For most Americans, grocery shopping eats up a huge chunk of their monthly budget. And thankfully, there are a handful of credit cards out there that can help you maximize your spending on your weekly grocery runs.
Even if you don't have any travel plans coming up, you can (and should) still be earning all the points, miles, or even cashback you can to put toward future travel. But not just any credit card that earns points and miles will do – some are much, much better than others.
We'll break down the best cards for grocery shopping at U.S. grocery stores. If you spend a lot on this category, one of the cards listed below should be at the top of your wallet.
The American Express® Gold Card
The card_name should be a mainstay for your grocery store spending. That's been true ever since Amex refreshed the card's benefits back in 2018.
The card offers 4x American Express Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in spending each year. After that, you will earn 1x point per dollar spent.
Not to mention, the card is currently offering big welcome bonus offer: bonus_miles_full You may be able to get targeted for a 75,000-point offer with the same spending requirement via CardMatch.
And through June 8, it could be even better. There is a targeted referral offer to earn 90,000 points after the same spending requirement of $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. It's simply the best offer we have ever seen on this card.
But beyond that initial bonus, it's the grocery category multiplier that makes this card worth the $325 annual fee since I spend a decent amount of money at US supermarkets (see rates & fees)
Spending $6,000 each year at U.S. supermarkets with this card would yield around 24,000 Membership Rewards points. To me, that alone is nearly enough to justify the annual fee in and of itself.
Read More: The Best Ways to Use Amex Membership Rewards Points
Learn more about the *amex gold*
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Last August, Chase added new benefits on both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve cards. While the changes to the Sapphire Reserve were not that exciting, the Sapphire Preferred Card got a handful of great new benefits – all without an annual fee increase.
One of those new benefits is the ability to earn 3x points per dollar spent on online grocery orders. This excludes stores like Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs like Costco, but it will include your Instacart grocery orders.
The card previously didn't offer a points multiplier for grocery store spending, so this is an exciting new development and immediately brings this card into the conversation of the best credit cards for grocery shopping. Just keep in mind you'll need to order online from select grocery delivery providers to make the most of it.
Related Reading: Earn Delta SkyMiles on your Instacart Orders
Learn more about the *chase sapphire preferred*
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is another solid option for grocery store spending as it earns 3x Citi ThankYou points for every dollar spent at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and on-air travel and hotels.
You can also earn 75,000 Citi ThankYou points after spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months of card membership.
While we think Citi ThankYou points aren't quite as good as Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and even Capital One Venture Miles, there is still plenty of value to be found in the program.
Read More: The Best Ways to Use Citi ThankYou Points
Learn more about the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
If points and miles aren't your thing, there are some great cash back card options that will help maximize your grocery store spending.
The *blue cash preferred* has long been considered one of the best cashback credit cards out there. And for good reason.
You can earn 6% cashback at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent each year (then 1% back), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, and 3% back on taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, and at U.S. gas stations.
That means if you maximize the $6,000 spending cap each year, you would end up with $360 of cash back.
The card has a $0 intro annual fee, and then $95 (see rates & fees).
Further, you can now earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first six months.
Learn more about the *blue cash preferred*.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
The Citi Custom Cash® Card earns 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, and 1% cash back thereafter.
That means if you used this card explicitly for your grocery spending, you would earn a maximum of $25 cash back each month. Not bad for a card with no annual fee.
And if you have a card like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card mentioned above, you can actually turn this cash back into Citi ThankYou points.
Learn more about the Citi Custom Cash® Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Another great cash back option for your grocery store spending is the cap1_savor. With the card, you'll earn an unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
And if you also have a card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or even the regular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can combine the cash back earned and turn it into Capital One Venture Miles.
Learn more about the card_name
Bottom Line
When it comes to earning valuable points and miles to redeem for travel (or cash back), make sure you are taking advantage of your grocery store spending. One of these cards will set you on the right path to maximizing your spending.