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If you're a foodie who enjoys sampling all your neighborhood's places to eat, a restaurant credit card is a must. Instead of earning a ho-hum 1% back when you grab a bite, these credit cards will reward you with 2%, 3%, and in some cases even more back.
Since dining is such a common expense, there are plenty of stellar restaurant credit cards to choose from. Here are the best credit cards for dining, some of which are from our partners, that give you a bonus every time you dine out.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Great for: Dining and travel
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases
Annual Fee N/A
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 bonus points
The enormous welcome bonus (worth up to $750), bonus points for travel and dining, and $50 annual hotel credit alone make this card well worth the $95 annual fee. What really stands out are the rare travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. It’s the only low annual fee card we’ve seen offer those protections. Read Full Review
Great for: Premium dining and travel points
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
22.49%-29.49% Variable
Rewards Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠.
Annual Fee N/A
$550
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
60,000 bonus points
This Chase card is your ticket to big rewards on travel spending and dining out, like up to 10x points on spending through Chase Travel, where your points are worth 50% more if you book through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You'll also score excellent perks, like a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, and a Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit. The annual fee is hefty, but if you can use all its features, this card could be well worth the cost. Read Full Review
Great for: Restaurants and gas stations
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Regular APR
17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
Rewards 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
1% - 2% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer N/A
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Features the typically impressive slate of Discover card perks, but without the big bonus cash back. Read Full Review
Great for: Restaurants and Gas Stations
Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 6 months
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months
Regular APR
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Rewards 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
1% - 2% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer N/A
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Has all the important perks for a student credit card. It's light on fees and doesn't charge an annual fee, plus it has a solid cash back program and a potentially big sign-up bonus. Read Full Review
Great for: Dining and U.S. supermarkets
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$250
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000
This card offers considerable value, as it earns 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X) and 4X points at restaurants. Plus, earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on American Express Travel. Meanwhile, $120 in annual dining credits and $120 in Uber cash can offset almost the entire $250 annual fee. (Terms apply.) Overall, it’s an incredibly lucrative card for those who spend a lot in those categories. Read Full Review
Great for: Restaurants, groceries, and travel
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, at gas stations, for air travel, and on hotels, 1x points on other purchases
1x - 3x points
Annual Fee
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
60,000 ThankYou® Points
Citi Premier offers 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, at gas stations, for air travel, and on hotels – a unique combination of bonus categories for a low annual fee card. It comes with a welcome bonus that's redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards, no foreign transaction fee, and access to Citi's ThankYou® Rewards program, a standout in the industry. Read Full Review
Great for: Unlimited points at restaurants
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
Rewards Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.
1X-3X points
Annual Fee N/A
$0
Welcome Offer Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
20,000 bonus points
This card offers unlimited 3X points on common things like restaurants, gas stations, travel, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases. This could be a great pick if you spend a lot in those categories. A solid welcome bonus and cell phone protection are the cherries on top. Read Full Review
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Great for: Diverse rewards program
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles on purchases billing cycles, and after that 18.24% - 29.24% (Variable).
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles on purchases
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 billing cycles
Regular APR
18.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards 4X points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery. 2X points on streaming services. Plus, a $15 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify®, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max and more! 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations, and EV charging stations. 1X point on all other eligible purchases.
1x - 4x points
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
20,000 bonus points
A great pick that offers lucrative rewards (up to 4x points), a big bonus, and a competitive 0% intro APR offer, all with no annual fee.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Great for: Dining and entertainment
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.24%, variable
Rewards Earn 10% cash back on purchases on Uber and Uber Eats, plus get your Uber One monthly membership fee covered through through Nov. 14, 2024. Earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and for popular streaming services, earn 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.
1% - 10% cash back
Annual Fee
$95
Welcome Offer $300 cash bonus after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
$300
Unlimited bonus scash back on dining and entertainment makes this the ideal option for spending nights out on the town. Pair that with the big sign-up bonus and bonus back at grocery stores and you’ve got the ingredients for a top-rated rewards card.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Great for: Dining and entertainment
On Capital One's Secure Website.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months (Balance Transfer Fee Applies)
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024. Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
1%-10% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
$200 Cash Back
Dining and grocery spending will earn premium rewards, but that's not the only showstopper. The sign-up bonus, no annual fee, and a 0% intro APR offer can add a ton of value. Read Full Review
Restaurant credit cards earn bonus rewards for all restaurant purchases. You can find both cash back cards and travel rewards cards that work in this way. For example, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a cash back dining card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a travel card that earns bonus points on dining.
If you're wondering what counts as a restaurant purchase, the bonus rate will typically apply with any merchant whose business focuses on serving food. Besides traditional restaurants, this can include:
The technical explanation is that it all depends on the merchant category code (MCC). Businesses that accept credit cards choose a four-digit category code based on what type of business they are. Card issuers then use these codes to classify transactions. If a business chooses an MCC that your card issuer classifies as a restaurant code, you'll earn the bonus rate when using your card there.
The most important feature in a restaurant credit card is its rewards rate at restaurants. When you spend quite a bit per month on dining, it's important to find the card that will maximize your rewards.
Although the rewards rate at restaurants is where you should start, there are also a few other perks to look for in a dining credit card:
To compare restaurant credit cards, start with each card's rewards rate at restaurants and annual fee. These two factors often determine which card provides more value.
If two cards are similar, but one earns 3% back on dining and the other earns 4% back, the second card is obviously a better choice. It gets tougher if the cards have different annual fees. That's when you'll need to do some math. Fortunately, it's not too difficult to figure out which is the better deal.
Let's say the first card has no annual fee, and the second costs $95 per year. Since the second card earns 1% more on dining, you'd need to spend over $9,500 per year on dining for that annual fee to be worth it. If you spend that much, then the higher bonus rate on dining will be enough to outweigh the difference in annual fees.
There are times when you need to think about other factors. Some restaurant cards may have other benefits you like. In that case, you'd need to decide how much those benefits are worth to you. But when you're deciding among the best credit card offers, the method above frequently does the trick.
A dining and restaurant credit card is right for you if that's one of your biggest monthly expenses. You can figure this out by looking at your expenses for the past few months. Is dining among the top three or four spending categories? If so, a restaurant credit card is a good choice.
This type of credit card also tends to work very well for frequent travelers, since travel often involves dining out. Several of the most popular travel credit cards also double as great restaurant cards.
Card | Rating | Great For |
---|---|---|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Dining and travel |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Premium dining and travel points |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Restaurants and gas stations |
|
Rating image, 4.75 out of 5 stars.
4.75/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Restaurants and Gas Stations |
|
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Dining and U.S. supermarkets |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Restaurants, groceries, and travel |
|
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Unlimited points at restaurants |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Diverse rewards program |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Dining and entertainment |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Dining and entertainment |
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
Our highest-rated credit cards have:
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
Most dining and restaurant cards earn rewards when you spend money at businesses that sell food and drinks.
Generally, most card issuers agree that these types of businesses count:
However, some card issuers list exclusions in their card terms.
It's a good idea to review the card terms before getting a restaurant or dining card. All businesses have a merchant category code, which describes what the company does. Card issuers rely on these codes to categorize purchases for rewards purposes. If a business has a code that the card issuer classifies as a restaurant purchase, you'll earn rewards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and American Express® Gold Card are two great cards for earning points on takeout and delivery.
As a note, most restaurant and dining cards earn points on takeout purchases and delivery apps, but it's always good to check a card's terms. The merchant category code listed for a credit card charge indicates the rewards rate you receive.
Restaurant rewards cards that offer 3% to 4% in rewards are considered good, and those rates are competitive. Some cards may offer a lower rate, such as 2%.
When shopping for cards, compare rewards rates and check annual fees. Some restaurant rewards cards may offer more rewards, but the yearly card fee may be higher than other cards.
Our Credit Cards Experts
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, click here
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