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Best Dining Credit Cards
Dining can be a rewarding experience with cashback and loyalty programs provided by dining credit card options. You can expect free meals, airline perks and new takeout options, earning points every time you dine out. The underlying idea has been with us for a while, however recently, dining cards have become a staple for a modern lifestyle.
Best Dining Credit Cards in March 2025
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Up to $300 reimbursement for travel purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free one-year subscription and $60 DoorDash credit
- Trip delay reimbursements
- Free one-year Lyft membership
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- Free for all Costco members
- Damage & theft purchase protection
- No foreign transaction fees
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
- Minimum 1,000 points before redemption
- No foreign transaction fees
- $15 annual credit for streaming services
- Online reward points calculator
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Cashback rewards don't expire
- $2,500 limit for 3% cashback
- Online reward points calculator
- Many options for redeeming points
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
- No rewards-category limitations
- ATM rewards withdrawal available
- Intro APR for balance transfers
- Zero liability protection
Top 5 Credit Cards for Dining - Our Picks for 2025:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Best for frequent travelers
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi - Best for regular Costco customers
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Best for users of streaming services
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards - Best for earning rewards for dining out
- Wells Fargo Active Cash Card - Best for ATM reward redeeming
How We Evaluate Dining Credit Cards
Picking the right restaurant credit card is a complex process, as you have to take multiple important factors into account.
In order to make this process easier for you, we're showcasing the evaluation methodology we rely on in our reviews, which should help you make an informed decision about which card to go with.
Rewards
The rewards are naturally the main reason anyone goes hunting for the best credit card for dining. As such, they're one of the main ways we differentiate, rate, and compare different cards in our reviews. There are two main ways in which dining out cards reward their users: cashback or a reward points system.
Cashback basically refunds a certain percentage of the money you spend on a qualifying purchase - in this case, dining out. This is an easy way to get a small portion of your funds back. In most cases, the cashback will be between 1% and 5%.
While this may not sound like much, a good cashback program on cards can net you a significant amount of money, especially if you eat out often. There are also customizable reward offers where you can pick which categories earn the most cashback.
Dining cards can also net you reward points. Reward points are tied to the amount of money you spend on eligible purchases as well, with card issuers offering a range of different rates. Reward rates act as multipliers: a 4x rate rewards you with four points per dollar spent, for example.
Many food delivery and fast food joints allow you to claim perks as a dining credit card holder. These points can then be used to get discounts or purchase various services.
Sign-Up Bonus
In addition, most of the cards we review come with a welcome offer that gives some sort of bonus or incentive to new card owners. These bonuses usually involve a hefty number of reward points if you exceed a certain threshold in purchases during your first few months of having the card. Alternatively, you might be credited with free cash to your account.
The bonuses here are far from game-changers and won't impact your financial situation in a meaningful way. However, they can tip the scale when you're trying to decide between two fairly similar cards. It is our recommendation that you take a closer look at each card's bonus options and terms so that you don't miss out on free benefits.
Fees
Unfortunately, in addition to the usual costs a credit card incurs, some of the credit card issuers charge an annual fee for the use of their cards. These fees usually range between $100 and $500, depending on the card's terms. While these fees may be steep, the benefits they bring are usually worth the price.
Read the fine print in your contract and get familiar with the bank's guidelines, there might be additional fees.
If you think the annual fees will be too much for you, don't worry; there are some cards that come with no annual fees whatsoever. Just remember that even with $0 annual charges, you still need to watch out for APR, transaction fees, and balance transfer fees.
Additional Promotions
The right card is not the one that just gives you a hefty cashback or number of reward points when you dine, but one that combines dining benefits with other useful promotions or bonuses.
These can include benefits like free miles, free access to subscription services, hotel credits, various entertainment options, shopping perks, movie tickets, and much more.
Depending on the promotion in question, these benefits can greatly improve a card's functionality or even offset its annual fee if you use the promotions in full. Dining credit cards can also give students a great way to start developing a healthy credit score with perks such as cashback on groceries and bonus meals for dining out.
Business owners can also benefit from a dining cards targeted at entrepreneurs, which can help manage spending for wining and dining with clients.
Credit Score Requirement
Due to the fact that these cards are highly rewarding, they are mostly reserved for individuals with high credit scores. In case your credit score isn't great - under 690, for example - you most likely won't be able to get approved for the cards we've reviewed here. So keep approval requirements in mind before you apply.
A Quick Guide to Dining Credit Cards
When parsing through card offers, you might be taken aback by all the different reward schemes, requirements, and options at your disposal. This is a perfectly normal reaction; credit cards are often an intimidating financial concept as it is, and that's before you try to understand them properly.
That's why we've compiled this small guide to make it easier for you to find your footing and choose the best card for your needs.
Cashback or Reward Points?
One of the most commonly asked questions is: "Should I opt for a cashback or a rewards card?"
Let's go over the advantages and disadvantages of each.
When shooting for a cashback credit card, you'll be choosing a much simpler, carefree option. You get a percentage of your eligible purchases back in cash, without having to worry about how many points you have, how and when can you redeem them, and their value and prerequisites.
With a 3% cash back credit card, for example, it's easy to work out how much money you'll be getting back. Furthermore, cashback cards rarely have annual fees. If they do, they're usually on the cheaper side.
However, as you can see in our reviews above, they rarely have any signup bonuses, and they might also lack additional promotions. Cashback cards are for users who want easily predictable perks and cards that do not require any effort to keep an eye on.
When it comes to rewards cards, the rewards you can redeem with points can sometimes be of really high value, allowing you to gain much more than you would by trying to purchase those services or products with cashback money. You might get free miles, hotel stays, tickets for shows, and much more.
Furthermore, a reward card usually boasts generous welcome bonuses and additional promotions, especially when it comes to high-class cards.
The downside to reward cards is that they're very high-maintenance, requiring you to constantly keep an eye on all the rules for accumulating and redeeming points, timed promotions, and so on. Furthermore, rewards cards usually have annual fees, some of which can get very pricey.
The Worth of Rewards Points
There's no easy answer to this question, and figuring out what works for you is crucial. Firstly, you should take a close look into exactly what you can redeem the points for. Are these services you need? For example, if these are miles or hotel stays, they're not worth much to you if you don't fly often.
You should compare the rewards with the annual fee you'll be paying to get a cost/profit calculation suited for your budget. Our advice is not to force yourself to make purchases just to accumulate reward points.
The rewards system works in your favor if you're already dining out or flying frequently, with the rewards being a way to get some value for the money you spend.
Do Dining Cards Suit You?
Finally, we reach the big question of whether or not you need a dining card in the first place. We'll warn you upfront that getting another credit card is a serious financial decision that's not to be taken lightly. It's up to you to estimate whether a dining credit card is worth it. If you're eating out only every now and then, it's probably not worth the hassle and potential cost.
If you are a frequent restaurant-goer, however, you can definitely make use of rewards will usually include benefits for gas, airline ticket and supermarket purchases. Take these into account as well and make a rough estimate of how much value you'll get by using a dining card.
Thankfully, most credit card issuers include calculators where you can see, based on your monthly expenditures, how much you'll be getting in points or cashback.