Best Credit Cards for Restaurants and Delivery | July 2026

Q: What is the best credit card for restaurants in Canada?

The American Express Cobalt® Card is one of the best cards for restaurants and delivery, with 5 points per dollar on grocery, restaurant, and food delivery purchases (up to $30,000 in eligible annual purchases).The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card also offers 5 Scene+ points per dollar in this category, and the National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers 5 points per dollar on combined grocery and restaurant purchases.

Q: Is food delivery (Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes) considered a restaurant?

It depends on the platform's merchant category code (MCC). For the American Express Cobalt® Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes purchases are categorized as restaurants and benefit from the 5x multiplier. For the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, home delivery and takeout is explicitly rewarded at 5 points per dollar.

Q: Which rewards program should I choose for restaurants?

Comparison of the most popular programs:- Cobalt Amex: Membership Rewards points (transfers to Aeroplan, Marriott, British Airways).; - Scotiabank Gold / Passport Visa Infinite +*: Scene+ (usable for travel, Sobeys groceries, Cineplex).; - National Bank World Elite Mastercard: National Bank Rewards (transfers to Avios, statement credits, travel).; - BMO eclipse Visa Infinite: BMO Rewards (travel, gift cards).; The best choice depends on the intended end use: international travel (Cobalt) or local versatility (Scene+ with Sobeys/Cineplex).

Q: What is a restaurant MCC (Merchant Category Code)?

An MCC (Merchant Category Code) is a 4-digit code assigned by the Visa, Mastercard, and American Express networks to each merchant based on their business sector. For restaurants, the main codes are: - 5811 — Caterers (traiteurs); - 5812 — Eating places, restaurants; - 5813 — Bars, taverns, cocktail lounges; - 5814 — Fast food restaurants; If a merchant is classified under another code (e.g., 5499 miscellaneous food stores for certain caterers), the restaurant multiplier does not apply. This is a frequent source of surprise.

Q: Are restaurants abroad eligible for multipliers?

Yes for most cards. Restaurant multipliers generally apply to international purchases provided the merchant is coded 5812 / 5813 / 5814. However: - Conversion fees (generally 2.5%) are added to amounts in foreign currency.; - The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card has no conversion fees, which makes it an excellent choice for restaurants abroad.;

Q: Which no-fee card offers the best return on restaurants?

For restaurants with no annual fee, the best options are:- Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card: 2% at restaurants if chosen as a category.; - RBC ION+ Visa Card: 3 Avion points per dollar in certain chosen categories, including restaurants and delivery.; - American Express Green Card: 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar, transferable.; For intensive restaurant use, a card with fees (e.g., Cobalt at $156/year) generally remains more profitable.

The Best Credit Cards for Restaurants and Food Delivery - July 2026

One of the best cards for restaurants is the American Express Cobalt Card: 5 points per dollar, i.e., 5% back on dining out, bars, and meal delivery.

These cards are ideal if you have significant spending at restaurants, bars, or on food delivery.

The top five are:

American Express Cobalt^® Card: 5 points per dollar (5% return)
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card: 5 points per dollar (5% return)
MBNA Rewards World Elite^® Mastercard^®: 5 points per dollar (5% return)
National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard^®: 5 points per dollar (approximately 5% return)
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card: 5 points per dollar (approximately 3.5% return)

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

Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. 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 transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

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.

Alternatively, transfer them to 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
15,000 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
Service 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.

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

With Milesopedia, enjoy an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fee is refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available through the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

First-year annual fee rebate (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. The fee is charged to your new card account, then reimbursed as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

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 an NBC mycredit Mastercard, 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

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

MBNA Rewards World Elite^® Mastercard^®

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

Dining
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.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is one of the best Visa Infinite rewards credit cards in Canada. With our welcome offer, you can get up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points.

Here’s how to earn the welcome offer points:

30,000 welcome points when you spend $4,000 in the first 110 days*
20,000 bonus points when you spend $7,000 in the first 180 days*
20,000 bonus points when you spend $12,000 in the first 12 months*

Plus, enjoy a monthly statement credit for streaming services, a $50 annual lifestyle credit, and no annual fee for the first year.

With the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you also get:

5x BMO Rewards points for every dollar spent on groceries, meal delivery or takeout, rideshare, public transit, and gas*
1 BMO Rewards point for every dollar spent on all other purchases*
10% more points when you add an authorized user to your account*
Mobile device insurance offering coverage up to $1,000*
The Pay with Points feature, which allows you to redeem your points on recent purchases starting at $1*
Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*

American Express Platinum Card^®

The Platinum Card^{^®} is the best premium card in Canada for travellers.

With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 170,000 Membership Rewards^{^®} points:

90,000 points after you spend $10,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Membership
An additional 40,000 points after you spend a total of $45,000 on your Card in your first 12 months of Membership
40,000 points by making a purchase between the 15th and 17th month after your Membership
Offer ends July 28, 2026

With this Card, you get:

2 points per $1 on eligible dining and delivery purchases in Canada
2 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases charged to the Card
1 point per $1 on all other purchases charged to the Card

You can use your Membership Rewards^{^®} points in many ways:

Transfer points to airline partners: Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways / Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles, etc.
Transfer points to hotel partners, including Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
Redeem points for statement credits to offset any travel purchase charged to your Card (1,000 points = $10)
Redeem points for statement credits towards other purchases (1,000 points = $10)
And more!

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards^{^®} points to a partner loyalty program, you could earn up to:

100,000 Aeroplan points
100,000 Avios
100,000 Flying Blue Miles
120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this card, you also have advantages for your travels:

$200 Annual Travel Credit
An annual meal credit of $200
A $100 statement credit for NEXUS membership
Complimentary access for you and one additional guest to over 1,550 airport lounges in more than 140 countries
Hilton Honors Gold status
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
Access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts program

Last but not least, The Platinum Card^{^®} offers a wide range of insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, $500,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out-of-province or out-of-country), lost or stolen baggage, flight delays and misdirected baggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

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

Neo World Elite^® Mastercard – Shop & Dine

The Neo World Elite^® Mastercard – Shop & Dine offers some of the highest cash back rates in the country for dining and shopping. Earn 5% cash back every time you dine out or order takeout, and 3% on in-store purchases, with 1% everywhere else.

Benefit from comprehensive insurance including extended warranty, purchase protection and travel insurance, as well as a DragonPass membership for airport lounges around the world.

Combined with additional cash back at over 10,000 Neo partners and an instant credit limit of up to $30,000, this is a card designed for those who spend at restaurants and in stores.

Purchases on Amazon and at warehouse stores are not eligible for the shopping rate. Travel insurance is not available to Quebec residents. DragonPass membership is included; fees apply for each lounge visit.

BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best World Elite Mastercard credit cards with travel points in Canada.

With our exclusive welcome offer, you can earn up to 115,000 BMO Rewards points (worth $770 for travel).

Here’s how to earn the welcome offer points:

60,000 points after $5,000 in net purchases within the first 110 days*
20,000 points after $10,000 in net purchases within the first 180 days*
35,000 points after $20,000 in net purchases within the first 365 days*

Plus, there is no annual fee for the first year for the primary cardholder and additional cardholders.

You can also take advantage of a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, with a 2% balance transfer fee.

With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you get:

5 points per dollar on eligible travel*
3 points per dollar on eligible dining, entertainment, and recurring bill payments*
1 point per dollar on all other purchases*

The card also offers:

4 complimentary airport lounge accesses per year via Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass*
comprehensive travel insurance, including emergency medical coverage up to $5 million for 21 days*
A NEXUS statement credit in the first year*
Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*

Marriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card

The Marriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card is the best credit card for the self-employed, professionals and small business owners who travel.

With this welcome offer, you can get up to 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:

Get 70,000 points after charging a total of $5,000 to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 10,000 points when you spend $1,000 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership

It’s a card we recommend you keep, because each year at renewal, you’ll get an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points, plus 15 Elite nights per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar for all your spending at Marriott Bonvoy establishments, and you can earn 3 points per dollar for :

Gas
Dining
Travel

And 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.

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

BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card

The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card is a no-annual-fee credit card with travel points, requiring no minimum income.

With this offer, you can earn up to 25,000 points as a welcome bonus:

20,000 points after $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months
2,500 points when you redeem 12,000 points with the Pay with Points option over a 12-month period
2,500 points when you pay the balance on time for 12 months

What’s more, you can benefit from an interest rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for nine months (a 2% balance transfer fee applies).

With the new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card, you earn :

5 points for every two dollars spent on recurring bill payments
5 points for every two dollars spent at the grocery store
5 points for every two dollars spent at restaurant and for takeaway
1 point per two dollars of purchases for all other purchase categories

You can use BMO Rewards points for all travel purchases made through the agency or website of your choice (plane tickets, hotels, rental cars, all-inclusive packages, Airbnb, etc.) or for rewards and gift cards on the BMO Rewards platform.

The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card also offers:

Mobile Device Insurance
Purchase Protection
Extended warranty insurance

Finally, enjoy three months of Instacart+ membership and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard

The Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard is a credit card that offering cash back.

With this card, you can earn:

4% cash back on your grocery purchases
3% cash back on your restaurant, entertainment, and public transit purchases
1% cash back on your other purchases

Besides, this card offers insurance on your purchases:

90 days purchase insurance
One year extended warranty
Mobile Device Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions About Credit Cards for Restaurants and Delivery

Here are frequently asked questions in the Milesopedia community about credit cards for restaurants and food delivery.

What is the best credit card for restaurants in Canada?

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is one of the best cards for restaurants and delivery, with 5 points per dollar on grocery, restaurant, and food delivery purchases (up to $30,000 in eligible annual purchases).

The Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card also offers 5 Scene+ points per dollar in this category, and the National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers 5 points per dollar on combined grocery and restaurant purchases.

Is food delivery (Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes) considered a restaurant?

It depends on the platform’s merchant category code (MCC). For the American Express Cobalt^® Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes purchases are categorized as restaurants and benefit from the 5x multiplier.

For the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, home delivery and takeout is explicitly rewarded at 5 points per dollar.

Which rewards program should I choose for restaurants?

Comparison of the most popular programs:

Cobalt Amex: Membership Rewards points (transfers to Aeroplan, Marriott, British Airways).
Scotiabank Gold / Passport Visa Infinite +*: Scene+ (usable for travel, Sobeys groceries, Cineplex).
National Bank World Elite Mastercard: National Bank Rewards (transfers to Avios, statement credits, travel).
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite: BMO Rewards (travel, gift cards).

The best choice depends on the intended end use: international travel (Cobalt) or local versatility (Scene+ with Sobeys/Cineplex).

What is a restaurant MCC (Merchant Category Code)?

An MCC (Merchant Category Code) is a 4-digit code assigned by the Visa, Mastercard, and American Express networks to each merchant based on their business sector. For restaurants, the main codes are:

5811 — Caterers (traiteurs)
5812 — Eating places, restaurants
5813 — Bars, taverns, cocktail lounges
5814 — Fast food restaurants

If a merchant is classified under another code (e.g., 5499 miscellaneous food stores for certain caterers), the restaurant multiplier does not apply. This is a frequent source of surprise.

A card combining grocery + restaurants: which is the best?

Several cards combine these two flagship categories with a 5x multiplier:

American Express Cobalt Card: 5x groceries, restaurants, and delivery (cap of $30,000/year).
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card: 5x in both of these categories (no explicit cap).
National Bank World Elite Mastercard: 5x on combined groceries and restaurants.
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard (Quebec): 5x on these categories.

Are restaurants abroad eligible for multipliers?

Yes for most cards. Restaurant multipliers generally apply to international purchases provided the merchant is coded 5812 / 5813 / 5814. However:

Conversion fees (generally 2.5%) are added to amounts in foreign currency.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card has no conversion fees, which makes it an excellent choice for restaurants abroad.

Which no-fee card offers the best return on restaurants?

For restaurants with no annual fee, the best options are:

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card: 2% at restaurants if chosen as a category.
RBC ION+ Visa Card: 3 Avion points per dollar in certain chosen categories, including restaurants and delivery.
American Express Green Card: 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar, transferable.

For intensive restaurant use, a card with fees (e.g., Cobalt at $156/year) generally remains more profitable.