Whether you order takeout to feed your family a few times a week or are a foodie who likes to treat yourself to nights out, a restaurant rewards credit card can offer substantial savings.
This is especially significant in today’s inflationary environment, where the cost of dining out has risen by 8.4% in the year to February 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although a credit card alone won’t offset the rising prices of everyday essentials, it can help stretch your dollar a little further.
Depending on the restaurant credit card, you can earn rewards each time you dine out, order takeout or have meals delivered to your home. And you can typically redeem your rewards the same way, as well as for travel, gift cards or a statement credit. When choosing the right restaurant card, there’s more to consider than just cash-back rates, though. Many of these cards offer worthwhile welcome bonuses that can help cover a few meals. Some also offer perks like third-party delivery service subscriptions, which can lower your takeout bill.
We’ve selected our best restaurant cards based on rewards rates, redemption options, other rewards categories, annual fees and additional benefits. Read on to view our picks, learn how restaurant credit cards work and how to maximize your rewards.
The Citi Custom Cash® Card allows cardholders to earn 5% cash back on their highest eligible spending category, on up to $500 of expenditure within a billing cycle, then 1%. Restaurants are an eligible category. This 5% gets applied automatically depending on your spending within the billing cycle, so be sure to use this card primarily for restaurants.
Other eligible spending categories include gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.
Check out our full review of the Citi Custom Cash® Card for more information.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% for 15 months on balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% for 15 months on purchases
- Regular APR
- 19.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
The Citi Custom Cash® Card allows cardholders to earn 5% cash back on their highest eligible spending category, on up to $500 of expenditure within a billing cycle, then 1%. Restaurants are an eligible category. This 5% gets applied automatically depending on your spending within the billing cycle, so be sure to use this card primarily for restaurants.
Other eligible spending categories include gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.
Check out our full review of the Citi Custom Cash® Card for more information.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% for 15 months on balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% for 15 months on purchases
- Regular APR
- 19.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
At one of the highest rewards rates for restaurants around, and with no annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card is a great choice for most people’s restaurant and dining expenditure. You’ll earn 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining. At a value of 1 cent per point, this means you’re receiving 4% back. The welcome bonus is also a great way to score some extra rewards toward meals out.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
At one of the highest rewards rates for restaurants around, and with no annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card is a great choice for most people’s restaurant and dining expenditure. You’ll earn 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining. At a value of 1 cent per point, this means you’re receiving 4% back. The welcome bonus is also a great way to score some extra rewards toward meals out.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
With the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*, there are no spending caps on your dining rewards. And you can earn the same good cash-back rate on entertainment and popular streaming services, so this card is good for a night out on the town or at home with takeout and Netflix. Entertainment purchases include ticket purchases made at movie theaters, sports promoters, theatrical promoters, amusement parks, tourist attractions, aquariums, zoos, dance halls, record stores, pool halls and bowling alleys.
For more details, see our full review of the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR
With the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*, there are no spending caps on your dining rewards. And you can earn the same good cash-back rate on entertainment and popular streaming services, so this card is good for a night out on the town or at home with takeout and Netflix. Entertainment purchases include ticket purchases made at movie theaters, sports promoters, theatrical promoters, amusement parks, tourist attractions, aquariums, zoos, dance halls, record stores, pool halls and bowling alleys.
For more details, see our full review of the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR
The Chase Freedom Unlimited* card offers 3% cash back on dining, plus at least 1.5% cash back on any other purchases, making it the best pick if you want to maximize rewards for dining and everyday spending. The welcome bonus offers a higher-than-average payout when compared to its spending threshold than most cash-back credit cards without an annual fee.
A unique offer with this card right now is the complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. As long as you activate by December 31, 2024, you can enjoy unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees from thousands of restaurants for three months on qualifying food purchases. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at 50% off for the next nine months.
See our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited for more information.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited* card offers 3% cash back on dining, plus at least 1.5% cash back on any other purchases, making it the best pick if you want to maximize rewards for dining and everyday spending. The welcome bonus offers a higher-than-average payout when compared to its spending threshold than most cash-back credit cards without an annual fee.
A unique offer with this card right now is the complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. As long as you activate by December 31, 2024, you can enjoy unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees from thousands of restaurants for three months on qualifying food purchases. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at 50% off for the next nine months.
See our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited for more information.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
This no-annual-fee cash-back credit card offers high rewards rates on DoorDash orders and frequent dining. It’s a great choice if you order via DoorDash or Caviar often, since you’ll earn 4% cash back on every order. Plus, the card is still valuable whether dining in, ordering takeout or getting groceries.
We also like that you get free 12-month access to DashPass -- a DoorDash membership that can help you save on fees. You also get a complimentary subscription to DashPass every anniversary year when you spend $10,000 or more on your card. Essentially, if your go-to food delivery service is DoorDash, this card was designed for you.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 28.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
This no-annual-fee cash-back credit card offers high rewards rates on DoorDash orders and frequent dining. It’s a great choice if you order via DoorDash or Caviar often, since you’ll earn 4% cash back on every order. Plus, the card is still valuable whether dining in, ordering takeout or getting groceries.
We also like that you get free 12-month access to DashPass -- a DoorDash membership that can help you save on fees. You also get a complimentary subscription to DashPass every anniversary year when you spend $10,000 or more on your card. Essentially, if your go-to food delivery service is DoorDash, this card was designed for you.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 28.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card
If your credit is fair or limited, it may be difficult to qualify for one of our above picks. But all hope is not lost -- while most credit cards for fair or limited credit do not offer any rewards systems, the Petal 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa credit card, issued by WebBank, does. There is no specific restaurant or dining category for rewards, but a blanket rewards rate of up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases has you covered. You earn 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away, and then another 0.5% after 12 on-time monthly payments.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 32.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
If your credit is fair or limited, it may be difficult to qualify for one of our above picks. But all hope is not lost -- while most credit cards for fair or limited credit do not offer any rewards systems, the Petal 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa credit card, issued by WebBank, does. There is no specific restaurant or dining category for rewards, but a blanket rewards rate of up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases has you covered. You earn 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away, and then another 0.5% after 12 on-time monthly payments.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 32.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
How do restaurant rewards cards work?
Rewards cards focus on maximizing your rewards -- typically points, cash back, miles or even cryptocurrency -- on a specific type of spending. For example, while each dollar spent earns you points or cash back, grocery credit cards get you higher rewards on food and gas credit cards get you higher rewards from gas stations. Restaurant credit cards typically earn you the most points or cash back when you make purchases at dining establishments. Usually, the rewards rate comes in between 1 and 5 points per dollar spent (sometimes denoted as 1x points or 5x points) or a 1% to 5% cash-back rate.
These rewards can later be redeemed against specific purchases on your credit card billing statement or as a general statement credit. Note that these reward redemptions can’t usually be applied to your credit card’s minimum payment, so make sure you’re keeping up with the balance. You’ll also have to check your credit card’s fine print, as some cards require you to reach a minimum rewards threshold before you can redeem them.
Restaurant credit cards often come with other features that may help stretch your dining budget. Some offer special credits and perks toward delivery services, while others offer welcome bonuses that can cover some of your meals.
What qualifies as ‘dining’ for a restaurant card?
For the most part, the dining category for popular rewards credit cards is broad -- and the definition can vary across card issuers. For example, Chase defines eligible restaurant and dining rewards as purchases with merchants whose “primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants and fine dining establishments.” On the other hand, Capital One defines its dining category simply as “purchases at restaurants, cafes, bars, lounges, fast-food chains and bakeries.”
Many issuers rely on the merchant category code, or MCC -- a four-digit code that determines the type of purchase and subsequent rewards rate. Chase, for example, does not include merchants who sell food and drinks located within facilities like sports stadiums, hotels and casinos, theme parks, grocery and department stores in the restaurant or dining category -- unless the merchant sets up these purchases, so they’re classified in a restaurant category. As a result, eligible purchases can vary slightly based on your card issuer and where you’re dining out. If you’re unsure if your purchases qualify as dining, review the credit card issuer’s terms and conditions before applying so you know if it’s the right card for you.
Does ordering delivery and takeout still earn you points with a restaurant card?
Generally speaking, you’ll earn bonus rewards on dining purchases even when you have food delivered to your door. If you order pizza from Dominos, for example, you’ll earn bonus rewards on dining just as you would if you sat down to order pizza for a sit-down meal.
Takeout purchases will generally always qualify as restaurant purchases regardless of your card issuer, provided you pay for your food within an eligible establishment upon pickup. That’s because your credit card issuer has no way of knowing whether you ate at the restaurant or brought it home.
But this can also depend on how the merchant codes the purchase. If you order delivery and the transaction is coded as a restaurant purchase, it should count toward your dining rewards. If not, you may not earn your card’s restaurant rewards rate.
In addition, many rewards credit cards count food delivery services such as DoorDash and GrubHub as dining purchases. Quite a few of the best credit cards for dining also offer specific food delivery benefits and statement credit offers for services such as DoorDash and GrubHub.
For instance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® still come with a complimentary DashPass membership, which includes $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders for a minimum of one year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2024, and other perks. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders also qualify for $5 per month in DoorDash credit they can use, which are redeemed at checkout.
Separately, the American Express® Gold Card offers up to $120 in Uber Cash annually, which accrues within your connected Uber account monthly in increments of $10 when you add your Gold card to your Uber account. You can use this cash for Uber rides, as well as Uber Eats purchases, in the U.S. And you’ll still earn 4x Membership Rewards points for each dollar spent on dining at restaurants, including purchases made with Uber Eats in the U.S.
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.
Are rewards the same for all restaurant cards?
The best credit cards for dining all offer bonus points at restaurants, but their rewards rates vary widely. And the rewards you’ll earn in other categories aren’t the same, either. For example, some offer additional bonus points on groceries or entertainment, while others focus their bonus categories on travel-related purchases.
Before you apply for a restaurant credit card, compare all the benefits and features of the cards you’re considering. Look at other rewards categories, added benefits and fees that may affect the value you’ll get from the card. Be sure to also review the card’s rewards program so you know how you can redeem your points.
How to maximize your points by dining and ordering takeout
Cards with restaurant rewards are most valuable for those who already spend a significant amount on dining out each month. The best way to maximize your rewards is to make these purchases with a card that will earn you the most points or cash back on dining. Here are a few more ways to ensure you’re getting the best value on your dining cards:
- Use rewards cards strategically as you spend. Each time you dine out at a restaurant or pay for takeout, make sure you’re using the credit card that will give you the most bonus points on your purchase.
- Connect your rewards credit card food delivery apps. Once you sign up for a credit card that earns bonus rewards on dining, make it your preferred payment method on any food delivery apps you use. Examples include your DoorDash account, your Uber Eats account, or any restaurant apps you order from regularly.
- Pay for dining purchases whenever you can. You can earn more rewards per meal if you offer to use your card as payment when you dine out with family or friends. Just remember to have the other diners repay you using cash or a money transfer app like Venmo or Zelle.
But don’t overspend just to earn free meals or other rewards. While perks are nice, if you spend outside your budget and can’t repay your balance in full, the interest charges may offset any rewards you earn.
How to choose the right dining and restaurant card
Like any new rewards card, your spending habits and budget can help you decide on the right card for dining and restaurants.
Before you choose a credit card for dining out, take time to review your budget and the expenses you already charge to a credit card. If you spend a lot on dining, it might make sense to open a card with an annual fee -- as long as you can offset this fee with rewards and perks from your regular spending habits. Similarly, if your spending isn’t only focused on dining, but you also spend a lot in categories like groceries or travel, you might want to prioritize cards that offer more points on these types of purchases, too.
After comparing long-term value via rewards rates and benefits, you may also want to consider each card’s welcome offer or sign-up bonus. These offers can boost your first-year value with hundreds of dollars worth of points or cash back after you meet a spending threshold.
Finally, make sure your credit score is in good standing and within the recommended range for the card you’re considering. Practicing good credit habits like paying your balance in full and on time each month can help you maintain good credit to qualify for the best credit cards available.
FAQs
Typically, cardholders input a tip amount for servers or bartenders after the bill is already charged to the card. The charge is later modified to reflect the tip before it’s processed with the credit card issuer. This often happens before the restaurant closes for the night. Still, you may see the initial amount on your credit card account until the adjustment processes, which could take several days.
Each credit card issuer has its own set of rules surrounding gift card purchases -- some credit cards allow you to earn cash back on gift cards while others don’t. It also depends on how the sale is categorized by the merchant, which generally assigns a code to the purchase type. Credit cards often use these codes to determine how much cash back to award you. If the purchase is labeled as a gift card purchase rather than a food and beverage purchase, it’s possible you won’t earn the restaurant rewards rate. Check the fine print of your credit card agreement to understand the terms.
Each credit card comes with different rules about what you can and cannot earn elevated rewards for. For example, some issuers only offer elevated rewards on money spent at actual restaurants, while others include takeout and delivery. Although bars are typically classified as restaurants, there may be a few instances where they are not.
Also, some cards may allow you to earn points at bars if they are also dining establishments, while others may allow elevated rewards at all establishments regardless of whether they serve food.
Our methodology
CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles -- with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different -- and the designated function of a card.
All information about the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
This article includes some material that was previously published on NextAdvisor, a CNET Money sister site that was also owned by Red Ventures and which has merged with CNET Money. It has been edited and updated by CNET Money editors.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
