What is the best credit card for groceries in 2026?

For most households spending between about $3,200 and $10,200 a year at U.S. supermarkets, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express pays the most after its $95 fee: 6% cash back on the first $6,000. Below that range, a no-fee 3% card such as Capital One Savor wins. Above it, Savor or the Amex Gold Card does better.

By the PointMaxx team. Published October 30, 2026. Updated October 30, 2026. Card terms as of October 2026.

The PointMaxx team is two people who built a tool that runs published card terms against real credit card statements. Every rate, fee and cap below comes from our card database, which we checked against each issuer's page between October 26 and 27, 2026. We did not take payment from any issuer.

Which grocery card pays the most at my spending level?

The answer changes with how much you spend: Savor or Citi Strata wins at $3,000 a year, the Blue Cash Preferred wins at $6,000 and $10,000, and the Amex Gold (if you value its points at 1.5 cents) wins at $15,000. The table shows net yearly value from grocery spending alone, after the ongoing annual fee and caps, with no welcome bonus.

How to read it:

• Break-even points. The Blue Cash Preferred beats Savor once you spend more than about $3,167 a year ($264 a month) at supermarkets, and loses to Savor above about $10,250 a year ($854 a month), because everything over $6,000 earns only 1%.
• Amex Gold only wins at high spend. Valuing points at 1.5 cents, it passes the Blue Cash Preferred at about $10,600 a year and Savor at about $10,833. At 1 cent per point it never catches Savor in this range.
• Fees are counted, credits are not. The Amex Gold's dining, Uber, Resy and Dunkin' credits can offset its fee, but only if you would have spent that money anyway. Year one of the Blue Cash Preferred is $95 better than shown because the first-year fee is $0.

Point values are assumptions, not prices. A point is worth what you redeem it for, so set your own value and rerun the numbers.

Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred worth the $95 fee for groceries?

Yes, if you spend more than about $3,167 a year ($264 a month) at U.S. supermarkets. At that point the extra 3% over a no-fee 3% card covers the $95 fee. The card pays 6% on the first $6,000 each calendar year, worth up to $360, according to American Express.

Other terms as of October 2026:

• 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and U.S. gas stations, 1% elsewhere.
• A $10 monthly Disney streaming credit (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN) with enrollment.
• $0 annual fee in the first year, then $95.

What's the best no-annual-fee card for groceries?

Capital One Savor and Citi Strata both pay 3% on groceries with no cap and no annual fee, so they tie for most no-fee households. Capital One Savor also pays 3% on dining, entertainment and streaming. Citi Strata also pays 3x on gas and select transit, but its rewards are ThankYou points, valued here at 1 cent each.

The Blue Cash Everyday pays the same 3% but stops at $6,000 a year, so it falls behind above that level. It is still worth a look if you want 3% on U.S. online retail and gas from the same card, each capped at $6,000 a year according to American Express.

Which card is best if I spend $500 or $1,000 a month on groceries?

At $500 a month ($6,000 a year), the Blue Cash Preferred pays the most: $360 in cash back, or $265 after the fee. At $1,000 a month ($12,000 a year), the best single card is close between Savor ($360 net) and the Amex Gold at 1.5 cents per point ($395 net), with the Blue Cash Preferred at $325.

Example arithmetic at $12,000 a year:

• Blue Cash Preferred: $6,000 × 6% + $6,000 × 1% − $95 = $360 + $60 − $95 = $325.
• Savor: $12,000 × 3% = $360.
• Amex Gold at 1.5 cents: $12,000 × 4 points × $0.015 − $325 = $720 − $325 = $395.

Does Walmart, Target or Costco count as groceries?

Usually not. Most grocery bonuses pay only at merchants coded as supermarkets, and superstores like Walmart and Target and warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's are coded differently. Purchases there earn the card's base rate, often 1%, even when you buy only food.

What each card says, as of October 2026:

Plain-language definition: a merchant category code (MCC) is a four-digit code the card network assigns to each store. Your card reads the code, not your receipt, so a supermarket chain coded as a superstore earns no grocery bonus.

How do excluded stores change the answer?

They shrink the spending that earns the bonus, which can flip the winner toward a flat-rate card. If a big share of your food shopping happens at Walmart, Target or Costco, compare cards on your supermarket spending only, then add the base rate on the rest.

Example: a household spends $8,000 a year on food, $5,000 at supermarkets and $3,000 at Walmart and Costco.

• Blue Cash Preferred: $5,000 × 6% + $3,000 × 1% − $95 = $300 + $30 − $95 = $235.
• Savor: $5,000 × 3% + $3,000 × 1% = $150 + $30 = $180.
• Citi Double Cash: $8,000 × 2% = $160.

The Blue Cash Preferred still wins here, but if supermarkets were only $3,000 of that $8,000, it would earn $180 + $50 − $95 = $135, less than the Double Cash's $160. The simple fix is to pair a supermarket card with a 2% card for superstores and warehouse clubs.

The Robinhood Gold Card pays 3% on everything, including superstores, but needs a $50-a-year Robinhood Gold membership and applications go through a waitlist, according to Robinhood.

What happens after I hit the $6,000 cap on the Blue Cash Preferred?

Every supermarket purchase after the first $6,000 in a calendar year earns 1%. The cap resets on January 1, not on your card anniversary. Above the cap, switch grocery spending to a 3% no-cap card such as Savor or Citi Strata.

Is the Amex Gold better than the Blue Cash Preferred for groceries?

Only if you spend more than about $10,600 a year at supermarkets and value Membership Rewards points at 1.5 cents or more. The Amex Gold pays 4x at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 a year and 4x at restaurants on up to $50,000 a year, with a $325 annual fee. If you redeem points for 1 cent or less, the Blue Cash Preferred or Savor pays more at every level in the table.

Should I use two cards for groceries?

Yes, if you spend more than about $6,000 a year at supermarkets. Use the Blue Cash Preferred until you hit its $6,000 cap, then switch to a 3% no-cap card.

How to set it up:

1. Use the Blue Cash Preferred at supermarkets from January 1.
2. Track your supermarket spending in the Amex app until it reaches $6,000.
3. Move supermarket purchases to Savor or Citi Strata for the rest of the year.
4. Use a 2% card at Walmart, Target and warehouse clubs, where neither earns a bonus.

At $10,000 a year this pair earns $360 + $120 − $95 = $385, versus $305 from the Blue Cash Preferred alone. At $15,000 it earns $360 + $270 − $95 = $535.

Do rotating-category cards help with groceries?

Briefly. Chase Freedom Flex pays 5% on grocery stores (not Walmart or Target) in Q4 2026, and Discover it paid 5% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs in Q1 2026, each on up to $1,500 a quarter with activation. That is at most $75 a quarter in grocery cash back, and only in the quarters that include groceries.

Are points cards or cash back cards better for groceries?

Cash back is simpler and the value is fixed: 6% from the Blue Cash Preferred is $6 per $100. Points cards like the Amex Gold and Citi Strata Premier can be worth more if you transfer points to airlines or hotels, but that value depends on how you redeem. If you would cash points out at 1 cent, compare them as cash back at that rate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best credit card for groceries in 2026? For supermarket spending between about $3,200 and $10,200 a year, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred pays the most after its $95 fee. Below that, a no-fee 3% card such as Capital One Savor wins. Above it, Savor or the Amex Gold Card pays more.

Does Costco count as a grocery store on credit cards? Usually not. Most grocery bonuses, including Amex's, exclude warehouse clubs. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards pays 2% at wholesale clubs within its shared $2,500 quarterly cap.

Does Walmart count as groceries for the Blue Cash Preferred? No. Walmart and Target are superstores, not supermarkets, so purchases there earn 1% on the Blue Cash Preferred.

Is the Blue Cash Everyday or Blue Cash Preferred better for groceries? The Blue Cash Preferred is better once you spend more than about $3,167 a year at supermarkets. Below that, the no-fee Blue Cash Everyday or Savor earns the same or more.

Does Instacart count as groceries? It depends on the card and how the merchant is coded. Amex's terms treat meal-kit delivery as not a supermarket, and grocery delivery coding varies, so check your statement to see what rate a delivery purchase earned.

Do welcome bonuses change which grocery card is best? They change year one, not later years. The table above shows ongoing value; a bonus can make a lower-ranked card the better first-year choice.

Honest limits

• Rates, fees and offers change. These terms are as of October 2026, from issuer pages checked October 26 to 27, 2026.
• Some details could not be confirmed on the issuer's page and are left out or flagged: the Amex Gold welcome offer is "as high as" an amount Amex sets per applicant, and the Citi Strata "select transit" category is not defined by merchant.
• Point values are our assumptions. Your value may be higher or lower.
• The table covers grocery spending only. The best card for your whole budget may differ.
• This is an estimate, not financial advice, and it says nothing about approval odds.

For a wider view, see how to choose a credit card, which credit card you should get, and the list of 53 cards PointMaxx compares.

Next step

The table assumes all your food spending is at supermarkets. Your statements show the real split. Add your card statements to PointMaxx (CSV or PDF) and it works out which one, two or three of 53 US cards would have paid you the most on what you actually spent, after annual fees and caps. It runs in your browser, your statements are never uploaded, and there's no account. See how PointMaxx reads your spending or the FAQ.

Sources

• American Express, Blue Cash Preferred: 6% on first $6,000 at U.S. supermarkets, $0 then $95 fee, streaming, transit and gas rates, Disney credit.
• American Express, Blue Cash Everyday: 3% groceries, gas and U.S. online retail, each capped at $6,000.
• American Express, Gold Card: 4x supermarkets to $25,000, 4x dining to $50,000, $325 fee, credits.
• Capital One, Savor: 3% grocery stores, $0 fee, Walmart and Target excluded.
• Citi, Strata: 3x groceries, gas and select transit, $0 fee.
• Citi, Strata Premier: 3x groceries, $95 fee.
• Eye of the Flyer, Blue Cash Preferred: superstores, warehouse clubs and meal-kit delivery are not supermarkets; cap resets January 1.
• Robinhood, Gold Card: 3% on everything, Gold membership required, waitlist.
• Rotating and wholesale-club terms (Chase Freedom Flex, Discover it, Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards) are from the PointMaxx card database, sourced from Chase, Discover and Bank of America.