Groceries are one of the most consistent and predictable spending categories in any household budget — which makes them one of the best opportunities to earn credit card rewards. Unlike travel or dining, grocery spending happens every week regardless of your lifestyle. The right card silently earns you $200–$400 per year on purchases you'd make anyway.
But the grocery card category is also one of the most nuanced. Earn rates range from 2% to 6%, spending caps vary widely, and critical exclusions — Walmart, Target, Costco, and Sam's Club are excluded from the "supermarket" category on most cards — can mean the card that looks best on paper earns nothing at the stores you actually use.
Find Your Card by Monthly Grocery Spend
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Quick Comparison: Best Grocery Credit Cards 2026
| Card | Grocery Rate | Annual Cap | Annual Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cash Preferred® (Amex) | 6% cash back | $6,000/yr then 1% | $0 yr 1, then $95 | Most households — best cash back rate |
| American Express Gold Card | 4x points | $25,000/yr then 1x | $325 | Diners + grocery spenders who travel |
| Capital One SavorOne | 3% cash back | No cap | $0 | No-fee grocery + dining combo |
| Blue Cash Everyday® (Amex) | 3% cash back | $6,000/yr then 1% | $0 | No-fee shoppers who want Amex benefits |
| Citi Custom Cash® | 5% cash back | $500/mo ($6,000/yr) | $0 | Light grocery spenders — auto-applies to top category |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® | 3x points | No cap (online orders) | $95 | Online grocery orders, Instacart, delivery |
How We Chose These Cards
Every card was evaluated on grocery earn rate, annual spending cap, effective annual fee (after first-year waivers), and real-world value at average U.S. household spending levels. No card pays to be featured here. Key exclusions noted throughout — always verify your specific stores qualify before applying.
1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express — Best Overall Grocery Card
The Blue Cash Preferred is the undisputed top grocery card in America and has been for years. Its 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets is the highest flat rate available on any general-purpose card — and at the average U.S. household grocery spend of $519/month, you'll earn roughly $360 per year on groceries alone. The $95 annual fee (waived year one) is covered nearly four times over by grocery rewards at that spending level. Motley Fool Money named it Best Card for Groceries of 2026.
PREFERRED
AMEX
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Pros
- 6% grocery rate — highest available on any card
- 6% on select U.S. streaming services
- 3% on gas stations and transit
- $0 annual fee in year one — free to try
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months
- Up to $300 welcome offer
- Purchase protection and extended warranty
Cons
- $6,000/yr cap — earns 1% above that
- Excludes Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- Cash back — no travel transfer partners
† We may earn a commission if you're approved. This doesn't affect our rating.
2. American Express Gold Card — Best for Groceries + Dining + Travel
For households spending heavily on both groceries and dining out, the Amex Gold is the superior card — even at $325/year. Its 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/yr) and 4x at restaurants worldwide are worth 4–8 cents per dollar when transferred to airline partners, beating the Blue Cash Preferred's 6 cents in pure cash when you're redeeming for premium travel. The $424 in annual credits (Uber Cash, dining, Resy, Dunkin') effectively reduce the net fee to under $0 for users who engage with all of them.
GOLD
CARD
American Express® Gold Card
Pros
- 4x at U.S. supermarkets AND restaurants worldwide
- Very high spending cap — $25,000/yr on groceries
- Points worth 2–4¢ via transfer partners (vs. 1¢ cash)
- $424 in usable annual credits
- 20+ airline and hotel transfer partners
- Up to 100,000 point welcome offer
Cons
- $325 annual fee requires credit management
- Only 1x on non-bonus categories
- Excludes Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club
- Credits require monthly engagement to maximize
† We may earn a commission if you're approved. This doesn't affect our rating.
3. Capital One SavorOne — Best No-Fee Grocery Card
The Capital One SavorOne is the best no-annual-fee grocery card for most people. Its unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores has no annual spending cap and no annual fee — making it the simplest and most flexible grocery option for households spending under $300/month at the supermarket where paying a fee for the Blue Cash Preferred doesn't make mathematical sense. The $200 welcome bonus after just $500 in spending makes it one of the easiest bonuses to earn on this list.
SAVORONE
CASH REWARDS
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Pros
- $0 annual fee — no math required
- No cap on grocery earnings — spend as much as you want
- 3% also covers dining and entertainment
- $200 bonus after only $500 spend — easiest to earn
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- 3% vs 6% at supermarkets — half the rate of Blue Cash Preferred
- Excludes Walmart, Target, wholesale clubs
- No travel transfer partners
† We may earn a commission if you're approved. This doesn't affect our rating.
4. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express — Best No-Fee Amex Grocery Card
The Blue Cash Everyday is the no-annual-fee version of the Blue Cash Preferred. It earns 3% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/yr), 3% on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3% at U.S. gas stations — all with no annual fee. For households spending under $265/month on groceries, the math actually favors this card over the Preferred (since the fee savings outweigh the higher earn rate). It also comes with a 0% intro APR for 15 months, making it solid for large purchases too.
EVERYDAY
AMEX
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Pros
- $0 annual fee
- 3% on groceries, online retail, AND gas — three key categories
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
- Access to Amex Offers (additional savings at specific merchants)
- Purchase protection and extended warranty
Cons
- $6,000/yr grocery cap — same as Preferred but lower rate
- Excludes Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- No travel transfer partners
† We may earn a commission if you're approved. This doesn't affect our rating.
5. Citi Custom Cash® Card — Best Auto-Adjusting Grocery Card
The Citi Custom Cash automatically earns 5% cash back on your single highest spending category each billing cycle — up to $500 per month. If groceries are consistently your top category, you earn 5% with zero annual fee and zero category selection required. It's the best option for people with unpredictable spending who want a card that intelligently optimizes itself.
CUSTOM
CASH
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Pros
- 5% rate automatically on your top category — no selection needed
- $0 annual fee
- Works well as a second card alongside a travel card
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
- Category adjusts monthly — flexible
Cons
- Only $500/month cap — heavy grocery spenders hit it fast
- Earns only 1% beyond the $500/month cap
- Best as a companion card, not a standalone
- Excludes Walmart, Target, wholesale clubs
† We may earn a commission if you're approved. This doesn't affect our rating.
6. Chase Sapphire Preferred® — Best for Online Grocery Orders
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on online grocery purchases — a dedicated category that covers grocery delivery apps (Instacart, Shipt), click-and-collect orders placed online, and meal kit services like HelloFresh. If you order groceries online more than you shop in store, this card fills a gap that most grocery-specific cards miss. The 75,000 point welcome bonus and 1:1 transfers to Hyatt, United, and 12 other partners add significant long-term value.
SAPPHIRE
PREFERRED
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Pros
- Covers online grocery orders — gap other cards miss
- No cap on online grocery earning
- Points transfer to 14 airlines and hotels at 1:1
- Strong across dining, travel, and streaming too
- Excellent travel and purchase protections
Cons
- Only 1x on in-store grocery purchases
- Not a grocery specialist — use a dedicated card in store
- $95 annual fee
† We may earn a commission if you're approved. This doesn't affect our rating.
The Most Important Rule: Check the Exclusions
Every grocery card on this list excludes certain stores from earning bonus rewards. These exclusions can completely change which card is right for you — especially if your primary grocery shopping happens at stores that don't qualify as "supermarkets."
| Store | Qualifies as "Supermarket"? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons | ✓ Yes | Traditional supermarkets — qualify on all cards |
| Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Aldi | ✓ Yes | Qualify as supermarkets on most cards |
| Walmart, Target | ✗ No | Coded as superstores — excluded on all grocery cards |
| Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's | ✗ No | Wholesale clubs — excluded on all standard grocery cards |
| Instacart, Shipt (delivery) | ⚠ Varies | Counts for Chase Sapphire (online grocery category); excluded on Amex cards |
If You Primarily Shop at Walmart, Target, or Costco
None of the cards on this list will earn you bonus rewards at those stores in the grocery category. For Walmart and Target shoppers, a flat-rate 2% card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash — which earns 2% on all purchases — is likely a better choice than a grocery-specific card that won't apply to your actual shopping habits.
The Bottom Line
For the majority of American households that spend $400–$600/month at traditional supermarkets, the Blue Cash Preferred wins decisively. At 6% cash back with a $95 annual fee that's waived year one, it delivers $300–$400+ in net annual value from grocery spending alone — more than any other card in this category.
If you also spend heavily on dining and plan to redeem for travel, the Amex Gold Card outperforms the Blue Cash Preferred significantly — its 4x points at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide are worth 8%+ when transferred to airline partners.
For households spending under $300/month on groceries, the Capital One SavorOne delivers 3% with zero annual fee and no math required.