Swipe Smart logo

Swipe Smart

Always pick the right card

☕️

Instacart Rewards Guide

12 data points

Top 5 Credit Cards by Earning Rate at Instacart

American ExpressBlue Cash Preferred
6% cash backWith Bonus Earning
CitiCustom Cash
5% cash backWith Bonus Earning
BancorpPayPal Debit Card
5% cash back
U.S. BankCash+ Visa Signature
5% cash backWith Bonus Earning
American ExpressGold Card
4X Membership Rewards points

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Bank & Card

USA flag

Citi Custom Cash

Date

2026-03-14

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

50 USD5% Cash Back (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

2.5 USD

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Bank & Card

USA flag

Bancorp PayPal Debit Cardvia PayPal logoPayPal

Date

2025-09-27fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

🌐

Online Purchase

https://www.instacart.com

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD5% Cash Back

Rewards

5 USD

Instacart

USA

Grocery Stores

Date

2025-09-10

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

24.18 USD3X

Rewards

72.54 Marriott Bonvoy Points

Instacart

USA

Online Shopping

Date

2025-05-18fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD3% Cash Back

Rewards

3 USD

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-05-18fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD6% Cash Back (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

6 USD

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-05-18fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD5% Cash Back (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

5 USD

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-05-18fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD5% Cash Back (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

5 USD

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-04-22fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

🌐

Online Purchase

https://www.instacart.com

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD4X

Rewards

400 Membership Rewards Points

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-04-22fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

🌐

Online Purchase

https://www.instacart.com

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD5% (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

5 Cash

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-04-22fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD5% (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

5 Cash

Instacart

USA

Grocery

Date

2025-04-22fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD5% (With Bonus Earning)

Rewards

5 Cash

Instacart

USA

Supermarkets

Date

2025-01-02fromRedditReddit↗

Giftcard Purchased

No

Purchase Type

📱

App Purchase

Reward Details

Amount

Earning Rate

100 USD4X

Rewards

400 Membership Rewards Points

Quick Rewards Guide for Instacart

💡 Top Performing Card: The community-verified best credit card for Instacart purchases is the American Express Blue Cash Preferred. Transactions on this card consistently earn 6% cash back (With Bonus Earning) by coding in the "Grocery" category.

🔍 Merchant Category Coding (MCC): Instacart transactions most frequently code as "Grocery" (or sometimes "Grocery Stores / Online Shopping / Supermarkets"). Ensure your chosen card offers high multiplier rewards for this category to maximize your cash back or travel points.

💳 Maximize Online & App Bookings: For online or mobile app purchases at Instacart, checkout options like PayPal, Apple Pay, or purchasing digital gift cards can sometimes trigger alternative bonus categories (like 5% quarterly rotating categories) that outperform standard card multipliers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:What category does Instacart code as on credit cards?

Based on community data points, Instacart transactions primarily code under the "Grocery" category. However, coding can vary depending on whether the purchase is made online, through a third-party gateway, or via an app.

Q:Which credit card is best to use at Instacart?

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred is highly recommended, as it has been verified to earn 6% cash back (With Bonus Earning) on Instacart. Any card offering 3% or more cash back (or 3x points) on "Grocery" purchases will also deliver excellent value.

Q:Does Instacart code differently depending on the card network?

Yes, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover maintain separate merchant category databases. While Instacart usually codes as "Grocery" consistently, international purchases or transactions paid through digital wallets may experience slight category variations.