Best Grocery Credit Cards in Canada (2025)

For most Canadians (and people), groceries are one of their largest purchase categories. Everyone has to put food on the table. Unfortunately, healthier food options are expensive and not getting any cheaper with the current inflationary economic environment.

Credit cards are one of many ways to save money on food and groceries in Canada, and they should not be overlooked by anyone who can use them responsibly. Many powerful credit cards offer strong grocery category bonuses, meaning you will be earning significant rewards on all grocery purchases.

But which credit card should you use to buy groceries if you want to maximize the return on your purchases? Let’s look at the best grocery credit cards in Canada.

The Value of Earning Rewards on Grocery Purchases

The reality is that if you pay with anything but a credit card when buying groceries, you are effectively foregoing 4-6% in cash back or rewards on all grocery purchases.

meme she's a 10 but she pays with debit card

Considering groceries are often one of the biggest monthly expenses for Canadian families, it only makes sense to add a credit card to your wallet that rewards this spending category with bonus points.

While you can often optimize for every spending category if you are interested in keeping several credit cards in your wallet, groceries are the one category we absolutely recommend optimizing as the thousands of dollars spent every year will add up to significant rewards with the right credit card.

For example, if you spend $1,000 monthly at Safeway and use the Scotiabank Gold American Express card, you would earn 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent. This would result in monthly rewards earnings of 6,000 Scene+ points, or 72,000 Scene+ points earned per year.

Scene+ points are worth 1 cent per point and can be redeemed towards grocery and travel purchases, which means you would receive an extra $720 in rewards per year just for using the right credit card while shopping!

As we will touch on below, many of the best credit cards for grocery purchases also offer valuable benefits which further increases the value proposition offered by these credit cards.

Summary of the Best Grocery Credit Cards in Canada

Credit Card Welcome Bonus
Apply Now Scotiabank Gold American Express Card Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
50,000 Scene+ and $150 FlyerFunds
Estimated value: $650
 Ends Oct 31, 2025
Apply Now
Apply Now BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
335 cash back and $125 FlyerFunds
Estimated value: $460
 Ends Jan 31, 2026
Apply Now
Apply Now MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
30,000 MBNA Rewards and $125 FlyerFunds
Estimated value: $425
Apply Now
Apply Now American Express Cobalt Card American Express Cobalt Card
15,000 Membership Rewards
Estimated value: $300
Apply Now
Apply Now Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card
200 cash back and $100 FlyerFunds
Estimated value: $300
 Ends Oct 31, 2025
Apply Now
Apply Now RBC ION+ Visa Card RBC ION+ Visa Card
14,000 Avion
Estimated value: $266
 Ends Nov 4, 2025
Apply Now
Apply Now PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard
125,000 PC Optimum
Estimated value: $125
 Ends Dec 31, 2025
Apply Now
Apply Now Neo World Elite Mastercard Neo World Elite Mastercard
0 cash back and $100 FlyerFunds
Estimated value: $100
Apply Now
Apply Now National Bank World Elite Mastercard National Bank World Elite Mastercard
0 À la carte Rewards
Estimated value: $0
Apply Now

The Best Credit Cards for Buying Groceries in Canada

There is no shortage of credit cards that offer bonus rewards on grocery purchases in Canada, so we have narrowed down the best options below based on credit cards that we personally use for our grocery purchases.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express card is the undisputed best credit card for grocery purchases in Canada as it earns up to 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent at Empire grocery stores.

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to 50,000 Scene+ points with an annual fee of $120.00.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Apply Now Learn More Earn $150 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express card earns up to 6x Scene+ points at Empire grocery stores and charges no foreign exchange fees on purchases made in foreign currencies.

Check out our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review for more details.

BONUS
50,000 Scene+
MINSPEND
$7,500
EST. VALUE
$650+
ANNUAL FEE
$120.00 (FYF)
FOREX FEES
No
EXPIRY
Oct 31, 2025

Eligible Empire grocery store chains include Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry, and Co-Op. 

When shopping at any of these stores, you can think of the Scotiabank Gold American Express card as earning effectively 6% cash back on all purchases. This is because Scene+ points have a value of 1 cent per point, and can easily be redeemed towards travel, groceries, liquor, and more.

In addition, the card earns 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent at restaurants (including food delivery), other grocery stores, and entertainment (including movies, theatres, and ticketing agencies).

Scotia Gold Amex earning categories and rates

Furthermore, the Scotiabank Gold American Express card is one of the few credit cards in Canada that has no foreign transaction fees. Cardholders are also eligible to participate in Amex Offers, which can result in significant savings, plus the card offers strong insurance coverag,e including mobile device insurance and car rental insurance.

American Express Cobalt Card

The American Express Cobalt card is still one of the best credit cards for grocery spending in Canada as it earns 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent on grocery purchases.

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points with an annual fee of $155.88.

American Express Cobalt Card
Apply Now Learn More
American Express Cobalt Card

The American Express Cobalt card gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 5x Membership Rewards on eligible restaurant, food delivery, and grocery store purchases.

Check out our American Express Cobalt card review for more details.

BONUS
15,000 Membership Rewards
MINSPEND
$9,000
EST. VALUE
$300+
ANNUAL FEE
$155.88
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY

The American Express Cobalt card also earns 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent on food delivery, restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. Ultimately, this should be considered at least 5% back on grocery purchases, as Membership Rewards points are worth at least 1 cent per point. 

Of course, many would still argue that the American Express Cobalt card is the best credit card for buying groceries in Canada because Membership Rewards points can be transferred to many other points programs like Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, or Hilton Honors. When redeemed via these programs, you can certainly get better value than 1 cent per point, as Aeroplan has a value of 2 cents per point when redeemed wisely.  

One drawback of the American Express Cobalt card is its annual fee and welcome bonus structure. The annual fee is charged monthly at $12.99, giving the card an approximate yearly cost of $155.88. 

Now, you might be thinking, “But I shop at Loblaws stores, which don’t accept American Express!” Fret not, as there are workarounds to use Amex stores at Superstore and Loblaws ;). 

Neo World Elite Mastercard

The Neo World Elite Mastercard has one of the highest earning rates on grocery purchases in Canada, as it earns 5% cash back on grocery purchases with the opportunity to increase the earning rate to 7% by holding $10,000 in a Neo Everyday account.

Neo World Elite Mastercard
Apply Now Learn More Earn $100 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
Neo World Elite Mastercard

The Neo World Elite Mastercard offers a base earning rate of 5% cash back on groceries, 4% on recurring bills, and 3% on gas purchases, with the option to increase earning rates by holding money in a Neo Everyday account.

Check out our Neo World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
$0 cash back
MINSPEND
$0
EST. VALUE
$100+
ANNUAL FEE
$125.00
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY

The Neo World Elite Mastercard does have an annual spending cap of $12,000 on the grocery category, so ensure that this limit will be enough for your household before applying. Any grocery purchases once the $12,000 bonus spending cap has been reached will earn at the normal earning rate for all other purchases.

BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard

The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard earns 5% cash back on grocery purchases for up to $500 in spend per month, making it a great option for those who have smaller monthly grocery budgets.

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to $335 with an annual fee of $120.00.

BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
Apply Now Learn More Earn $125 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard

The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard earns up to 5% cash back on grocery purchases, plus elevated cash back earning rates on other popular spending categories.

Check out our BMO Cashback World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
$335 cash back
MINSPEND
$2,600
EST. VALUE
$460+
ANNUAL FEE
$120.00 (FYF)
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Jan 31, 2026

Any grocery purchases made past the monthly bonus earning cap will only earn 1% cash back, meaning it would be better to select a different credit card if you plan on spending more than that monthly.

However, if you are interested in a Mastercard since they tend to have higher acceptance than American Express or want to earn cash back directly as opposed to a rewards currency, the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard can be a great option to add to your wallet.

The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard also has strong bonus earning rates in several other spending categories:

  • 4% cash back on transit (on the first $300 you spend monthly)
  • 3% cash back on gas and electric vehicle charging (on the first $300 you spend monthly)
  • 2% cash back on recurring bill payments (on the first $500 you spend monthly)

Receiving your cashback earned each billing cycle is easy and flexible. You can either have your cashback applied as a statement credit or deposit it into a BMO bank account or Investorline account as long as you have a balance of at least $1 cash back. 

The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard also offers two additional notable benefits: an extended manufacturer’s warranty of 2 additional years for eligible purchases, and free roadside assistance (provided by Dominion Automobile Association and the benefits of their BMO Roadside Assistance Program – Basic Coverage).   

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard earns 5 À la Carte Rewards points per dollar spent on grocery purchases.

National Bank World Elite Mastercard
Learn More
National Bank World Elite Mastercard

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers benefits that include an annual $150 travel credit and access to the National Bank VIP airport lounge in the Montreal Airport International terminal.

Check out our National Bank World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
0 À la carte Rewards
MINSPEND
$0
EST. VALUE
$0+
ANNUAL FEE
$150.00
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard also earns:

  • 5 À la Carte Rewards points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases
  • 2 À la Carte Rewards points per dollar spent on gas, electric vehicle charging, and recurring bills
  • 1 À la Carte Rewards point per dollar spent on all other purchases

There is a spending cap on the 5X earn rate of $2,500 monthly. This means once you spend $2,500 in a monthly billing cycle (on any purchase category), you will earn only 2X on grocery and restaurant purchases thereafter. 

National Bank A la Carte Rewards Points can be redeemed towards travel through their travel agency at a rate of 1 cent per point, or a rate of 0.833 cents per point if used for “Book Your Way” travel.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard also has several valuable benefits:

  • Exceedingly strong extended warranty coverage which triples the manufacturer’s warranty, up to 2 additional years, on eligible purchases.
  • Travel credit of $150 per calendar year, redeemable towards airport parking, baggage fees, seat selection, airport lounge access, and airline ticket upgrades.
  • Complimentary lounge access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)

MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns 5 MBNA Rewards points per dollar spent at grocery stores. Since it is a Mastercard, it is also widely accepted by many Canadian grocers.

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 MBNA Rewards points with an annual fee of $120.00.

MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Apply Now Learn More Earn $125 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns 5x MBNA Rewards points on restaurant, grocery, digital media, memberships, and household utility purchases.

Check out our MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
30,000 MBNA Rewards
MINSPEND
$2,000
EST. VALUE
$425+
ANNUAL FEE
$120.00
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY

This card has a high annual category spend limit of $50,000 per category. This means you can not only earn 5x MBNA Rewards points on up to $50,000 in grocery purchases, but also 5x on up to $50,000 in restaurant, digital media, memberships, and household utility purchases. This can add up to a ton of MBNA Rewards points if you are strategic with your purchases.

Cardholders will also receive “birthday bonus points” when holding this card, which can be up to 15,000 MBNA Rewards points (calculated as 10% of the total amount of points earned in the last 12 months leading up to the cardholder’s birthday).

MBNA Rewards points can be redeemed towards travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per point. Points can also be redeemed for a statement credit, merchandise, and gift cards, but the value per point is far worse.

Alternatively, if you do not meet the income requirements or are looking for a no annual fee credit card option, the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard offers 2x MBNA Rewards on grocery purchases up to $10,000 spent per calendar year. This card is also one of the best no annual fee credit cards in Canada.

PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard

The PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard earns 40 PC Optimum points per dollar spent on all purchases made at Loblaws banner grocery stores.

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to 125,000 PC Optimum points with an annual fee of $120.00.

PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard
Apply Now Learn More
PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard

The PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard earns 40 PC Optimum points per dollar spent at Loblaws grocery stores and offers cardholders a complimentary PC Express Pass for free grocery delivery and pickup.

Check out our PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
125,000 PC Optimum
MINSPEND
$6,000
EST. VALUE
$125+
ANNUAL FEE
$120.00 (FYF)
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Dec 31, 2025

The PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard also earns 50 PC Optimum points per dollar spent at Shoppers Drug Mart stores, up to 7 cents per litre in points at Esso and Mobil gas stations, and 10 PC Optimum points per dollar spent on all other purchases.

PC Optimum points can be redeemed towards products at any participating PC Optimum retailer at a rate of 10,000 PC Optimum points for a $10 credit. This means using this card at Loblaws grocery stores results in an effective earning rate of 4%, before any additional promotions or in-store bonuses.

The PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard also comes with a very valuable benefit in the form of free and unlimited online grocery delivery and pickup with a complimentary PC Express Pass (valued at $99.99 per year), valid on eligible orders of $35 or more. If you already utilize a grocery delivery service, this is a great card to add to your wallet to save even more.

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite card is another strong cash back earning credit card that earns 4% cash back on grocery purchases.

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to $200 with an annual fee of $120.00.

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card
Apply Now Learn More Earn $100 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite card earns 4% cash back on grocery purchases, eligible recurring bill payments, and subscription purchases.

Check out our Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite card review for more details.

BONUS
$200 cash back
MINSPEND
$2,000
EST. VALUE
$300+
ANNUAL FEE
$120.00 (FYF)
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Oct 31, 2025

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite card also earns 4% cash back on recurring bill payments, and subscription services, such as insurance premiums, utilities, gym memberships, meal kits, Netflix, and other streaming services.

Furthermore, the card earns 2% on gas and daily transit purchases, including Uber and rideshare. It earns 1% on everything else. 

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite card has only an annual cap of $25,000 on spending before the earning rate drops to 1% cash back across the board. This means, depending on your spending habits, you might choose it over the BMO CashBack World Elite even though the latter technically earns 5% on groceries. 

RBC ION+ Visa Card

If you don’t like annual fees, an honorable mention among the best credit cards for grocery purchases is the RBC Ion+ Visa card, which earns 3 Avion Rewards points per dollar spent on grocery purchases. 

This card currently has a welcome bonus of up to 14,000 Avion points with an annual fee of $48.00.

RBC ION+ Visa Card
Apply Now Learn More
RBC ION+ Visa Card

The RBC ION+ Visa card earns 3x Avion points on groceries, restaurants, food delivery, transportation purchases, digital gaming purchases, and more.

BONUS
14,000 Avion
MINSPEND
$0
EST. VALUE
$266+
ANNUAL FEE
$48.00
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Nov 4, 2025

The RBC ION+ Visa card also earns 3 Avion Rewards points per dollar spent on, dining, food delivery, transportation, including gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions. It earns 1 Avion Rewards point per dollar spent on all other purchases. 

The Avion Rewards program is a flexible points program where points can be redeemed towards travel, gift cards, merchandise, or even transferred to other loyalty programs, such as WestJet Rewards.

Conclusion

Since there are so many good credit cards that earn bonus rewards on grocery purchases, the best credit card for groceries will depend on your financial situation, spending habits, and preferences.

For example, if you tend to shop at Empire stores, the Scotiabank Gold American Express card is hard to beat with its effective 6% cash back on all purchases. On the other hand, Costco shoppers are tied to Mastercard and might find the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard more attractive. 

People who want to maximize return and/or rack up travel points will lean towards the American Express Cobalt card, whose points can then be transferred to Aeroplan and redeemed for exceptional value. 

Regardless of what card ends up being right for you, we hope this article has helped narrow down your decision of which credit card to add to your wallet next to maximize rewards.

Reed Sutton

Reed Sutton

Founder at Frugal Flyer
Reed is addicted to the art of earning and redeeming travel points, and frequently pairs his trips with his other hobby: photography. Through Frugal Flyer, Reed aims to distill some of the complex and esoteric points strategies into digestible information. Furthermore, he hopes to use his technical expertise to develop invaluable applications and tools for the travel community.

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FEATURED CREDIT CARD

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Apply Now Learn More Earn $150 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express card earns up to 6x Scene+ points at Empire grocery stores and charges no foreign exchange fees on purchases made in foreign currencies.

Check out our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review for more details.

BONUS
50,000 Scene+
MINSPEND
$7,500
EST. VALUE
$650+
ANNUAL FEE
$120.00 (FYF)
FOREX FEES
No
EXPIRY
Oct 31, 2025

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2 comments on “Best Grocery Credit Cards in Canada (2025)

  1. the FAQ should be updated. No Frills does accept Visa. I haven’t encountered any No Frills where my Visa was not accepted. I believe them not accepting Visa was before….

    Reply