What counts as a grocery purchase on a credit card?

Whether an issuer considers a purchase a “grocery purchase” depends on what four-digit merchant category code (MCC) is listed next to the purchase on your card statement. If your card rewards wholesale clubs or other grocery-related stores, here are a few other MCCs* to keep an eye out for (even just to see which grocery purchases don’t fall within your card’s category): MCC 5310: Walmart, Target and other discount stores/big box stores/superstores MCC 5300: Wholesale clubs (such as Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s) MCC 5541: Service stations (ie, gas stations and convenience stores) MCC 5912: Drug stores and pharmacies (such as Walgreens or CVS) Small food sellers and other specialty stores or food services might show up as: MCC 5422: Freezer and meat locker provisioners (such as butcher shops, meat and fish or seafood markets) MCC 5441: Candy, nut and confectionary stores MCC 5451: Dairy product stores MCC 5462: Bakeries MCC 5499: Miscellaneous and specialty food stores (for other un-classified food sellers, like convenience stores, gourmet food stores, produce markets, vitamin stores and meal preparation kits) MCC 5921: Package stores — Beer, wine and liquor However, keep a close eye on your billing statement each month and you might spot an unexpected opportunity to rack up rewards depending on where you shop. For instance, some Walmart, Walmart Supercenters and Walmart Neighborhood Market locations may be listed as MCC 5310 (discount stores), but others may fall under MCC 5411 (grocery stores and supermarkets) — although opportunities like these might not be common. *Listed as Visa network MCCs, although many Mastercard MCCs are the same or similarly classified. American Express and Discover MCCs may vary.

Can you buy groceries online with a credit card?

Yes. If your store offers it, you can purchase groceries online for pickup or delivery using a credit card. Online purchases made directly through a grocery store typically earn the same rewards rate as when shopping in-store. Third-party delivery services like Instacart may also count as grocery store purchases and should earn rewards at the same rate as in-store purchases. Some cards even offer bonuses specifically for online grocery purchases. However, always check with the issuer to make sure online grocery purchases earn the same bonus rates as in-store purchases.

Does buying groceries with a credit card build credit?

Yes. In addition to helping you earn rewards on grocery store purchases, these cards can also help you build credit. Just make sure you’re making on-time payments and keeping your monthly balances low, though paying in full can help you avoid interest charges and enjoy the full value of the rewards you earn.

8 best credit cards for groceries for July 2025

Compare Bankrate's best credit cards for groceries

Card name	Best for	Card highlights	Learn more
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply	Grocery rewards rate	Intro Offer: Earn $250 Hover to learn more Regular APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable	Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
American Express® Gold Card Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply	Travel rewards on groceries	Intro Offer: As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. Hover to learn more Regular APR: See Pay Over Time APR	Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply	Everyday expenses + no annual fee	Intro Offer: Earn $200 Hover to learn more Regular APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable	Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
Citi Strata Premier® Card Apply now on Citi's secure site See Rates & Fees	Everyday expenses + travel	Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)	Apply now on Citi's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	Groceries + dining	Intro Offer: Earn $200 Cash Back Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card Apply now on Bank of America's secure site	Wholesale clubs	Intro Offer: $200 Hover to learn more Regular APR: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers	Apply now on Bank of America's secure site
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees	Online groceries	Intro Offer: 75,000 bonus points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable	Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees
Citi Custom Cash® Card	Grocery rewards rate + no annual fee	Intro Offer: $200 Hover to learn more Regular APR: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

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Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

What is a grocery store credit card?

Grocery rewards cards earn cash back or points on purchases at eligible grocery stores. Groceries are often one of the most lucrative bonus categories for consumers, considering food and household products are the backbone of most budgets.

Typically, only purchases at traditional grocery stores and supermarkets earn bonus rewards, so you may need to explore more options if you mostly shop at superstores like Walmart and Target, wholesale clubs, online retailers or specialty food stores.

Types of grocery store credit cards

Although many popular grocery rewards cards are general-purpose cards with multiple bonus categories, some of the top options are co-branded with a particular retailer or will only work or earn rewards at specific stores. Here’s a look at the different types of grocery cards, the eligible grocery purchases and rewards value typical for each type and which option will be the best fit for various cardholders.

The most popular grocery cards are usually general-purpose cash rewards cards with grocery store bonus categories that typically earn anywhere from 3 percent to 6 percent cash back. The stores that fall within these categories are typically classified as supermarkets or grocery stores based on their merchant category code. This category usually includes favorites like Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix and many other local grocery stores.

Although Costco, Walmart and Target are some of the biggest grocers and wholesale clubs, they usually don’t fall under traditional supermarket categories.

Best general cash back grocery credit cards: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card*

Some retailers offer a co-branded store card that you can use anywhere or a closed-loop card, which you can only use at those store locations. Both options are usually no-annual-fee cards that earn 2 percent to 5 percent back on in-store and online purchases.

On the other hand, store cards aren’t as rewarding outside the retailer, and closed-loop store cards are useless outside the store altogether. Some of these store cards may also make redeeming rewards overly complicated, or require paying for a higher-tier store membership for worthwhile rewards rates.

Best co-branded grocery cards: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi* and Sam's Club® Mastercard®*

If you’re mainly stockpiling rewards for flights, hotel stays or future vacations, it may be worth considering one of the handful of travel cards that reward grocery categories.

If you have a favorite airline or hotel brand, though, it might also be worth considering a co-branded travel card. But few reward grocery purchases, and these categories are slightly more common across co-branded hotel cards than airline cards.

Best general travel cards for groceries: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Strata Premier and the American Express Gold Card

Some grocery delivery services like Instacart may count under standard grocery categories, but eligibility can vary by issuer, service and card network. If you order groceries through delivery apps and other third-party services relatively often, you may want to consider one of the few cards with dedicated food delivery perks. The best options are usually co-branded and earn around 5 percent rewards with the partnering delivery service.

Some no-annual-fee, general-purpose rewards cards may provide limited-time delivery service perks — like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card’s six-month complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

Best online and grocery delivery cards: Instacart Mastercard®*, Prime Visa card and Chase Sapphire Preferred

How to choose the best grocery credit card

Finding the right grocery credit card can help you earn maximum rewards on purchases you frequently make. Here’s some advice from our top credit card experts to help you in your search.

See where you shop the most: A general-purpose credit card that offers grocery rewards is a good pick if you want the flexibility to shop at a broad mix of grocery stores and supermarkets. But if you are loyal to a specific store or brand, a co-branded credit card or a flat-rate rewards card may offer the best value.
Check your grocery spending: Some cards have spending caps for top rewards rates, so review your average grocery spending in the past few months to determine if you'll hit these spending caps. You may want a second grocery credit card to maximize your rewards, especially if grocery stores are your biggest spending category.
Choose flat-rate or bonus categories: A grocery rewards card with simple or flat-rate rewards may work better if you want to easily rack up rewards wherever you shop. You likely won’t earn as many rewards, but you won’t have to jump through so many hoops, either. If you’d like to travel and want to wring the most value possible from your rewards, you may want to consider a travel card with a grocery-related category.
Look at annual fees: Not everyone will spend enough to offset the annual fee of some of the most lucrative grocery store credit cards. Luckily, some of the best grocery rewards cards come with no annual fee, making them a great option for people who don’t spend enough at the grocery store to justify the annual cost.
Compare benefits and welcome offers: The right grocery rewards card can offer standout perks that increase the card’s short- and long-term value. These may include a generous welcome bonus, introductory APR offer, and annual credits. If you’re considering a travel card to reward your grocery expenses, look for perks like limited-time grocery delivery service memberships and credits, and meal-kit subscription trials.

Tips for maximizing a grocery store credit card

Once you’ve chosen the right grocery store credit card, you can start planning to get the most out of your new card. Here are some tips to help you get the most satisfying experience out of your grocery rewards card.

Lean into co-branded store cards

Many wholesale clubs like Sam's Club, BJ's and Costco use cost-first strategies that offer shoppers the best prices, rewards and promotions. However, they are often excluded as a bonus category on most rewards cards. If you shop frequently at a grocery store that offers a co-branded card, you may want to consider it — even as a partner to your general grocery card — in order to get the maximum return on your grocery spending.

Take advantage of other categories

Grocery cards often come with additional reward categories, so picking one with categories that complement other major expenses is key to getting the most bang for your buck. For example, gas and E.V. charging stations are perhaps the most popular extra category that comes with grocery cards. Getting gas at wholesale clubs usually won't count toward general-purpose cards' gas station categories, so a co-branded grocery card that can reward where you fuel up most will help maximize your spending.

Utilize partner service perks

Some grocery cards may come with complimentary delivery service trials like food/grocery delivery services and credits for similar partner services like meal-kit subscriptions. These perks may only last for a few months or a year, but using them to get your usual groceries while the benefits last could stack on significant savings.

Put money in your pocket before using your card

18 ways to save money on groceries

How much could you earn with a grocery credit card?

According to the most recent data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual cost of household groceries in 2023 was around $6,000. That averages out to about $500 a month spent on groceries — a big chunk of the average person’s budget.

When used responsibly, grocery rewards cards can help you save money by giving you back a percentage of your grocery spending in the form of cash back, points or travel miles. How much you can earn depends on your spending habits and the type of grocery rewards card you choose. Take a look at the examples below to see how much you could save each year depending on the credit card.

Payment method	Rewards rate	Estimated rewards earned	Annual fee
Cash or card with no rewards	N/A	$0	$0
Flat-rate 2% cash back card	2% back on eligible purchases	$120	$0
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card	3% back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target & Walmart)	$180	$0 (See Rates & Fees)
Citi Custom Cash Card	5% back in your top spending eligible category (includes grocery stores, on up to $500 per billing cycle, then 1%)	$300	$0
Blue Cash Preferred from American Express	6% back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%)	$360	$95 ($0 intro annual fee for the first year)

Here’s how Bankrate experts maximize grocery card rewards

Groceries are a huge portion of many household budgets, and several Bankrate experts’ personal favorite cards either have grocery categories or a boosted flat rewards rate that can help handle groceries. Here's how Bankrate staff take advantage of their regular grocery spending to get plenty of rewards.

Bankrate staff insights

For me, groceries are one of the easiest spending categories to maximize — as I'm sure is the case for many people. I use my Capital One Savor every time I'm at a supermarket, and the rewards add up quickly. Plus, food prices have gone up significantly in the past few years. The cash back that I earn helps to ease the sting of inflation.

Ana Staples, Bankrate credit cards principal writer

I never go grocery shopping without the American Express Gold card. Membership Rewards points are very valuable to me, and this card earns a lot of them. I easily offset the annual fee with Uber Cash credits, which I use regularly. The return on this card is as high as you can get with groceries and restaurants, so it’s a great choice for those frequently used categories. This card is my main vehicle for generating tons of Amex points, which helps me go on all sorts of great travel adventures using all their different travel partners.

Ryan Flanigan, Bankrate credit cards writer

My Citi Custom Cash and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards are my main grocery-shopping tools. I use the Citi Custom Cash for all in-store shopping at Kroger and Aldi and the Sapphire Preferred for my online grocery orders, which includes Krogery pickup and delivery. This strategy has net me a few hundred in cash back over the past couple years from the Citi Custom Cash and tens of thousands of points with the Sapphire Preferred.

Courtney Mihocik, Bankrate credit cards senior editor

Frequently asked questions about grocery rewards cards

Whether an issuer considers a purchase a “grocery purchase” depends on what four-digit merchant category code (MCC) is listed next to the purchase on your card statement.

If your card rewards wholesale clubs or other grocery-related stores, here are a few other MCCs* to keep an eye out for (even just to see which grocery purchases don’t fall within your card’s category):
- MCC 5310: Walmart, Target and other discount stores/big box stores/superstores
- MCC 5300: Wholesale clubs (such as Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s)
- MCC 5541: Service stations (ie, gas stations and convenience stores)
- MCC 5912: Drug stores and pharmacies (such as Walgreens or CVS)
Small food sellers and other specialty stores or food services might show up as:
- MCC 5422: Freezer and meat locker provisioners (such as butcher shops, meat and fish or seafood markets)
- MCC 5441: Candy, nut and confectionary stores
- MCC 5451: Dairy product stores
- MCC 5462: Bakeries
- MCC 5499: Miscellaneous and specialty food stores (for other un-classified food sellers, like convenience stores, gourmet food stores, produce markets, vitamin stores and meal preparation kits)
- MCC 5921: Package stores — Beer, wine and liquor
However, keep a close eye on your billing statement each month and you might spot an unexpected opportunity to rack up rewards depending on where you shop. For instance, some Walmart, Walmart Supercenters and Walmart Neighborhood Market locations may be listed as MCC 5310 (discount stores), but others may fall under MCC 5411 (grocery stores and supermarkets) — although opportunities like these might not be common.

*Listed as Visa network MCCs, although many Mastercard MCCs are the same or similarly classified. American Express and Discover MCCs may vary.
Yes. If your store offers it, you can purchase groceries online for pickup or delivery using a credit card. Online purchases made directly through a grocery store typically earn the same rewards rate as when shopping in-store. Third-party delivery services like Instacart may also count as grocery store purchases and should earn rewards at the same rate as in-store purchases.

Some cards even offer bonuses specifically for online grocery purchases. However, always check with the issuer to make sure online grocery purchases earn the same bonus rates as in-store purchases.
Yes. In addition to helping you earn rewards on grocery store purchases, these cards can also help you build credit. Just make sure you’re making on-time payments and keeping your monthly balances low, though paying in full can help you avoid interest charges and enjoy the full value of the rewards you earn.

How we choose the best grocery store credit cards

150+

cards rated

50+

rewards programs valued

1800

data points analyzed

40+

perks evaluated

We select cards for “Best” credit cards pages based primarily on how cards score in our proprietary card rating system, our editors’ subjective assessment of card quality, card approval odds and credit requirements and unique card features.

Cards typically must score a minimum of 3.0 stars to be included on a “Best” list. However, we may include cards with scores below 3.0 if they have low credit requirements or unique features — despite their scores, these cards may still be among the “best” in certain categories. Card ratings are not influenced by advertisers or issuer relationships in any way.

Card selection and ordering may vary based on business considerations, including Bankrate visitor interest, site interactions and card application volume. Affiliate commissions (see how we make money), limited-time offers and a card’s general popularity in the product landscape may also influence which cards we feature on our pages and the order in which they appear. Bankrate’s editorial and business teams also strive to feature a variety of card types from various issuers.

Here’s a quick look at how our rating methodology breaks down for grocery rewards cards:

Rewards & cash back card scoring factors

Overall Score

Value 65%
Flexibility 15%
Perks 15%
Customer experience 5%

The primary criteria for a rewards-earning card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories.

We use consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to get a reliable third-party measure of people’s spending habits. The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2023 was $77,280 per consumer. From here, we determine a “chargeable” spend (which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards). After subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases, education and healthcare, we get a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $22,500.

This includes the following spending by category:
- Groceries: $6,000
- Dining out: $3,900
- Entertainment: $2,500
- Gas: $2,400
- Apparel and services: $2,000
Using this data, we are able to assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 26 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries.

We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases — as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking.

Here’s a deeper look at the factors considered as part of a rewards card’s “Value” rating:
5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Overall Score
- Ongoing rewards value 30%
- Sign-up bonus value 25%
- Annual fee & average APR 20%
- Rewards rate 15%
- Annual bonus value 10%
We also score cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance.

To start, each card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards cards. However, the latter rating only has a slight influence on the card’s score and whether the card is included in our list, since rewards card users generally try to avoid carrying a balance.

More important to both a card’s score and its inclusion in our list is how its annual fee influences its overall value. We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value.

Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value. However, if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score and a spot in our list even if it carries a high annual fee. After all, the highest rewards rates and most valuable perks are often found on cards with annual fees.

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against those of other cards in the category when you subtract annual fees.

That said, we strive to include as many no-annual-fee options in our list as possible since many people would rather not worry about offsetting fees, even if a card carries impressive rewards and perks.
Rewards cards may make it easy to earn a lot of points, miles or cash back, but how easy is it to use those rewards? After all, if it takes a ton of effort to redeem rewards or you can only redeem rewards in a couple of ways, a card may be more trouble than it’s worth.

As such, we rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards. We factor this rating into a card’s overall score and consider it when deciding on a card’s inclusion in our list.

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on only a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you opt for some redemption options over others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to travel partners.
We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating.

We break down these tiers as follows:
- Tier 1 includes fewer features than even standard credit cards (for example, an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits).
- Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges.
- Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection.
- Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs.
- Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.
In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks.

*Information about the Target RedCard™has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.
1. “Consumer Expenditures 2023.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed on July 9, 2025.
2. “Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual,” Visa. Accessed on July 9, 2025.
3. “Quick Reference Booklet,” Mastercard. Accessed on July 9, 2025.

8 best credit cards for groceries for July 2025

+ Show Summary

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

American Express® Gold Card

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Citi Strata Premier® Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Citi Custom Cash® Card