There are lots of great ways to earn points — you can earn them through credit card welcome bonuses, you can earn them by maximizing everyday spending, and you can even buy them directly from loyalty programs when there are sales.

The most straightforward way to earn as many points as possible is to be sure you’re maximizing the return you receive on everyday spending. Cards offer different bonuses for spend in different categories, ranging from restaurants to grocery stores to gas to travel. Having a credit card that earns you as many points as possible in a category you frequent is crucial.

For example, I spend a lot on dining and travel, but very little at grocery stores and gas stations (which I’m sure is true for many people, especially millennials).

Dining is a big spending category for many, so in this post I wanted to look at what I consider to be the most rewarding credit cards for dining. This is an update to a post, given the recent changes we’ve seen to some credit card bonuses for dining.

What Qualifies As Dining Spending?

In general, the “dining” category is broader than you might think. The first thing to understand is that it’s up to individual merchants to decide how they categorize themselves. Sometimes they won’t be categorized correctly, and some businesses use Square, where they may also not have selected the right merchant code.

In general, the dining category goes beyond just sit-down restaurants. They generally include coffee shops, frozen yogurt stores, fast food establishments, and more. They don’t, however, include grocery stores.

The Best Credit Cards For Dining

Here are what I consider to be the 13 most rewarding personal credit cards for dining, starting with the most rewarding:

1. Citi Prestige Card

Reward for dining: 8.5% (5x ThankYou points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $495
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 5x points on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

2. American Express® Gold Card

Reward for dining: 6.8% (4x Membership Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $250 (Rates & Fees)
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 4x points on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve® 

Reward for dining: 5.1% (3x Ultimate Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $450
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 3x points on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

4. American Express® Green Card

Reward for dining: 5.1% (3x Membership Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $150 (Rates & Fees)
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 3x points on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

5. U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card

Reward for dining: 4.5% (3x points, which can be redeemed for 1.5 cents each towards travel)
Card annual fee: $85
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 4% cash back on dining globally

6. Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

Reward for dining: 4% cash back
Card annual fee: $95, waived the first year
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 4% cash back on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

7. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Reward for dining: 3.4% (2x Ultimate Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $95
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 2x points on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

8. Citi Premier℠ Card

Reward for dining: 3.4% (2x ThankYou points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $95
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 2x points on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

 9. Citi® Double Cash Card

Reward for dining: 3.4% (2x ThankYou points, which I value at 1.7 cents each)
Card annual fee: $0
Other things to be aware of: This card has foreign transaction fees, so you won’t want to use this abroad; furthermore, this card offers 2x points on all purchases, but to get full value out of this card you’ll need it in conjunction with the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige

Learn more about this card here.

10. Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card

Reward for dining: 3% cash back
Card annual fee: no annual fee
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 3% cash back on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

11. The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Reward for dining: 3% (2x World of Hyatt points, which I value at 1.5 cents each)
Card annual fee: $95
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 3% cash back on dining globally; furthermore, spending on this card will get you closer to elite qualifying nights and free night certificates, so there’s lots of value to be had.

Learn more about this card here.

Reward for dining: 3% cash back
Card annual fee: no annual fee (though an AARP membership is required — there’s no age requirement for that)
Other things to be aware of: This card has foreign transaction fees, so you’ll only want to use this card for US dining

13. The Uber Credit Card

Reward for dining: 3% (in the form of Uber Cash)
Card annual fee: no annual fee
Other things to be aware of: This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you can earn 3% cash back on dining globally

Learn more about this card here.

Bottom Line

Hopefully, the above list gives a card for every budget and rewards preference. From a no annual fee card earning 3% cash back, to a premium card earning 5x points, there are lots of great options to choose from for your dining spending.

For those looking to earn Amex or Chase points (which seem to be most popular), it’s tough to go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, American Express® Gold Card, or American Express® Green Card, as you’ll be earning 3-4x points on eating out. Personally I use the Citi Prestige Card to earn 5x points.

What credit card do you use for dining purchases?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Green Card (Rates & Fees).

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