Best Credit Cards for Restaurant Spending (2018)
Make sure to read the tips and general advice in our Optimize Rewards by Using Different Cards for Different Purchases guide.
Jump to
Jump to:
Card suggestions
- For most people, the best option for dining is the Citi Prestige card. It earns 5x Thank You points per dollar, worth at least 7.5%. However, if you are planning to get the Amex Gold Card for purchasing supermarket gift cards and you aren't otherwise interested in the Citi Prestige card, or you simply don't want to start to collect ThankYou points, you might settle for its 4x Membership Reward points. Be aware that not only does it earn 1 less point per dollar, it won't earn bonus points on any dining outside of the United States.
- If you want to keep it simple, stick with the Sapphire Reserve. It only earns 3x points per dollar, instead of 5x, but it is easier to get good value from Ultimate Reward points, as opposed to ThankYou points. And, if you are already getting the Sapphire Reserve card as part of the Chase Unlimited combo, you won't need to pay any additional annual fees. The Citi Prestige card only makes sense if its extra rewards on airfare and dining, and the benefit you get from its unique 4th night free benefit, justify its effective $245 annual fee.
- If you have the Altitude Reserve card, and don't have the Sapphire Reserve card, you should use the Altitude Reserve whenever you can pay with your mobile wallet. The Altitude Reserve card earns 4.5%, but only on restaurants that accept Apple Pay and other mobile wallet payments. This is higher reward rate than you can get from any other card. But, you won't be able to use it on all of your restaurant purchases.
- If you can deal with some extra complexity, the Wells Fargo "Combo" is your next best option. It earns 4.5% on dining, without any annual fees. The trick is that you need to have two different Wells Fargo cards. And because you can only get one Wells Fargo card every 15 months, it will take some time to put this plan into action. The Wells Fargo Propel card earns 3x points on Restaurant (and Travel, Gas, and Streaming Services). Normally these points are only worth 1 cent each. But, if you also have the Wells Fargo Visa Signature card, you can redeem points at 1.5 cents each, for airfare purchases through the Wells Fargo portal. That works out to 4.5 cents per dollar, which is better than any card other than the Sapphire Reserve.
- Otherwise, the Uber Visa card is your best option. It earns 4% back on dining, and has no annual fee. The only cards that earn higher rewards on restaurant spending are the Sapphire Reserve, the Altitude Reserve (on electronic wallet purchases), and the Wells Fargo combo. However, several other cards that you might already have, such as the Citi Prestige card, only earn slightly less than the Uber card. If you have one of the cards that already earns at least 3 cents per dollar, you might not want to bother getting the Uber card as well.
Quick comparison
The point values used in the table below are estimates based on a typical traveler. They may need to be adjusted for your individual preferences and travel patterns. For example, if you highly value premium cabin award tickets and are willing and able to build up large point balances, Ultimate Rewards, Membership Rewards, and ThankYou points are much more valuable and you should earn as many of those types of points as you can. If you have trouble finding good frequent flyer redemptions, you might want to focus on cards that earn points that can be used more like cash. Deciding What Type of Points to Earn
The annual costs in the table below reflect the annual fee minus any travel credits. For travel credits that are harder to redeem, we value the credit at 50% of the maximum credit amount. We value the Amex Airlines Incidental Credit at only 25% of the maximum credit amount. If you are willing to do the work or are otherwise able to get full value from these credits, the effective annual fee can be considerably lower.
Some cards waive the annual fee for the first year. But the table focuses on what you would pay in the longer term.
| Card | Value | Earns | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold* | 6% | 4x MR | $30-250 |
| Amex Business Gold Rewards Card (if it is one of your two bonus categories) |
6% | 4x MR | $295 |
| Sapphire Reserve Card | 5.1% | 3x UR | $150 |
| Wells Fargo Propel Card (with Wells Fargo Visa Signature) |
4.5% | 3x GoFar | $0 |
| US Bank Altitude Reserve (on mobile wallet purchases only) |
4.5% | 3x | $75 |
| US Bank Flexperks Gold | 4.5% | 3x FP | $85 |
| Uber | 4% | 4% | $0 |
| Capital One Savor Card | 4% | 4% | $95 |
| CNB Crystal Infinite* | 3.6% | 3x | $150 |
| BOA Premium Rewards | 2-3.5%† | 2-3.5x | $45 |
| Ink Cash (business card) | 3.4% | 2x UR | $0 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 3.4% | 2x UR | $95 |
| Hyatt Card | 3.4% | 2x | $75 |
| Morgan Stanley* (for Morgan Stanley customers only) |
3% | 2x MR | $0 |
| Capital One SaverOne Card | 3% | 3% | $0 |
| Costco / Sam's Club Credit Card | 3% | 3% | $0 |
| AARP | 3% | 3% | $0 |
| Citi Premier | 3% | 2x TY | $95 |
| Citi Prestige | 3% | 2x TY | $200‡ |
| Hilton Surpass | 2.7% | 6x | $75 |
* Cardholders with more than $20,000 in combined balances at BOA / Merrill Lynch earn bonus rewards, maxing out at 3.5 points, or 5.25 cents on travel purchases.
† Bonus rewards on US Restaurants only.
‡ Citigold customers save an extra $100 on the annual-fee.
Supercharge your dining rewards with a credit card dining program
By taking advantage of credit card based dining programs, you can earn even more points from using your credit card at some restaurants. You simply register your card with the dining program, and you’ll earn extra points each time you use it at a participating restaurant. Earn Extra Rewards by Enrolling in Credit Card Dining Programs
