Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard
U.S. Bank · Mastercard · No annual fee · Earns Kroger Rewards
Being retired: U.S. Bank no longer takes applications and is moving every account to the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa this fall; once a card is converted, these rates end. Until then: 5% back on mobile wallet purchases anywhere (first $3,000/yr, then 1%), a separate 5% on Kroger Pay at Kroger stores (first $3,000/yr, then 2%), 2% at Kroger Family stores otherwise, 1% elsewhere; no fuel-center rewards; points expire after 36 months. Kroger's new Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard, issued by First Bank & Trust from September 30, 2026, is a different card with different rates.
Rates verified August 16, 2026 · Issuer source: krogermastercard.com
Rewards by category
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Everything else | 1x |
Our take
This card only makes sense if a Kroger-family store is your regular grocery run. It earns 2x points in-store across the Kroger Family of Companies, including Fry's, Ralphs, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, QFC and Smith's, with no annual fee eating into that return. Everything else earns the 1x base rate, so households that split groceries across several chains will find the math thin.
The bigger question is keep versus cancel, because the card is closed to new applicants; existing cardholders keep earning, but once you cancel there is no way back in. Two catches temper the headline rate: fuel center purchases earn nothing, and SwipeCaddy's conservative ranking values each Kroger Rewards point at 0.9 cents rather than a full cent, so 2x lands closer to 1.8 percent in practice.
In a small wallet, treat it as a single-purpose grocery card and nothing more. A $100 statement credit after $500 of spending in the first 90 days is the only sweetener, and there are no bonus categories beyond the Kroger family, so pair it with a flat-rate card that covers fuel and everything else. The no-foreign-transaction-fee perk and World Elite Mastercard benefits are nice to have, but they rarely justify reaching for it outside the store.
Store bonuses
- Kroger5x
- Kroger2x
Key benefits
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- World Elite Mastercard benefits
- Redeem points for cash back or Kroger purchases
Common questions
- Does Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard have an annual fee?
- No — Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard has no annual fee.
- What rewards does Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard earn on everything else?
- 1x on all other purchases, in Kroger Rewards.
- Should I keep or cancel the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard?
- If you still shop at a Kroger-family store, yes. The card has no annual fee, so keeping it costs nothing, and existing cardholders continue earning 2x in-store. Because new applications are closed, canceling is a one-way door: you cannot reapply later. Keep it open unless you have genuinely stopped shopping there.
- Do Kroger Rewards points expire?
- Yes. Points expire after 36 months, so a balance you sit on will eventually lapse. The program lets you redeem for cash back or for Kroger purchases, so there is little reason to stockpile. A simple habit works: cash out whatever you have accumulated a couple of times a year.
Rewards details verified recently; issuer terms can change — confirm on the issuer's site before applying. Card names, logos, and the pages we link to belong to their respective owners. SwipeCaddy is not an affiliate and earns no commission from card sign-ups.