specific situation which of these cards is the best grocery credit card or best restaurant credit card for you. You’ll want to take a look at each credit card, evaluating the benefits and comparing that with the card’s annual fee to see which one makes sense for your specific situation.
In the next several sections of this article, we’ll explore how travel rewards credit cards can be used at restaurants and grocery stores and how cash back credit cards can be used at restaurants and grocery stores.
Most helpful rewards credit cards for groceries and restaurants
There are several different rewards credit cards that give good grocery rewards and bonuses at restaurants. Here is a list to help you find a rewards card for groceries and restaurants:
- American Express Gold Card – 4x Membership Rewards points on U.S. supermarket purchases on up to $25,000 per calendar year and 4x at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery. $250 annual fee
- Chase Sapphire Reserve – this rewards card gives 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining. $550 annual fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – 2x Ultimate Rewards points on dining. $95 annual fee
- Citi Prestige Card – 5x ThankYou points on dining. $495 annual fee
- American Express Hilton Surpass – a rewards credit card 6x Hilton points at US supermarkets and at US restaurants. $95 annual fee
It’s up to you to decide how many cards you want to manage — personally I have… a lot
(READ MORE: Getting a handle on my 43 credit cards)
You may want to get several different credit cards and change which ones you use depending on where you’re at, or you may choose to get one card to use for all of your purchases. As always, you can take a look at some of our top credit card offers here.
How can cash back credit cards be used at restaurants and grocery stores?
If you prefer earning straight cash back, there are a number of cash rewards credit cards that give bonuses on dining, restaurants and supermarket purchases. Here are a few of the best cash back credit cards for restaurants and at a grocery store.
- American Express Blue Cash Preferred – 6% cash back at U.S. Supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in supermarket spending
- Chase Freedom Unlimited – 1.5% back on when you make any purchase but currently there is an offer where you get 5% back on grocery purchases (excluding Walmart and Target) for the first year of having the card, with a limit of $12,000.
- Chase Freedom Flex – the Freedom Flex gets 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and like the Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom Flex has the same offer where you get 5% back on grocery purchases (excluding Walmart and Target) for the first year of having the card, with a limit of $12,000.
- US Bank Altitude Go – 4% back on takeout, food delivery and dining. You can also get 25,000 points which is worth $250 bonus cash by spending $1000 in net purchases in the first three months of having the card
Cash back is usually given as a statement credit, though with the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex cards, your cash back is actually given to you in the form of valuable Ultimate Rewards points.
If you also have a premium Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink preferred, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points for even more value. And remember that the rewards that you earn here are separate from the dining rewards that you can additionally stack.
What is the best no annual fee travel credit card for restaurants and groceries?
While many of these grocery and restaurant cards come with annual fees (and very high annual fees in the case of some of these cards), there are a number of different rewards cards that give a good return at restaurants and at a grocery store.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited – 1.5% back on your net purchases but currently there is an offer where you get 5% back on grocery purchases (excluding Walmart and Target) for the first year of having the card, with a limit of $12,000.
- Chase Freedom Flex – the Freedom Flex gets 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and like the Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom Flex has the same offer where you get 5% back on grocery purchases (excluding Walmart and Target) for the first year of having the card, with a limit of $12,000.
- US Bank Altitude Go – 4% back on takeout, food delivery and dining
- Citi Double Cash – 2% cash back on every eligible purchase, including grocery, dining and everything else
Remember that if you do choose to pay an annual fee on a card to make sure that you are getting a reward that is worth the price of the annual fee. Personally, there are very few cards that I am willing to pay the annual fee on.
Final thoughts about how to determine the best credit card for groceries and restaurants
Ultimately, the best credit card for your restaurant and grocery spending will depend on your specific spending and travel patterns. If you’re not sure how to find out what grocery stores and restaurants are associated with specific credit cards, you can always make a test purchase.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Are US Bank cards hard to get like say Capital One…
The Freedom Flex gets 3% back at restaurants, not 5%.
The earnings at restaurants for the Chase freedom flex is 3%.
It is not 5% you would be well served by changing that information in your article. So your readers aren’t let astray.
Thanks – I must have had the 5% from the initial grocery offer on the brain 😉
CSR currently offering 3x points on groceries thru April 30. Other options are JetBlue 2 miles per $1 and Citi Mileup 2 AA miles per $1.