May 18, 2025 · 10 mins read
Santosh Kumar
It’s a fact of life: everyone eats. Whether you are a coupon-clipping budget master or an organic junky, you can’t avoid food—and groceries are the one thing everyone must spend money on. And if you spend hundreds, if not thousands, on food—and everyone does—shouldn’t you get something in return for it?
That’s where the best credit card for groceries comes in. Just think about it: every banana, box of cereal, or pint of ice cream you buy earns you cash back or points. Whether you shop local or national chains, using a credit card for groceries turns your everyday spending into savings, rewards, or travel.
But this is not just about a piece of plastic—this is about the strategy of everything. Card after card promises rewards; it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Whether you are feeding a family or stocking up for yourself, the right combination of credit cards can be the best way to stretch your food budget, build and improve credit, and even get some cash back!
Let’s discuss the options for the best credit card for groceries, explore what to search for in your next credit card, and look at the best ways for you to get the most out of what you spend on food.
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Utilizing a credit card for groceries does much more than make checkout easier, it rewards you for it as well. Here’s how:
Cash Back: Get a % back on every grocery purchase.
Reward points: Redeem for gift cards, trips, and statement credits.
Introductory bonuses: Hit a spending requirement and receive a welcome bonus.
Budget tracking: Detailed monthly breakdowns of how much of your spending is on food.
Credit building: Responsible use can help build your credit history/score.
When utilized responsibly, grocery credit cards help to make a staple in your budget, an opportunity to develop better financial habits.
Things to Consider in the Best Grocery Credit Cards Before you tap, look for these features:
Choose cards with at least 2% back on grocery store purchases. Some that offer 6% max on grocery purchases can really add up.
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If you don't spend much on groceries, a no-fee annual fee card may be more advantageous.
A lot of grocery friendly cards will give you a sign-up bonus when you spend a certain amount of money in the first 3 months.
Are you able to redeem your rewards for statement credit, travel or direct deposit? The more flexible, the better.
Be sure to check that your favourite grocery store is in the program. Some exclude discount stores or warehouse clubs from the grocery category.
If you are shopping in India and would like to turn your monthly grocery expenses into cashback, points and rewards, here are the top credit cards ready to perform for you. Each card has different advantages, regardless of whether you are purchasing your groceries online or in a local supermarket. Pick the best credit card for groceries based on how and where you shop.
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Rewards: 5% cashback at Amazon, Flipkart and other online platforms, as well as on groceries with BigBasket and Grofers.
Annual Fee: ₹1,000 (waived on ₹1 lakh annual spending)
Grocery Benefits: Ideal for those who rely on BigBasket or Amazon Pantry for most of their grocery shopping.
Perks: 1% fuel surcharge waiver; contactless payments; dining benefits.
If you mainly do your grocery shopping online and are looking for an easy-to-access premium cards for grocery shopping, this card offers very good returns on your spend, particularly if you are in-millennial or digital native.
Rewards: 5% cashback for Amazon Prime members and 3% cashback for non-Prime users on all Amazon purchases, including any orders from Amazon Fresh and Amazon Pantry.
Annual Fee: ₹0 (Lifetime Free)
Grocery Perks: Cashbacks are credited directly into your account monthly - no points, no redeeming, just cash!
More Benefits: 2% back at partnered merchants, 1% elsewhere, accepted around the world.
If you are loyal to Amazon for your groceries, then this is probably the best grocery store credit card for rewards with no work. There is no annual fee and you get automatic cashback, so if you are a regular Amazon shopper, then this is without a doubt useful.
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Rewards: You will receive 5x rewards on online grocery shopping sites like BigBasket, Grofers, Head, and Amazon and 10x on exclusive partners like BookMyShow and Cleartrip.
Annual Fee: ₹499 (the annual Fee is waived if you spend more than ₹1 lakh annually)
Grocery Perks: Get accelerated rewards for every ₹100 on groceries purchased through partner sites.
Other Benefits: Milestone e-vouchers (e.g., Amazon worth ₹2,000), welcome gift & Fuel surcharge waiver.
This grocery credit card is an excellent option if you order groceries online regularly and want to earn points that you can convert into vouchers or use on SBI's reward platform.
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Rewards: 5% cashback on bills and recharges made through Google Pay, and 4% cashback on grocery partners like BigBasket, Grofers, and Swiggy.
Annual Fee: ₹499 (the annual Fee will be waived if you spend more than ₹2 lakh a year)
Grocery Perks: Including online and in-store sparkling grocery transactions as long as you've done them via platforms associated with the partner.
Other Benefits: 2% cashback on all other spending, unlimited cashback irrespective of a redemption threshold.
The Axis Ace is backed by Google Pay, and is a great product for cashback lovers. If you make your grocery payments through apps and need a grocery credit card, this simple card, with cash rewards, should be a great option for you.
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Rewards: 10x reward points on Big Basket/Amazon/Flipkart - 2x on dining and groceries.
Annual Fee: ₹500 (Free if you spend ₹50,000 annually)
Grocery perks: Saves you value whether you grocery shop online or in person - flexible and account earnings.
Other benefits: You can convert reward points to cash redeemable for bill payments, statements, and vouchers.
HDFC MoneyBack+ is among the most flexible grocery cards in the Indian market. It's especially valuable to grocery shoppers who may shop for groceries online and in-store.
Rewards: 10% off groceries and department store purchases flat (up to ₹1,000 monthly).
Annual Fee: ₹749 (Free after ₹75,000 spend)
Grocery perks: Discounts on physical grocery stores; ideal for shoppers at their local market or supermarket.
Other benefits: Book on-movie tickets, milestone benefits, free add-on card.
This may offer unbeatable value if you are more of a shopper in person as opposed to through online shopping portals. This card is meant to find everyday groceries and essentials, making it the most focused grocery credit card.
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Rewards: Every purchase for groceries and departmental stores is worthy 2x points.
Annual Fee: ₹500 (waived if the cardholder spends ₹1.5 lakhs on the card in one year)
Grocery Benefits: Sure and steady benefits for the frequent grocery buyer, especially beneficial for in-store grocery purchases.
Other benefits: Airport lounges, movie ticket offers via BookMyShow, dining discounts.
The ICICI Coral card is not the sexiest card, however, it is a good balance of rewards and affordability, and for consistent everyday grocery shopping it would be a solid option for someone looking for a long-term credit card solution without high fees or a lot of work.
Here are some useful tips to get the most value from your credit card for groceries and save even more every month:
When you combine your best credit card for groceries with in-store discounts and manufactures coupons, you should get cashback plus savings at checkout from the discounts and coupons.
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If you have a number of grocery credit cards, see which one offers the best rate for groceries for that month or quarter because you may have cards based on categories, like Chase Freedom Flex, that will boost your rate on groceries.
Always pay your balance in full amount every month to retain your rewards. If you keep a balance on your grocery card, interest charges will wipe out any rewards very quickly.
It may be a good idea to add your partner, family members, etc., to your grocery card account so that you can maximise total family spending under one rewards cap or goal.
Many cards offer additional cash back when payment is made via mobile wallets like Apple Pay or apps like Amex Offers for specific grocery stores.
Cash back is nice, but some cards have a significantly better value when redeemed for travel, gift card or statement credit. Choose the redemption option that works best for your needs.
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Most credit cards include supermarkets like Kroger, Safeway, and Whole Foods, but exclude big box retailers like Walmart or Target.
Yes, as long as the grocery store you are buying groceries from is listed as a grocery store on your card’s merchants list.
Generally, no. Most grocery credit cards do not classify warehouse clubs as grocery merchants.
Most grocery credit cards will have some liabilities on the rewards (6% on $6,000/year), and after that, you may only earn 1%.
Of course! Many issuers have a grocery credit card that functions as a credit card for fair credit, so that you can earn rewards as you establish credit.
Most issuers will allow you to redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, or statement credits. Some premium credit cards will even allow travel redemption options.
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