Amex Cobalt 5x Categories: The Eligible Merchant List
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The Amex Cobalt 5x categories rest on a detail few cardholders know about: the merchant code registered with American Express. That code, not what the store sells on its shelves, decides whether your purchase earns 5 points per dollar or just one.
This guide lists the eligible merchants in Canada, explains the ambiguous cases such as Walmart and Costco, then covers the monthly cap that cuts the multiplier. To place the card among the other options, see our page on the best credit cards.
The Cobalt Card earn rates
The American Express Cobalt® Card applies four earn levels. Only one level carries a cap, the 5 points per dollar tier. Here is the full grid.
| Category | Points per dollar | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries, restaurants, bars, food delivery, convenience stores | 5 points | $2,500 per month, all these categories combined |
| Streaming services | 3 points | None |
| Gas stations and local transit | 2 points | None |
| All other purchases | 1 point | None |
Membership Rewards points are worth roughly 1.7 cents according to our credit card spending categories guide. Therefore, 5 points per dollar work out to about 8.5% in value. That is the best rate on the Canadian market for groceries and dining.
How American Express classifies a merchant
Every business that accepts payment cards receives a merchant category code, often called an MCC. That code describes the main activity the business declared to the network. American Express reads the code, then applies the matching multiplier.
In other words, the contents of your basket do not count. A sandwich bought at a gas station stays a gas station purchase. Conversely, a bottle of wine bought in a restaurant stays a restaurant purchase.
Here is a concrete example. You buy milk and bread at a Couche-Tard convenience store. The business is registered as a convenience store, a category eligible for 5x. You therefore earn 5 points per dollar. The same milk bought at a pharmacy earns 1 point per dollar, because the merchant code is a pharmacy code.
Eligible grocery stores in Canada
Before talking about categories, a simpler question comes first: does the store accept American Express? Indeed, several large Canadian banners still refuse the network. Our page on the best credit cards for groceries tracks this acceptance, verified with the banners.
- Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C and Adonis: these banners accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. They are registered as grocery stores, so they qualify for 5x.
- Safeway: the banner accepts American Express according to our review of Canadian grocery banners.
- Convenience stores: Couche-Tard and Circle K sit in the 5 points tier, as we wrote when the monthly 5x cap was announced.
- Loblaws, Maxi and Provigo: these three banners do not accept American Express. The multiplier question therefore never comes up in store.
- Produce shops and independent markets: their code varies from one store to the next. Some are registered as grocery stores, others are not.
In short, a traditional grocery store that accepts the card almost always pays 5 points per dollar. Doubt mainly appears with hybrid formats, covered in the next section.
Walmart, Costco, Amazon: the edge cases
These three retailers sell food, yet none behaves like a grocery store in the eyes of the network. Here is why.
Walmart and Costco
Walmart Supercentre accepts Visa and Mastercard, but not American Express. You therefore cannot use the Cobalt® Card there in store. Costco, for its part, accepts Mastercard only and records its purchases under a warehouse club code rather than a grocery code.
In other words, the question “does Walmart count as grocery” cannot be settled at the till, because the card is not accepted. For these retailers, our best cards for groceries page points to a Visa or Mastercard instead.
Amazon and online grocers
Amazon accepts American Express, but its merchant code corresponds to a general online retailer. We have no confirmation that a grocery order on Amazon triggers 5x. To stay safe, treat these purchases as 1 point per dollar until your statement proves otherwise.
The same reasoning applies to online grocers and delivered basket services. Some bill through the physical store code, others through an e-commerce code. The outcome therefore depends on the payment setup, not on what is in the order.
Restaurants, bars and food delivery
American Express describes this part of the 5x tier as eligible purchases at eats and drinks locations in Canada. The coverage is therefore broad: full service restaurants, quick service counters, cafés, breweries and bars.
Delivery platforms count as well. As our page on the best credit cards for restaurants states, Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes purchases are categorized as restaurants and earn the 5x multiplier with the Cobalt® Card.
However, one nuance deserves attention. These platforms sometimes sell grocery items or subscriptions. Those transactions can run through a different code than a meal order. Watch your statements if you use these services beyond dining.
Eligible streaming services
The 3 points tier covers subscriptions to eligible streaming services in Canada, per the American Express terms. This category carries no cap, which makes it attractive despite the lower multiplier.
With Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents, 3 points per dollar are worth about 5.1%. No Canadian card does better on streaming, as our spending categories guide confirms.
American Express publishes its own list of eligible services, and that list changes. Consequently, we do not reproduce a named list of platforms here. Check the official list in your American Express account before counting on 3x for a specific subscription.
The 5x cap and how to track it
Since August 15, 2023, American Express caps the 5x tier at $2,500 in purchases per month. Beyond that amount, the rate drops to 1 point per dollar until the period ends. This cap works out to $30,000 in eligible purchases per year.
One point deserves emphasis: this cap is shared. Groceries, restaurants, bars, delivery and convenience stores all draw from the same $2,500 envelope. A $300 restaurant bill therefore cuts into your grocery room for the month.
How to track your progress
- Review your pending transactions: the American Express app shows the points awarded on each purchase. A purchase at 1 point signals either a cap overrun or a merchant code outside the tier.
- Remember the reset date: the counter restarts every month. An overrun in December therefore does not penalize January.
- Plan a second card: beyond $2,500 per month, another card takes over. Our comparison of the Cobalt® Card and the Gold Rewards Card covers that switch.
Gift cards bought at the grocery store
A gift card bought at an eligible grocery store runs through the grocery merchant code. That mechanic explains why several cardholders see it as a way to stretch their return. Our guide on gift cards and reward points explains the method in detail.
However, this practice carries a real risk. The American Express terms exclude certain transactions from points, and the issuer can reclassify a purchase after the fact. Moreover, an unusual volume of gift cards draws attention during account reviews.
Conclusion
The Amex Cobalt 5x categories reward one profile above all: someone who spends on food in Canada, at stores that accept the network, under the $2,500 monthly line. That profile earns roughly 8.5% in value, a national high.
On the other hand, heavy spenders, Costco regulars and frequent travellers need a second card. To follow changes in multipliers and caps, subscribe to our newsletter. You can also dig deeper into the program with our page on American Express Membership Rewards.
American Express Cobalt® Card
The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best American Express credit card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.
Welcome offer for the American Express Cobalt® Card
The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.
Earning the full bonus requires $9,000 in net purchases spread over 12 monthly billing periods. This offer therefore rewards steady monthly spending rather than a single large purchase.
You can use these points as a statement credit on everyday purchases as well as travel purchases, at the same rate in both cases: 1,000 points = $10.
You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, you could choose between:
- 15,000 Aeroplan points
- 15,000 Avios points
- 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
- 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
If hotel points are what interest you, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete chart of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what these points can actually get you.
Benefits of the American Express Cobalt® Card
Here is what the card offers, starting with the most-used benefits.
- 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, food delivery and convenience stores. A spending cap applies.
- 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
- 2X points on eligible gas, transit and ride sharing in Canada.
- 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
- 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
- Points that keep the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 in statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
- No minimum income required, as with all American Express Canada Cards.
- No-fee additional cards: the first one and every one after it cost $0.
- The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade based on availability, check-in from 12 p.m., late check-out based on availability, and up to US$100 in hotel credit on qualifying charges billed to your room for a stay of at least two consecutive nights booked through American Express Travel.
- Presale and reserved tickets with Front Of The Line® for concerts and theatre performances, as well as offers and events reserved for cardholders through Amex Experiences.
- A pre-approval check with no impact: you can find out whether you would be approved before you apply, with no effect on your credit score. This applies to applications for personal American Express cards.
To see how it compares with the rest of the lineup, check out our comparison of the best American Express credit cards in Canada.
The 5X categories and where they apply
The 5X rate is the reason most people hold this card. In Canada, it covers four types of merchants:
- Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
- Restaurants and bars: dine-in meals, takeout and drinks.
- Food delivery.
- Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.
The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, as well as public transit and ride sharing.
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:
| Catégorie | Points par dollar |
| Épicerie (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.) | 5 |
| Livraison de nourriture à domicile | 5 |
| Restaurants et bars | 5 |
| Dépanneurs | 5 |
| Services de diffusion en continu | 3 |
| Station-service | 2 |
| Transports | 2 |
| Voyages | 1 |
| Autres | 1 |
That works out to a 1% to 5% return on these purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 a month on groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 a month, or $600 a year from this category alone. If you transfer the points to a program like Aeroplan instead, the return can be higher.
You can also combine these categories with the hundreds of merchants that offer 5x points.
Insurance coverage on the American Express Cobalt® Card
The card comes with a broad set of insurance coverage. The amounts below are coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the insurance certificate linked in the Insurance section above.
Travel insurance
- Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
- Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment coverage of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and your dependent children under 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) with tickets charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are also covered.
- Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and essential item expenses incurred within 48 hours when you experience a delay or denied boarding of four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 amount is an overall limit per event, shared with the missed connection and baggage delay protections.
- Baggage delay: up to $500 for clothing and essential items purchased within four days when your outbound baggage is delayed by six hours or more. This $500 amount is an overall limit per event, shared with the missed connection and flight delay protections.
- Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per event for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within this limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per event and golf clubs, bags included, at $250 per event.
- Hotel/motel burglary: up to $500 for the loss of most personal effects if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.
Car rental insurance
Theft and damage protection is included for a rental car whose manufacturer’s suggested retail price, for its model year, is no more than $85,000 before taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the rental company’s loss damage waiver (LDW) or any similar option and charge the full rental to your card. This protection costs nothing and replaces the daily insurance charged by the rental company, usually $16 to $23 per day.
Mobile device insurance
Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per event when it is charged to the card, for a maximum of two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the device’s depreciated value, which drops by 2% of the purchase price for each full month, minus a 10% deductible. Coverage for theft and accidental damage begins on the 91st day after purchase, since the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.
Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the date of purchase, up to $1,000 per event for all items combined. The card also extends the manufacturer’s original warranty by up to one year on eligible items, with compensation limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per cardholder, per policy year, for all items combined.
Fees for the American Express Cobalt® Card
- Card fee: $15.99 per month, or $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are charged $191.88 per year.
- Additional cards: $0.
- Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
- Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
- Foreign currency conversion fee: 2.5%.
- Minimum income required: none.
Because the fee is billed monthly rather than as a single annual amount, you can pause and resume the expense based on how much you actually use the card.
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Related reading:
Cobalt® Card – Frequently asked questions
Here are frequently asked questions in the Milesopedia community about the Amex Cobalt 5x categories.
Does Walmart count as grocery with the Amex Cobalt Card?
The question never comes up in store. According to our page on the best credit cards for groceries, Walmart Supercentre accepts Visa and Mastercard, but not American Express. You therefore cannot pay with the Cobalt® Card there. For those purchases, a Visa or Mastercard with a grocery accelerator works better.
Does Costco earn 5 points per dollar with the Cobalt® Card?
No, for two reasons. First, Costco accepts Mastercard only in its Canadian warehouses. Second, Costco records its purchases under a warehouse club code rather than a grocery code. As a result, no grocery bonus card pays its boosted rate there, even on the accepted network.
Do Amazon purchases earn 5 points per dollar?
We have no confirmation of that. Amazon accepts American Express, but its merchant code corresponds to a general online retailer, not a grocery store. Treat these purchases as 1 point per dollar. If you want certainty, run a small test purchase and check the points credited on your statement.
Do Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes count toward 5x?
Yes. As our page on the best credit cards for restaurants states, these three platforms are categorized as restaurants for the American Express Cobalt® Card. They therefore earn 5 points per dollar, within the shared monthly cap.
What is the cap on the 5x categories?
The cap sits at $2,500 in purchases per month, across all 5x categories combined. Beyond that, the rate drops to 1 point per dollar. This cap has applied since August 15, 2023, as we reported in our article on the monthly cap for the 5X category. Over a year, that represents $30,000 in eligible purchases.
Are convenience stores eligible for the 5x multiplier?
Yes, convenience stores sit in the 5 points tier of the American Express Cobalt® Card. The Couche-Tard and Circle K banners are part of it. As always, eligibility depends on the merchant code, and a convenience store attached to a gas station may be classified differently.
Does the 5x multiplier apply abroad?
No, not since October 2024. The higher multipliers on the Cobalt® Card apply only to purchases made in Canada. A grocery store or restaurant abroad earns 1 point per dollar. We documented this change in our article on multipliers valid only in Canada.
Do online grocers earn 5 points per dollar?
It depends on the payment setup. Some online grocers bill under their physical store code, which triggers 5x. Others run through an e-commerce code, which pays 1 point per dollar. Check your points on a first order before building a strategy around it.
Why doesn’t my Spotify subscription earn 3 points per dollar?
Spotify appears on American Express’s official list of eligible streaming services, last updated July 5, 2021. However, how you are billed matters as much as the provider. A subscription billed by a third party, such as a digital platform, a cable, telecommunications or internet provider, or a car manufacturer, is not eligible. The same goes for a subscription bundled with another product or service. Those purchases then earn 1 point per dollar. To earn 3 points, pay the subscription directly with the provider using your Cobalt® Card, then check the points on your statement.
Can American Express close a Cobalt Card over gift card purchases?
Yes, it can. As of September 2026, the Membership Rewards program terms classify buying and reloading gift cards as cash equivalent transactions, which earn no points. If points are awarded on those purchases anyway, American Express can deduct them from your account. Moreover, repeating that type of purchase may be treated as abuse of the program. In case of fraud or abuse, the issuer can freeze and cancel the account, and the points are then lost. If your card is closed, contact American Express first to learn the exact reason.