Did you know the average U.S. household spends $4,363 a year on food? You can get hundreds of that back in savings with a grocery cash-back credit card. Some cards give you upwards of 6% back — that’s $260 back annually just for shopping.
You’re probably thinking, “I thought KCL discouraged credit cards?” And you’re right, but I make exceptions if it means saving money. But, to stay away from credit card debt, I recommend following KCL’s three Ps of credit:
- Pay off your credit card monthly without fail
- Purchase only what you can afford with cash (don’t spend what you don’t have)
- Put your card away — like in a closet or a forgotten drawer in your basement so you don’t impulse buy
Now that you know my credit policy, there are some seriously awesome cash-back debit and credit cards out there. I’ve highlighted the best and tell you what you need to know below.
Before you dive in, though, be sure to download the KCL app to get the best deals on the internet.
1. The Discover it Cash Back Credit Card will match you dollar-for-dollar for cash back you’ve earned.
The Discover it Cash Back credit card is another card with rotating quarterly bonuses, and there’s no sweeping supermarket bonus for the next two quarters, but you can earn 1% on all other purchases.
Until then, you can get 5% back on purchases at gas stations, Uber and Lyft rides, and wholesale clubs like Costco for up to $1,500 per quarter (check the rotation calendar for upcoming bonus categories).
As for the cash-back match, Discover will automatically match every dollar you’ve earned your first year as a cardmember. For example, if I earned $225 in rewards, Discover will match that and give me $450 total back at the end of my first year.
Other perks and features include:
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 14 months; then, 11.99% – 22.99% variable APR
- Redeem cash back for any amount at any time
- Rewards never expire
- Use your rewards at Amazon.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free access to your FICO Score
- Welcome offer: Cash-back match for your first year as a cardholder
Bottom line: A great card for those with weak credit (Discover is a little more lenient towards applicants with not-so-good credit than other lenders).
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2. Earn 5% back on grocery pickup and delivery with the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card.
Walmart’s Capital One card will earn you 5% back for purchases made on Walmart.com, the Walmart app, and Walmart grocery pickup and delivery. The main drawback is that there is a high APR — 17.99% – 23.24% — or 26.99% based on your creditworthiness (that stings).
If you spent $5,000 a year strictly on groceries at Walmart, you’d get back $300. With no annual fee or rewards cap, you can easily rack up savings if you shop through their online services. Plus, new cardmembers can get 5% back on in-store purchases within the first year.
Other perks include:
- 2% cash back for purchases made in any Walmart store, including Walmart and Murphy U.S. gas stations
- 2% cash back for restaurants and travel
- 1% everywhere else Mastercard is accepted
- No annual fee
- Welcome Offer: 5% back in Walmart stores for the first 12 months when you use your Capital One Walmart Rewards Card and pay with Walmart Pay
Bottom line: A great card if you’re a Walmart loyalist and you’re positive you can keep up with the interest rate and monthly payments.
3. American Express’s Blue Cash Preferred card saves you 6% on supermarket purchases.
With the Blue Cash Preferred card, you’ll earn 6% back in “Reward Dollars” per year for groceries for up to $6,000; then you’ll get 1% back on your grocery purchases. Those “Reward Dollars” are statement credits, though, which means what you earn back will be taken off of your monthly balance.
Still, if you spend $6,000 on groceries, you’ll get $360 back in savings. Killer deal. There is a $95 annual fee, but if you spend as little as $30 a week at the grocery store, you’ll cover it and still pocket $265.
The rewards don’t stop there, though. You can also save on the following purchases:
- 6% on streaming subscriptions
- 3% on transit (rideshare, taxi, tolls, trains, buses, etc.)
- 3% on gas (U.S. only)
- 1% on other purchases
- You also get cash back when Additional Card Members make eligible purchases
Other features include:
- 0% intro APR for 12 months, then a variable APR of 12.99% – 23.99%
- $95 annual fee
- Welcome Bonus: For new card members: Spend $1,000 within the first three months of opening your account and get $300 back
Bottom line: This is a great card if you’re a big grocery spender and have a family.
4. Save 5% on Target purchases with the RedCard Debit and Credit Card.
The only difference between the two cards is that one (the debit card) will pull money directly from your account. That said, Target’s RedCard credit and debit card both save you 5% on any Target purchase. The only drawback is that you can only use these cards at Target, and there’s a high variable APR of 25.25%, if you use it as a credit card.
With no annual fee and its additional in-store perks, if you spent as much on groceries as the average household ($4,363) just at Target, you’d get back $218. If you spent as much as the average household on apparel ($1,866 annually) at Target, you’d get back $93.
So just imagine the savings you can rack up if you shop groceries, clothes, appliances, clearance sales, and goodies (like an in-store Starbucks) with Target’s RedCard — that’s a lot of extra green in your pocket.
Other perks include:
- No annual fees
- Free two-day shipping on certain items and free standard shipping on everything else
- 30 extra days to make returns
- 10%-off coupon every year
- 5% off clearance prices and Top Deals
- Save 5% at any in-store Starbucks
- Save 5% on specialty gift cards
Bottom line: Target’s RedCard is a great deal for loyalists who primarily shop there for groceries and other essentials (just don’t let that high interest rate creep up on you if you use it as a credit card).
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5. The Chase Freedom card will save you 5% cash back on groceries and other purchases.
Chase’s Freedom card offers 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories that shift quarterly. From April 1 through June 30, 2020, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 for combined purchases per quarter, or every three months.
For this quarter, bonus categories include grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), gym and fitness club memberships, and select streaming services. Check their quarterly calendar for updates on future bonus categories.
However you cut it, you can earn $75 cash back total every three months ($225 a year), which can be redeemed for actual cash back, travel, gift cards, and Amazon and Apple purchases.
Perks and features include:
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR for 15 months; then, a variable APR of 14.99% – 23.74%
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Cash back rewards never expire
- Welcome offer: $200 cash back after spending $500 within first three months of opening account (only available when applying directly through Chase)
Bottom line: This card is ideal if you’re new to the rewards game and don’t want to pay a steep annual fee.
6. Earn 2x Membership Rewards points for groceries with the Amex EveryDay Card.
The Amex EveryDay Credit Card is a solid card, because it comes with no annual fee and still rewards you 2x Membership Rewards for grocery purchases at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 a year (then 1x).
With no annual fee, you’ll get around $70 back on groceries if you hit the $6,000 cap, which you can use on travel, a retail purchase, or even to cover your monthly balance as a statement credit.
Other perks include:
- 0% intro APR for 15 months; then 12.99% – 23.99% after
- 1x points for every dollar spent elsewhere on eligible purchases
- Use your card 20 or more times in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases
Bottom line: This card is great for college students or young professionals. You’ll get more value out of a card with higher cash-back rates for eligible purchases if you have a family.
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7. American Express’s Gold Card will earn you 4x rewards points on supermarkets.
If you’re a foodie, American Express’s Gold Card could be for you. The Gold Card allows you to earn 4x Membership Rewards per dollar spent in a supermarket up to $25,000 a year or when you dine at restaurants worldwide (no spend cap).
Membership Rewards can be redeemed on things like travel or everyday purchases, such as clothing or even your next GrubHub meal. So how much are these points worth? One thousand points is equivalent to $7 (around $0.01 apiece). You can use American Express’s points calculator to see what those points can get you.
The downside to this card is the steep $250 annual fee, but if you utilize your $120 dine-in credit and your $100 airline credit ($220), your annual fee comes out to just $30 a year. Outside of these credits, you get other great perks, like:
- No APR (like, at all)
- 3x points for flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- One point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
- Welcome Bonus: 35,000 – 50,000 points (equivalent to $350) if you spend $4,000 within three months
Bottom line: This is a great card if you’re a gourmand and spend a lot on food and groceries.
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8. Chase’s Disney Premier Visa Card earns 2% back on groceries for Disney purchases.
I don’t know if you heard, but I go gaga over Disney World. And Chase’s Disney Premier Visa Card makes me that much crazier about all things Disney.
This card will get you 2% back in Disney Rewards Dollars (points you can redeem at most Disney locations) for purchases you make at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants. There is, however, a $49 annual fee to be aware of.
You’d have to spend around $2,450 to cover the annual fee. That’s easy to do if you use your card on groceries, gas, and dining out. Plus, once you collect 50 Disney Rewards Dollars (worth $1 apiece for Disney merch and travel credits), you can use them as a statement credit for airfare with any airline.
Other features and perks include:
- 0% intro APR for 6 months after purchase date of select Disney vacation packages; then a variable APR of 15.99%
- Welcome Offer: $200 statement credit after you spend $500 within first three months of opening your account
- 10% savings on select Disney and Star Wars purchases on shopDisney.com; get 10% off select merch purchases of $50 or more at Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resorts
- Redeem your Rewards Dollars for a statement credit toward airline travel
Bottom line: This card is only essential if you’re a Disney fanatic. While the annual fee is low, it’s hard to justify if you aren’t planning a trip to Disney any time soon.
RELATED: Disney Starts Selling Theme Park Merch Online
9. Citi’s Costco Anywhere Visa Card will save you 2% on groceries plus 4% on gas.
While Citi’s Costco Anywhere Visa card is really designed for those of us driving gas guzzlers, it also comes with other perks, like 2% cash back on groceries or any other purchase at Costco or Costco.com.
You can earn Costco cash with eligible purchases, which can be redeemed for actual cash (you heard that right) or merchandise at any U.S. Costco location (including Puerto Rico).
The main drawback to this card is that you can only redeem your Costco cash rewards once a year in February — and that goes for store credit, too.
When that time of year rolls around, Costco sends members a rewards certificate along with a renewal offer. At that time, you can redeem your reward for cash, but only in person at a Costco Warehouse.
Executive Membership customers get an additional 2% back (but it caps at $1,000 annually), which stacks with the Visa adding up to 4% back in total.
Although there’s no annual fee, only members can apply. A basic Gold Star membership costs $60 a year, and an Executive Membership costs $120.
With the Exec Membership and the Visa card’s combined earnings, you’d have to shell out $3,000 a year to cover the fee. Easy if you include gas and groceries together.
Other card features and benefits include:
- 15.24% variable APR
- No annual fee with your Costco membership (non-members can’t apply)
- 4% cash back on eligible gas worldwide for up to $7,000 (then 1% after)
- 3% cash back on restaurants and travel
- 2% cash back on Costco purchases (including groceries)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Bottom line: This is a great card for existing Costco members, and the fact that you can redeem points for hard cash is a huge plus.
10. Earn 5% back at Whole Foods with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card.
Actually, you can get 5% back at Whole Foods and for any Amazon purchase with Chase’s Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card, but you need a Prime membership before applying. A Prime membership will cost you $13 a month (or $156 a year), which explains why there’s no annual fee.
The Prime fee seems like a lot, but there are also no annual spending caps on rewards and no minimum amount to redeem your points. Rewards come in the form of points that are roughly worth $0.01 each. You can redeem them on your next purchase or let them accrue in your Amazon account to spend on whatever you want, when you want.
To make up for Prime’s “annual fee,” you’d need to spend $3,100, which isn’t hard if you regularly shop at Whole Foods and Amazon.
Other perks and features include:
- 14.24% – 22.25% (no intro APR)
- 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores
- 1% back on all other purchases where Visa is accepted
- No minimum redemption amount
- No foreign transaction fees
Bottom line: If you’re a big Amazon spender, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have this card; otherwise, the Prime fee just for the card alone isn’t worth it. But Prime is meant for so much more!
RELATED: Insane Benefits to Becoming an Amazon Prime Member
Don’t scroll up — here are your related links:
Your Ultimate Guide to Grocery Delivery Services
Best Online Meat Services to Try Now
Disney Starts Selling Theme Park Merch Online
Rebate Apps That Work for Online Purchases
Insane Benefits to Becoming an Amazon Prime Member
Affordable Ways to Get Fresh Produce Delivery
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