Best credit card to use at Starbucks.
Dining
Starbucks runs about 16,500 U.S. stores plus the Starbucks app, which is itself one of the largest closed-loop payment systems in the country. Whether you pay through the app, with a physical Starbucks card, or directly with a credit card, the underlying Starbucks transaction codes as dining/restaurants on every card we track. Reloading your Starbucks balance via card is the cleanest way to capture the dining bonus on cards that pay 3-5% on dining.
- #1Citi Custom Cashif it’s your top categoryCiti5% on dining if it's your top eligible spend category that cycle (up to $500/month, then 1%)Automatically on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle5%
- #2Discover it Cash Backthis quarterDiscover5% on dining this quarter (Q2 2026) (up to $1,500/quarter, then 1%). Activation required each quarter.Activation required each quarter5%
- #3Discover it for Studentsthis quarterDiscover5% on dining this quarter (Q2 2026) (up to $1,500/quarter, then 1%). Activation required each quarter.Activation required each quarter5%
- #4NHL Discover itthis quarterDiscover5% on dining this quarter (Q2 2026) (up to $1,500/quarter, then 1%). Activation required each quarter.Activation required each quarter5%
- #55%
- #6American Express Business Goldif it’s your top categoryAmerican Express4x points on dining if it's your top eligible spend category that cycle (up to $150,000/year, then 1%)Automatically on your top 2 spending categories each billing cycle from 6 eligible (airfare, U.S. advertising, U.S. gas, U.S. restaurants, U.S. computer/cloud, transit) — combined cap4.8%4x points
- #74.8%4x points
- #8American Express4x points on diningRestaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000/yr combined, then 2x)4.8%4x points
- #9Bilt Obsidianif you select itBilt3x points on dining if you select it as a bonus category (up to $25,000/year, then 1%)Choose dining (default) or groceries as your 3x category annually (cap applies when groceries is selected)4.5%3x points
- #10Bilt3x points on dining (up to $25,000/year, then 1%)Choose dining or groceries as the 3x category4.5%3x points
