Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Cards ranked by effective value per dollar spent at Birch Lane.
Rankings are generated by our algorithm based on earn rates, point valuations, fees, and benefits — not paid placement. We don't accept compensation to rank cards higher. How we rank
Ranked by earn rate and redemption value, statement credits minus annual fees (weighted against a typical $30,000/year in total card spend), shopping portal bonuses when we recognize the merchant, matched benefits and promotional earn boosts. The ¢ per dollar column is the reward rate at Grocery Stores, after spend caps. Order can differ from that column because ranking adds the adjustments above.
Citi
Side-by-side view of the ranked picks.
| Card | Grocery Stores Rate | Effective Value | Annual Fee | Fee Offset | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Lane MastercardCiti | 3% cash back | 3.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Bilt Obsidian CardCardless | 3x Bilt Rewards | 6.6¢/$ | $95 | $20 | mastercard |
| American Express Gold CardAmex | 4x Membership Rewards | 6.0¢/$ | $325 | $212 | amex |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase | 3x Ultimate Rewards | 5.4¢/$ | $95 | $110 | visa |
Want to customize by spend amount, programs, or fee preference?
Open in full search with filters →
Cardless
Amex
| SoFi Smart CardSofi | 5x points | 5.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Citi Strata Credit CardCiti | 3x ThankYou Points | 4.8¢/$ | $0 | $150 | mastercard |
| Verizon Visa CardSynchrony | 4% cash back | 4.0¢/$ | $0 | — | visa |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 2x Venture Miles | 3.7¢/$ | $395 | $315 | visa |
| Citi Strata Premier CardCiti | 3x ThankYou Points | 4.8¢/$ | $95 | $50 | mastercard |
| Bilt Palladium CardCardless | 2x Bilt Rewards | 4.4¢/$ | $495 | $200 | mastercard |
