Shannon Terrell
Erica CorbinMany or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.
Grocery credit cards offer competitive rewards on dollars spent in Canadian grocery stores, including Food Basics, FreshCo, Loblaws, Metro, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstores, Safeway, Sobeys and more.
Best grocery credit cards in Canada
Best overall grocery credit card
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
Not only does the Scotiabank Gold American Express card reward you with impressive rates in six popular spending categories, but it also comes with no foreign exchange fees.
Pros
- No foreign exchange fee on any foreign currency purchases while travelling abroad or shopping online — you just have to pay the exchange rate.
Cons
- The bonus rewards rates drop down to the 1x flat rate after a $50,000 annual spend. This sounds like a lot, but much of your daily spending is probably included in the six bonus categories, so you might hit the limit faster than you’d think.
- Earn up to $950* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 45,000 bonus Scene+ points.¹
- Earn 6x Scene+ points¹ on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Freshco, Foodland and more
- Earn 5x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 you spend on dining, food delivery and other eligible grocery stores. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions.
- Earn 5x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 you spend in Canada eligible entertainment purchases. Includes movies, theatre and ticket agencies stores.
- Earn 3x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible gas and daily transit options. Includes rideshares, buses, subway, taxis and more
- Earn 3x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible select streaming services
- Plus earn 1 Scene+ point for every $1 spent on all other eligible everyday purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fee
- Comprehensive Travel Insurance coverage
- AMEX Offers®
- AMEX Front of the Line®
- American Express Invites®
- Complimentary Concierge Services
- Rates, fees and other information are effective as of July 02, 2024. Subject to change.
- Terms and Conditions Apply. Click ‘Apply Now’ for complete details.
Best for: No annual fees
PC Financial World Elite Mastercard
This card offers incredible accelerated earn rates on spending at the types of retailers people use every day — drug stores, grocery stores and gas stations — in addition to a high earn rate on trips booked through President’s Choice Travel.
Pros
- Quickly rack up points toward free groceries, gas, drug store purchases and travel.
- A rare World Elite Mastercard with no annual fee.
Cons
- Points can only be earned and redeemed at participating Loblaw-owned stores, Shopper’s Drug Mart/Pharmapix, and Esso gas stations. You must wait until you have at least 10,000 points before redeeming rewards, and you can’t transfer them to other loyalty programs.
- No airport lounge access, despite being a World Elite card.
- 45x PC Optimum points per dollar on Shoppers Drug Mart purchases.
- 30x PC Optimum points per dollar on Loblaw-brand grocery store purchases.
- 30x PC Optimum points per dollar per litre of gas purchased at Esso Mobil.
- 30x PC Optimum points per dollar on PC Travel purchases.
- 10x PC Optimum points per dollar on all other purchases.
- Redeem a minimum of 10,000 points for free products and groceries at participating stores (in person and online).
- No annual fee.
- 24/7 concierge service to make dinner reservations, reserve event tickets, deliver gifts and more.
- Access to identity theft services to help you avoid identity theft or restore your identity if stolen.
- Four types of insurance provided, including 10-day travel medical benefits for those under age 65.
- Preferred rates: 20.97% for purchases, 22.97% for cash advances.
- To be eligible, $80,000 (individual) or $150,000 (household) annual income is required. Also, you must have a Canadian credit file and be a Canadian resident of the age of majority in the province or territory where you live.
Best for: Cash back
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
You won’t need a strategy to make the most out of this bonus-category card. The BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* spends like a flat-rate card thanks to stellar rates on four popular daily spending categories.
Pros
- Score generous cash-back rates for popular spending categories: 5% on groceries, 4% on transit, 3% on gas, 2% on recurring bills, and 1% on everything else.
- Feel protected with 13 types of insurance and fantastic travel benefits.
Cons
- Spending categories come with easily-hit spending caps, but the 1% base rate still earns you value once you hit your monthly bonus rate limits.
- The $120 annual fee is pretty steep. While we think you’ll more than make up for it through cash back savings, the no-fee BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* is a great alternative.
- Welcome offer: Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived in the first year.*
- Earn more cash back on the categories that mean the most: 5% on groceries.* 4% on transit including ride sharing, taxis and public transportation.* 3% on gas and electric vehicle charging.* 2% on recurring bill payments like your monthly phone bill or favourite streaming service.* 1% unlimited cashback on all other purchases.*
- Get the highest cash back earn rate on groceries in Canada.†
- Get valuable benefits and offers for digital everyday services from a variety of on-demand apps and subscription services.
- Extended Warranty Plus.*
- Purchase Protection Plus.*
- Complimentary membership in Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey.*
- Access over 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world – all at no added cost, and no added fees or roaming charges.*
- Complimentary Roadside Assistance Program.*
- BMO CashBack World Elite Travel and Medical Protection.*
- BMO Concierge Service.*
- Unlock Mastercard Travel Rewards cashback offers when you travel and shop outside of Canada.
- *Terms and conditions apply.
- †Statement based on a comparison of the non-promotional grocery rewards earn rate on Canadian cash back credit cards as of January 4, 2023.
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
Best for: Rewards points
American Express Cobalt® Card
The American Express Cobalt Card boasts high rewards rates on everyday spending, a generous welcome bonus, comprehensive travel insurance coverage, flexible point redemption and plenty of specialty perks to keep things interesting all year long.
Pros
- Earn 150,000 points in the first year by spending up to $30,000 on eats, drinks and groceries. Combined with the 15,000 point intro offer, you could earn 165,000 points in your first year, which you could redeem for travel and more.
- Easily transfer the points you earn to popular airline and hotel loyalty programs, such as Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy.
Cons
- Airport lounge access isn’t provided, which may disappoint some frequent travellers.
- No travel medical coverage for cardmembers over the age of 65.
- In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
- Earn 5x the points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery. Spend cap applies.
- Earn 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
- Earn 2X the points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada.
- Earn 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online.
- Earn 1X point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else.
- Enjoy access to hotel bookings, a room upgrade (when available), 12pm check-in and late check-out (when available), and up to $100 USD hotel credit to use on amenities when charged to the room for a stay of 2 or more consecutive nights through The Hotel Collection from American Express Travel
- Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs.
- Cobalt Cardmembers receive regular Perks such as bonus reward offers and access to great events.
- Access Front Of The Line® Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with American Express® Experiences.
- *Effective August 15, 2023, Cobalt Cardmembers will earn 5x the points on all eligible eats & drinks charged to their Card up to $2,500 monthly, for the same total of $30,000 annually already in place today. Cardmembers will also continue to earn 3x on streaming subscriptions, 2x on eligible transit, gas & travel purchases and 1x on everything else. T&Cs apply. While the annual earn does not change, the new monthly construct intends to curb gaming activity. The change should have little to no impact on the majority of Cardmembers who utilize the Card and Membership Rewards program as it was intended.
- American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, NerdWallet may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
Best for: Aeroplan points
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card
While it’s a little light on exclusive perks, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite card offers an interesting collection of benefits that should be more than enough to keep many users satisfied.
Pros
- An admirable amount of insurance coverage considering the card’s relatively low annual fee.
- Families can combine their Aeroplan points.
Cons
- Few opportunities to earn double points on purchases, even during the introductory period.
- Beyond the free first checked bag allowance and access to Visa Infinite’s lineup of food, beverage and luxury hotel offers, juicier travel perks are in short supply.
- Earn 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase. Earn 20,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $4,000 or more during the first 4 monthly statements periods. Earn 15,000 Aeroplan points as an additional anniversary bonus when you have at least $10,000 in net purchases posted on your account during the first 12 monthly statement periods. Offer applies to new cardmembers only.
- 1.5x Aeroplan points for every dollar spent on gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries and direct Air Canada purchases, including Air Canada Vacations, up to a maximum annual spend of $80,000.
- 1x Aeroplan point for every dollar you spend on all other purchases.
- Earn points twice by providing your Aeroplan number at over 150 Aeroplan partners and more than 170 online retailers through the Aeroplan eStore.
- Points can be redeemed for flights, car rentals and hotel bookings, as well as merchandise and gift cards available in the Aeroplan eStore.
- $139 annual fee, which can be reduced each year if you have a CIBC Smart Plus account.
- Access to Visa Infinite offers, including exclusive benefits at luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants and wineries in British Columbia, Ontario and Sonoma Valley.
- Car rental discounts of up to 25% at participating Avis and Budget locations worldwide.
- The Aeroplan Family Sharing plan allows Aeroplan members in the same household to combine their points and speed up the delivery of their next flight reward.
- Primary cardholders hoping to reach Aeroplan Elite Status can receive 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 in eligible purchases.
- Access to CIBC Pace It, an installment plan designed to help you pay off large or unexpected purchases over time at a lower interest rate.
- 13 types of insurance provided, including 15-day travel medical benefits (three days if you’re 65 or older on your departure date) — worth up to $5 million in coverage per insured person.
- Preferred rates: 20.99% for purchases, 22.99% for cash advances.
- To be eligible, $60,000 (individual) or $100,000 (household) annual income is required. You must also be a Canadian resident of the age of majority in the province or territory where you live who has not declared bankruptcy in the last seven years.
Best for: Air Miles
BMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®*
It’s rare to find a 0.99% balance transfer offer on a dedicated travel rewards credit card, especially with a low 2% balance transfer fee. Sure, the introductory period is only for nine months, but the BBMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®* makes it worth its while by adding an extra introductory perk: 800 bonus AIR MILES.
Pros
- No annual fee.
- Ability to earn unlimited rewards.
Cons
- The introductory APR period for transfers is only nine months, so make sure you can pay off your balance during that window of time.
- Welcome offer: Get 800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles!* That’s enough for $80 towards purchases with AIR MILES Cash.*
- Get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months, 2% fee applies to balance amounts transferred.*
- Get 3x the Miles for every $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners and 2x the Miles for every $25 spent at any eligible grocery store.*
- Get 1 Mile for every $25 spent everywhere else.*
- Use your BMO AIR MILES Mastercard and AIR MILES Collector Card at an AIR MILES Partner to earn Reward Miles from both.*
- No annual fee.*
- Receive a discount on car rentals.*
- Extended Warranty.*
- Purchase Protection.*
- *Terms and conditions apply.
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
Best for: Students
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Card for Students
Credit card beginners can use the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for Students to accumulate travel rewards thanks to a solid earn rate and a generous welcome bonus.
Pros
- The welcome bonus has no strings attached or hoops to jump through — simply make a purchase a receive 10,000 Aeroplan points.
- Your Aeroplan membership will help you earn points twice as fast at Aeroplan partners and retailers in the Aeroplan eStore when you pay with your Aeroplan credit card.
Cons
- The higher 20.99% interest rate could be a problem for students learning how to use their first credit card.
- To get the best value, you’ll have to be loyal to Air Canada and the Aeroplan rewards program.
- 1x Aeroplan points per dollar on gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries and Air Canada travel purchases, up to $40,000 annual spend.
- 1x Aeroplan points per $1.50 spent on all other purchases, including gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries and Air Canada travel purchases that exceed the $40,000 threshold.
- Earn points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partners and 170+ online retailers through the Aeroplan eStore.
- Aeroplan Points never expire and can be redeemed for a variety of travel, merchandise, gift card, and other rewards offered by Aeroplan’s participating partners and suppliers.
- $0 annual fee.
- Get three free months of Uber Pass for discounts on rides, meals and more. Offer ends September 8, 2022.
- Earn 1 Aeroplan point for every $6 spent on CIBC Global Money Transfer, with no transaction fees or interest as long as you pay your balance on time. Offer ends June 30, 2022.
- Maximize your points by adding up to three additional cards and giving them to your spouse or other family members. Points can be shared with other Aeroplan members in your household.
- Earn points by using your CIBC Aeroplan Visa to automatically make recurring bill payments.
- Receive preferred pricing when paying for flights with your Aeroplan points.
- Save up to 25% on car rentals at participating Budget and Avis locations worldwide when paying with your card.
- Save up to 10 cents per litre at participating Chevron, Ultramar and Pioneer gas stations if you link your card with Journie Rewards.
- Use the CIBC Pace It feature to make installment payments on large purchases.
- Four types of insurance are provided: auto rental collision and loss damage insurance, purchase security, extended protection insurance, and $100,000 in common carrier accident insurance.
- Preferred rates: 20.99% for purchases, 22.99% for cash advances.
- To be eligible, you must have full-time status in a college or university.
Methodology: How we evaluate cards
NerdWallet Canada selects the best grocery store credit cards based on their overall consumer value as well as their suitability for specific kinds of consumers. Our evaluation methodology is weighted by the following factors: 50% rewards value, 25% intro offer, and 25% fees and interest. Rewards value considers earning rates, rewards structure, promotional rates and spending categories. The intro offer considers the welcome bonus value, promotional interest rates, and any waived fees. Fees and interest consider interest rates for purchases, balance transfers and cash advances, and additional costs such as foreign transaction fees. Other noteworthy features, such as insurance, special perks and extra benefits, earn unofficial bonus points. Only cards that earn rewards on grocery store purchases were considered.
Summary of the best credit cards for groceries in Canada
| CARD NAME | BEST GROCERY CREDIT CARD FOR | ANNUAL FEE | GROCERY REWARDS RATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card. | Best overall grocery credit card. | $120. | 6 Scene points per $1. |
| PC Financial World Elite Mastercard. | Best for: No annual fee. | $0. | 30 PC Optimum points per $1. |
| BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*. | Best for: Cash back. | $120. | 5% cash back per $1. |
| American Express Cobalt® Card. | Best for: Rewards points. | $155.88. | 5 American Express Membership points per $1. |
| CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card. | Best for: Aeroplan points. | $139. | 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1. |
| BMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®*. | Best for: Air Miles. | $0. | 2 Air Miles per $25. |
| CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Card for Students. | Best for: Students. | $0. | 1 Aeroplan point per $1. |
What to know about grocery credit cards in Canada
Credit cards that earn points or cash back on dollars spent in grocery stores are an ideal fit for frequent food shoppers. Whether a grocery credit card is suitable for a shopper’s wallet largely depends on their spending habits.
Which credit cards offer the most valuable rewards on groceries?
Canadian credit card rewards programs are plentiful, and reward point values differ drastically. For this reason, a credit card’s earn rate alone doesn’t provide much insight into the monetary worth of the reward unless you can identify the value of each point.
Some reward programs, like PC Optimum, publish the monetary value of their rewards points. Other programs, like Aeroplan and Air Miles, don’t. To develop point valuations for programs like these, NerdWallet Canada compared hundreds of reward redemption data points. We looked at some of the most popular grocery cards in Canada to get a sense of the kind of value food shoppers could get out of their rewards.
To calculate each credit card’s cash back equivalent on grocery spending, we multiplied each card’s reward rate per $1 spent on groceries by its NerdWallet Canada point valuation. For example, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card earns 6 Scene points per $1 spent on groceries. Scene points receive a NerdWallet Canada point valuation of 1 cent. So, the card’s cash back equivalent per $1 spent on groceries is 6 cents.
Which grocery stores in Canada accept American Express?
Many grocery stores in Canada accept American Express credit cards with a few notable exceptions. Costco and Loblaw-affiliated stores do not accept Amex cards as a payment method.
How to choose a grocery credit card
Finding the right grocery credit card for your lifestyle has the potential to significantly enhance your savings and rewards on everyday purchases.
- Spending habits. Assessing your spending habits — specifically, how much and how often you spend in grocery stores — will help you determine the potential value of adding a grocery credit card to your wallet.
- Rewards programs. There’s a lot to consider when comparing credit card rewards programs, including earn rates and redemption options.
- Annual fees. Cards with annual fees tend to offer more robust perks and benefits. Whether the annual fee is worthwhile will depend on your financial situation.
- Introductory offers. A credit card welcome bonus can offer additional value, though you may be required to complete one or more card-related actions to unlock the offer.
- Card acceptance. If you prefer to shop at a specific grocery store or supermarket chain, consider checking whether the card you’re interested in is an accepted payment method at that establishment.
Grocery credit card alternatives
While grocery store credit cards offer enticing rewards for food shoppers, they won’t be ideal for everyone. If you frequently order take-out or shop at a supermarket that isn’t coded as a grocery store for rewards purposes, a grocery credit card may not make sense. Grocery credit cards may also be missing some perks preferred by travellers, like free checked bags and airport lounge access. The good news is that there are numerous other credit card options worth considering:
- Rewards credit cards. Any card that earns points or cash back could be considered a rewards card. However, reward programs, redemption options and earn rates vary widely.
- Travel credit cards. Those who frequently take to the roads, seas or skies may benefit from perks typically offered by travel credit cards, like travel insurance, car rental discounts, free checked bags and more.
- Store credit cards. Brand loyalists may be interested in exploring their store credit card options, which offer accelerated rewards on dollars spent with co-branded retailers.
Checking out different card benefits and reward programs can increase the likelihood of finding a credit card that is well-suited to your spending habits and financial goals.
What Reddit has to say
To find the best grocery cards in Canada, NerdWallet’s credit card experts review hundreds of cards available on the market. But our Nerds know it can also be helpful to hear what everyday cardholders think. We took to Reddit to find out what users are saying across multiple threads.
Redditors mostly agree with NerdWallet’s grocery card picks.
As of this writing, Redditors suggest that some of the best grocery cards are the Amex Cobalt, Scotiabank Amex Gold and PC World Elite Mastercard, all of which made our list. They also suggest some store-branded cards, like the Triangle World Elite Mastercard, that NerdWallet recommends as alternatives. However, some Redditors favor cards that didn’t make our list, such as the National Bank World Elite Mastercard.
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