Chase Sapphire Preferred® online grocery benefit explained
Quick insights
- Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3x points on eligible online grocery purchases.
- Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs are excluded from the online grocery category.
- The Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you’ll earn on your groceries can be redeemed for travel, cash back, gift cards and more.
Between meal prepping for the workweek, stocking up on snacks for the kids and grabbing last-minute ingredients for dinner, grocery costs add up quick. If you already order groceries online, you may be missing a chance to earn rewards on spending you would do anyway. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card offers 3x points on eligible online grocery purchases.
What are the benefits of online grocery shopping with the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
The credit card earns three points for every dollar spent on eligible online grocery purchases, or three times the base rate of 1 point per dollar on most other purchases.
Those points are Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a flexible credit card rewards currency that you may redeem for hotels, flights, cruise, vacation homes, activities and more when you book through Chase TravelSM.
Earning points on grocery orders means your everyday spending can work harder for you, especially if you travel often or like to redeem points for flights and hotels.
The credit card also earns 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services. If you split your food spending between cooking at home and ordering in, both categories could help you earn points on more of your meals.
Ways to earn Sapphire Preferred points with online grocery shopping
When you place an order through a grocery store's website or app, or through a grocery delivery platform, the purchase typically codes as an online grocery transaction and earns 3x points.
There are a few common ways cardmembers earn points in this category:
- Grocery delivery orders: Placing an order through a store's app or website for delivery typically earns 3x points when the purchase codes as online grocery.
- Meal kit subscriptions: Services that deliver meal kits may qualify under the online grocery category, which could earn 3x points on each delivery.
- Pickup orders: Some supermarket pickup orders may also code as online grocery, which could earn 3x points as well.
Which purchases qualify for the online grocery benefit?
Not every store that sells groceries qualifies for the 3x rate. Certain retailers are excluded from the online grocery category, including Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs such as Costco and Sam's Club. Purchases at these stores may earn the base rate of 1 point per dollar.
The distinction comes down to merchant category codes, which are labels credit card networks use to identify where a purchase was made. A store must code as an online grocery purchase to earn 3x points. Traditional supermarkets and grocery delivery services typically qualify, while superstores and warehouse clubs generally do not.
Checking how your usual stores code may help you plan your spending, maximize rewards on grocery store purchases and find a grocery credit card for your habits.
Ways to redeem your online grocery rewards
Points earned on online groceries may be redeemed in several ways. Whether you prefer to redeem credit card reward points for travel, cash back or gift cards, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program offers flexible options.
- Travel through Chase Travel℠: Points may be redeemed directly for flights, hotels, rental cars and more.
- Transfer to travel partners: Points may be transferred to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs.
- Cash back: Points may be redeemed as a statement credit or direct deposit into an eligible U.S Chase account.
- Gift cards: Points may also be redeemed for gift cards from a variety of brands.
The best ways to use Chase points often depend on your travel and shopping habits. The value of points can change depending on how you redeem them.
The bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Preferred online grocery benefit offers 3x points on eligible online grocery purchases, which may help rewards add up faster on spending you would do anyway. If you already order groceries online, this benefit may be a natural fit for your rewards strategy.
