Top cards for groceries (2025)

If there's one expense that consistently takes up a significant portion of a household budget, it's groceries. The weekly trip to the supermarket is a non-negotiable part of life, and with rising food costs, it's more important than ever to make every dollar count. This is where a strategic approach to credit card rewards can make a huge difference. By choosing a card that specializes in grocery spending, you can turn a necessary chore into a powerful way to earn cash back or valuable travel points.

First things first: what counts as “grocery”?

Issuers don’t pay by vibes; they pay by merchant category codes (MCCs). For example, Amex’s grocery bonus applies to U.S. supermarkets and excludes superstores (Walmart/Target), warehouse clubs, and convenience stores. If the store’s system doesn’t code as a supermarket, you won’t get the boosted rate—even if your cart is 100% food.

Rotating or “choose-your-category” cards can include “grocery stores,” but the same coding rule applies. Always assume Walmart/Target are excluded unless the issuer explicitly says otherwise.

Heavy supermarket households

Everyday “food + life” card with groceries included

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card — 3% back at grocery stores, dining, entertainment, and popular streaming; 1% elsewhere; $0 annual fee. If you want one keeper card that treats groceries and dining well without caps, this is it. (Use a flat-2% card beside it for non-bonus purchases.)

Prime/Whole Foods loyalists

Prime Visa — 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market with an eligible Prime membership. If a big chunk of your grocery bill is Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh, this is a strong anchor card.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred® — 6% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000/year (then 1%); also 6% on select U.S. streaming and 3% at U.S. gas stations/transit. Annual fee applies (often with a first-year intro). If you regularly clear ~$500/month at traditional supermarkets, this one usually wins—just mind the cap and the “U.S. supermarkets” definition.

Math note: break-even is annual fee ÷ (6%–your fallback %). If your fallback is a flat 2% card, your advantage is 4%; that tells you roughly how much grocery spend covers the fee.

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No-annual-fee, high ROI up to a cap

Citi Custom Cash℠ — 5% back (as ThankYou® points, redeemable for cash) on your top eligible category each billing cycle up to $500 (then 1%). “Grocery stores” is an eligible category, which makes this a killer $500-per-month grocery play; set it and let your grocery spend naturally rank first.

How to stack (without overthinking it)

• Simple & strong (no fee):
  Use Citi Custom Cash for the first $500 in groceries each month (5% back), then fall back to SavorOne (3%). That combo quietly beats a flat 2% setup for many households.

• Heavy Kroger / Whole Foods shopper:
  If you’re mostly Whole Foods/Amazon, Prime Visa (5%) wins. If you’re mostly Kroger family stores, review their co-brand rules (there are Kroger-specific plays like Kroger Pay promos), but for most people, a mainstream grocery card above is simpler.

• Already bank with BofA/Merrill:
  Pair Customized Cash Rewards (boosted by Preferred Rewards) with a flat-rate card for the rest. At Platinum Honors, your grocery rate effectively reaches 3.5%—solid for a card you might already have.

Traps and fine print (read this once, save money all year)

• Walmart/Target usually don’t count as “grocery.” They’re coded as superstores/discount stores, so you’ll get base rewards unless it’s a rotating-category quarter that explicitly includes them.

• Caps matter. Amex BCP caps the 6% at $6,000/year; Citi Custom Cash caps the 5% at $500 per billing cycle. After the cap, returns drop hard.

• Delivery apps aren’t always “grocery.” If the merchant codes as “online marketplace” or “delivery,” you might miss the bonus. Check your posted category after the charge.

• Foreign transaction fees: If you shop abroad (or on non-U.S. sites), many cash-back cards add ~3%. Carry at least one no-FTF card for trips; it keeps your grocery math from leaking. (Your picks above: SavorOne has no FTF; Amex terms vary by card—check the fee table.)

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Quick real-world math

Let’s say you spend $900/month at traditional supermarkets.

• Blue Cash Preferred:
  6% on the first $500/mo (until you hit the $6k annual cap), then 1% beyond that each year. Very strong if most of your spend is inside that cap and at U.S. supermarkets per Amex’s definition.

• Citi Custom Cash (5% up to $500/mo) + SavorOne (3% overflow):

  • $500 at 5% = $25
  • $400 at 3% = $12
  • Total ≈ $37/month without paying an annual fee.
• Prime Visa (Whole Foods/Amazon-heavy households):
  $900 at 5% = $45, if all of it runs through Whole Foods/Amazon and you have Prime.

Pick the lane that matches where you actually shop.

Making the Right Choice: A Grocery-Centric Strategy

The best credit card for you depends entirely on your spending habits. Here's a simple strategy to help you choose:

• Do you spend more than $6,000 annually on groceries? If so, a combination of a card like the Blue Cash Preferred (to hit the cap) and a no-annual-fee flat-rate card (for the rest of your grocery spending) might be a great strategy.

• Do you primarily shop at one store? Consider a co-branded card like the Prime Visa or the Costco Anywhere Visa to maximize your rewards.

• Are you a "set it and forget it" person? A tiered card with no annual fee, like the Blue Cash Everyday, offers a fantastic, low-effort way to get a good return on your grocery spending.

“Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.”