Canada’s 6 Best Grocery Credit Cards
Last updated October 21, 2026
Best Grocery Credit Cards
You buy groceries every week, so the card you use at the checkout adds up quickly. The right one earns several times a typical card’s rate on spending you’d do anyway.
Here are our picks for the best grocery credit cards in Canada, from points that turn your groceries into flights to simple cash back with no annual fee.
Compare our picks
- Annual fee
- $15.99/mo
- Welcome bonus
- 15,000 Membership Rewards points
- First-year value
- $336
- Top earn rate
- 5x Groceries
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
- Annual fee
- $139First Year Free
- Welcome bonus
- $480 cash back
- First-year value
- $720
- Top earn rate
- 5% Groceries*
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card
- Annual fee
- $120First Year Rebate
- Welcome bonus
- Up to $300 cash back
- First-year value
- $325
- Top earn rate
- 4% Gas
Best for Sobeys, Safeway and IGA
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
- Annual fee
- $120
- Welcome bonus
- 50,000 Scene+ points
- First-year value
- $455
- Top earn rate
- 6x Groceries
PC Financial World Elite Mastercard
- Annual fee
- No fee
- Welcome bonus
- 50,000 PC Optimum points
- First-year value
- $50
- Top earn rate
- 45x Shoppers Drug Mart
- Annual fee
- No fee
- Welcome bonus
- Up to $125 cash back
- First-year value
- $138
- Top earn rate
- 3% Groceries
| Best for | Card | Annual fee | Welcome bonus | First-year value | Top earn rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | American Express Cobalt Card | $15.99/mo | 15,000 Membership Rewards points | $336 | 5x Groceries |
| Best Cash Back | BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* | $139First Year Free | $480 cash back | $720 | 5% Groceries* |
| Best Visa | CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card | $120First Year Rebate | Up to $300 cash back | $325 | 4% Gas |
| Best for Sobeys, Safeway and IGA | Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card | $120 | 50,000 Scene+ points | $455 | 6x Groceries |
| Best for Loblaws Shoppers | PC Financial World Elite Mastercard | No fee | 50,000 PC Optimum points | $50 | 45x Shoppers Drug Mart |
| Best No Fee | BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* | No fee | Up to $125 cash back | $138 | 3% Groceries |
Best Overall
First-year value
$336
Monthly fee: $15.99
• Earn 1,250 points per month upon spending $750 per month for 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners
Monthly fee: $15.99
• Earn 1,250 points per month upon spending $750 per month for 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners
The American Express Cobalt Card earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar at grocery stores, and the same on dining and food delivery, on up to $2,500 a month across those categories combined. It also earns 3 points per dollar on streaming, 2 points per dollar on gas, transit and rideshare, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Our valuation of Membership Rewards points is 2.2 cents each, so that’s about 11% back on groceries. The points transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan and to other airline and hotel programs, which is where that value comes from.
The fee is $15.99 a month. The bonus rates apply only to purchases in Canadian dollars, and not every grocer takes American Express. If yours doesn’t, pair the Cobalt with one of the Visa or Mastercard picks below.
Best Cash Back
First-year value
$720
Annual fee: $139First Year Free
• Earn $40 cash back per month upon spending $2,000 per month for 12 months
• Plus, get a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months with a 2% transfer fee.*
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Complimentary Roadside Assistance Program*
- Instacart+ 6 months + $10/month credit*
Annual fee: $139First Year Free
• Earn $40 cash back per month upon spending $2,000 per month for 12 months
• Plus, get a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months with a 2% transfer fee.*
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Complimentary Roadside Assistance Program*
- Instacart+ 6 months + $10/month credit*
The BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* pays 5% cash back on groceries, the highest grocery rate on our list for cash back. The catch is the cap: the 5% applies to the first $500 of groceries each month, and the rest earns 1%.
It also pays 4% on transit (on up to $300 a month), 3% on gas and EV charging (on up to $300 a month combined) and 2% on recurring bills (on up to $500 a month), with 1% on everything else.
At the full $500 a month, the grocery rate alone returns $300 a year, more than twice the $139 annual fee. You’ll need a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000. If you spend well over $500 a month on groceries, the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card below can earn more.
Best Visa
First-year value
$325
Annual fee: $120First Year Rebate
• Earn 10% cash back on purchases (up to $2,500 spend) in the first 4 months
• Earn $50 cash back on first purchase
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Mobile device insurance
- Free Skip+ membership with $10 monthly voucher
- 50% off Disney+ Standard with Ads for 6 months<sup>†</sup>
Annual fee: $120First Year Rebate
• Earn 10% cash back on purchases (up to $2,500 spend) in the first 4 months
• Earn $50 cash back on first purchase
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Mobile device insurance
- Free Skip+ membership with $10 monthly voucher
- 50% off Disney+ Standard with Ads for 6 months<sup>†</sup>
The CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card pays 4% cash back on groceries, gas and EV charging, 2% on transit, dining and recurring bills, and 1% on everything else.
Its 4% is a step below the BMO card’s 5%, but it doesn’t stop at $500 a month. Counting groceries and the annual fee alone, it comes out ahead once you spend about $615 a month at the grocery store. Being a Visa, it also works at grocers that don’t take American Express.
The annual fee is $120, and you’ll need a personal income of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000.
Best for Sobeys, Safeway and IGA
First-year value
$455
Annual fee: $120
• Earn 30,000 points upon spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $7,500 in the first 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- No foreign transaction fees
- Amex Offers & Front of the Line access
- Get up to 12¢/L in value on fuel purchases at Shell stations°
- Until December 31, 2026, get an additional 3¢/L off at Shell when you pay with your linked card in select provinces and territories^
Annual fee: $120
• Earn 30,000 points upon spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $7,500 in the first 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- No foreign transaction fees
- Amex Offers & Front of the Line access
- Get up to 12¢/L in value on fuel purchases at Shell stations°
- Until December 31, 2026, get an additional 3¢/L off at Shell when you pay with your linked card in select provinces and territories^
If you shop at Sobeys or one of its sister stores, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card earns 6 Scene+ points per dollar there. That covers Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, Foodland, Thrifty Foods and Voilà online, among others. Other grocery stores, dining, food delivery and entertainment earn 5 points per dollar.
Our valuation of Scene+ points is 1 cent each, so that’s 6% back at those stores, and you can spend the points on groceries at the same checkout. The card also has no foreign transaction fees.
The bonus rates stop after $50,000 a year across all of the card’s bonus categories, and they apply only to purchases in Canada. The annual fee is $120, and the minimum income is $12,000, the lowest of our picks that list one.
Best for Loblaws Shoppers
First-year value
$50
No annual fee
• Earn 50,000 points
Earning rates
Key perks
- No annual fee
No annual fee
• Earn 50,000 points
Earning rates
Key perks
- No annual fee
The PC Financial World Elite Mastercard has no annual fee and earns PC Optimum points: 30 points per dollar at Loblaw grocery stores, 45 points per dollar at Shoppers Drug Mart and 10 points per dollar everywhere else. At Esso and Mobil, it earns about 30 points per litre.
Every 10,000 PC Optimum points takes $10 off at participating stores, so that’s 3% back on groceries at Loblaw stores and 4.5% at Shoppers Drug Mart. The points go straight back into free groceries.
You’ll need a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000. If you’re happy to pay a fee, the BMO CashBack World Elite card pays 5% on your first $500 of groceries each month.
Best No Fee
First-year value
$138
No annual fee
• Earn 5% cash back on purchases (up to $2,500 spend) in the first 3 months
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Instacart+ 3 months + $5/month credit
No annual fee
• Earn 5% cash back on purchases (up to $2,500 spend) in the first 3 months
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Instacart+ 3 months + $5/month credit
The BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* pays 3% cash back on groceries, on up to $500 a month, with no annual fee. Recurring bills earn 1% on up to $500 each statement period, and everything else earns 0.5%.
It’s the simplest way to earn more on groceries without paying for a card, and it doesn’t list a minimum income. If you shop mostly at Loblaw stores and qualify for a World Elite card, the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard is also free and adds 4.5% at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Grocery Credit Cards: What You Need to Know
Groceries are a weekly expense, so a card that earns a higher rate at the grocery store pays you back every week. Our picks earn from 3% to about 11% back on groceries, depending on the card and how you use its rewards.
Why get a grocery credit card?
A typical card earns 1 point or 1% per dollar on everyday purchases. A grocery card earns several times that at the checkout, on spending you’d do anyway, so it’s one of the easiest ways to build rewards without changing your habits.
Some cards also let you spend the rewards where you earn them. Scene+ points from the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card and PC Optimum points from the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard both pay for groceries at their partner stores.
What should you look for in a grocery credit card?
- The rate and the cap. A high rate with a low cap can earn less than a lower rate with no cap. The BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* pays 5% on up to $500 of groceries a month, while the American Express Cobalt Card earns 5 points per dollar on up to $2,500 a month across groceries, dining and food delivery.
- Where you shop. Some cards earn more at one family of stores. The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card earns 6 points per dollar at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA and their sister stores, and the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard earns its best rates at Loblaw stores and Shoppers Drug Mart.
- Whether your store takes the card. Not every grocer accepts American Express. If yours doesn’t, a Visa or Mastercard keeps you earning.
- Points or cash back. Cash back is simple and predictable. Points can be worth more, especially Membership Rewards points that transfer to airline programs, but only if you use them well.
How much do these cards return on groceries?
At our valuations, here is what each pick returns on a dollar of groceries:
- American Express Cobalt Card: 5 points per dollar, about 11% at our valuation of 2.2 cents per Membership Rewards point.
- Scotiabank Gold American Express Card: 6% at Sobeys and its sister stores and 5% at other grocery stores, at our valuation of 1 cent per Scene+ point.
- BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*: 5% cash back on up to $500 a month, then 1%.
- CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card: 4% cash back.
- PC Financial World Elite Mastercard: 3% at Loblaw stores, at 10,000 PC Optimum points for $10.
- BMO CashBack® Mastercard®*: 3% cash back on up to $500 a month.
What’s the optimal strategy for grocery credit cards?
Start with how you’ll use the rewards. If you’ll turn points into flights, the American Express Cobalt Card earns the most on groceries, dining and delivery together, and its cap covers up to $30,000 a year of that spending.
Then look at where you shop. If it’s mostly Sobeys, Safeway or IGA, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card’s 6% there is hard to beat, and you can spend the points at the same stores. If it’s mostly Loblaw stores and Shoppers Drug Mart, the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard earns there with no annual fee.
If you’d rather have cash, the BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* pays the top cash back rate on our list, but only on $500 a month. Counting groceries and the annual fee alone, the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card comes out ahead once you spend about $615 a month at the grocery store.
You can also carry two cards: an American Express card for the stores that take it, and a Visa or Mastercard for the ones that don’t. If you’d rather not pay a fee at all, the BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* pays 3% on your first $500 of groceries each month for free. For more options, see our picks for the best cash back credit cards and the best no fee credit cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some questions we frequently hear from readers about grocery credit cards.
Do grocery bonus rates apply outside Canada?
Not on every card. The American Express Cobalt Card earns its bonus rates only on purchases in Canadian dollars, and the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card only on purchases in Canada. Outside Canada, both earn 1 point per dollar. The Scotiabank Gold card has no foreign transaction fees.
Can I use my rewards to pay for groceries?
Yes, with two of our picks. Scene+ points pay for groceries at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA and their sister stores, and PC Optimum points pay for groceries at Loblaw stores and Shoppers Drug Mart. With the cash back cards, your rewards come back as cash you can spend anywhere.
Is there a limit on how much I can earn on groceries?
On some cards. The American Express Cobalt Card’s 5 points per dollar applies to up to $2,500 a month across groceries, dining and food delivery. The BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* pays 5% and the BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* pays 3%, each on up to $500 of groceries a month. The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card’s bonus rates stop after $50,000 a year across all its bonus categories.
Which grocery credit cards have no annual fee?
The BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* and the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard both have no annual fee. The PC Financial card asks for a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000.
What income do I need for these cards?
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card asks for $12,000. The CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card asks for a personal income of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000. The BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* and the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard ask for a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000.
