What’s the difference between the grocery stores and supermarkets bonus categories?

One of the most important factors in choosing the right credit card is comparing bonus categories to see which fits your spending habits.

This process can be confusing since issuers each have their own definitions for what falls under a particular category. For example, take the bonus category of groceries. Some issuers label the category as U.S. supermarkets, while others call it grocery stores. Is there a difference?

Unfortunately, yes. Each issuer with cards that offer this bonus category has its own unique parameters, which can make figuring out exactly which purchases will earn rewards with each card a guessing game. The bonus is typically determined by where you shop, not by what you buy.

Let’s walk through some of the definitions and differences in the grocery bonus category.

First, Let’s examine the various Amex cards with a bonus category for grocery spending.

“U.S. supermarkets”

American Express has several cards that earn rewards on grocery shopping, and the category is listed as “U.S. supermarkets.” Amex has a standardized list of what stores generally trigger the bonus category across its cards.

According to Amex, this category encompasses stores that offer “a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies.” Examples of eligible merchants include:

• ALDI
• FreshDirect
• Gelson’s
• Hy-Vee
• Kings Food Markets
• Meijer
• ShopRite
• Smart & Final
• Stop & Shop
• Trader Joe’s
• Vons
• Whole Foods
• Winn-Dixie

This category excludes specialty stores (such as fish markets and wine shops), superstores (such as Target® and Walmart®) and warehouse clubs (such as BJ’s Wholesale Club).

However, as we’ll explain later, there’s still a way to shop at some of these merchants and trigger the bonus for “U.S. supermarkets.”

The list provided by Amex isn’t exhaustive. I’ve used my American Express® Gold Card at my local Harris Teeter, for example, and it has always coded as a supermarket purchase. If you shop at a supermarket chain similar to those on the Amex list, you’ll still likely score bonus rewards with your eligible Amex card.

Amex cards that offer rewards at U.S. supermarkets:

The information for the Amex EveryDay card and the Amex EveryDay Preferred card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Choosing the best American Express credit card for you

Bank of America classifies grocery stores much like Capital One but with some notable additions.

“Grocery stores”

According to Bank of America, the following purchases are included in its grocery store category:

• Grocery stores/supermarkets
• Wholesale clubs
• Meat and seafood stores
• Candy, nut or confection stores
• Dairy stores
• Bakeries
• Excluded from this bonus category are superstores and smaller stores (like drugstores) that sell groceries and other products

Bonus rewards on your candy cravings? Yes, please.

As for wholesale clubs, Bank of America is the only issuer that includes them in its grocery rewards category.

That’s a huge and notable exception, as wholesale clubs typically sell far more than just typical groceries. That means you could easily score bonus rewards from Bank of America on things such as clothing, furniture or even computers and tablets.

Bank of America only has one card that offers rewards at grocery stores:

• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card — 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%. Plus, if you’re a Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn up to 75% more cash back.

Related: The best Bank of America credit cards

Capital One has only two cards that offer grocery stores as a specific bonus category, and the qualifications are different from those of Amex. Let’s take a look.

“Grocery stores”

According to Capital One, the grocery stores category includes:

• Supermarkets
• Specialty markets
• Dairy product stores
• Meat lockers
• Freezers

Exclusions explicitly mentioned on Capital One’s website are superstores like Walmart and Target.

Capital One offers a bit more flexibility when it comes to what earns rewards in this category.

Unlike Amex, you can score cash back on smaller specialty stores. I like to use a local butcher shop, which never codes as a supermarket (predictably) for Amex. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, though, will count it as a grocery store for bonus rewards.

Capital One cards that offer rewards at grocery stores:

Related: The best Capital One credit cards

Chase does not include superstores or warehouse clubs in the “grocery store” bonus category. Here’s the full list of what Chase says doesn’t count:

• Walmart
• Target
• Larger stores that sell a wide variety of goods and groceries, such as warehouse clubs and discount stores and some smaller merchants, such as drugstores and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items
• Purchases made at gas stations operated by merchants who also operate grocery stores
• Delivery service merchants, unless the merchant has set up such purchases to be classified in the grocery stores category

Chase cards that offer rewards at grocery stores:

Chase doesn’t have any cards that have a permanent grocery store bonus category, but it has two cards that give you a way to earn on groceries:

• Chase Freedom Flex® — 5% back on quarterly rotating categories with activation (up to $1,500 per quarter in spending; then 1%), which sometimes includes grocery stores.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 3 points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and Wholesale clubs).

Related: Chase Freedom quarterly bonus categories

Related: Best Citi cards

• Walmart (A notable exception is Walmart Neighborhood Markets, which typically do code as groceries)
• Target
• Costco (A notable exception is Bank of America cards)
• B.J.’s (A notable exception is Bank of America cards)
• Sam’s Club (A notable exception is Bank of America cards)

There are a handful of grocery delivery services out there that partner with merchants. For instance, Instacart delivers groceries from thousands of local grocery stores. Most issuers, like Amex and Chase, code Instacart orders as groceries/supermarkets.

That means even though you’re purchasing from a merchant like Costco, which is typically excluded from category bonuses (except for Bank of America), you should still be able to earn a bonus if you go through Instacart or another delivery service.

Related: Your definitive guide to online grocery delivery services

Related: Best cards for grocery delivery