Best Credit Cards for Grocery – December 2024

Updated Dec 14, 2024

Discover the top credit cards for grocery shopping that maximize rewards and savings. From cashback offers to bonus points, these cards cater to every shopper’s needs, ensuring you get the most value at the checkout. Explore your options and make informed choices for smarter spending.

Credit cards - Grocery

Here is a table summarizing the different offers. For more details, read on or click on the name of a card.

Read on for our tips on how to save at the grocery store:

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card only requires a minimum income of $12,000, making it accessible to the greatest number of people.

Until January 2, 2025, you can earn up to 45 000 Scene+ points in the first year, a value of $450 for travel (including Airbnb). Plus, there is a first-year annual fee rebate!

We strongly advise you to apply for this card before January 2, 2025, because the next offer may be less appealing.

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

  • Grocery stores
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card also offers no foreign currency transaction fees, excellent travel and purchase insurance, concierge service and exclusive American Express benefits (Front of the Line Program).

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card on NBC. With the current welcome offer, receive up to 40,000 bonus points distributed as follows:

  • 5,000 points if you sign up for payment insurance at the time of application
  • 5,000 points if you make at least $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
  • 10,000 points if you make at least $10,000 in purchases in the first 6 months
  • 20,000 points if you make at least $15,000 in purchases in the first 12 months

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

  • 5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
  • 2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
  • 2 points per dollar on recurring bills
  • 2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
  • 1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s a Mastercard credit card, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

  • Airport parking
  • Baggage fees
  • Seat selection
  • Access to airport lounges
  • Flight upgrades

In addition, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, in 2023 and 2024, Milesopedia voted National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Credit Card for Travel and the Best Credit Card for Insurance.

American Express Cobalt® Card

The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

The welcome bonus is distributed monthly for the first 12 months. You’ll earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for every $750 in purchases charged to your card during the month (whether in the 1X, 2X, 3X or 5X category). That’s up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points.

You can easily use these points as statement credits for everyday or travel purchases. The value is the same for both: 1,000 points = $10.

Or you can transfer them into Aeroplan points, Avios (British Airways/Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors.

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to:

  • 15,000 Aeroplan points
  • 15,000 Avios points
  • 11,250 Flying Blue Miles
  • 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category Points per dollar
Grocery (Métro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.) 5
Home food delivery 5
Restaurants and bars 5
Convenience stores 5
Streaming services 3
Gas station 2
Transport 2
Travel 1
Other 1

This is a 1 to 5% return on all these purchases.

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or restaurants and/or food delivery, you’ll earn $50 cash back per month, or $600 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

And if you decide to transfer your points to other programs like Aeroplan, you could get even more value!

In addition, this card provides excellent insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, flight delay, $250,000 travel accident, hotel or motel burglary, Mobile Device Insurance, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection Insurance.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®

With the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®, you can earn 5 points per dollar of purchases for:

  • Dining purchases
  • Grocery purchases
  • Digital media purchases (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
  • Memberships
  • Household utility purchases (electricity, etc.)

Everywhere else, you will get 1 point per dollar.

Enough to make the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard® the best MBNA credit card for restaurants, groceries, digital media, subscriptions and household utilities.

Knowing that Mastercard recognizes Walmart Supercenters as grocery stores, this is the best credit card for Walmart customers!

Plus, depending on your province of residence, you’ll get a welcome bonus of between 20,000 and 30,000 points, a value of $200 to $300!

And each year, you will receive Birthday Bonus Points equal to 10% of the total number of Points the Account earned in the 12 months before the month of your birthday, to a maximum Birthday Bonus each year of 15,000 Points.

Scotia Momentum® VISA Infinite* Card

The Scotia Momentum® VISA Infinite* card is recognized year after year as one of the best cash-back credit cards in Canada.

Currently, there is no annual fee in the first year, including on additional cards. And you can earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first three months (up to $2,000 in total purchases).

With the Scotia Momentum® VISA Infinite* card, you get:

  • 4% on groceries and recurring payments
  • 2% on gas and daily transit
  • 1% on all other purchases

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or recurring payments, you’ll earn $40 cash back per month, or $480 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases! And that’s not counting the other purchases you’ll make with this card and the advantages it offers (particularly in terms of insurance).

If you rent, for example, you could use the Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card on the Chexy website to pay your rent and get 4% cash back!

The Scotia Momentum® VISA Infinite* card is an excellent Visa credit card for cash back.

And its insurance benefits are excellent!

CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card

The CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card is one of the best Visa credit cards with cash back in Canada.

Right now, with this welcome offer, get a 10% welcome bonus in the form of up to $300 cash back (period covered by your first 4 statements) and a first-year annual fee rebate!

With this CIBC Cash Back Credit Card, you get:

  • 4% cash back on gas, EV charging, and grocery purchases
  • 2% cash back on eligible transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or gas and/or electric vehicle charging, you’ll earn $40 cash back per month or $480 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

And that’s not counting the other purchases you’ll make with this card and the advantages it offers (particularly in terms of insurance).

And this CIBC Cash Back Credit Card offers many insurance coverages:

  • Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
  • $500,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
  • Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance
  • Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

BMO® CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*

BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* is one of Canada’s best cash back Mastercard credit cards.

For a limited time, you will earn up to 10% cash back on select purchases for the first 3 months (that’s up to $260 cash back). Besides, the annual fee is waived in the first year!

With BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you get between 2% and 5% cash back on many categories of purchases:

  • 5% on grocery purchases (on the first $500 you spend monthly)
  • 4% on transit (on the first $300 you spend monthly)
  • 3% on gas and electric vehicle charging (on the first $300 you spend monthly)
  • 2% on recurring bill payments (on the first $500 you spend monthly)

Everywhere else, you’ll earn 1% cash back, including at Costco.

Finally, it is one of the only credit cards in its category to offer an extended warranty of 2 additional years.

SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express

The SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express is the only credit card in Canada to earn 2% cash back on all purchases. In addition, you get :

  • 4% cash back on gas purchases
  • 4% cash back on grocery purchases

With this welcome offer, you can earn 10% cash back on all purchases (up to $2,000) for the first 3 months, or up to $200. Plus, receive a $50 statement credit after making a purchase in the 13th month.

The SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express Card is especially popular with those who have significant purchases to make: home improvement, furniture or appliance purchases since it offers 2% cash back at all stores.

This Card is stands out by the many insurances it offers : rental car theft and damage, $100,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out-of-province or out-of-country), lost or stolen baggage, flight delay and misdirected baggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn up to 35,000 Scene+ points as a welcome bonus (a $350 value) :

  • 25,000 points after just $1,000 in purchases
  • 10,000 points after $40,000 in purchases in the first year

Then, each year, if you make at least $40,000 in purchases on the card, you’ll earn an annual bonus of 10,000 points, a $100 value.

With the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

You’ll also earn 2 points for every dollar you spend, including on foreign transactions, in the following categories:

  • Grocery shopping
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers
  • Transit

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is an excellent Visa credit card for this type of purchase.

You can redeem your points for any travel purchase at the rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusive properties and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back with Scene+, such as at your grocery store checkout at the same rate of 1,000 points = $10.

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary passes to airport VIP lounges
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Concierge service

We voted this credit card the Best No-FX Fee Credit Card of 2024.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card

When you sign up for our exclusive offer on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points as well as a $120 annual fee waiver for the first year:

  • 40,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first three months
  • 2,500 points each month after $2,000 in purchases, from month 4 to month 15 (for a total of 30,000 points)

What’s more, you’ll receive a $50 anniversary credit to use as you wish!

With the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar spent on:

  • Groceries
  • Dining
  • Food delivery
  • Gas
  • Transit

And 1 BMO Rewards point for every $1 spent on everything else. Plus, if you add an authorized user to your account, you’ll earn 10% more points.

You can use BMO Rewards points for all travel purchases made through the agency or website of your choice (flights, hotels, car rentals, all-inclusive resorts, Airbnb, etc.) or for rewards and gift cards on the BMO Rewards platform.

RBC ION+ Visa Card

With the RBC ION+ Visa card, you can earn 12,000 Avion points as a welcome bonus.

With this RBC credit card, you can earn 3 Avion points per dollar for :

  • Grocery, Dining & Food Delivery
  • Rides, Gas & EV Charging
  • Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions

And 1 Avion point per dollar for all other purchases. Plus, save 3¢/L on gas at Petro-Canada and earn 20% more points when you pay with a linked RBC card

Finally, you get two years of Mobile Device Insurance up to $1,000 if your mobile device, such as your cell phone, is lost, stolen, accidentally damaged or experiences mechanical failure when you purchase your mobile device with the RBC ION+ Visa card.

CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card

If you don’t meet the income requirements for the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card, you could apply for the CIBC Dividend® Platinum Visa* Card. The minimum annual income required for this card is $15,000 (household).

With this offer, get a 10% welcome bonus in the form of up to $300 cash back (period covered by your first 4 statements) and a first-year annual fee rebate!

With the CIBC Dividend® Platinum Visa* Card, you get:

  • 3% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging, and grocery purchases.
  • 2% cash back on eligible transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

And this CIBC Cash Back Credit Card offers some insurance coverage:

  • Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
  • $500,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
  • Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

moi RBC Visa Credit Card

With the RBC Visa Card you can earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 points :

  • 3,000 points upon your first purchase;
  • 3,500 additional points when you spend at least $500 in the first three months;
  • 3,500 additional points when you spend at least $2,000 in the first 12 months.

With this no-annual-fee RBC credit card, you can earn 2 points per dollar on:

  • qualifying purchases made at participating Metro, Première Moisson and Brunet stores in Quebec, and at participating Jean Coutu stores in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick by swiping your Moi card and paying with your moi RBC Visa credit card
  • dining, gas and EV charging purchases

And 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Plus, save 3¢/L on gas at Petro-Canada and earn 20% more points when you pay with a linked RBC card

BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®*

The BMO CashBack Mastercard is a no-annual-fee, cash-back credit card. With the BMO CashBack Mastercard, you can earn 5% cash back for the first three months. It’s a maximum welcome bonus of $100.

Then you get:

  • 3% cash back on grocery purchases, including at Walmart Supercenters
  • 1% cash back on recurring bill payments

Finally, you can also get a 0.99% introductory rate on balance transfers for nine months.

Frequent Asked Questions about credit cards

Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about credit cards in Canada.

Receive our newsletter every week!

Savings are here:

Milesopedia