Best credit cards for restaurants of September 2024
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- Custom Cash® Card: Best for rewards strategists
- Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for dining + groceries
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for food and travel
- American Express® Gold Card: Best for dining perks
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for fine dining
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Showing 5 results
Intro offer
$200
Rewards rate
1% - 5%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Why you'll like this: It's a great compromise between a flat-rate card and a category rewards card, perfect for those who don’t want to overthink cash back.
BEST FOR DINING + GROCERIES
Intro offer
$200
Rewards rate
1% - 8%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Why you'll like this: It's a low-maintenance card that earns well on dining and grocery purchases while charging no annual fee.
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points
Rewards rate
1x - 5x
Annual fee
$95
Regular APR
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Why you'll like this: With this card, the points you earn on online groceries are worth much more than the average credit card when you redeem them for travel.
Intro offer
60,000 points + earn up to $100 back
Rewards rate
1X - 4X
Annual fee
$325
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Why you'll like this: This card includes many dining credits, which help offset the high annual fee, while earning high rewards on food delivery — a rarer category.
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points
Rewards rate
1x - 10x
Annual fee
$550
Regular APR
22.49% - 29.49% Variable
Why you'll like this: This card earns exceptionally well on fine dining experiences through Chase Dining and offers solid bonus rates on other travel and dining purchases.
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Comparing the top credit cards for restaurants
Card name | Best for | Card highlights | Bankrate score |
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Rewards strategists |
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4.4 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Apply now
on Citi's secure site
|
|
Dining + groceries |
|
5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Apply now
on Capital One's secure site
|
|
Food + travel |
|
4.8 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Apply now
on Chase's secure site
|
|
Dining perks |
|
4.9 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Apply now
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees
, Terms Apply
|
|
Fine dining |
|
5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Apply now
on Chase's secure site
|
What are restaurant credit cards?
Restaurant credit cards are simply general-purpose cash back or rewards credit cards with boosted rates for restaurant purchases, which can also include fast food chains and carry-out orders. Some restaurant cards also earn points on food delivery service purchases.
Most restaurant cards also offer rewards in other popular bonus categories like groceries, gas or travel. In some cases, you might be able to get away with one credit card for all of your spending categories.
How much could you earn with a credit card for restaurants?
Dining and takeout typically account for a large portion of everyday spending. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditures Report, the average person spent $3,639 per year on food away from home in 2022, exceeding pre-pandemic spending. Based on this trend, the average cardholder spends about $300 per month.
Although rewards and benefits can be mouthwatering, a pile of credit card rewards currency is worthless until you redeem it. Aside from how much you can earn, it’s important to review your spending habits and consider how you’ll redeem your rewards. For example, a no-annual-fee cash back card with a generous rewards rate for dining may be a better fit for you than a rewarding travel and dining card if you don’t travel frequently.
The popular flat-rate and tiered bonus rewards cards below can give you a sense of how much you could earn from spending $3,600 annually on dining:
Card name | Dining rewards rate and perks | Estimated rewards earned, plus perk value |
---|---|---|
Basic cash back card (example) | 1% cash back | $36 |
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card | 1.5% cash back on all purchases | $54 |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | 3% cash back on dining purchases | $108 |
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | 4% cash back on dining purchases | $144 |
Citi Custom Cash Card | 5% cash back on dining purchases (if it’s your top spending category that billing cycle, up to the first $500) | $180 |
American Express® Gold Card | 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 U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. | Up to $540 ($140 earned via card spend if points are redeemed for travel through Amex Travel, plus over $400 in annual value via dining-related credits) |
Restaurant credit cards pros and cons
Pros
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These cards earn high rewards rates on one of the most popular everyday expenses.
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Dining bonus categories are easy to find across various cards, such as travel, cash back and everyday rewards cards.
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Restaurant cards often come with annual credits and perks like complimentary subscriptions to food delivery apps.
Cons
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Rewards cards with boosted rates in other spending categories may be more lucrative if you don’t dine out often.
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Dining categories often exclude caterers and specialty eateries, including cheese and wine shops, farmer’s markets, fish markets, bakeries and restaurants within hotels, amusement parks and sports venues.
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It may be hard to find a card that rewards dining along with another of your top spending categories, such as online shopping or transit, which could limit your earnings.
Expert advice for choosing a restaurant card
Restaurant credit cards are surprisingly versatile options for cash back and rewards. However, dining can be a broad category as far as what each card considers an eligible purchase. Here are a few tips for finding the right card for you:
- Compare rates and fees: Some restaurant credit cards charge annual fees, foreign transaction fees and late payment fees. Forecast your annual cost and weigh the benefits and perks against the cost of each of the cards you’re considering. If you find that a card has an annual fee, but also offers dining credits that would be useful to you, it may be worth it.
- Narrow your options: Make a short list of cards based on their cost and whether or not you can afford them. When you have two or three options you’re interested in, that’s when you can get specific about comparing the rewards and perks.
- Evaluate your spending: Compare your dining spending to all of your other spending combined. If it takes up a majority of your budget, a dining card is a great idea.
- Choose cash back or points: Specify the kind of places you eat and whether you’re on the go more often than you are at home. A travel card can help you leverage dining rewards into travel redemptions; a cash back card will be better for flexible rewards.
- Pair multiple bonus categories: It's a good idea to get a restaurant card with a great rewards rate for other spending categories in your budget. For instance, grocery and travel categories are common staples on some of the best dining cards.
What people are saying about the best credit cards for restaurants
Dining and restaurant rewards are always a popular topic among cardholders and many are happy to share their recommendations and insights online. On subreddits r/CreditCards and r/personalfinance, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Card, Citi Custom Cash, U.S. Bank Altitude Go and the American Express Gold Card are some of the more popular cards in conversation. Here's a look at what cardholders are discussing:
Here’s how one Bankrate expert uses his restaurant credit card
Bankrate writer Ryan Flanigan wants people to understand how a restaurant credit card can become a go-to card:
"Using a restaurant card for dining expenses is one of my favorite ways to generate points. I've always been a foodie, so I spend a lot in this category, whether it's takeout or dining out. I try to always use one of my go-to cards: the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Gold. Both earn great rates on dining in their respective programs, so I use whichever card I'm trying to stockpile points with. I might also consider using a rotating-category card if one of its bonus categories is dining.
Basically, I want to get the biggest return possible whether I'm loading money onto a dining app or eating at a five-star restaurant.
Pro tip: if you can get people you dine with to give you cash or Venmo you for what they get, put the entire bill on your card and reap the rewards."
— Ryan Flanigan, Writer, Credit Cards
How to use your restaurant credit card
Once you have your next best restaurant credit card, you’ll want to use it to its full potential and rack up as much cash back or points as you can. Here are some expert tips to keep in mind as you dine in or take out with your card.
Limit the amount of fees you pay
Credit card fees and interest charges can easily negate any rewards you earn. If your card charges an annual fee, make sure you use any available credits or monetary perks to offset it. If you’re struggling to offset what you pay in fees with the value of your earnings, consider a product change to a more affordable card.
Check category restrictions
While dining bonus categories generally cover popular everyday merchants, such as fast food chains, it’s important to consider each card’s fine print. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited excludes bakeries in its dining bonus category, so this card may not be beneficial if you make daily trips to your neighborhood bakery.
Understand point valuations
Travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold are better choices than cash back cards if you want to use your rewards to help fund future trips. On the other hand, a cash back card is better if you’ll mainly redeem rewards to offset your daily spending.
Use perks and benefits
Much of the value of restaurant credit cards is wrapped up in perks and benefits the issuer offers. The American Express Gold Card is a great example of a rewarding dining and travel card with a rich perks portfolio, but it’s expensive to hold. Although costly, the Amex Gold carries enough value from credits to offset its high annual fee — highlighting the importance of using these perks whenever they present themselves.
Frequently asked questions about restaurant credit cards
How we assess the best restaurant rewards cards
When evaluating the best restaurant rewards cards, we consider a mix of factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether cards offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards at restaurants to scoring a large sign-up bonus or high-value perks. Whenever possible, we also feature cards that are available at various credit levels and price points.
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards cards and scored each based on its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup of the best restaurant rewards cards.
Here’s a quick look at the factors that make up our card scoring methodology for rewards and cash back cards (the card types most likely to earn rewards at restaurants).
Rewards & cash back card scoring factors
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Value 65%
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Flexibility 15%
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Perks 15%
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Customer experience 5%
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
*The information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.