Blog >> The Best Credit Cards For Dining And Restaurants
By Kevin Zanes / August 8, 2024
In the world of travel rewards, there is a delicious secret waiting to be discovered at your favorite dining spots. Imagine earning free flights, hotel stays, and upgrades simply by indulging in your passion for food. With the right credit card in your wallet, every meal can bring you one step closer to your next adventure. Thankfully, there are a number of travel rewards card options, each with their own travel perks to suit your specific needs.
Whether you are a foodie exploring local bistros or a frequent traveler dining in exotic locales, leveraging the right credit card can turn everyday restaurant visits into extraordinary travel experiences. Get ready to transform your love for dining into unforgettable journeys around the globe!
Before You Apply: Know Your Credit Score
If you are new to cash-back credit cards, travel rewards credit cards, and credit in general, it is a good idea to check your credit score before applying for a credit or charge card. That way, you will be able to apply for credit cards which align with both your credit score and your financial goals.
Credit. Time. Credit Score Chart.
Credit Scores are shown numerically and range from 300 (Poor) to 850 (Excellent / Perfect). While there are a number of credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and credit scores (FICO and VantageScore), generally, scores above 750 are considered excellent*. While some agencies charge for a credit report, there are a number of “free” options as well:
- Personal Bank
- Credit Karma
- Annual Credit Report
Related: Credit Scores 101: Everything You Need to Know
The Best Credit Cards For Dining
Here is a quick overview of the best credit cards for dining and restaurants, which includes a summary of card details, reward rates, benefits, and more.
American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card is one of the most valuable travel rewards cards for beginners. Despite the high annual fee, the American Express® Gold Card offers incredible overall value through high earning opportunities on key categories (dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets) and a host of monthly credits. In addition, cardholders can redeem American Express Membership Rewards points through the American Express Travel portal or transfer the points to one of many American Express transfer partners.
American Express® Gold Card.
Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
- Annual Fee: $325
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
- See Rates And Fees
Reward Rates
- 4x at Restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X)
- 4x at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3x on Flights (booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com)
- 2x on prepaid Hotels and Other Eligible Purchases (booked on amextravel.com)
- 1x on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- Up to $120 Uber Cash ($10 per month credit)
- You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit. The Amex benefit may only be used in United States.
- Up to $120 Dining Credit ($10 per month credit)
- Up to $100 Resy Credit ($50 semi-annually) – United States Restaurants only
- Up to $84 Dunkin’ Donuts Credit ($7 per month credit) – United States locations only
- Get up to a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
- Choose the color that suits your style: Gold or Rose Gold
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards on the market and has long been the standard as one of the best travel rewards cards for beginners. The value of the card comes from the ability to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a relatively low annual fee, and a host of benefits. In addition, cardholders can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 cents when booking travel through Chase Travel℠ or transfer the points to one of the many airline and hotel transfer partners.
Credit. The Points Guy. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 20.74% – 27.74% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 5x on Travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 5x on Lyft purchases (through March 31st, 2025)
- 3x on Dining, select Streaming Services, and Online Groceries
- 2x on All Other Travel purchases
- 1x on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠
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Premium travel protection benefits including trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance, and lost luggage insurance
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Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
BILT Mastercard®
The BILT Mastercard® is one of the most unique, and potentially valuable, travel rewards cards on the market. The card is unique in that it allows cardholders to earn rewards on rent payments without being charged a transaction fee. However, the card also comes with a host of impressive point earning opportunities in key spend categories. In addition, the BILT Rewards program offers numerous promotions (i.e. double points on “Rent Day”), an impressive list of transfer partners, and transfer bonus multipliers (up to 150%) based on status. These benefits are what make the BILT Mastercard® attractive to beginners, even if they do not pay rent each month.
Credit. The Points Guy. Bilt Mastercard®.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: No Offer
- Annual Fee: $0
- APR: 21.49% – 29.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
Reward Rates*
- 3x on Dining
- 2x on Travel
- 1x on Rent (on up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
- 1x on All Other purchases
* Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points.
Other Benefits
- Earn double points on Dining (boosted to 6 points per dollar), Travel (4 points per dollar) and Everyday Spending (2 points per dollar) for each purchase made on the first day of the month (aka “Rent Day”)
- Premium travel protection benefits including trip delay, interruption, and cancelation insurance
- Receive auto coverage for covered damages due to collision or theft for most rental cars
- Get a $5 Lyft credit when you take 3 rides in one calendar month
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is an ideal cash-back credit card for beginners looking for a solid rewards structure and no annual fee. Unlike other cash-back cards, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers high value bonus categories in key spend areas such as Dining, Entertainment, and Groceries. However, there are fewer redemption options with a cash back credit card versus one which provides travel rewards. To truly unleash the earning power of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, combine it with either the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to convert the cash back to transferable Capital One Miles.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $0
- APR: 19.49% – 29.49% (Variable)
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% Cash Back on Hotels booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- 5% Cash Back on Rental Cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- 3% Cash Back on Dining
- 3% Cash Back on Entertainment
- 3% Cash Back on popular Streaming Services
- 3% Cash Back at Grocery Stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 1% Cash Back on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.49% – 29.49% (balance transfer fee applies)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best premium travel rewards cards on the market. The value of the card comes from the ability to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a generous travel credit, and a host of other impressive benefits (i.e. lounge access and travel protection). In addition, cardholders can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.50 cents when booking travel through the Chase Travel portal or transfer the points to one of the many airline and hotel transfer partners.
Credit. The Points Guy. Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $550
- APR: 21.74% – 28.74% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 740-850 (Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 10x on Hotels and Car Rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠
- 5x on Flights when you purchase through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on Other Travel and Dining
- 1x on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- Get 50% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
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Premium travel protection benefits including trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance, and lost luggage insurance
Citi Premier® Card
The Citi Premier® Card is one of the most underrated travel rewards credit cards for beginners. The value of the card comes from the broad range of earning categories, which cover the major expenses for the average household (i.e. supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, and travel), for a relatively modest annual fee of $95. In addition, cardholders can redeem Citi ThankYou points through the Citi Travel portal or transfer the points to one of many Citi transfer partners.
Citi Premier® Card.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 21.24% – 29.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 3x at Gas Stations
- 3x on Air Travel and Other Hotels
- 3x at Restaurants
- 3x at Supermarkets
- 1x on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- For a limited time earn 10 points per $1 dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, attractions (excluding air travel) when book through Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
Note: Citi Premier is no longer available for new applicants.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a solid cash-back credit card with no annual fee. This card differentiates itself from other options on the market by providing a unique earning opportunity: 5% back on your top spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spend). The Citi Custom Cash® Card is the perfect credit card to help you maximize purchase which do not fit into other traditional bonus categories (i.e. Home Improvement). While the cash back comes in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which you can redeem for statement credits, pairing the Citi Custom Cash® Card with either the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants) unlocks higher value redemptions through various transfer partners.
Citi Custom Cash® Card.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening
- Annual Fee: $0
- APR: 19.24% – 29.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 580-740 (Fair / Good)*
Reward Rates
- 5% Cash Back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (1% cash back thereafter)
- 1% Cash Back on All Other purchases
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025
Other Benefits
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.24% – 29.24%
Final Thoughts
The right credit card has the power to transform your everyday dining experiences into a treasure trove of travel rewards. Whether you are earning points for every dollar spent on gourmet meals or receiving exclusive benefits at your favorite restaurant, these credit cards offer a delicious way to enhance your lifestyle and travel plans. Selecting the best card for your needs depends on your dining habits, travel goals, and personal preferences. By choosing wisely, you can maximize your rewards and unlock a world of possibilities, from complimentary flights to luxurious hotel stays. So, why not let your next meal bring you closer to your dream destination? Bon appétit and happy travels!
*Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.