Best credit cards for restaurants of September 2024

Reddit users frequently mention the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Card as one of the best choices for dining rewards thanks to its lack of annual fee and solid reward rate. 

“I have had it for almost a year, and I can tell it’s one of my favorite cards ever….The multipliers are really good, and [its low cost] makes it my groceries and dining card when I travel abroad, and since it’s Mastercard it’s basically accepted anywhere.”

— Reddit User 

But some users take issue with the lower cash back rate on the SavorOne compared to other cards, and a few users note that the card's benefits may vary depending on individual spending habits and preferences.

“If I could only have one card, I would rather it be a Visa that gets 2% on everything. I shop at Costco quite a bit (thus the need for Visa). I also pay monthly bills like internet and utilities with a credit card, so a 2% everything card would do better than getting 3% in just a few categories.” 

— Reddit User

The Citi Custom Cash card is highly regarded by Reddit users for its flexibility and multi-category rewards. The card’s 5 percent rewards rate and lack of annual fee play a large role in its popularity. 

“+1 for Custom Cash. I applied for one and got it, and then converted an old card I had from Citi that I wasn't using to a 2nd Custom Cash and now I have one for groceries and one for dining. 10/10 would recommend.”

— Reddit User

A few Reddit users express the desire for additional benefits or higher cash back rates for restaurant spending. Some also mention that the card's rewards may be limited depending on their personal spending patterns, as the 5 percent category can change every billing cycle depending on the cardholder’s top eligible spending category.

“...[It] is not $500 per calendar month but per statement cycle. So, if your statement closes in the middle of the month, you will have to keep track of that. It can be a pain with busy lives.”

— Reddit User

Reddit users also laud the U.S. Bank Altitude Go card for its dining rewards and other appealing features like lack of foreign transaction fee.

“...The Altitude Go fits well in my fully optimized setup and more so than even something like the Citi Custom Cash because the Alt. Go earns unlimited (no cap) 4[X points] for dining and I spend more than $500/month.”

— Reddit User

However, some users express disappointment with the card's limited availability and mention that it may not be accessible to everyone due to strict approval criteria and geographical limitations.

“...[U.S. Bank] is VERY picky plus you need a substantial existing account with them or investment through them or their partners in order to get the nod.”

— Reddit User

The American Express Gold Card is frequently recommended by Reddit users due to its premium perks and generous reward structure. 

“I spend more on food each month than pretty much anything else, so the 4x points for food and groceries racks up serious points for me.”

— Reddit User

“...I live in NYC and majority of my spend each month is restaurant category, supermarket, Grubhub, Uber. I don’t think I could have found a better card…”

— Reddit User

The main criticisms from Reddit users regarding the American Express Gold Card revolve around its annual fee, which some consider to be costly. They also mention that the card's benefits may not justify the cost for individuals who don't frequently dine out or travel.

Even with these opinions on hand, it's important to conduct thorough research, evaluate personal spending habits and consider individual preferences before choosing a credit card.

*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate. Please see the issuer’s website for updated terms and conditions.

What counts as dining on your credit card will depend on the business’s merchant category code (MCC). Each card network uses four-digit MCCs to classify merchants and determine which are eligible for earning rewards in a given category. These codes may differ between networks, so you may need to read your card’s rewards program terms carefully to see if they exclude merchants where you’d expect to earn boosted rewards.

The best flat-rate card for restaurants and dining will depend on your spending habits and how you plan to use your rewards.

If you don’t plan to travel and want to use rewards to cover everyday spending, a flat-rate cash rewards card like the Citi Double Cash® Card is likely your best option. While the Chase Freedom Unlimited isn’t a traditional flat-rate rewards card since it also features boosted bonus categories, we recommend this card for dining-focused cardholders regardless.

However, frequent travelers will likely get more mileage out of options like the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card or other premium travel cards.

If you suspect a restaurant you have visited overcharged your credit card, first check with the restaurant management in case the transaction was an oversight. If management is unable to assist you, contact your credit card issuer to try to solve the problem directly. However, if you believe the restaurant is fraudulently charging your credit card (for example, by inflating the tip amount), you can submit a fraud report to both your credit card provider and possibly the police.

The primary criteria for a rewards-earning card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories. 

We use consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to get a reliable third-party measure of people’s spending habits. The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2022 was $72,967 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $22,500.  

Some of the major spending categories that contribute towards the annual spend include:

• Groceries: $5,700
• Dining out: $3,600
• Entertainment: $2,400
• Gas: $3,100
• Apparel and services: $1,900

Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 22 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries.

We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases — as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking.

Here’s a deeper look at the factors considered as part of a rewards card’s “Value” rating:

We also score cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. 

To start, each card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards cards. However, the latter rating only has a slight influence on the card’s score and whether the card is included in our list, since rewards card users generally try to avoid carrying a balance.

More important to both a card’s score and its inclusion in our list is how its annual fee influences its overall value. We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value. 

Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value. However, if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score and a spot in our list even if it carries a high annual fee. After all, the highest rewards rates and most valuable perks are often found on cards with annual fees. 

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against those of other cards in the category when you subtract annual fees.

That said, we strive to include as many no-annual-fee options in our list as possible since many people would rather not worry about offsetting fees, even if a card carries impressive rewards and perks.

Rewards cards may make it easy to earn a lot of points, miles or cash back, but how easy is it to use those rewards? After all, if it takes a ton of effort to redeem rewards or you can only redeem rewards in a couple of ways, a card may be more trouble than it’s worth. 

As such, we rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards. We factor this rating into a card’s overall score and consider it when deciding on a card’s inclusion in our list. 

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on only a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you opt for some redemption options over others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to travel partners. 

We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating. 

We break down these tiers as follows:

• Tier 1 includes fewer features than even standard credit cards (for example, an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits). 
• Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges. 
• Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection. 
• Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs. 
• Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks.