Every purchase is an opportunity to earn credit card rewards, including purchases at U.S. supermarkets and grocery stores.
The average American spends $150 to $300 weekly on food. Wherever you fall within that range, that’s a large chunk of spending, some of which will be on groceries. With the right approach, it can earn you lots of points, miles or cash back.
Let’s explore a few different strategies (and credit cards) you can use to maximize every dollar you spend on your next milk-and-egg run.
Shop where you can save
Here’s an easy rule to follow: shop where you can save. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating.
Walmart and Target typically don’t qualify as grocery stores when it comes to earning a category bonus for grocery purchases on your credit card. They are most often considered superstores and fall under a separate category.
But if shopping for groceries at Walmart or Target is cheaper than at your local grocery store chain, you’re likely better off sticking with those savings than shopping at grocery stores just to earn a category bonus.
Do the math and ensure you’re not paying more than you should to earn rewards.
Be aware of how your card “codes” your purchase
On a related note, be aware of the merchant category code. This code determines whether a particular purchase will earn you bonus points. If you’re uncertain how a given merchant is coded, I recommend testing it with a small purchase.
You can then examine your card statement to see whether the merchant codes properly. For example, grocery purchases at Walmart and wholesale clubs like Costco are not categorized as groceries on many rewards credit cards. At the same time, some cards may code grocery delivery services such as Instacart as grocery stores on your statement.
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Because Instacart also delivers items from a wide variety of stores, including Costco, you may be able to maximize a bonus from stores not typically associated with that category.
Related: Your definitive guide to online grocery delivery services
Know the earning limits of your particular rewards card
Some cards, such as the American Express® Gold Card, have a limit to the amount of rewards you can earn. While you’ll earn a generous 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets up to $25,000 of spending on these purchases per calendar year, your earning rate drops to 1 point per dollar spent after reaching this maximum cap.
Then, there are the 5 points per dollar spent on rotating bonus categories on the Chase Freedom Flex℠. Often, the rotating category is for grocery store spending, but keep in mind there is a $1,500 quarterly spending cap, and you need to activate the bonus category.
We recommend that you have a backup card ready for when you exceed this limit.
Use one of the best cards for groceries
Ready to earn some points, miles or cash back through card spending? The following cards offer some of the biggest returns on your U.S. supermarket spending.
American Express® Gold Card
The Amex Gold Card is my go-to card for grocery purchases at U.S. supermarkets.
In addition to the earnings on groceries mentioned above, there are other food-related benefits. For example, you’ll earn 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery orders in the U.S. You’ll also earn a up to $120 dining credit, provided you enroll to receive the benefit.
Plus, Membership Rewards points offer incredible versatility — you can book directly through Amex Travel or transfer your points to 18 airlines and three hotel partners.
For more details, check out our full review of the Amex Gold Card.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
This card gives you 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on up to $6,000 at U.S. supermarkets each year, along with 1 point per dollar beyond that. Additionally, if you hit 30 monthly transactions, you get a 50% bonus on all points earned. So you could effectively earn 4.5 points per dollar spent at supermarkets.
Membership Rewards are worth 2 cents each, according to TPG’s valuations. If you spend $15,000 annually at U.S. supermarkets and hit the monthly bonus, you could earn over 40,000 points each year – worth $800. The card has a $95 annual fee, so your net value earned could be in the neighborhood of $700.
Learn more in our Amex EveryDay Preferred Card review.
The information for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back on the first $6,000 purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year and 1% on all purchases thereafter. The 6% return on the first $6,000 would earn you $360.
Cash back is received as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
The card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year and a $95 annual fee thereafter (see rates and fees). For more details, read our full review of the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card.
Apply here: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card earns unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases with no annual fee (see rates and fees).
For more details, read our full review of the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card.
Apply here: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card
Take advantage of mobile apps when shopping in-store
Besides the apps from stores like CVS, Publix, Safeway and Target (which offer coupons), many third-party apps can also help you maximize your grocery spending. Ibotta, for instance, pays you cash back for in-store and online purchases from dozens of supported retailers and grocery stores.
Dosh helps you earn cash back by allowing you to connect a credit card to your Dosh account. Then, any time you shop at participating retailers with your linked card, you can save up to 10% for each purchase.
Fetch is yet another app that helps you earn rewards. With Fetch, you snap a photo of your shopping receipts. Each receipt earns 25 points, and you can earn point boosts any time you spend money at a participating brand. I have managed to rack up 35,000 Fetch points, enough to get a $25 Safeway gift card.
Related: Staying organized: The best apps for money management
Click through a shopping portal when buying online
Shopping portals are an easy way to earn extra points, miles or cash back for online purchases. While opportunities are limited in the grocery category, you may find some food-related retailers offering points or cash back through a portal, such as Cashback Monitor or Rakuten.
Instead of going directly to the store’s website, navigate to a shopping portal, find the retailer you want to purchase from, and click through to that site.
You’ll earn points or cash back from the retailer and credit card rewards on your purchase. That means, in many situations, you can double or even triple your earnings by combining the shopping portal bonus, category bonus, card offer, etc.
There are dozens of online shopping portals, but they all operate the same way.
Related: Quick Points: Use a shopping portal aggregator to maximize online purchases
Bottom line
By shopping at the right stores, using one of the top grocery credit cards and a shopping portal when spending online, you should be well on your way to maximizing your grocery spending. As you do, just remember to set a certain travel or cash-back redemption goal in the back of your mind.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred card, click here.
For rates and fees of Capital One SavorOne card, click here.
