The Best Credit Cards for Dining

Eating your way to point-funded travel sounds too good to be true. But dining credit cards can make this dream a reality.

The average American household spent $3,639 on food away from home in 2022. With rising inflation, this cost could likely rise in the years to come.

However, by charging these expenses to a credit card that earns rewards on dining, you can earn points or cash back. And if you want to double-dip on rewards, you can connect your dining credit card to an airline or hotel dining rewards program, earning yourself points, miles and status with every dollar spent.

Let’s look at the best credit cards for dining out and a strategy to maximize your earnings.

Top Dining Credit Cards in 2024

Here’s an overview of the best dining cards of 2024.

Keep in mind that the definition of dining can vary from one card issuer to the next.

For example, American Express excludes establishments such as bars, nightclubs, convenience stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries and cafes, among other venues, from their definition of dining. On the other hand, card issuers such as Capital One include cafes, bars and lounges in their definition of dining.

This is why it’s key to check prospective cards’ terms and conditions before settling on the best dining card.

American Express Gold Card®

The American Express^® Gold Card offers significant earnings on dining purchases.

You’ll earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide, as well as on takeout and delivery purchases in the U.S. Earnings are uncapped, and you’ll be able to earn on restaurant expenditure abroad with no foreign transaction fees. Likewise, you can add up to five authorized users free of charge, allowing their spending to earn you even more points.

You’ll receive an annual $120 statement credit, issued in $10 monthly credits, for dining purchases made at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Additionally, if you link your card to your Uber account, you’ll get $10 per month in Uber Cash credits for Uber Eats orders and Rides, totalling $120 per year.

Amex Membership Rewards can be transferred to more than 20 airline and hotel partners for sweet-spot travel redemptions.

If you use the statement credits to their fullest and spend regularly with the card, offsetting the $250 annual fee will be easy.

Pros

• 4X points at restaurants worldwide, as well as on takeout and delivery purchases in the U.S.
• 4X points on grocery shopping at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (earn 1X point thereafter)
• 3X points on flights booked through amextravel.com or directly with the airline
• 1X points on all other eligible purchases
• $120 annual Uber Cash credits for Uber Eats orders and Rides (enrollment required)
• $120 annual statement credit for dining at select locations (enrollment required)
• $100 experience credit when you book a minimum stay of two nights with The Hotel Collection through Amex Travel (experience credit varies by property)
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• No lounge access benefits
• Annual fee of $250

Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier^® Card offers solid earnings on dining and a flexible rewards currency.

You’ll earn an unlimited 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels. With zero foreign transaction fees, your spending and point-earning potential is borderless.

Citi has 18 hotel and airline transfer partners, giving you significant flexibility when using your hard-earned points for travel redemptions. You can also pool your points from other Citi cards into your Premier account, allowing you to grow your point collection.

For an annual fee of $95, the Citi Premier Card is a solid choice for earning on dining and redeeming for travel.

Pros

• 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels
• 1X point on all other purchases
• $100 discount when you book a hotel stay of $500 or more through thankyou.com
• No foreign transaction fees
• Access to World Elite Mastercard benefits

Cons

• Lack of travel insurance

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

For a $0 annual fee, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers great earnings on dining.

You’ll earn 3X points on restaurants, in addition to gas, transit, travel, select streaming services and cell phone plans. With no foreign transaction fees, you can spend and earn abroad.

You’ll be limited to using your points for 1 cent per point fixed-value redemptions through the Wells Fargo travel portal. The only downside to this card is Wells Fargo’s lack of transfer partners.

Pros

• 3X points on gas, transit, restaurants, travel, select streaming services and cell phone plans
• No foreign transaction fees
• $600 cell phone protection (with a $25 deductible)

Cons

• Lack of transfer partners

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is a well-rounded favorite, earning you Ultimate Rewards on a range of purchases.

You’ll earn 3X points on dining, including eligible takeout, delivery services and dining out. You’ll also earn points on a wide range of other spending categories from travel and groceries to select streaming service purchases. There are no foreign transaction fees, so your spending and earning aren’t limited to the U.S.

This card comes with a complimentary DashPass subscription, unlocking $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders with DoorDash and Caviar for a minimum of one year (when you activate by Dec. 31, 2024).

Chase has 14 airline and hotel transfer partners, giving you significant redemption flexibility. Likewise, if you use points for travel through Chase, you’ll receive a redemption value of 1.25 cents per point.

You’ll more than offset the annual fee of $95 through regular spending, travel redemptions and statement credit usage.

Pros

• 5X points on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards^® (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit)
• 2X points on other travel purchases
• 3X points on dining, including eligible takeout, delivery services and dining out
• 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
• 3X points on certain streaming services
• 1X point on all other purchases
• $50 worth of statement credits per account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• No foreign transaction fees
• 5X points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases greater than $150 with a maximum earning cap of 25,000 points (through March 31, 2025)
• Point boost every account anniversary year equivalent to 10% of your total spending the previous year
• Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase
• Six months of complimentary Instacart+ membership
• Complimentary DashPass subscription (activate by Dec. 31, 2024)

Cons

• 1.25 cents per point redemption value is restricted to purchases made through Chase

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers significant cash back on dining purchases.

You’ll earn 4% cash back on dining, as well as on entertainment and popular streaming services, and 3% cash back at grocery stores.

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card also earns 10% cash back on purchases with Uber and Uber Eats, in addition to one month of complimentary Uber One membership (through Nov. 24, 2024).

A significant advantage of the Savor Rewards card over other dining cards is Capital One’s generous definition of dining. This includes restaurants, cafes, bars, lounges, fast-food chains and bakeries, giving you maximum cash back earning potential.

For an annual fee of $95, this is a great card to keep at the ready for dining purchases.

Pros

• 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services
• 3% cash back at grocery stores
• 10% cash back on purchases with Uber and Uber Eats, in addition to one month of complimentary Uber One membership (through Nov. 24, 2024)
• 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 1% on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Annual fee

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you’re unwilling to pay the annual fee on the Savor Cash Rewards card, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is the next best alternative.

This card offers nearly identical benefits to the Savor Rewards card, with the exception being that the SavorOne earns just 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores.

It still comes with 10% cash back on purchases with Uber and Uber Eats, in addition to one month of complimentary Uber One membership (through Nov. 24, 2024).

This is the perfect card to keep in your wallet if you spend less frequently on dining, as it costs you $0 to hold. That way, when the time’s right, you can whip it out and earn some cash back, but it won’t cost you anything when you’re not using it.

Pros

• 3% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases, and with popular streaming services and grocery stores
• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 10% cash back on purchases with Uber and Uber Eats, in addition to one month of complimentary Uber One membership (through Nov. 24, 2024)
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Cons

• Lower cashback rate than the annual fee version of the card

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is a heavyweight premium travel rewards credit card with lucrative rewards for dining purchases.

You’ll earn 3X total points on dining, including eligible delivery service purchases and takeout. Likewise, you’ll earn 10X total points on exclusive Chase Dining purchases.

You’ll also get a complimentary DashPass, unlocking $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for eligible orders with DoorDash and Caviar, in addition to $5 monthly credits toward DoorDash issued at checkout (through Dec. 31, 2024).

Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed for travel purchases through Chase for 1.5 cents per point, or transferred to up to 14 partner airlines and hotels.

With a host of other travel benefits, from a complimentary Priority Pass Select™ membership to a $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases, you’ll be more than able to offset this card’s annual fee of $550 as long as you travel frequently.

Pros

• 10X total points on Chase Dining purchases via Ultimate Rewards
• 5X total points on flights when purchased as travel via Chase Travel℠ (applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 10X points on car rentals and hotels booked through Chase Travel℠ (applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 3X points on eligible delivery service purchases, takeout and dining out
• 3X points on travel purchases (applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases
• Complimentary DashPass (through Dec. 31, 2024)
• No foreign transaction fees
• $100 statement credit reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee, every four years
• Redeem points for 50% more value when used for travel purchases through Chase
• Transfer points at 1:1 ratio to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership

Cons

• Hotel and car rental purchases must be made through Chase Travel℠ to earn 10X points
• $75 fee per authorized user

U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude^® Go Visa Signature^® Card is one of the best $0 annual fee cards for earning on dining purchases.

You’ll earn 4X points on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, in addition to 2X points at grocery stores, on grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations, making this a well-rounded card.

With no foreign transaction fees, you can continue to spend and earn while abroad.

The only downside to this card is U.S. Bank’s lack of transfer partners, meaning you’ll have to redeem your points for travel via U.S. Bank’s travel portal.

Pros

• 4X points on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery
• 2X points at grocery stores, on grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations
• 1X point on all other eligible purchases
• $15 annual statement credit for service purchases such as Netflix, Apple TV+ and Spotify^®
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Limited redemption options due to the lack of transfer partners

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

If you are a Hilton loyalist, you can dine your way to a free night at a Hilton property using the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.

You’ll earn 6X points on purchases at U.S. restaurants, including delivery and takeout. You’ll also earn 6X points on grocery shopping at U.S. supermarkets and gas purchases at U.S. gas stations.

This card comes with exclusive benefits for Hilton loyalists, such as complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and a free night reward after charging $15,000 in purchases to your card within a calendar year.

This card charges no foreign transaction fees, so you can continue to spend and earn while on vacation.

With competitive earning rates and a $200 annual statement credit for direct purchases with Hilton, offsetting the annual fee of $150 shouldn’t be a challenge for frequenters of Hilton.

Pros

• 12X points on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio
• 6X points on U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• 6X points on grocery shopping at U.S. supermarkets
• 6X points on gas purchases at U.S. gas stations
• 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases
• 3X points on all other eligible purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status
• $200 annual statement credit, issued in quarterly $50 credits, for direct purchases with Hilton
• Free night reward after charging $15,000 in purchases to your card within a calendar year
• Complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status requires charging $40,000 in purchases to your card within a calendar year

Citi Custom Cash® Card

The Citi Custom Cash^® Card offers you the ability to earn up to 5% cash back on the first $500 spent on dining purchases per billing cycle (1% thereafter). This makes it one of the best cashback cards available.

However, you’ll need to ensure that dining is your top spending category, otherwise you’ll receive a mere 1% cash back. Other 5% cash back categories include: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

If you have a Citi Premier Card, you can convert your cashback earnings into Citi ThankYou points by transferring them to your Premier account. From there, you can transfer them to up to 18 different hotel and airline partners for lucrative travel redemptions. This is a classic example of some of the best credit card combos you can have.

For a $0 annual fee, the Citi Custom Cash Card is a hidden gem.

Pros

• 5% cash back on up to $500 per billing cycle for your top spending category. Eligible categories include: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Cons

• Foreign transaction fee of 3%

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Dining Credit Card

Choosing the best dining credit card begins with analyzing your goals.

If your main goal is to reduce the cash cost of dining, a simple cashback credit card for dining will be your best bet.

In contrast, if you want to earn points on dining to redeem them for travel, you’ll want to pick a credit card for dining that offers a competitive rewards rate and a wide range of travel redemption options. Depending on your willingness to pay an annual fee, certain credit cards for dining will have more well-rounded bonus spending categories, making them suitable for a range of purchases.

You should also consider how much you spend on dining per year. This calculation will be crucial in working out the degree to which you can offset any annual fees. The more you spend on dining, the quicker you’ll be able to offset any annual fee. So if you have a relatively low annual expenditure on dining, you may be better suited to a no annual fee card, enabling you to earn a return immediately.

That said, you need to consider other bonus spending categories, any welcome bonuses and additional perks to get a holistic view of the value of the card.

Similarly, consider whether your spending on dining is consistent or seasonal. For example, it may be the case that you spend a significant amount more on dining while on vacation. If international destinations tend to be where you spend your vacations, then you should prioritize a dining credit card that waives foreign transaction fees. Otherwise, your rewards on dining will be effectively negated.

How to Maximize Dining Rewards

As with all credit cards, maximizing your dining card’s value is a combination of responsible and consistent usage.

If you’re going out to eat or paying for delivery, make sure your dining credit card is at the front of your wallet. Otherwise, you’ll lose out on points and cash back.

After consistent use, it’s key to pay your balance on time and in full. That way you’ll avoid high interest rates and late penalty fees. Treat your credit card like a debit card and you’ll be guaranteed success.

Another strategy for maximizing your rewards on dining is stacking your earnings.

An underrated way to boost your earnings on dining credit cards is through airline and hotel dining rewards programs. These programs exist in most major U.S. airlines and hotels, and partner with thousands of restaurants to offer you boosted loyalty point earnings on your spending.

You can register any eligible travel rewards credit card with one of these rewards programs to stack your earnings. For instance, let’s say you registered your Amex Gold Card with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Dining program. For every dining purchase made with your card, you’d earn the standard 4X Membership Rewards points in addition to 0.5X to 5X Mileage Plan miles per dollar spent.

These programs have their own welcome bonuses, with typically low spending requirements, making them an easy way to earn extra hotel loyalty points or airline miles on top of your regular rewards. In many cases, these purchases also earn you points toward airline and hotel status.

Typically, if you sign up for the dining program’s email list and complete a certain number of minimum transactions with your linked card within a calendar year, you’ll receive VIP dining program status, unlocking the highest earning rates on your purchases.

There’s no catch when it comes to these dining programs. They’re simply a case of set it, forget it and earn.

The only factor to keep in mind is that while you can register multiple credit cards with one dining rewards program, each credit card can be registered with only one dining program at a time. For this reason, you should consider which hotel or airline you use the most so that you can link multiple cards to the same dining program and maximize your rewards.

FAQs

How do dining credit cards work?

Dining credit cards offer competitive rewards rates on dining purchases. Depending on how your card issuer defines dining, this can include takeout, delivery services and dining at restaurants.

What credit card gives you the most points for dining?

The Amex Gold Card is one of the best dining cards for earning points. However, the best dining credit card will ultimately be the one that best aligns with your spending habits and fits into your wider points and miles strategy.

Are dining credit cards worth it?

If you regularly eat out or order takeaway and delivery, a card that can earn you a return on this spending is a great way to make your money go further.

For low spenders, a $0 annual fee card may be the way to go. For more regular spenders, a card with higher earning rates may be worth it, as long as you can offset the annual fee.

Savor the Flavor: Making Your Final Choice

Great food is an instrumental part of life. So why not earn points on it?

Whether you’re a takeout and delivery loyalist or simply enjoy dining out with the family, the best dining credit cards can earn you valuable returns on your spending. This can translate to savings as well as redemptions for travel. And if you stack your rewards with an airline or hotel dining program, you’ll get even more bang for your buck, with little work needed.

For more insider tips on maximizing your points and miles, keep up with the latest posts from 10xTravel, including this related one on the best cards for entertainment.