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Best Credit Cards for Dining & Restaurants

Restaurants, cafes, food delivery, and eating places

Eligible Cards

5

Top Rate

2x Miles (2 MPD)

Monthly Searches

4000

Quick Answer

The best credit card for dining & restaurants is Capital One Venture X

Why: 2x Miles (2 MPD) with no cap. No restrictions

Earns 2x on everything, 5x on travel via Capital One Travel portal. $395 annual fee.

Top Cards for Dining & Restaurants

#1 PICK

Capital One Venture X

No restrictions

2x Miles (2 MPD)
No cap

Note: Earns 2x on everything, 5x on travel via Capital One Travel portal. $395 annual fee.

#1

Rank

Citi Double Cash

No restrictions

2% Cash Back (2 MPD equiv.)
No cap

Note: Earns 2% on everything (1% purchase + 1% payment). No annual fee.

#2

Rank

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Included in whitelist

3x Points (3 MPD)
No cap

Note: Earns 3x on travel and dining. $550 annual fee.

#3

Rank

Chase Freedom Flex

Included in whitelist

5x Cash Back (5 MPD equiv.)
$1,500 per quarter in bonus categories

Note: Rotating quarterly categories (must activate). No annual fee.

#4

Rank

US Bank Altitude Go

Included in whitelist

4x Points (4 MPD)
No cap

Note: Earns 4x on dining and restaurant purchases. No annual fee. $25 annual dining credit.

#5

Rank

Choose Based on Your Spending

💵

Light Spender

Under $500/month

Best:

Capital One Venture X

No need to worry about caps with light spending

💰

Moderate Spender

$500-2,000/month

Best:

Citi Double Cash

Balance between rate and cap utilization

💎

Heavy Spender

Over $2,000/month

Best:

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Maximize rewards with card pairing strategy

Understanding Dining & Restaurants MCC Codes

Dining & Restaurants includes the following Merchant Category Codes (MCC):

Expert Tips for Dining & Restaurants

  • Maximize Monthly Caps

    Most cards have monthly caps. Plan your spending to hit the cap without going over.

  • Consider Card Pairing

    Use 2-3 cards to cover different categories and maximize overall rewards.

  • Check Online vs On Site

    Some cards only work for online or offline transactions. Verify before spending.