Best credit card for groceries

Grocery spend is predictable and usually one of the largest categories each month. Cards that pay 4% to 6% at U.S. supermarkets can add $200 or more per year in value compared to a flat 1% card on the same spend.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred: 6% at U.S. supermarkets

Up to 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, capped at $6,000 in spend per year (then 1%). That's $360 back on the first $6,000. The card has a $95 annual fee. If you hit the cap, the net after the fee is $265, still well above a 2% card.

Best for: Households that spend $400 to $500 or more per month at grocery stores (not superstores like Walmart or Target, which often code differently).

Limitation: The $6,000 cap. If you spend $800/month on groceries, you only get 6% on the first $6,000; the rest earns 1%.

Amex Gold: 4x at U.S. supermarkets

4x Membership Rewards at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 in purchases per year. After that, 1x. At 2¢ per point, 4x is about 8¢ per dollar. The $250 annual fee is offset by credits; effective cost depends on whether you use them.

Best for: People who want points for travel and already use the Gold's dining and credit benefits.

Citi Custom Cash: 5% on your top category

Earns 5% cash back on your top spend category each billing cycle, up to $500 in spend. Groceries are an eligible category. If groceries are your biggest category in a given month, you get 5% automatically. No activation, no rotation.

Best for: Moderate grocery spend (under $500 per cycle in the category). No annual fee. Pairs well with other cards for other categories.

Chase Freedom Flex: rotating 5%

Quarterly rotating categories sometimes include grocery stores. When they do, you earn 5% on up to $1,500 in combined spend for the quarter. You have to activate the category each quarter.

Limitation: Only one quarter per year (or less) may include groceries. Not a year-round grocery card on its own.

In-store vs. delivery

Many issuers code grocery delivery (e.g. Instacart, Shipt) as "grocery" when the merchant is a supermarket. Walmart, Target, and warehouse clubs often code as "discount store" or "superstore," not grocery. Check your card's terms. cashew maps merchants to categories so you can see which card wins for the store you use.

How cashew handles this

Add your cards and search your usual grocery merchant. cashew shows your best card for that category. If you have a gap (e.g. no card above 1x for groceries), the app recommends options that fit your wallet.