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Erika's Picks for Best Dining Credit Cards
- Best overall:
American Express® Gold Card - Best for delivery:
DoorDash Rewards Mastercard® - Best for dining and travel:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Best for high earning rates:
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Best for business dining:
American Express® Business Gold Card - Best for no annual fee:
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card - Best for students:
Capital One SavorOne Rewards for Students - Best for all-around spending:
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Dining out can take a major bite out of your budget. Americans spent an average of $3,639 in 2022 on “food away from home” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That works out to just over $303 a month.
And that’s without adding in how much food prices have increased since then.
But if you regularly use a credit card for your meal purchases, choosing the right one can help you save money or earn rewards that can help to ease the bill. Some pay a flat cashback percentage for all dining out, while others have customizable rewards categories.
Best Overall
American Express® Gold Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year
- 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year
- 3x points for flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months
Annual Fee
$325 (rates and fees)
The American Express® Gold Card has very high earning rates on worldwide restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Plus, you’ll also score the following benefits:
- $120 Uber Cash: $10 in Uber Cash each month when you add your card to your Uber account
- $84 Dunkin’ credit: Up to $7 in monthly statement credits when you pay with your card at Dunkin’ locations (enrollment required)
- $100 Resy credit: Up to $50 back semi-annually (as statement credit) when you use the card at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases (enrollment required)
- $120 dining credit: Up to $10 monthly (in statement credits) when you use the card at participating partners, including Grubhub (including Seamless), The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys (enrollment required)
- $100 The Hotel Collection credit: A $100 experience/property credit when you book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com
You’ll also get 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (up to $100) within your first six months of having the card (offer ends 11/6/2024).
Yes, the American Express® Gold Card has a high annual fee, but if you’re a foodie, you can benefit from the card’s many food-focused perks.
For example, if you dine out a lot, you may easily cancel out the annual fee thanks to the card’s high rewards rate for restaurant purchases. If you prefer to cook at home, you can earn rewards when you shop at the supermarket.
Redemption options are flexible, too. You can redeem Membership Rewards® points through the Amex travel portal for flights and hotels, or you can transfer them to one of Amex's travel partners. No travel plans? You can also redeem for a statement credit.
Best for Delivery
DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®
Rewards Rate
- 4% cashback on Caviar and DoorDash
- 3% on dining purchased from restaurants directly
- 2% on grocery purchases (online and in-store)
- 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
12 months of DashPass free upon account opening ($96 value)
Annual Fee
$0
If you love delivery, the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard may be for you.
There’s no minimum spend to receive the free DashPass membership, which gives you unlimited free deliveries from eligible restaurants on orders over $12.
This card doesn’t have an annual fee, but if you don’t spend at least $10,000 per year, you’ll be charged $96 to renew your DashPass membership.
That said, the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard isn’t terribly versatile (you won’t earn travel rewards and it earns minimal cashback on non-food purchases), so it’s best if you truly prefer staying in your pajamas and ordering food delivered to your door.
All information about the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard® has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Delivery costs can easily add up quickly, but if you can earn some cashback on those meals, your budget will be much happier. Plus, the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard doesn't charge an annual fee, so keeping it in your wallet solely for food purchases won't cost you anything.
As well, even though it's a DoorDash-branded credit card, you can also earn cashback on non-DoorDash purchases, with an elevated rate on groceries.
Best for Dining and Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards Rate
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries
- 2x on all other travel purchases
- 1x on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is typically known as a travel credit card, but it also earns decent rewards on dining and online groceries.
Those rewards can be redeemed for bookings through Chase Travel℠ or transferred to one of the many hotel and airline loyalty programs that Chase partners with. If you're not traveling, you also have the option to redeem for cashback or gift cards.
When you’re at home, you can take advantage of a 12-month complimentary DashPass (must activate card before Dec. 31, 2027) and $10 off eligible non-restaurant orders on DoorDash each calendar month.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is already one of our favorite travel cards, and it also can earn you great rewards on dining. If you’re a total foodie when you’re on the road, this card might hit everything you need.
Not only will you earn rewards on dining worldwide, but you also won’t have to pay any foreign transaction fees on those meals (or anything else while traveling).
It also comes with lots of travel protections, like trip cancellation/interruption and baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and emergency assistance.
Best for High Earning Rates
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points on dining, takeout, and delivery
- 2x on groceries, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations, and EV charging stations
- 1x on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 25,000 points after spending $1,000 within 90 days
Annual Fee
$0
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has a very high rewards rate on dining, takeout, and delivery, plus an elevated rate on groceries — including grocery delivery. Since it has no annual fee, it's an easy card to keep in your wallet for those food expenses.
You can redeem your points for cashback (as a statement credit), travel, gift cards, and merchandise.
All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers some of the best rewards rates around, yet doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Plus, it comes with a $15 credit for annual streaming subscriptions like Netflix and Apple TV+, so if you’re a homebody who likes to binge-watch when you order takeout, you’ll save a bit of cash there, too.
Best for Business Dining
American Express® Business Gold Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories, up to $150,000 in combined purchases (1x thereafter)
- 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$375 (rates and fees)
The Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and Limited Edition White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
If dining out and travel are a big part of your business, the American Express® Business Gold Card makes a lot of sense. It offers a high rate of rewards on your two top spending categories, with restaurants and takeout being one of the options.
For your other top spending category, eligible options are:
- U.S. media providers for advertising in select media
- Retailers of electronic goods and software and cloud system providers
- Gas stations
- Transit options (trains, taxis, rideshares, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, subways)
- Monthly wireless phone services directly purchased from a U.S. wireless provider
There’s a $240 flexible credit towards purchases at Grubhub, FedEx, and office supply stores (enrollment required).
You can also receive $12.95 back per month to cover a Walmart+ membership.
There are plenty of business credit cards out there, but many of them have designated categories for accelerated earning. If your business expenses don't match up, those cards won't help you very much.
But the customization of the American Express® Business Gold Card makes it one of the most flexible options out there — which means you'll be saving money exactly where you need it the most.
Best for No Annual Fee
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 8% cashback on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming subscriptions, and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores)
- 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
If you want to earn most of your rewards on dining and entertainment, but don’t want to fork out for an annual fee, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card may be a good option.
Not only will you score decent rewards on meals out and groceries, but you’ll also get access to Capital One Dining, which gets you reservations at hard-to-book restaurants across the U.S. and special culinary events, like chef collaborations and curated dinners.
For beginners looking to get started with easy cashback, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice. It doesn’t have rotating categories that you need to activate and it has no annual fee, so you can keep it in your wallet forever, even if you stop using it.
It also comes with extended warranty protection and travel accident insurance, which are nice bonus benefits for a no-annual-fee credit card.
Best for Students
Capital One SavorOne Rewards for Students
Rewards Rate
- 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores, like Walmart and Target)
- 1% on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn a $50 cash bonus after spending $100 in the first three months
Annual Fee
$0
If you’re a college student and just starting to build your credit history, the SavorOne Rewards for Students card is a great option. This card comes with no annual fee and helps you to build your credit score (if you use it responsibly).
This card earns you decent rewards on groceries and dining out, plus you’ll get access to Capital One Dining, which gets you reservations at hard-to-book restaurants across the U.S. and special culinary events, like chef collaborations and curated dinners.
All information about the Capital One SavorOne Rewards for Students has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Even though the SavorOne Rewards for Students card is tailored to students, you’ll still get the same perks as the regular SavorOne, including access to Capital One Dining and high earning rates on dining and groceries.
Many times, student credit cards or credit-builder cards have limited rewards and benefits, so the fact that this card is nearly identical to the regular version is pretty impressive.
Best for All-Around Spending
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cashback on drugstore purchases, restaurants, takeout, and eligible delivery services
- 1.5% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn an additional 1.5% cashback on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cashback
Annual Fee
$0
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a versatile rewards card with a higher base rewards rate, while still earning excellent rewards on dining and groceries.
You can redeem your rewards for cash, statement credits, Amazon purchases, gift cards, and travel through Chase Travel℠.
You’ll also get three months of free DashPass membership (for unlimited free delivery on orders over $12) followed by nine months at 50% off (activate by Dec. 31, 2024).
Even if you’re a total foodie, you probably spend on more things than just eating — and you might want to earn a good rate on everything you buy. In that case, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is ideal.
The cashback rates are decent, especially if you don’t want to juggle multiple cards. This, combined with the fact that there's no annual fee, makes it ideal for beginners.
It’s also impressive that the card has so many extra perks, like travel insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty, which are harder to find with no-annual-fee cards.
Bottom Line: How To Choose a Credit Card for Restaurants and Dining
If you’ve already determined that you want a great credit card that rewards restaurant spending, dig into why and how you’ll use the card.
Think about your spending habits and whether they skew more towards dining in or delivery. Also look at other areas of your budget where rewards would be beneficial.
Consider other factors, too, like whether there’s an annual fee or a high APR. Some cards offer travel coverage, complimentary meal delivery memberships, or reimbursement for applications like TSA PreCheck®. You want to be sure the rewards will outweigh any annual fee.
