The best credit card for gas and groceries is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. It gives 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% back on other eligible purchases, received as rewards dollars (which can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout). New cardholders can also earn a $250 statement credit for spending $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months of card membership. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an annual fee of $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after.
To identify the best credit cards for gas and groceries, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit card offers based on their rewards rates, initial bonuses, annual fees and other WalletHub Rating components. We focus on the net rewards value cardholders can be expected to earn over the span of two years, both from gas and grocery purchases and from spending across all categories. Based on this research, we select winners for each credit level and major usage category.
Two-year cost is used to approximate the monetary value of cards for better comparison and is calculated by combining annual and monthly membership fees over two years, adding any one-time fees or other fees (like balance transfer fees), adding any interest costs, and subtracting rewards. Negative amounts indicate savings. When fees or other terms are presented as a range, we use the midpoint for scoring purposes.
Rewards bonuses and credits have been taken into account for two-year cost calculations. However, bonuses applicable to only a very small portion of cardholders are not considered. For example, credits and bonuses awarded for spending or redeeming rewards through a company portal with non-co-branded cards have not been taken into account. Similarly, bonuses and credits related to spending with specific merchants using a non-co-branded card have not been taken into account (for example, if Card A offers credits with DoorDash, this feature would not be factored into calculations because it is hard to assess how many cardholders would use the benefit or exactly how much value they'd get from it).
Given that different users have different goals and are likely to use their credit cards differently, we identified spending profiles that are representative of users’ varied financial priorities and behaviors. For each type of cardholder, we have assumed a specific amount of monthly spending by purchase type (e.g., groceries, gas, etc.), as well as an average balance, balance transfer amount, amount spent on large purchases and average monthly payment. Spending assumptions are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Best Credit Cards for Gas and Groceries Comparison
| Credit Card | Category | Rewards |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Overall | 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% back on other eligible purchases, received as rewards dollars (which can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout) |
| HSBC Premier World Credit Card | Initial Bonus | 3 points per $1 on gas and groceries, 2 points per $1 spent on travel including flights, hotels and car rentals, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Citi Strata Premier® Card | Gas, Groceries, and Travel | 10 points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 spent on air travel, at hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations, as well as 1 point per $1 on all other purchases |
| Regions Prestige Visa® Signature Credit Card | No Annual Fee | 3 points per $1 spent on dining and entertainment purchases, 2 points per $1 spent on gas and grocery store purchases, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa Signature® | Fair Credit | 5% cash back on the first $5,000 of eligible gas, grocery, internet, cable, satellite TV, and mobile phone service purchases each year (1% thereafter) and 1% on all other purchases |
| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card | Bad Credit | 6% cash back in a category of your choice during the first year, then 3% cash back, 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined quarterly spending across the choice category, grocery stores, and wholesale clubs), and 1% cash back on all other purchases |
Methodology for Selecting the Best Credit Cards for Gas and Groceries
To identify the best credit cards for gas and groceries, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit card offers based on their rewards rates, initial bonuses, annual fees and other WalletHub Rating components. We focus on the net rewards value cardholders can be expected to earn over the span of two years, both from gas and grocery purchases and from spending across all categories. Based on this research, we select winners for each credit level and major usage category.
How Two-Year Cost Is Calculated
Two-year cost is used to approximate the monetary value of cards for better comparison and is calculated by combining annual and monthly membership fees over two years, adding any one-time fees or other fees (like balance transfer fees), adding any interest costs, and subtracting rewards. Negative amounts indicate savings. When fees or other terms are presented as a range, we use the midpoint for scoring purposes.
Rewards bonuses and credits have been taken into account for two-year cost calculations. However, bonuses applicable to only a very small portion of cardholders are not considered. For example, credits and bonuses awarded for spending or redeeming rewards through a company portal with non-co-branded cards have not been taken into account. Similarly, bonuses and credits related to spending with specific merchants using a non-co-branded card have not been taken into account (for example, if Card A offers credits with DoorDash, this feature would not be factored into calculations because it is hard to assess how many cardholders would use the benefit or exactly how much value they'd get from it).
Cardholder Spending Profiles
Given that different users have different goals and are likely to use their credit cards differently, we identified spending profiles that are representative of users’ varied financial priorities and behaviors. For each type of cardholder, we have assumed a specific amount of monthly spending by purchase type (e.g., groceries, gas, etc.), as well as an average balance, balance transfer amount, amount spent on large purchases and average monthly payment. Spending assumptions are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
