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Groceries make up a significant portion of everyday expenses. On average, U.S. households spend about $4,600 on food eaten at home every year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wouldn't it be great to earn cash back or perks on all that spending you have to do anyway? You can if you use the right rewards credit card to buy groceries. Several credit cards offer cash back or rewards points for grocery purchases.
2 Partner Offers
| Our Picks for the Best Credit Cards for Groceries | |
|---|---|
 Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), 3% cash back on streaming services, and 3% cash back on dining and entertainment; 1% cash back on all other purchases $200 one-time cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening |
 Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® | 5% cash back on delivery or pickup purchases at Walmart.com; 2% cash back on purchases at Walmart stores 2% cash back on restaurants and travel 5% cash back on in-store Walmart purchases with Walmart Pay for the first 12 months |
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Want a card that makes it simple to earn rewards on grocery spending and charges no annual fee? The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, unlimited 3% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 3% cash back on dining and entertainment and 1% cash back on all other purchases. There's no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and no limits on the cash back you can earn.
You can earn a one-time $200 cash bonus if you make $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. There's also an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; the variable APR is 19.74% to 29.74% after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
on Capital One's website
Recommended FICO® Score*
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.74% - 29.74% (Variable)
Intro APR
Rewards
3% Cash Back on dining and entertainment, 3% Cash Back on popular streaming services, 3% Cash Back at grocery stores, 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
3% Cash Back on Streaming Services
3% Cash Back on Groceries
1% Cash Back on All Other Purchases
Intro Bonus
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$0
Card Details
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®
If you frequently shop at Walmart, consider the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®. It offers 5% cash back on purchases made at Walmart.com, including pickup and delivery; 5% cash back on in-store purchases made using Walmart Pay for the first 12 months; and 2% cash back on purchases at Walmart stores. You'll also get 2% cash back on restaurant and travel purchases, at Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations and 1% cash back on purchases everywhere else Mastercard is accepted.
Rewards are unlimited and never expire. Receive rewards as a check, apply them as a statement credit, use them to pay at Walmart.com, redeem them for gift cards from Walmart and other retailers, or redeem them for travel.
This card does not come with an annual fee, but the APR of 17.99% or 29.49% (Variable) can be steep.
Read full reviewCapital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®
on Capital One's website
Recommended FICO® Score*
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®
APR
17.99% or 29.49% (Variable)
Intro APR
Rewards
5% Cash Back at Walmart.com, including Pickup and Delivery, 2% Cash Back at restaurants and on travel, 2% Cash Back in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations, 1% cash back everywhere else Mastercard® is accepted
2% Cash Back on Restaurants & Travel
2% Cash Back on Walmart In-store Purchases
1% Cash Back on All Other Purchases
Annual Fee
$0
Card Details
- Earn 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including pickup and delivery
- Earn 2% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations, 2% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases everywhere else Mastercard® is accepted
- Introductory offer: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores for the first 12 months when you use your card with Walmart Pay
- Redeem rewards for cash back, statement credits, purchases on Walmart.com, travel and gift cards
- $0 annual fee
- Fraud Coverage - You're covered by $0 Fraud Liability if your card is ever lost or stolen
- No foreign transaction fees
How Do Rotating Categories Work for Grocery Rewards?
Rotating rewards categories change each quarter. For example, you might earn cash back on grocery store purchases one quarter, restaurants the second, travel the third and online shopping the fourth.
If you're using a card with rotating rewards, be sure you understand the requirements for earning them. You'll want to keep track of spending limits as well as when your quarterly rewards categories change so you can plan your spending to maximize rewards. You may also need to activate your account each quarter to earn that quarter's rotating rewards.
Do Cards Restrict Where You Can Earn Grocery Rewards?
Whether purchases are considered "groceries" generally depends on where they are made. For instance, buying milk and eggs at a supermarket usually earns rewards, but buying them at a convenience store may not. Cards may not reward grocery purchases at warehouse clubs, discount stores, gas stations and convenience stores, or at smaller retailers such as bakeries.
These guidelines have specific exceptions and can vary from one card to another. For instance, many cards exclude purchases made at big box stores, such as Target or Costco, from being counted as grocery spending. To maximize your rewards, read each card's benefit details before applying. If you're unsure whether a particular merchant qualifies for grocery rewards, contact the card issuer or make a small purchase and check your credit card statement to see how it was categorized. You might ultimately decide that a card that rewards grocery purchases isn't right for you if it excludes your favorite stores.
Do I Need a Good Credit Score to Get a Grocery Rewards Card?
Typically, rewards credit cards require good to exceptional credit. In the FICO® Score☉ model commonly used by credit card issuers, a score of 670 to 739 is considered good; a score of 740 or higher is considered exceptional. However, you can also find rewards cards for fair credit (a FICO® Score of 580 to 669).
Credit card issuers may indicate preferred credit score ranges for their cards. As you research your options, checking card issuers' preferred ranges will help narrow your search to a card for which you're likely to qualify. Using Experian CreditMatch™ can help you find the credit cards suitable for your credit profile. You may also look into getting prequalified for credit cards, which won't result in a hard inquiry that can reduce your credit scores.
How to Decide Which Card is Right For You?
When selecting the best credit card for buying groceries, consider the following:
- The rewards you want: Frequent travelers may want airline miles or points good toward travel. If you'd rather have cash in hand, consider a card that offers cash back or points you can redeem for gift cards or shopping online.
- How you shop: Review rewards program details to see if the places you shop qualify for rewards. Also consider your grocery budget: If you spend $1,000 a month at the supermarket, a card that caps your grocery rewards may not be ideal.
- Features and costs: Assess the ongoing APR; special offers such as spending bonuses or introductory 0% APR offers on purchases or balance transfers; perks such as travel insurance or purchase protection; and annual, foreign transaction and late fees.
- How rewards work: Some cards require quarterly activation to earn rewards or earn a certain dollar amount in rewards before you can redeem them. If that's too complicated for you, look for a card that rewards you automatically, have no minimum redemption value or expiration date, or earn a flat rewards rate all year.
- Your credit score: Before applying for a credit card, check your credit score. Since every application can generate a hard inquiry on your credit report, focus on cards for which you're likely to be approved.
Food for Thought
Using the right credit card when grocery shopping can net substantial rewards. Just be careful that your appetite for rewards doesn't spur you to overspend. To ensure your new credit card doesn't take a bite out of your credit score, pay your bill on time each month and pay off the balance in full; otherwise, you'll end up paying interest on your groceries, which can quickly wipe out any savings from using the card. Setting up free credit monitoring makes it easy to keep tabs on how credit card spending is affecting your credit score.