Best cards for food delivery and meal kit subscriptions

Credit cards for foodies are the latest trend, with more and more rewards programs and additional card benefits catering to both dining in and eating out. Restaurant and grocery bonus categories are becoming commonplace – letting cardholders rack up a few extra points or cash back on those purchases.

But what about those who prefer to order delivery? If you like to take advantage of popular food delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats or simplify cooking with a meal kit subscription, there are plenty of credit card rewards and benefits you can leverage to save a little money.

Finding the best card for your favorite services

Finding the best card for your favorite food delivery or meal kit service depends on a variety of factors, including the card’s yearly credits, special perks or rewards rate. For example, many dining cards offer bonuses that are tailored to a specific delivery service, as a monthly Uber credit.

See Related: Food delivery perks on luxury travel cards

For meal kit services, matching rewards is a little more complicated. You could opt for a rewarding grocery card, as many meal kit brands are now partnered with major supermarkets – so you can buy them in the store.

Alternatively, a card that earns rewards on dining or online shopping can help you get rewards on both food delivery and meal kits. Earning dining rewards can be complicated, as not all delivery services have a merchant category code that qualifies for a point or cash back bonus. You can test it by making a small charge to your card and seeing what rewards you earn.

Online shopping rewards, on the other hand, are much more flexible. They apply to both web and app purchases, so whether your order from your phone or computer, you can rack up bonus points or cash back.

See Related: Make the most of an online shopping bonus category

Best cards by delivery service or meal kit subscription

With all this in mind, here are some of our favorite cards for some of the most popular food delivery and meal kit subscription services.

Delivery service	Card	Rewards rate	Why we like it
DoorDash	Chase Sapphire Reserve	10 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2022) 3 points per dollar on travel and restaurants (excluding purchases covered by $300 travel credit) 1 point per dollar on general purchases	Generous rate on dining purchases Receive a yearly statement credit for DoorDash purchases ($60 in 2020 and $60 in 2021) Get at least one free year of DashPass when you enroll with your card (activate by Dec. 31, 2021)
Uber Eats	The Platinum Card® from American Express	10 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during the first 6 months of card membership 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) 5 points per dollar on eligible hotels booked with amextravel.com (starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) 1 point per dollar on general purchases Terms apply	Get up to $200 in Uber credits per year ($15 per month, plus an extra $20 in December), which can be applied to Uber Eats Automatic Uber VIP membership (where available) without ride requirements
Instacart	Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card	8% cash back on Vivid Seats tickets (through Jan. 2022) 4% cash back on dining and entertainment 2% cash back at grocery stores 1% cash back on all other purchases	Top-tier cash back on restaurant delivery, including most delivery services Grocery bonus category includes eligible grocery delivery services, including Instacart As a Mastercard, offers complimentary a 2-month Instacart Express membership if enrolled before Mar. 31, 2021
Grubhub/Seamless/Boxed/Instacart	American Express® Gold Card	4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point) 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com 1 point per dollar on other purchases Terms apply	Enroll to receive up to $10 in statement credits per month (up to $120 per year) to use at participating restaurants, including Grubhub, Seamless and Boxed Excellent rewards on grocery delivery services, such as Instacart
HelloFresh	Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%) 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit purchases 1% cash back on general purchases Terms apply	Generous rate on U.S. supermarket purchases (HelloFresh meal kits are sold in supermarkets such as H-E-B and Giant Food) and eligible grocery delivery services, such as Instacart Unlimited 3% cash back on delivery purchases from ride-share services, like Uber and Lyft
Home Chef	Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores 1% cash back general purchases Terms apply	Generous rate on U.S. supermarket purchases (Home Chef meal kits are sold in select Kroger locations)
Other delivery services	Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card	3% cash back on a category of choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores or home improvements and furnishings) 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs $2,500 combined limit on 2% and 3% categories each quarter 1% cash back on other purchases	Generous rate on online shopping purchases (if you select it as your 3% category) and good rate at grocery stores Can swap choice 3% category monthly to account for different delivery services. For instance, the dining category rewards Grubhub purchases and the travel category rewards ride share purchases from services like Uber

If you don’t have a delivery service you prefer – or if you like to switch back and forth based on restaurant availability – a card with rewards on online shopping is your best bet.

Bottom line

Ordering food can be expensive, but using the right rewards card can help you alleviate some of that cost by racking up points or cash back. With some cards, you might even get a few extras that cover your next couple of meals.