Benchmark Money

Best credit cards for groceries in Canada

Groceries are the largest category of ordinary spending for most households, which makes the grocery rate the single number most worth getting right. This page ranks on the real return, so a card paying points is converted at what we say those points are worth rather than at the number on the marketing page.

We track 80 credit cards for groceries in Canada, 36 of them with no annual fee. Every figure here comes from the issuer’s own published pages and terms, last checked 18 August 2026. Where an issuer does not publish something we leave it blank rather than guess, which is explained on how we research.

How we picked

  • The published grocery rate, converted to a percentage using our own point valuations so that percent and points can be compared honestly. Membership Rewards and Aeroplan are valued at two cents, which is what makes the top of this list look as good as it does. At cash out value the order changes, and the comparison page has a switch that reranks everything at one cent.
  • The annual cap. Where a card caps the bonus category, the cap is stated on the card, because a rate that stops at $6,000 of spend is a different product.
  • Whether warehouse clubs count. Costco is not coded as a grocery store by most issuers, and one card on this site pays its lowest rate inside Costco.
  • Cards whose issuer publishes no grocery rate are listed below the ranking rather than given a zero.

The 10 best credit cards for groceries

  1. American Express Cobalt Card

    American Express$191.88 a year10% on groceries at our points valuation4.6 out of 5

    Best for food and drink

    Five points a dollar on restaurants, bars, coffee and groceries is the highest food earn rate in Canada, and Membership Rewards transfer to Aeroplan. Worth it if you eat out; not if you do not.

    The bonus rate stops after $30,000 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. This card pays points, not cash. The percentage above is what we think those points are worth, which assumes you redeem them well.

    Read the full American Express Cobalt Card review

  2. Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

    Scotiabank$120 a year5% on groceries at our points valuationNo foreign transaction fee4.7 out of 5

    Best all-rounder

    Five points a dollar on groceries, dining and entertainment with no foreign transaction fee, for $120. Nothing else here does all three. The catch is that it is an Amex, so it will be refused where a Visa would not.

    The bonus rate stops after $50,000 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. This card pays points, not cash. The percentage above is what we think those points are worth, which assumes you redeem them well.

    Read the full Scotiabank Gold American Express Card review

  3. National Bank World Elite Mastercard

    National Bank$150 a year5% on groceries at our points valuation4.0 out of 5

    Best travel insurance in Canada

    The only card here that covers travellers over 65 properly, with 15 days of medical cover up to age 75. The earning is crippled by a monthly cap most people will not notice until it bites.

    The bonus rate stops after $30,000 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. This card pays points, not cash. The percentage above is what we think those points are worth, which assumes you redeem them well.

    Read the full National Bank World Elite Mastercard review

  4. MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

    MBNA$120 a year5% on groceries at our points valuation3.7 out of 5

    $120 for 5 points a dollar on restaurants, groceries, digital media, memberships and utilities. A wide accelerated set at a mid tier price.

    The bonus rate stops after $50,000 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. This card pays points, not cash. The percentage above is what we think those points are worth, which assumes you redeem them well.

    Read the full MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard review

  5. BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard

    BMO$139 a year5% on groceries3.2 out of 5

    Best headline rates, if you spend lightly

    5% on groceries is the highest rate here, but every cap is monthly rather than annual, which limits the card to roughly $672 of bonus cash back a year no matter how much you spend.

    The bonus rate stops after $19,200 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. The annual fee is waived for the first year only.

    Read the full BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard review

  6. Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card

    Scotiabank$120 a year4% on groceries4.1 out of 5

    Best for bills and groceries

    4% on groceries and on recurring bills, which few cards pay well on. The first year is free, and it is a Visa, so it works everywhere.

    The bonus rate stops after $50,000 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. The annual fee is waived for the first year only.

    Read the full Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card review

  7. SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express

    American Express$119.88 a year4% on groceries4.1 out of 5

    Best cash back card for gas and groceries

    4% on gas and groceries up to $30,000 a year and 2% on everything else, which is the highest base cash back rate in this comparison. Billed at $9.99 a month.

    The bonus rate stops after $1,200 of spend, and the base rate applies after that.

    Read the full SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express review

  8. CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card

    CIBC$120 a year4% on groceries3.7 out of 5

    Best for drivers who also buy groceries

    4% on both groceries and gas is a combination almost nothing else offers. Two spending caps run at once, though, and the tighter one arrives sooner than most people expect.

    The bonus rate stops after $20,000 of spend, and the base rate applies after that. The annual fee is waived for the first year only.

    Read the full CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card review

  9. American Express Gold Rewards Card

    American Express$250 a year4% on groceries at our points valuation3.0 out of 5

    A $250 fee for 2 points a dollar, when the Cobalt charges $192 for 5 on food. Hard to recommend unless you specifically want the travel credit and NEXUS rebate.

    This card pays points, not cash. The percentage above is what we think those points are worth, which assumes you redeem them well.

    Read the full American Express Gold Rewards Card review

  10. PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard

    PC Financial$120 a year4% on groceries at our points valuation2.9 out of 5

    $120 for 50 PC Optimum points a dollar at Shoppers and 40 at Loblaw stores. Away from those two chains it earns exactly what the free version earns.

    This card pays points, not cash. The percentage above is what we think those points are worth, which assumes you redeem them well.

    Read the full PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard review

The other 70

Every grocery card we track, in the same order. A card outside the top ten is not a bad card; it is a card that lost to the ones above it on the criteria at the top of this page.

Questions people ask

Which is the best of the credit cards for groceries in Canada?
On our ranking it is the American Express Cobalt Card. That is our opinion rather than a fact, built from the criteria at the top of this page, and the runners up are close enough that your own spending can reorder them.
Are there any with no annual fee?
36 of the 80 on this page have no annual fee, and the best rated of those is the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard.
What is the highest grocery rate available?
10%, on the American Express Cobalt Card. Where a card pays points rather than cash, that percentage is our valuation of the points and not a rate the issuer quotes.
How often is this page updated?
It is generated from our card database every time it loads, so it reflects whatever we last verified rather than whenever somebody last edited an article. Each card carries its own verification date.
Do you earn money from these links?
On some cards, yes, and it is disclosed on the card page next to the button. It does not change the ranking, which is why the ranking rules are published rather than described as a proprietary score.

Other lists

Comparing something other than credit cards for groceries? Compare every personal card on your own spending, look at business cards, or browse the full directory.