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Best credit cards for groceries in Canada: which stores actually count

Becky · Founder, PointsMaxxing

Numbers checked October 9, 2026 · 6 min read

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Groceries are the biggest everyday category most households have, so a card that pays extra on them matters more than one that pays extra on, say, movie tickets. But the bonus only applies when the store itself counts as a grocery store, and that is decided by the card network, not by what is in your cart.

The store decides, not your basket

Every merchant is tagged with a category code. A supermarket gets the grocery code. A gas station gets the gas code, even when you buy a sandwich there. A warehouse club gets its own code. Your card looks at that tag, not at what you bought.

That is why Costco and Walmart usually do not count as grocery. Costco is coded as a warehouse club. Walmart Supercentres are not coded as stand-alone grocers. On both, expect your card's base rate, not its grocery rate.

Which grocers take American Express

Two of the strongest grocery cards are Amex cards, so this matters. Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Safeway and Super C accept Amex. The Loblaw family (Loblaws, Maxi, Provigo, No Frills) does not. If you shop mostly at Loblaw stores, an Amex grocery card can't help you there.

Cards that pay the most on groceries

All figures are as of October 2026 and change often, so check the issuer before applying.

  • American Express Cobalt

    Grocery rate
    5 points per $1 on groceries, restaurants and food delivery
    Annual fee
    $15.99 a month ($191.88 a year)
    Worth knowing
    5x applies to the first $2,500 a month, then 1x. Points are worth around 2¢ each toward travel.

  • Scotiabank Gold American Express

    Grocery rate
    6 Scene+ points per $1 at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, IGA and Voilà; 5 per $1 at other grocers
    Annual fee
    $120
    Worth knowing
    Bonus rates apply to the first $50,000 a year. No foreign transaction fee.

  • CIBC Dividend Visa

    Grocery rate
    2% cash back
    Annual fee
    $0
    Worth knowing
    1% on gas, transit, dining and recurring bills. No cap. Takes Visa, so it works at Loblaw stores.

  • Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard

    Grocery rate
    2% cash back if you pick groceries as a category
    Annual fee
    $0
    Worth knowing
    You choose 2 categories (3 if rewards go to a Tangerine savings account). 0.5% on everything else.

  • PC Financial World Elite Mastercard

    Grocery rate
    30 PC Optimum points per $1 at Loblaw stores (about 3%)
    Annual fee
    $0
    Worth knowing
    45 points per $1 at Shoppers Drug Mart. Needs $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income.

Rates as of October 2026. Scene+ points are worth about 1¢ each on groceries or travel; PC Optimum points are worth 0.1¢ each (10,000 points = $10).

Stacking: the card is only half of it

Loyalty programs sit on top of the card. At Loblaw stores, scan your PC Optimum card and pay with the PC Financial card and you earn from both. At Sobeys-family stores, the Scene+ program works the same way with a Scotiabank card. The store program is usually the bigger piece on a normal week, so don't skip the scan.

If you carry more than one of these, the right card changes from store to store. That is exactly what PointsMaxxing is for: tell it which cards you have, and it tells you which one to tap at the store you're standing in.

Card terms, earn rates and fees change often. Check the issuer's site before you apply. This is general information, not financial advice.

Sources

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