Best credit cards for groceries in Canada – by grocery store
Ratehub.ca
What does your grocery run look like? Do you hop into a car to hunt for bargains at discount grocers, opt for convenience by shopping from the store located closest to home, or actively seek out premium outlets for their better food selection and brighter-lit aisles? Regardless of how (and where) you choose to restock your fridge, you have likely noticed that your grocery bill is more expensive lately.
Even though inflation in Canada has come down from the shocking highs of 2022 and 2023, food prices continue to keep Canadians on their toes. In addition to shopping flyer deals and asking for price matching on your purchases, you can amplify your savings on your grocery bill by using a rewards credit card that offers points or cash back. Since not all credit cards are accepted at every grocery store, we’ve broken down our list of the best credit cards in Canada for groceries by store – so you can maximize your savings without having to compromise on where you shop.
Best credit cards for groceries in Canada – by grocery store
| Grocery retailer | Best credit cards to use |
| Loblaws (No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Fortinos, Independent, and more) | CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card PC World Mastercard |
| Sobeys (Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, and more) | American Express Cobalt Scotiabank Gold American Express |
| Metro (Metro, Food Basics, Super C, and more) | Moi RBC Visa BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite Card |
| Costco | Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard CIBC Costco Mastercard |
| Walmart Supercentres | Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card Walmart Rewards Mastercard |
Best credit card for groceries at Loblaws (No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Fortinos, Independent, and more)
Best for Groceries & gas
based on spending $2,200/mo after the annual fee
- Earn rewards
1% – 4% / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
$250
- Annual fee
see Details
One of the best credit cards for groceries at Loblaws, No Frills, Fortinos etc., is the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* because of its impressive rewards on everyday essentials. On top of the 1% earn rate for all purchases, this card earns an industry-leading 4% cash back on both groceries and gas purchases – two of the most common spending categories for Canadian households. Thanks to CIBC’s Cash Back on demand feature, cardholders can choose to redeem rewards at any time as a statement credit starting from a minimum of $10.
The card offers a significantly higher earn rate on groceries and gas than most other cards at 4% cash back. Plus, redemption options are extremely flexible, allowing users to redeem their cash back at any time from a minimum of $10. A notable perk is access to the Visa Infinite Program, entitling you to attend special dining events and hotel perks at participating hotels and restaurants. You’ll also get travel insurance and rental car coverage, which is impressive for a cash back card.
Also consider
based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
- Earn rewards
10pts – 35pts / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
20,000 points (a $20 value)
- Annual fee
$0
The PC World Mastercard is the other obvious choice of credit card for groceries at Loblaws stores, especially if you also get non-food essentials at stores like Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart. The card charges no annual fee, while the abundance of stores under its banner means there’s no shortage of opportunities to earn and redeem points for your next grocery run. The PC Optimum program is straightforward and you can double dip any PC Financial credit card with your member deals to earn more points.
The card offers purchase assurance, so your purchases are covered for theft, loss or damage in the first 90 days. You’ll also get an extended warranty.
Best credit card for groceries at Sobeys (Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, and more)
Best for Groceries & dining
based on spending $2,200/mo after $156 annual fee
- Earn rewards
1pt – 5pts / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
15,000 points (a $150 value)
- Annual fee
$156
The American Express Cobalt has been Ratehub’s pick for best overall rewards credit card for the fifth year running – and one reason for this is the unbeatable 5 points per $1 spent on grocery purchases. The card offers a flexible point redemption system, a strong travel insurance policy, and a generous welcome bonus. With its top-notch rewards system, cardholders earn 5x the points on eligible restaurants, groceries, and food delivery purchases (spend cap applies), 3x the points on eligible streaming services, and 2x the points on ride shares, transit, and gas.
Also consider
Best for Groceries & dining
based on spending $2,200/mo after $120 annual fee
- Earn rewards
1pt – 6pts / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
50,000 points (a $500 value)
- Annual fee
$120 $0 first year waived
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has a best in class return on spending due to the 5 times multiplier for every $1 spent on groceries, restaurants, food delivery and entertainment and 3 times multiplier on gas and transit. This adds up to a ton of points on your everyday purchases. On top of that, cardholders will not have to pay a foreign transaction fee on foreign currency purchases and have access to a cohesive travel insurance package.
A caveat of both these above mentioned cards is that – as American Express Cards – they’re not as universally accepted at all grocery chains including most discount grocers and all Loblaw-owned stores. However, if you make your food runs at groceries where American Express is accepted, the Cobalt or Scotiabank Gold should be your top consideration.
Best credit card for groceries at Metro (Metro, Food Basics, Super C, and more)
based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
- Earn rewards
1pt – 2pts / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
5,000 points (a $40 value)
- Annual fee
$0
If you’re a loyal Metro or Food Basics customer, the best grocery credit card to use is the moi RBC Visa. In fact, this card will net you 2 points per dollar not just at Metro’s grocery stores, but also at Jean Coutu and Brunet drugstores. You’ll also earn 2 points per dollar on dining and gas and EV charging, and 1 point per $1 on everything else. (Note that you’ll only earn 1 Moi point per dollar at Super C.)
Even though this card charges no annual fee, it comes with two years of mobile device insurance, 90-day purchase security, and one year of extended warranty on eligible products purchased with your card.
Also consider
Best for Food & transit
based on spending $2,200/mo after $120 annual fee
- Earn rewards
1pt – 5pts / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
70,000 points (a $466 value)
- Annual fee
$120 $0 first year waived
The BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite Card offers an impressive 5 points per $1 spent on groceries, making it a great choice for any grocery retailers that accept Visa credit cards. While there is a spending cap of $6,000 (dining and grocery) for the bonus earn rate, it should be enough to maximize your rewards in this category.
BMO Rewards points are fairly flexible even for travel – the most valuable redemption category for most cards – thanks to the Pay with Points option. This card also comes with ample perks including travel, car rental, and mobile insurance, as well as a $50 annual lifestyle credit.
Best Costco credit card
based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
- Earn rewards
1.5% – 3% / dollar spent
- Annual fee
$0
The Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is the best credit card for shopping at Costco Canada, since it offers unlimited 1.5% cash back (or 2% if you’re a Rogers, Shaw or Fido customer) on all purchases. This means that even though Costco isn’t recognized as a grocery store by Mastercard, you’ll still earn more rewards than with other Mastercard credit cards. (Remember – Costco Canada only accepts Mastercard.)
The card boasts a full suite of travel insurance options and airport lounge access, which are rare perks for a cash back credit card. You’ll also earn a generous 3% unlimited cash back on all eligible US dollar purchases. Furthermore, if you redeem your cash back rewards for purchases at Rogers, Fido or Shaw (including bill payments, new phones and accessories) your cash back rewards will be worth 1.5 times their regular value.
Also consider
The CIBC Costco Mastercard is a great choice if you’re a regular at Costco. You’ll earn 1% back on your in-store purchases, and earn at a higher rate for Costco gas and restaurant spending during the welcome bonus period. Keep in mind, though, that your cash back rewards can only be redeemed at Costco, and are given once per year.
This card also offers some perks like instalment plans on Costco purchases, offering you a lower interest rate over a longer period of time. It also offers mobile device insurance if you use your card to purchase a phone. However, the card doesn’t offer much else in the way of perks.
Best credit card for groceries at Walmart Supercentres
Best for Flexible spending
based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
- Earn rewards
0.5% – 10% / dollar spent
- Welcome bonus
$100
- Annual fee
$0
While the fact that the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a no annual fee card is a big reason behind its popularity, what really sets this card apart is the customizability and flexibility. With this card, you can choose your own bonus categories (which will earn you a strong cash back rate of 2% per dollar spent). This is rare in the credit card market and means you can avoid being locked into a bonus category that you can’t take full advantage of or that doesn’t align with your spending habits. On top of that, your cash back is refunded on a monthly basis (instead of the standard annual reimbursement).
The 2% cash back per dollar on bonus categories is one of the richest earn rates for a no-fee card, and cash back is paid monthly (instead of the standard annual reimbursement), allowing you to enjoy the benefits of your cash back faster. You also have the freedom to change up your bonus categories at any time (changes will take up to 90 days to come into effect). The card is widely accepted almost everywhere including No Frills and Costco as it is a Mastercard credit card, so you can earn where you shop the most.
Also consider
If you are a frequent shopper at Walmart, the Walmart Rewards Mastercard lets you earn Walmart Rewards on purchases everywhere and use them to save when shopping at Walmart. With this card you can earn 1.25% back pre-tax in Walmart Rewards for all your Walmart purchases and 1% back in Walmart Rewards on all other purchases. While it is believed that the earn rate at Walmart doesn't stand out to competitors, the 1% cash back for all other purchases is quite competitive for a no fee credit card.