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ClearValue Cards

Best Grocery Credit Cards of 2026

Grocery is the category where the annual-fee-versus-earn-rate trade-off is sharpest. A 6% supermarket card with a $95 fee only beats a clean 3% no-fee card above a spend threshold — and we do that break-even math instead of quoting the headline. Watch the fine print: 'U.S. supermarkets' excludes warehouse clubs and Walmart on most cards, and the top rates usually carry an annual spend cap.

How we ranked this list

Ranked by ClearValue Score. Grocery earn rates are valued at conservative benchmarks net of caps, and annual-fee cards must clear their fee at realistic grocery spend before they out-rank a $0-fee alternative. Category exclusions (warehouse clubs, superstores) are surfaced, not buried.

See the broader review set on the full grocery credit cards category page.

Compare all 10 at a glance

Ranked by the ClearValue Score — never by commission. Verify current terms at the issuer before you apply.

#CardClearValue ScoreAnnual feeOngoing APRForeign txn feeMatch
1Capital One SavorOne Cash RewardsCapital One89 / 100 · Solid pick$0Variable APR — verify current range at capitalone.comNoneMatch
2American Express Blue Cash EverydayAmerican Express85 / 100 · Solid pick$019.24% – 29.99% variable2.7%Match
3Citi Custom CashCiti85 / 100 · Solid pick$0Variable APR — verify current range at citi.com3%Match
4Citi StrataCiti84 / 100 · Solid pick$018.49% – 28.49% variable3%Match
5Navy Federal More Rewards American ExpressNavy Federal Credit Union82 / 100 · Solid pick$014.15% – 18.00% variableMatch
6American Express Blue Cash PreferredAmerican Express81 / 100 · Solid pick$9519.24% – 29.99% variable2.7%Match
7PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa SignaturePenFed Credit Union81 / 100 · Solid pick$0Variable APR — verify current range at penfed.orgMatch
8Citi Rewards+ Student CardCiti80 / 100 · Solid pick$0Variable APR — verify current range at citi.comMatch
9First Tech Choice Rewards World MastercardFirst Tech Federal Credit Union80 / 100 · Solid pick$011.75% – 18.00% variableMatch
10American Express GoldAmerican Express77 / 100 · Worth considering$32520.74% – 28.74% variable (Pay Over Time)NoneMatch

Capital One

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards

Dining- and entertainment-heavy households that want 3% cash back on restaurants, entertainment, popular streaming, and

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
Variable APR — verify current range at capitalone.com
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
See issuer terms

Pros

  • Dining- and entertainment-heavy households that want 3% cash back on restaurants, entertainment, popular streaming, and grocery stores at a $0 annual fee — with no foreign transaction fee, so the 3% dining rate follows you abroad.

Trade-offs

  • Warehouse-club grocery shoppers (the 3% grocery rate excludes superstores like Walmart and Target) and anyone who'd rather pay a fee for a higher dining rate — the Amex Gold earns 4x at restaurants, though it costs $325/yr.

The catch

The 3% grocery rate carves out superstores, which is where a lot of households actually buy groceries. Confirm your regular store codes as a supermarket before assuming the 3% applies — otherwise those trips earn the 1% base rate.

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Reviewed by ClearValue Editorial Team ·

American Express

American Express Blue Cash Everyday

Family households that want 3% at U

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR
19.24% – 29.99% variable
Foreign transaction fee
2.7%
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 3%
Late payment fee
Up to $40

Pros

  • Family households that want 3% at U.S. supermarkets, gas, and online retail with no annual fee — the $0 AF sibling to the Blue Cash Preferred for households that won't hit the preferred card's grocery cap.

Trade-offs

  • Households spending $5,000+/yr on groceries (the Preferred's 6% catches up to the AF fast) and travelers (2.7% foreign-transaction fee).

The catch

Each 3% category is capped at $6,000/yr separately. Most households never test the cap — but if you do, your effective rate drops to 1% past $6k in any single category.

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Citi

Citi Custom Cash

Moderate spenders who concentrate buying in one category each month — groceries, gas, dining, or streaming — and want an

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (verify current period at citi.com)
Ongoing APR
Variable APR — verify current range at citi.com
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Balance transfer fee
See issuer terms

Pros

  • Moderate spenders who concentrate buying in one category each month — groceries, gas, dining, or streaming — and want an automatic 5% without activating anything. It also carries a 0% intro-APR window, so it doubles as a short-term financing card.

Trade-offs

  • High-volume spenders in a single category (the 5% is capped at $500 of spend per billing cycle, so $25/month is the ceiling on the bonus) and international travelers — the 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor abroad card.

The catch

The 5% only applies to your single highest eligible category each cycle, up to $500 of spend. Above that cap, or across your other categories, you're earning 1%. It rewards concentrated, moderate spending — not broad or heavy spending.

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Citi

Citi Strata

Citi ThankYou Points builders who want a broad 3X earn across supermarkets, select transit and gas/EV charging, and a se

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR
18.49% – 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Balance transfer fee
See issuer terms

Pros

  • Citi ThankYou Points builders who want a broad 3X earn across supermarkets, select transit and gas/EV charging, and a self-select category (fitness, streaming, entertainment, beauty, or pet stores) plus 2X dining — all at a $0 annual fee. It's the July-2025 successor to the Citi Rewards+.

Trade-offs

  • International travelers (3% foreign transaction fee) and anyone who wants a simple flat rate — the value depends on your spend landing in the 3X buckets, and the self-select category needs occasional attention.

The catch

The 3X categories are broad but not universal, and the self-select bonus is only useful if you pick the category matching your spend. Outside those buckets it's a 1X card. It also carries a 3% FX fee, so keep it stateside.

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Navy Federal Credit Union

Navy Federal More Rewards American Express

Navy Federal members who spend heavily on groceries and dining and want the widest category coverage among Navy Federal'

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
14.15% – 18.00% variable

Pros

  • Navy Federal members who spend heavily on groceries and dining and want the widest category coverage among Navy Federal's low-APR cards — 3 points per $1 at supermarkets, restaurants, transit, and gas stations, 1x elsewhere, at a 14.15%–18.00% variable APR with no annual fee.

Trade-offs

  • Non-members and anyone who wants flat, no-management cash back — this is a multi-category points card, and American Express acceptance is occasionally narrower than Visa or Mastercard at some merchants.

The catch

The 3x across four everyday categories is genuinely broad, but points require active redemption and the 14.15% APR floor matches the cashRewards card rather than beating the Platinum's 10.24%. Best when your grocery and dining spend is heavy enough to out-earn a lower-rate no-rewards card.

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American Express

American Express Blue Cash Preferred

Family households that spend $3,000+ a year at U

Key specs

Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months
Ongoing APR
19.24% – 29.99% variable
Foreign transaction fee
2.7%
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 3%
Late payment fee
Up to $40

Pros

  • Family households that spend $3,000+ a year at U.S. supermarkets and $1,200+ on streaming. The 6% on groceries (up to $6,000/yr) and 6% on streaming is industry-best cashback if you actually use both.

Trade-offs

  • Low-grocery households (the $95 AF doesn't pencil out under ~$1,600/yr in supermarket spend) and anyone with a Costco-heavy grocery routine — Costco doesn't count as a supermarket.

The catch

The 6% grocery is capped at $6,000 of spend per calendar year, then drops to 1%. A family that hits the cap by August is earning $360 at 6% + 1% on everything after — track the cap or set up a backup grocery card for Q4.

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PenFed Credit Union

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature

Drivers who don't shop a warehouse club and want the highest consistent gas reward available on a no-annual-fee card — 5

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
Variable APR — verify current range at penfed.org

Pros

  • Drivers who don't shop a warehouse club and want the highest consistent gas reward available on a no-annual-fee card — 5 points per $1 at any gas station, plus 3 points per $1 at supermarkets. PenFed membership is open to everyone; you just join at penfed.org before applying.

Trade-offs

  • People whose spend is mostly outside gas and groceries — the base rate is only 1 point per $1 — and anyone who won't engage with the rewards portal to redeem points well.

The catch

5x on gas at any station (not just a specific brand) is the standout, but points are worth the most through PenFed's travel/gift-card redemptions, and the low 1x base rate means this is a category card, not an everyday earner. Confirm the current APR and terms at penfed.org before applying.

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Citi

Citi Rewards+ Student Card

Students who make frequent small purchases — coffee, transit, study supplies — and want the round-up feature that rounds

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
Variable APR — verify current range at citi.com

Pros

  • Students who make frequent small purchases — coffee, transit, study supplies — and want the round-up feature that rounds every purchase up to the nearest 10 ThankYou Points. It earns 2X at supermarkets and gas (up to $6,000/yr, then 1X), 1X elsewhere, at a $0 annual fee, and reports to all three bureaus.

Trade-offs

  • Students who dine out a lot (the SavorOne Student and Discover it Student Cash Back reward dining directly) and anyone who travels internationally — a foreign transaction fee applies on purchases abroad.

The catch

The round-up advantage is real on sub-$10 buys but shrinks on larger purchases, so the card rewards a specific spending pattern. The $6,000/yr cap on 2X supermarket earning rarely binds for student-level spend. Confirm current terms at citi.com before applying.

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First Tech Federal Credit Union

First Tech Choice Rewards World Mastercard

First Tech members who carry a balance but want to earn on everyday spending without giving up a below-average APR — 2 p

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
11.75% – 18.00% variable
Balance transfer fee
None

Pros

  • First Tech members who carry a balance but want to earn on everyday spending without giving up a below-average APR — 2 points per $1 on gas, groceries, and household goods, 1x elsewhere, at an 11.75%–18.00% variable APR with no annual fee and no balance transfer fee.

Trade-offs

  • Applicants who can't meet First Tech membership eligibility and pure rate-minimizers — the First Tech Platinum (10.49%) and Navy Federal Platinum (10.24%) have lower floors if you don't need rewards.

The catch

The 2x rate applies only to merchants transmitting a qualifying gas, grocery, or household-goods merchant code — First Tech's category interpretation, not yours. There's no 0% intro period, so the value is in the combination of a sub-12% floor plus everyday-category points.

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American Express

American Express Gold

Households that spend $3,000+/yr at U

Key specs

Annual fee
$325
Ongoing APR
20.74% – 28.74% variable (Pay Over Time)
Foreign transaction fee
None
Late payment fee
Up to $40

Pros

  • Households that spend $3,000+/yr at U.S. supermarkets AND $3,000+/yr at restaurants. The 4x at both, transferable to MR partners at our 1.4 cpp benchmark, is industry-leading for dining + grocery combined.

Trade-offs

  • Anyone who can't reliably use the $120 in dining credits (Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com — niche, $10/mo activation) and the $120 Uber credits ($10/mo). At realistic 50% utilization the $325 AF starts to bite.

The catch

Amex's coupon-book strategy turned this card into a credit-utilization game. The $120 dining + $120 Uber credits are real, but you have to USE them — most cardholders capture 40-60% of stated value. Score on realistic capture, not stated max.

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Reviewed by the ClearValue Editorial Team. ClearValue Cards earns compensation solely through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool. This compensation does not influence editorial scoring or which cards appear on our recommendations. See methodology and disclosure.