Andrea Rotondo 
Comments
June 25, 2020 
When it comes to earning miles for fabulous and nearly free vacations, don’t limit yourself in the ways in which you earn those precious miles. Sure, flying nets plenty of miles, as do credit-card sign-ups, but there are tons of everyday ways to build up your cache of miles or points. Something as simple as grocery shopping for your family can help you achieve your goal to fly somewhere for free or get a few free nights at a hotel.
Everyone shops for groceries, and according to a recent Gallup poll, U.S. residents spend an average $151 per week on groceries for a family of four. Does that sound like your family? If so, you’re paying $7,852 per year to put food on the table. When it comes to paying for those groceries it pays literally to put some thought into your payment method.
If you’re paying cash at the Piggly Wiggly, stop doing that right now! Instead, select a credit card that will reward you for doing your weekly shopping.
Best Credit Cards for Grocery Shopping
There are plenty of credit cards that reward cardmembers with one mile or point per dollar spent almost anywhere, and that includes grocery stores. One mile/point is okay, but there are plenty of cards that up the ante and pay out larger rewards. Here are a few.
American Express EveryDay Preferred Card (3x)
This is a new product from Amex, and it’s becoming quite popular because the EveryDay Preferred card will give you three Membership Rewards points for every dollar you spend on groceries, up to $6,000 annually. Once you’re over that mark, you’ll get one point per dollar spent on groceries.
Let’s do the math. If you’re like the average family spending $7,852 per year on groceries, and if you charge those groceries to your EveryDay Preferred card, Amex would reward you with 19,852 Membership Rewards points ($6,000 cap x 3 + $1,852 x 1).
It gets better though. If you use that card at least 30 times a month, you get a 50 percent points bonus so those 19,852 points would become 29,778 points per year just for purchasing something you needed anyway. The only downside is that this card carries a $95 annual fee.
Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card (3x)
Here’s another solid option when it comes to grocery spending: the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card (no longer available). This card is especially appealing because it doesn’t charge an annual fee, yet it rewards cardholders with three Hilton HHonors points per dollar spent at supermarkets.
If you spent that annual average of $7,852 on groceries, you’d net 23,556 HHonors points. That’s equivalent to at least four nights in a Category 1 hotel, two nights in a Category 2 hotel, or one night at a Category 3 or 4 hotel (depending on seasonal pricing). For example the DoubleTree at the Entrance to Universal Studios in Orlando and Hampton Inn Hilton Head both cost 20,000 points per night many months of the year.
American Express Premier Rewards Gold MasterCard (2x)
This card from Amex offers two Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on groceries. Amex usually waives the annual fee for the first year, but its $175 for each year thereafter.
Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard (2x)
Here’s a solid option if you want to receive an extra bonus for grocery shopping but don’t want to pay an annual fee for the card: Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard. The card offers two points per dollar spent at supermarkets. You can use these points like cash to pay for any purchases you’ve made with the card, including flights, dining, and shopping.