Earn cash back, points or miles on your restaurant spending with the best credit card tailored for dining out. Get started with Firstcard or Capital One.
Are you someone who loves dining out and wants to maximize your rewards while doing so? Choosing the right credit card for restaurants could help you turn those meals into rewarding experiences. From exclusive dining perks to cash back rewards on restaurant expenditures, the best credit card for restaurants could be your ticket to unlocking a world of benefits while savoring every bite. Some cards are also targeted at ordering in or grocery delivery. Check out Benzinga's top picks for the best credit cards that offer dining rewards and perks.
Quick Look: The Best Credit Cards For Restaurants and Dining
- Best for Cash Back on College Dining: Firstcard
- Best for High Rewards with No Annual Fee: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards
- Best for Dining and Travel Rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Best for Flexible Cash Back Categories: Chase Freedom Ultimate
- Best for 3x Cash Back on Dining: Wells Fargo Autograph Card
- Best for Students Dining: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Students
- Best for Grubhub and UberEats: American Express Gold Card
- Best for Grocery Cash Back: Citi Custom Cash
- Best for Business Dining Rewards: Chase Ink Business Cash Card
- Best for Luxury Dining Experiences: Chase Sapphire Reserve
The 10 Best Credit Cards for Restaurants and Dining
Let's explore the top credit cards that cater specifically to restaurant enthusiasts and how they can elevate your dining experience.
1. Best for Cashback on College Dining: Firstcard
- Best For:Budget-Conscious StudentsVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through Firstcard's website
As the name implies, Firstcard is an excellent first credit card for building a credit history and saving more. The Firstcard Credit Builder Card with Cashback for College Students is a credit-building card rather than a traditional card, so you'll need to deposit funds once you're approved for an account. However, you'll get interest earnings on deposits of 1.25% APY as Firstcard users and 4.25% as a Firstcard+ subscriber.
Get a virtual card upon account approval. You'll also get variable cash back from shopping, including popular dining like Taco Bell, Starbucks, Papa John's and Peet's Coffee, ranging from 1% to an impressive 15%.
Firstcard also accept international students without a Social Security number.
Why We Love It: No credit history is needed for account opening, making it an excellent first credit card. Plus, you'll get some of the highest cash back options on popular dining choices.
2. Best for High Rewards with No Annual Fee: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards
Whether your passion for food is dining out or creating savory dishes at home, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card will give you incredible cashback.
You’ll have ample options for redeeming your rewards and enjoying them without paying an annual fee for the card. If you have a balance on other cards, the balance transfer intro annual percentage rate (APR) can help you pay it off.
The card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, but requires excellent credit. You can get unlimited 3% cashback on dining, entertainment, grocery store and streaming media service purchases (excluding Target and Walmart), plus rewards between 1% to 10% on all other purchases.
Why We Love It: Consistent rewards on both dining and groceries with excellent cash back in other categories, too.
3. Best for Dining and Travel Rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred
If your dining habits take you on adventures across town or oceans, you’ll enjoy the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s diverse dining and travel rewards. You’ll get five times the rewards on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards and three times the rewards on dining. Plus you’ll get nice perks, including trip cancellation insurance and free access to DashPass for $0 delivery fees for one year.
While there is an annual fee of $95 and you’ll need to have good credit to qualify for the card, those who enjoy dining and travel will find that it offers some of the best rewards for those categories.
Why We Love It: Excellent travel rewards and a strong signup bonus if you meet a minimum spend. With its multiple bonus categories, you can get the most from the card.
4. Best for Flexible Cash-Back Categories: Chase Freedom Ultimate
If you want to earn good cashback on all purchases and not just those at restaurants, the Chase Freedom Ultimate might be for you. It has stringent qualification requirements, which might make it hard for those with average or poor credit to qualify, but if you qualify, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back or more on all purchases with no annual fee. Redeem your cashback without waiting for it to accumulate to a certain threshold for redemption.
Enjoy a nice introductory welcome offer of $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Why We Love It: Simplified earnings on all purchases; get 1.5% cash back on dining and all other purchases. Plus, you can redeem cash back on your schedule without waiting to reach a certain threshold.
5. Best for 3x Cashback on Dining: Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Enjoy three times the cashback on all dining, gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations year-round. You’ll also enjoy these boosted rewards on phone plans and streaming media services you charge to the card. All other purchases earn one-time rewards so you have to have most of your expenses in the more lucrative categories to make it worth it.
The card has no annual fee and offers 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening — that’s equivalent to a $200 cash redemption value. Those who enjoy international travel can also benefit from no foreign currency conversion fees.
Other perks include cell phone protection for damage or theft of up to $600, zero liability protection, travel and emergency assistance.
Why We Love It: The card offers strong reward point categories with its 3% cashback on dining plus gas stations. Great for international travel and dining.
6. Best for Students Dining: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Students
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Students Credit Card is good for anyone who needs to build their credit. You'll need no credit history, and you can get the card even with a fair to poor credit score. Even with that, the card is not short on perks.
Like many Capital One cards, this card offers cashback on various purchases. You can get unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), dining, movie theaters, museums, streaming media services and more entertainment opportunities. You'll also get 1% cash back on purchases for all other categories. You can redeem cashback for a statement credit, check, gift cards, PayPal or Amazon.
There are a few other notable perks for those looking to build credit. First, you’ll have access to Capital One’s CreditWise credit monitoring program to help you build a strong credit history. Capital One reports to the three major credit bureaus to help you establish and maintain a positive credit history. The card also offers price protection, so you'll be reimbursed for the difference if you buy an item using the card and the price drops within 120 days.
Why We Love It: A credit-building card for students with excellent dining rewards. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, no rewards caps.
7. Best for Grubhub and UberEats: American Express Gold Card
*Terms apply ** Be advised that applicants who do not have a credit history in the U.S. but have had credit cards or loans in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland or the United Kingdom will need to provide a SSN or ITIN during the application process.
The American Express Gold Card offers some of the highest rewards of any option for U.S. restaurants and supermarkets. You'll get four points per dollar spent that you can redeem for a statement credit or gift cards at many retail, dining, air and lodging companies.
While the $250 annual fee is higher than competitors, it's worth it if you'll use Uber, dining and hotel credits. With American Express Gold Card, you can get:
- $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., up to $120 annually.
- $10 instant statement credits monthly when you pay with American Express Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar or some Shake Shack locations, up to $120 per year.
- $100 experience credit with a two-plus night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel.
In total, you could get $340 a year in statement credits. In addition, you will get 90,000 membership rewards points when you meet a minimum spending requirement of $6,000 within six months of card membership.
Why We Love It: A premium reward card that's a great deal if you regularly use Uber Eats and Grubhub. The card offers high rewards points on dining and groceries, with points transfer option to many partners for travel, dining or gift cards.
8. Best for Grocery Cashback: Citi Custom Cash
Is dining in restaurants or grocery your biggest spend category? Then consider the Citi Custom Cash, which offers a straightforward 5% back on your highest eligible spending category. For many families, groceries are one of their biggest expenses, making the Citi Custom Cash a great option for dining at home.
The card automatically selects your 5% cash back category, from dining, groceries or anything else. It has no annual fee and an attractive welcome bonus: Earn $200 in cashback after spending $1,500 in the first six months.
Why We Love It: It has the highest cashback available on dining, but it's best combined with other cards because of the $500 reward limit.
9. Best for Business Dining Rewards: Chase Ink Business Cash Card
If you are a business owner who regularly travels for work or hosts client dinners, the Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a great choice. As a good overall business credit card, you can get 5% cashback on the first $25,000 spent in combined office supplies and telecom services, 2% at restaurants and gas stations and 5% cash back on Lyft rides.
However, where the Chase Ink stands out is with its signup bonus. You can earn up to $750 bonus cash back — earn $350 after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 within the first 6 months. Get employee cards at no additional fee.
Why We Love It: With no annual fee and a generous welcome offer, this card is a solid all-around business rewards card that offers higher-than-average dining rewards.
10. Best for Luxury Dining Experiences: Chase Sapphire Reserve
If you're looking for a luxury travel and dining rewards card, Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the industry leaders. While the $550 annual fee is steep, if you maximize travel and restaurant rewards, you can earn most of it back. You can get a $300 annual travel credit, plus benefits like credits on Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fees. In addition, you'll get a complimentary DashPass, Lyft Pink and Instacart+ membership.
In terms of signup bonuses, Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best. Get 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Then, earn 10 points on Chase Dining purchases and three points at all other restaurants, eligible delivery services and takeout.
You can redeem Chase points for gift cards, travel and experience, statement credits or luxury dining options. The card also offers 1:1 point transfer to airline and hotel partners. Get 50% more value when you redeem points for travel or experiences through Chase
Why Benzinga picked it: One of the best premium rewards credit cards with high returns on Chase Dining and all other restaurants plus takeout.
What Is a Dining Credit Card?
A dining credit card is a type of credit card that offers rewards and perks specifically tailored to food and dining-related expenses. These cards are designed to reward cardholders for their spending at restaurants, cafes, bars and even for food delivery services.
Some common benefits of dining credit cards include earning cash back or points for every dollar spent on dining purchases, receiving discounts or special offers at partnering restaurants, and even access to exclusive dining experiences or events.
Pros and Cons of Dining Rewards Cards
Pros
- Offers savings through cash back or discounts at participating restaurants
- Offers additional rewards such as free meals, gift cards, or other perks in addition to discounts or cash back
- Allows for easy accumulation of rewards without the need for physical coupons or loyalty cards
- Access to a variety of restaurants partnered with the card issuer
Cons
- Some may have limited partnerships or restrictions on where you can earn rewards
- Some have an annual membership fee
- May have higher purchase APRs
How to Choose the Best Credit Card For Restaurants
When choosing the best rewards card for dining and restaurants, consider where you spend the most and how much you're willing to strategize with the card. If you want a simple base of cash back, consider a flat-rate rewards card.
If you like to maximize rewards and don't mind a higher annual fee and can redeem the bonus rewards, you can earn more through the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Gold Card. Likewise, you could combine the Citi Custom Cash with another rewards card to earn more on both groceries and dining.
When selecting the dining credit cards ask yourself:
- Do you want multiple cards or a single card?
- Where do you usually spend the most?
- Do you eat out or primarily order takeout?
- Are you trying to build credit, or do you already have good to excellent credit?
Start Earning Rewards With Restaurant Credit Cards
Credit cards for restaurants can make everyday indulgences a little less costly. You could earn cash back or rewards points that you can redeem for travel, experiences, gift cards or statement credits. To choose the best restaurant cash back card for your needs, carefully consider total spending and your highest spend categories. Then, decide whether you want a single dining card with simplicity or whether it's worth having two cards for different types of food purchases.
Looking for more options? Find the best Mastercards, best Visa cards or the best overall choices for specific needs from Capital One or Chase Bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do most restaurants take credit cards?
Yes, most restaurants do take credit cards as a form of payment to accommodate their customers’ preferences and make transactions easier. According to TouchBistro’s recent report, 63% of restaurants accept credit cards.
What card is best for dining?
The best credit card for dining depends on whether you dine out or order in. Any of the cards here offer strong rewards for dining, groceries and food delivery, but Capital One SavorOne card is highly recommended by some Redditors.
Which Amex card is best for restaurants?
The American Express Gold Card is typically considered the best Amex card for dining at restaurants. It offers lucrative rewards on dining purchases, such as 4X points per dollar spent, as well as various other dining-related benefits.
Is Chase Sapphire Preferred good for dining?
Yes, Chase Sapphire Preferred is good for dining. You can earn three times points on dining as well as two times points on travel. However, if you apply for a credit card you don’t have to accept it.
Is fast food considered a restaurant credit card?
This varies depending on the credit card issuer, but typically dining expenses include sit-down restaurants, fast food chains, cafes, bars, and some food delivery services. It is best to check the terms and conditions of each credit card to maximize its benefits.
About Alison Plaut
Alison Kimberly is a freelance content writer with a Sustainable MBA, uniquely qualified to help individuals and businesses achieve the triple bottom line of environmental, social, and financial profitability. She has been writing for various non-profit organizations for 15+ years. When not writing, you will find her promoting education and meditation in the developing world, or hiking and enjoying nature.