The Best Credit Cards For Food Delivery Services Of 2020 – Forbes Advisor

Many restaurants have reopened for outdoor or limited indoor dining and it’s tempting to occasionally go out for a meal. However, as the weather changes, our inclination to hibernate becomes that more pronounced. It’s only a matter of time until you grow tired of cooking or miss having a favorite meal from a nearby restaurant.

Thankfully, there’s a solution. In the years leading up to this crisis, several food delivery services have launched and grown in cities around the U.S. That means that you aren’t necessarily stuck eating your own cooking the whole time you’re following social distancing guidelines.

Even better, as food delivery services battle for dominance in the market, some have teamed up with credit card issuers to provide bonus points, discounts and special benefits to woo potential customers. Let’s review these benefits and show you some of the best credit cards for food delivery services.

Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards for Food Delivery Services

While you may not think that a premium travel rewards credit card would offer many benefits when it comes to food delivery service, you’ll be happy to know that you can rack up travel rewards and save on delivery at the same time with a number of travel rewards credit card options.

New American Express Uber Benefits

American Express has added a benefit that will complement the existing card benefits nicely. The Platinum Card® from American Express, American Express® Gold Card and American Express® Green Card Members have access to a complimentary Eats Pass Membership for up to 12 months. Eats Pass is a monthly subscription through Uber Eats that offers unlimited deliveries with no fee and 5{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} off restaurant orders over $15. Grocery deliveries over $30 in select markets will also have no delivery fee. This is a value of up to $119 (typically $9.99/month). Card Members must enroll by December 31, 2021.

American Express® Gold Card

If you are looking for one of the best credit cards for food delivery services, the American Express Gold Card is an excellent choice. This card earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases, and that includes purchases made with major food delivery services as long as they are coded as a restaurant by American Express.

You can also use this card to earn 4 points per dollar on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 on purchases each year) and 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com when you’re ready to start traveling again. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar. This card has a $250 annual fee (see rates & fees).

In addition, American Express Gold Card cardholders get up to $10 per month in statement credits toward purchases made with food delivery services Grubhub and Seamless or with Boxed, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and participating Shake Shack locations. Between the bonus point earnings and up to $120 per year in statement credits, the Amex Gold Card is an easy choice for food delivery services.

Coming to the American Express Gold card in early 2021 is an additional $10 per month Uber credit, which can also be used on Uber Eats. When you combine this with the Uber Eats Pass you can see the savings add up quickly.

The American Express Platinum Card also offers an Uber credit of $15 per month (plus an extra $20 in December) for a total of $200 per year. However, between the lackluster earnings rate of 1 point per dollar and the high annual fee, the Gold Card is a better choice if food delivery is your main reason for picking up a new card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The next-best reliably-good credit card for food delivery services is the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. This card earns 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining purchases, and that includes major food delivery services.

While the Sapphire Reserve’s $300 annual travel credit may not be useful now, through June 30, 2021, gas station and grocery store purchases will count toward your travel credit. You’ll also earn points on these purchases. While this doesn’t directly benefit food delivery, it does make the card more sensible to hold onto if you aren’t traveling soon.

In 2020 the Chase Sapphire Reserve got even better for DoorDash purchases. Cardholders will get up to $60 in statement credits for purchases made with DoorDash in 2020 and another $60 in statement credits in 2021. Plus, you can link your card to DoorDash to sign up for DashPass for free now through December 31, 2021. DashPass typically costs $9.99 per month and offers free delivery on orders over $12 and reduced DoorDash service fees.

Finally, you can not only see bonuses when you earn with the Sapphire Reserve, you can also pay yourself back at 1.5 cents per Ultimate Rewards point.  This program applies to purchases in select rotating categories.

Best Cash Back Credit Cards for Food Delivery Services

During this time of uncertainty, cash is certainly going to be king for many. Thankfully, there are several credit cards that offer cash back for food delivery service purchases.

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card*

For those looking to maximize cash back across all food delivery services, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card should be your go-to card. This card earns 4{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} cash back on dining and entertainment, and data points show that this includes major meal delivery services like Seamless, Uber Eats, GrubHub, DoorDash and Postmates. This card has a $95 annual fee.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card*

The best return on a no-annual-fee credit card is going to come from the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns 3{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} cash back on entertainment and dining, including food delivery services.

Uber Visa Credit Card* or Apple Card*

If Uber Eats is your food delivery platform of choice, there are a couple of additional no annual fee credit cards to consider. In addition to earning 5{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} cash back (as Uber Cash) on Uber rides, the Uber Visa Credit Card earns 5{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} cash back on Uber Eats purchases. It’s a good option if you already carry the card, however, it is not currently available for new applications. Or you can earn 3{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} cash back on Uber Eats purchases using the Apple Card when you pay via Apple Pay.

Other Credit Cards With Food Delivery Service Benefits

In addition to the cards listed above, there are other credit cards that provide bonus points or benefits only with certain food delivery services.

Citi Prestige® Card*

The Citi Prestige Card card earns 5 ThankYou points per dollar spent at restaurants. While it’s not advertised as earning bonus points on food delivery services, data points show that the card has recently earned 5 points per dollar on DoorDash, GrubHub and Uber Eats purchases.

American Express® Green Card*

The American Express Green Card advertises 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on travel, transit and restaurants. Other purchases earn 1 point per dollar. While this bonus category doesn’t explicitly include meal delivery services, cardmembers have reported that purchases with Uber Eats and GrubHub have earned 3 points per dollar, but Postmates purchases don’t seem to trigger bonus points.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

An honorable mention also goes to The Platinum Card from American Express. One of the marquis benefits of this card is $15 per month in Uber Cash, with a bonus $20 ($35 total) in December. Cardholders stuck at home can use this Uber Cash benefit to pay for Uber Eats purchases.

However, you won’t want to use the card for food delivery service purchases after exhausting this credit as you will only earn 1 Membership Reward point per dollar spent. It also has a high annual fee of $550 (See Rates & Fees), but the fee is offset somewhat by other travel credits as well as those from Uber Eats.

Capital One Venture and VentureOne

From now until April 30, 2021, you can redeem your Venture miles for eligible restaurant delivery, takeout and streaming service purchases. Simply make a purchase, then use your miles to cover the cost within 90 days.

Staying Safe When Using Food Delivery Services

To prevent the continued spread of COVID-19, health departments worldwide implore everyone to maintain physical distance from others. Even if you long for a brief social interaction, you should heed this advice when ordering from food delivery services.

Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub and Seamless now have a new contactless delivery option. Even if you don’t have direct interaction as part of the delivery, it’s still smart to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds between unpacking your food and eating it.

The Platinum Card® from American Express rates & fees.

American Express® Gold Card rates & fees.