Disclaimer
This article only reviews select credit cards with dining-out and grocery store rewards. We may get compensation if you visit partner links on our site. We may not cover every available offer. Our relationship with advertisers may impact how an offer is presented on our website. However, our selection of products is made independently of our relationship to advertisers. Bonus offers and rates checked as of February 7, 2025.
There are a variety of factors impacting our grocery prices. The bird flu has driven up egg costs significantly, prompting some restaurants, like Waffle House, to add a 50-cent surcharge per egg ordered. On top of that, inflation continues to take a bite out of budgets. The average American household now spends $270 weekly on groceries, or more than $1,000 per month. And if President Trump goes through with a raft of tariffs, produce costs could rise even more.
While we might not be able to do much about the prices aside from comparison shopping, there are ways you can still save on food at the store.
Use your card's cash back incentives
Some credit cards (listed below) offer cash back incentives on grocery or dining out purchases. By maximizing these to your advantage, you can earn a healthy cash back bonus that offsets some of the higher costs incurred.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The key is to make sure these rewards work for you. Start by shopping for a credit card that helps you save on everyday purchases, like groceries, dining out or food delivery services, like Uber Eats. And make sure to pay off your balance every month, or else the interest you pay negates some of the incentives these cards offer.
With this in mind, here are a few cards that can help you save on food costs:
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express helps you save at U.S. supermarkets by offering 6% cash back on the first $6,000 charged and 1% back after exceeding this limit. If you charge $50 weekly in groceries, you would earn an annual cash back reward of $156, according to The Points Guy. The only exclusions apply to big-box retailers like Walmart and Costco.
The card features a $250 statement credit you can earn by charging at least $3,000 in the first six months. A tip: Usually I'll just alter my spending and charge everything to a new card from utilities to regular shopping trips to make sure I'm hitting that intro bonus. It's essentially free money for everyday purchases you were going to make, as long as you pay off the statement balances.
There is an annual fee of $95, $0 intro annual fee for the first year. Even still, with the savings you'll gain on groceries, it can outweigh the annual fee and still help you save.
See rates and fees.
American Express® Gold Card
If you plan to spend a lot at the grocery store, the American Express® Gold Card is a great fit. You'll earn four points for every dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, with a $25,000 cap annually. If you exceed that amount, your rewards after $25,000 are one point per dollar charged.
You'll also earn four points per dollar on restaurants worldwide, with an annual cap of $50,000. Once you reach the $50,000 threshold, the rewards revert to one point per dollar charged. The Points Guy notes the grocery and dining out benefits equal up to 8% cash back, based on their valuations.
And you can earn 60,000 bonus points after charging $6,000 in the first six months of opening the account. This is a value of up to $1,200.
The only drawback is there's an annual fee of $325. However, the higher caps on dining out and groceries makes this card a must-have for foodies.
The bottom line
Food prices continue to rise due to the bird flu, inflation and possible tariffs coming down the road. While you can't do much to control food costs on their own, having the right credit card can cushion some of those higher expenses.
These credit cards come with generous cash back incentives at supermarkets to help you save more on everyday goods. And you can save even more by meeting those intro bonuses.
Related Content
- Best and Worst Grocery Chains in the U.S.
- These Grocery Tips Can Save You Money
- The Best Cash Back Credit Cards
Disclaimer
As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view of the best deals and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.
-
A Savings Tool to Empower People With DisabilitiesAn ABLE account can improve quality of life for individuals with a disability — it permits tax-free saving for ongoing expenses without jeopardizing benefits.
-
401(k) Spousal Consent: Lawmakers Reintroduce LegislationThe Women's Retirement Protection Act (WRPA) would prevent spouses from raiding their partners' 401(k) accounts.
-
ABLE Account: A Savings Tool to Empower People With DisabilitiesAn ABLE account can improve quality of life for individuals with a disability — it permits tax-free saving for ongoing expenses without jeopardizing benefits.
-
3 Trending Luxury Travel Destinations for 2025Explore the top luxury travel destinations for 2025. Including Antarctica cruises, private yacht charters in the Seychelles and five-star wellness retreats in Kyoto, Japan.
-
20 Ways to Clean Up Your Finances This SpringSpring cleaning is therapeutic and stops costly problems from building up around the home. Why not tackle the dusty corners of your finances at the same time?
-
Are You a High Earner But Still Broke? Five Fixes for ThatIf you're a HENRY (a higher earner, not rich yet) but feel like you still live paycheck to paycheck, there are steps you can take to get control of your financial future.
-
Planning Summer Travel? Use These StrategiesTo save money on summer travel, book your tickets well ahead of time, use technology and avoid popular destinations.
-
My First $1 Million: Writer, 59, New EnglandA 59-year-old writer living in New England explains how they made $1 million as part of Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series.
-
4 Homes for Sale With Basketball Courts for March MadnessSeveral recent real estate listings in the U.S. feature basketball courts fit for March Madness addicts — and alums.
-
Five Things That Are Spiking Your Insurance PremiumIt's a drag, but just as your expenses keep rising, so does the cost of doing business as an insurance company. That means higher premiums.
