Credit Card Guides
Best Dining Rewards Credit Cards
Updated on February 26, 2026
When it comes to credit card rewards, there are plenty of cards, each covering its own purpose. However, among the most common categories featured is dining — and why not? Who doesn’t love a family dinner out, date night delight, or a foodie tour of a new town? In turn, there’s no shortage of cards that can reward diners in different ways.
For those looking to earn more rewards while indulging in culinary bliss, let’s take a look at a few delicious options, including cards with and without annual fees.
American Express Gold Card
American Express Gold Card
- Dining Rewards: 4x Membership Rewards at restaurants worldwide (plus multiple dining credits)
- Annual fee: $325
- Current welcome bonus: Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in purchases during your first six months
We’ll start off with a rewarding albeit more premium dining card option: The American Express Gold Card. With this card, you’ll earn 4 Amex Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year). Additionally, if you’re dining in instead, you can earn 4x points at most U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year). Rounding out its rewards lineup, the card also earns 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or via AmexTravel.com and 2x on prepaid hotel bookings made using Amex Travel..
While the $325 annual fee may be intimidating, the Gold Card packs other dining benefits that can help offset that. For one, the card includes a $10 monthly Dining Credit, triggered by purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Next, there’s also a $10 a month Uber credit, which can also be used for Uber Eats orders.
More recently, some other rewarding credits have joined the Gold Card. Now, cardholders can also get up to $100 per year in credits when dining at Resy restaurants. This credit is $50 semi-annually, meaning you’ll have $50 to be used between January and June plus another $50 from July through December. Also, to use this credit, you’ll just need to use your card to pay at a U.S. restaurant featured on the Resy platform (you don’t actually have to make a reservation on Resy).
Lastly, cardholders also get up to $7 a month in statement credits for purchases at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Some warnings here: some Dunkin’ locations that are inside other establishments — such as inside gas stations — may not qualify for this credit.
If you are considering the Amex Gold Card, the welcome bonus might help sweeten the deal. Currently, new cardholders can earn up to 100,000 points when they spend $6,000 on purchases within their first six months of card membership. Note that this is “up to” 100k, so Amex may present you with a different offer, which you can choose to accept or decline before actually submitting your application.
All in all, while the annual fee may give you pause, the rewards and perks certainly are tasty.
Capital One Savor
Capital One Savor
- Dining Rewards: 3% cashback on dining
- Annual fee: $0
- Current welcome bonus: Earn $200 back after spending $500 on purchases within your first 3 months
One of my most-recommended rewards credit cards also happens to be among the best dining cards on the market. Even better: it carries no annual fee.
The Capital One Savor Card (which was previously known as the SavorOne card) not only offers 3% cashback at restaurants but also 3% on groceries. Plus, it earns 3% back on an array of entertainment expenses and 3% on select streaming service purchases. That mix makes it a perfect option for numerous consumers.
To clear up any confusion, while Capital One previously had a card called Savor that had 4% back on dining and carried a $95 annual fee, that product has since been discontinued. In its place, the no-annual-fee option has taken over the moniker — and I personally think this is the better option.
As for a welcome bonus, currently, new cardholders can earn $200 cashback after spending $500 in their first three months. Of course, that’s just a taste of the cashback this card can earn, and I believe you’ll Savor the rewards it has to offer.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Dining Rewards: 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining purchases
- Annual fee: $95
- Current welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Another well-rounded card with a dining emphasis is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. With this card, you’ll earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout orders. In addition to that, the Preferred also earns 5x points on travel purchased through the Chase Travel portal, 3x points on online grocery orders (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), and 2x on travel purchases. As for downsides, the card does have a $95 annual fee.
Moving on to the welcome bonus, right now new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on the card within your first three months. In other words, your appetite for rewards could take you pretty far with the card pick.
U.S. Bank Altitude Go
U.S. Bank Altitude Go
- Dining Rewards: 4x points on dining
- Annual fee: None
- Current welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 90 days.
For our next course, we’ll take a look at the U.S. Bank Altitude Go card. This no-annual-fee option earns an impressive 4x points on dining purchases, including takeout and delivery. It also earns 2x points on grocery purchases (including grocery delivery), streaming service purchases, gas station purchases, and EV charging station purchases. These points can be redeemed for deposits to your U.S. Bank account at a rate of 1¢ each.
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go card also comes with a good portion of points for a welcome bonus. Now, cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus points when they spend $1,000 on the card in their first 90 days. So, when it comes to dining rewards, the sky’s the limit with the Altitude Go card.
Citi Custom Cash
Citi Custom Cash
- Dining Rewards: 5% cash back on dining (up to $500 spent each billing cycle) if dining is your top spending category
- Annual fee: None
- Current welcome bonus: Earn $200 cashback after spending $1,500 on purchases in your first 3 months
Continuing with this sampler platter of picks, let’s get a taste of the Citi Custom Cash card. What makes this card a bit different is that you’ll earn 5% cashback on purchases in your top eligible spending category each month (up to $500 in purchases per cycle). As you can probably guess, one of the eligible categories is restaurants. Meanwhile, if you want to mix it up, other options include gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment. Also notable is that the card has no annual fee.
When it comes to a welcome bonus, new Citi Custom Cash cardholders can earn $200 cashback when they spend $1,500 on their card within their first three months. That may not be the best welcome bonus out there but, nevertheless, this card could be a good choice for those who love having options and earning rewards.
Bilt Obsidian
Bilt Obsidian
- Dining Rewards: 3x points on dining (when you select this option)
- Annual fee: $95
- Current welcome bonus: $200 Bilt Cash upon approval
Recently, what was the Bilt Mastercard issued by Wells Fargo underwent a major overhaul that saw Bilt departing to a new issuer. Moreover, rather than there being one card, Bilt offers three different card options at tiered prices. But the card in this trio I want to call out is the Bilt Obsidian.
With the Bilt Obsidian, you’ll have the choice to earn 3x on dining or 3x on groceries. Either way, you’ll also earn 2x points on travel and 1x on everything else. Note that the Obsidian is Bilt’s mid-tier card, which carries a $95 annual fee.
Of course, what makes Bilt’s cards unique is that they allow you to earn points on rent and now mortgage payments. Granted, the updated point system for this is a bit complicated, but you’ll have the choice to either earn up to 1.25x points on housing payments based on how much non-rent spending you put on the card per month or can redeem Bilt Cash to earn 1x points right away.
Speaking of Bilt Cash, with this card, you’ll earn $200 Bilt Cash upon approval. Plus, if you choose the Bilt Cash housing payments option, you’ll earn 4% back on purchases in the form of Bilt Cash (in addition to your points).
Is this confusing? Yes. Could the Bilt Obsidian still be worth it for diners? Also yes. So, I’d recommend giving it a closer look — especially if you also want the opportunity to earn points on your rent or mortgage payment.
PayPal Debit Card
- Dining Rewards: 5x points on dining (up to $1,000 in purchases per month when you select this option)
- Annual fee: $0
- Current welcome bonus: None
Lastly, I want to shout out not a credit card but a debit card. With the PayPal debit card, you can select an eligible category each month and earn 5% back in that category. And, for as long as I’ve had the card, Restaurants have been one of the monthly options.
It should be noted that this 5% rate is capped at a total of $1,000 in spending per month. Still, that’s a lot of dining! Even better, this rate may stack with some of PayPal’s other offers.
For those reasons, if you’re not in the market for a credit card, then I think this PayPal Debit Card “hack” could serve up some solid cashback.
As you can see, with dining being such a popular rewards category, there’s no shortage of cards to choose from. Ultimately, when it comes to making your pick, you’ll not only want to consider the dining rewards themselves but also the other reward multipliers, additional perks, and any annual fee. So, which dining rewards cards will you be eating up first?
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Other Articles by Kyle Burbank
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