How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Instacart?

We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Instacart's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.

Does Instacart count as a grocery purchase for card rewards?

Yes. Instacart codes as a grocery store (MCC 5411), so US supermarket bonuses apply — the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns its 6% there, on up to $6,000 a year. The quirk cuts your way at Costco too: a Costco order placed through Instacart earns grocery rates even though Costco's own registers would not code that way.

Best cards at Instacart

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns the most at Instacart right now at 6%.

Rankings use issuer rates verified as of September 16, 2026.

In store

1
#16%
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express · Amex · ≈5.17% after the cap · $95/yr · up to $6,000/yr
6%
2
#25%
AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card
Bread Financial · Visa · No annual fee · up to $10,000/yr (combined)
5%
3
#35%
Instacart Mastercard
Chase · Mastercard · ≈4.33% after the cap · No annual fee · up to $6,000/yr
5%
4
#44x
American Express Gold Card
American Express · Amex · $325/yr · up to $25,000/yr
4x
5
#53x
Aeroplan Card
Chase · Mastercard · $195/yr
3x
6
#64x
Verizon Visa Card
Synchrony · Visa · No annual fee
4x
7
#73%
AAA Travel Advantage Visa Signature Card
Bread Financial · Visa · No annual fee
3%
8
#83%
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards (formerly SavorOne)
Capital One · Mastercard · No annual fee
3%
9
#93x
Huntington Voice Rewards Credit Card
Huntington · Mastercard · No annual fee · Choose this category · up to $2,000/qtr (combined)
3x
10
#103x
Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card
Navy Federal · Amex · No annual fee
3x

Online

Good to know at Instacart

The headline at Instacart is an unusual one: the merchant's own card loses at its own register. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year, which blends to about 5.17% at our assumed grocery spend — ahead of the Instacart Mastercard, whose 5% on Instacart orders blends to about 4.33% under the same cap. Same $6,000 ceiling, different rate; that is honest math, and it is why the general grocery card leads.

Grocery cards compete here at all because Instacart codes as a grocery store (MCC 5411), so supermarket bonuses apply to every order. That produces a genuinely useful quirk: a Costco order placed through Instacart earns grocery rates, even though Costco's own registers would not code that way. It is also why the American Express Gold Card ranks third with 4x at US supermarkets — the points arrive the same on a delivery order as in the aisle.

The fee math still deserves a look. The Blue Cash Preferred carries a $95 annual fee, so it needs real grocery volume to stay ahead; the Instacart Mastercard has no annual fee and adds a one-time $50 credit on approval — a nice sweetener even if the ongoing rate trails. One caveat on its cap: the $6,000 runs on a statement-cycle year, not a calendar year, so it does not reset on January 1. The practical play: put Instacart orders on the Blue Cash Preferred until its cap is spent, then let the Gold Card's 4x pick up the slack.

The math

Spend $600 a month at Instacart and Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express returns about $372 a year at our valuations — a flat 2% card returns $144.

Common questions

What is the best credit card at Instacart?: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns the most at Instacart right now at 6%.
How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Instacart?: We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Instacart's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.
Does Instacart count as a grocery purchase for card rewards?: Yes. Instacart codes as a grocery store (MCC 5411), so US supermarket bonuses apply — the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns its 6% there, on up to $6,000 a year. The quirk cuts your way at Costco too: a Costco order placed through Instacart earns grocery rates even though Costco's own registers would not code that way.
Is the Instacart Mastercard worth it for Instacart orders?: It is a solid no-annual-fee option: 5% on Instacart up to $6,000 per statement-cycle year, blending to about 4.33%, plus a one-time $50 credit at approval. But the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express beats it at the same register — 6% at US supermarkets under the same $6,000 cap works out to roughly 5.17%, provided its $95 annual fee fits your spending.

Rates reflect each card's best case at this merchant and can change; check the issuer's terms before applying.