Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
"We have food at home" is the go-to response for skipping expensive restaurant prices and sticking to cheaper, home-cooked meals. But lately, eating at home is more expensive, too.
According to the April 2026 Consumer Price Index (CPI), released May 12, the food at home index increased 2.9% year over year (YoY) — meaning groceries cost almost 3% more compared to a year ago. Certain food groups, like fresh fruits and vegetables (up 6.1%) and nonalcoholic beverages (up 5.1%), have experienced more significant increases.
CNBC Select highlights a handful of grocery credit cards that can help you save or earn rewards, based on how you shop for your food, as well as additional savings tools that can ease the strain on your wallet.
If you're looking for the highest rewards
If you're someone who enjoys chasing the highest rate of return, you should consider the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. Offering 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%), the Blue Cash Preferred could save you up to $360 each year on elevated eligible supermarket purchases alone.
The card offers a second, uncapped 6% cash-back category on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, plus 3% back on transit and at U.S. gas stations, making it a well-rounded option outside of grocery spending. And if you want to turn your at-home meals into dinner and entertainment, you also get access to up to $10 in monthly statement credits after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites (subject to auto-renewal).
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a low-fee card with generous cash-back rewards and useful ongoing benefits, such as a monthly Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High cash-back earnings for U.S. supermarkets and streaming services
- Intro-APR offer for purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee for the first year
- It's less rewarding after the first year because of the annual fee
- Bonus rewards for U.S. supermarkets are capped
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply and find out your welcome offer. As High As $300 cash back* after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply, and if approved: 1. Find out your offer amount 2. Accept the Card with your offer 3. Spend $3,000 in 6 months 4. Receive the cash back. *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49%-28.49%.
- Plan It®: Buy now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don't have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you'll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
While the card charges a $95 annual fee, it has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year. (see rates and fees). If you keep the card past year one, it's fairly easy to recoup the cost through a combination of statement credits and cash-back earnings.
If you grocery shop online
If you're more of a homebody or prefer selecting your groceries without dodging shopping carts, you can do your grocery shopping online. Online grocery shopping not only earns rewards with the right credit card, but it can also save you time if you're on a tight schedule.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) earns 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards® points on most generic online grocery purchases. According to Chase, that includes grocery stores, specialty food stores or delivery service merchants that are classified as grocery store merchants. The 3X rate doesn't apply to stores like Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs, and you can't earn rewards on gift cards or gift baskets purchased through grocery stores. It will, however, earn on purchases made directly with a grocery store or via a third-party app, like Instacart.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Ultimate Rewards® points you earn are also pretty flexible and can be spent in several ways, including statement credits that you can apply to your account balance. Similar to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, the Sapphire Preferred charges a $95 annual fee that can be recouped through rewards and various perks, like up to a $50 statement credit each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM and a 10% anniversary points boost.
It's also worth noting that the Sapphire Preferred offers a complimentary DashPass membership, which unlocks $0 delivery fees, lower service fees and a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders for at least one year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027.
If you already have an Amazon Prime membership, you should also look into the Prime Visa (see rates and fees); it earns 5% back at Whole Foods and on Amazon Fresh orders. While Whole Foods is a more traditional grocery store chain, Amazon Fresh is an online grocery platform that offers various national brands as well as Amazon's own.
As of January 2026, Amazon is planning to close most of its physical Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations and expand further into grocery delivery. The company also plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods stores within the next few years, making them more widely available to customers.
The Prime Visa is only available to Amazon Prime members ($139 for an annual membership and $14.99 for a monthly membership) but is very rewarding for Amazon purchases.
- High rate of return at Amazon and Whole Foods
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- Requires an Amazon Prime membership
- If you choose the promo APR you won't earn rewards on those purchases
Rewards
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
You can buy a number of food and cooking ingredients via Amazon.com, which can be especially helpful if you're trying to buy in bulk for savings.
If you want flexible travel rewards
While not an obvious connection, earning rewards on groceries could lead to some exciting travel opportunities, especially if you use the American Express® Gold Card.
The Amex Gold earns 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points. This flexible rewards currency is worth at least 1 cent per point toward travel redemptions and can be transferred to 15 different travel partners to book either airplane tickets or hotels.
The Amex Gold Card also offers a high welcome bonus: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the first six months. While the spending requirement is definitely on the higher side, that's at least $1,000 in travel value.
The American Express Gold Card is great for earning valuable Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.
- You can earn $400+ in dining and rideshare credits every year (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Exceptionally rewarding for eligible restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Larger annual fee
- Credits are more complicated, you earn them monthly or semi-annually
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Foreign transaction fee
None
The card's $325 annual fee (see rates and fees) may be intimidating, but it comes with several large statement credits — including statement credits related to dining, rideshares and hotel bookings — that can help recoup the cost.
If you want one card for everything
If you prefer to keep your wallet as thin as possible, you could opt for a flat-rate cash-back credit card —meaning you'll earn the same amount no matter where you spend.
One well-known option is the Citi Double Cash® Card, earning 2% cash back on all your purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay. You won't have to worry about spending caps or whether you're using the right card at checkout, and there are no quarterly rewards categories to activate.
One trade-off with a flat-rate grocery card is that you may earn a slightly lower rewards rate compared to other options. On the other hand, you'll earn consistently, and you won't have to carry multiple cards that each serve their own purpose.
The Citi Double Cash doesn't charge an annual fee, so there's a fairly low barrier to entry. Plus, the card doubles as one of the best balance transfer credit cards thanks to its long intro APR offer.
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
In a similar vein, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card also earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, but you don't have to wait until you pay to earn the full cash rewards amount.
Since both cards have $0 annual fees, they don't come with many notable additional benefits. But the Active Cash does offer up to $600 in cell phone protection if you use the card to pay your cell phone bill (subject to a $25 deductible), as well as an intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers (with the Double Cash card only offering the latter).
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is great if you want simplicity thanks to its flat-rate 2% unlimited cash rewards on purchases and $0 annual fee.
- High flat-rate return on purchases
- Intro-APR for purchases and qualifying balance transfers for a year
- No annual fee
- Cell phone protection
- Has a foreign transaction fee
- Limited redemption options unless you pair it with a Wells Fargo card that allows point transfers
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Additional savings tools for your grocery budget
While the right credit card can help you with a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to cutting costs at the grocery store, there are a few additional ways to stack savings even higher:
Look for targeted offers
In addition to the cash back or points you earn when swiping your card, many credit card issuers feature targeted offers you can opt into to save even more. The portal you can use depends on the card(s) you have; here are a few well-known programs:
Often, these offers require you to activate individual deals tied to specific brands, which you can do through your card's account or mobile app. These targeted offers also rotated pretty frequently, so if you don't see anything that tickles your fancy, you can always check back.
Combine your card with cash-back apps
Many times, the rewards you earn through cash-back apps can stack with the rewards you're already earning from your credit card.
If you're looking for an app to help you save a little extra, Ibotta focuses on groceries. You can add cash-back offers to your account, then, after shopping for your groceries like normal, submit your receipt or link your store loyalty account to earn cash back. Once you reach the $20 rewards minimum, you can link your bank account or PayPal to withdraw it or cash it in for a gift card of your choice.
Ibotta
Cost
Free
Cash back
Yes
Coupon codes
Yes
Price comparison
Yes
Mobile app
Yes
Works with in-store purchases
Yes
Welcome bonus
None
How to redeem your savings
Redeem cash back once you reach $20 as a deposit into your bank account, PayPal account or for gift cards.
Terms apply.
Pros
- Offers at over 300 participating retailers
- You can activate savings, then shop and save on in-store purchases
Cons
- You can only redeem cash back after you reach $20
- The browser extension is only available on Google Chrome
- After 180 days without redeeming an offer, your account is charged $3.99 for every 30 days of inactivity
Beyond rewards for groceries specifically, the Fetch app allows you to scan receipts (both physical and digital) from a wide variety of stores. Once you accumulate enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards — including Visa gift cards for use anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
While it's great that Fetch supports a wide range of stores, you typically earn a flat 25 points for most receipts, and it doesn't scale with how much you spend. Once you've stacked up your points, you can redeem them: 5,000 points can get you a $3 or $5 gift card, 15,000 points can get you a $10 gift card, 30,000 points can get you a $25 gift card and 60,000 points can get you a $50 gift card.
Fetch
Cost
Free
Mobile app
Yes
How to earn points on purchases
Scan receipts from online and in-person purchases
How to redeem your points
Redeem through the app to receive virtual gift cards
Pros
- Gift cards available for popular retailers and brands
- Offers a browser extension to help you find shopping deals
- Enable finding offers near you
- Earn rewards from over 500 brands
Cons
- High number of points required to redeem gift cards
- Can take a while to rack up enough points for redemption
FAQs
What credit card gives you 6% back on groceries?
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers up to 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%).
Do any student cards offer grocery rewards?
Yes, there are a few student credit cards that offer rewards on groceries. We recommend the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns an unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores.
How much does the average person spend on groceries?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a moderate-cost budget for the average man and woman ages 20-50 is $387.20 and $326.50 per month, respectively.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
*We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through Amazon links.
