Groceries are the one expense category that never stops. Whether you order weekly from BigBasket, do quick top-ups on Blinkit or Zepto, or fill your cart at D-Mart or Reliance Fresh — grocery spending adds up to ₹5,000–₹15,000 per month for most Indian households. A credit card that returns even 5% on groceries saves you ₹3,000–₹9,000 per year without changing your habits.
The challenge? Most cashback cards do not have a dedicated "grocery" category — your returns depend on whether the transaction is classified as online or offline, and which merchant you use. Here are the best credit cards for grocery spending in India for 2026. For a broader comparison, see our complete guide to the best cashback credit cards.
Quick Comparison: Top 7 Grocery Credit Cards
| Card | Grocery Rate | Best For | Cap | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Live+ | 10% | Online + offline grocery | ₹1,000/month (shared with dining) | ₹999 |
| SBI Cashback | 5% (online grocery) | BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart | ₹2,000/cycle (all online) | ₹999 |
| RBL ShopRite | 5% (grocery MCC) | Supermarkets + kirana stores | 1,000 RP/month | ₹500 |
| SBI Card PRIME | 2.5% (grocery category) | Offline supermarkets + dining | Points-based | ₹2,999 |
| Amazon Pay ICICI | 5% (Amazon Fresh, Prime) | Amazon Fresh / Pantry | Uncapped | ₹0 (LTF) |
| YES Bank POP-Club | 10% (online only) | Online grocery (BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto) | No stated monthly cap | ₹399 (waived at ₹1.5L) |
| Tata Neu Infinity | 5% NeuCoins | BigBasket via Tata Neu app | Uncapped | ₹1,499 (waived at ₹3L) |
Best Cards for Online Grocery (BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart)
Online grocery delivery has exploded in India, with platforms like BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, JioMart, and Amazon Fresh competing for your monthly basket. The good news: most of these classify as "online transactions," which means cards with high online cashback rates cover them automatically.
HSBC Live+ — 10% Cashback (Best Rate)
The HSBC Live+ Credit Card offers the highest grocery cashback rate in India at 10%. The rate applies to any merchant whose MCC (Merchant Category Code) falls under groceries — online or offline. BigBasket, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, Reliance Fresh, and neighbourhood supermarkets all qualify.
- 10% cashback on grocery, dining, and food delivery (shared cap)
- 1.5% cashback on all other spends — uncapped
- Monthly cap: ₹1,000 shared across grocery + dining + food delivery
- Annual fee: ₹999 + GST (waived at ₹2L annual spend)
The catch: The ₹1,000 monthly cap is shared between grocery, dining, and food delivery. At 10%, you exhaust the cap at just ₹10,000 of combined spending across these categories. If you also order from Swiggy/Zomato frequently, your grocery cashback ceiling shrinks. Best for households where grocery is the dominant category and dining out is minimal.
SBI Cashback — 5% on All Online Grocery
The SBI Cashback card earns 5% on all online transactions — including BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, JioMart, and Amazon Fresh. Since the card does not distinguish between shopping platforms and grocery apps, your online grocery orders count toward the same 5% rate.
- 5% cashback on all online spends — capped at ₹2,000/cycle
- Annual fee: ₹999 (waived at ₹2L annual spend)
- No merchant restriction — any online grocery platform qualifies
Best for: Families who order groceries online from multiple platforms and also shop on other online stores. The 5% rate is lower than HSBC Live+'s 10%, but the ₹2,000 cap gives more headroom — you can spend up to ₹40,000 online per month before hitting the ceiling.
Amazon Pay ICICI — 5% on Amazon Fresh
If you buy groceries through Amazon Fresh or Amazon Pantry, the Amazon Pay ICICI card gives 5% cashback (for Prime members) with no cap. Since Amazon Fresh orders are treated as regular Amazon purchases, the full 5% rate applies.
- 5% on Amazon Fresh/Pantry (Prime) — uncapped
- Annual fee: ₹0 — lifetime free
Best for: Prime subscribers who already use Amazon Fresh for their weekly grocery needs. The zero annual fee and uncapped cashback make this the most cost-effective grocery card — if you are within the Amazon ecosystem.
YES Bank POP-Club — 10% on Online Grocery Orders
The YES Bank POP-Club Credit Card matches HSBC Live+'s headline rate for online spending: 10 POPcoins per ₹100 (1 POPcoin = ₹1, so an effective 10%) on any online transaction, which covers BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. The catch is that this rate is for online spending specifically — offline supermarket and kirana purchases earn only 2 POPcoins per ₹100 (2%), so this card is a strong pick only if your grocery shopping happens through apps rather than in person.
- 10% effective on online spends, including online grocery apps
- 2% effective on offline spends (supermarkets, kirana stores)
- Annual fee: ₹399 + GST (waived at ₹1.5L annual spend), plus 400 POPcoins on activation that help offset it
Best for: Households that order groceries almost entirely through apps and rarely shop in physical stores — for that pattern, it ties HSBC Live+ on rate without sharing a cap with dining and food delivery.
Tata Neu Infinity — Best for BigBasket Specifically
BigBasket is a Tata-owned company, and the Tata Neu Infinity Credit Card is built to reward spending across the Tata ecosystem — BigBasket, Tata CLiQ, Croma, Titan, and more — with 5% value back in NeuCoins when purchases route through the Tata Neu app. NeuCoins can then be redeemed directly on a future BigBasket order.
- 5% NeuCoins on Tata Neu app purchases, including BigBasket — uncapped
- 1.5% NeuCoins on all other spends
- Annual fee: ₹1,499 (waived at ₹3L annual spend)
Best for: Committed BigBasket shoppers who don't mind routing orders through the Tata Neu app to earn and redeem NeuCoins. The annual fee is higher than the other cards here, so it makes the most sense if you're already spending enough across Tata brands generally (not just BigBasket) to justify it.
Best Cards for Supermarket & Offline Grocery
If you prefer physical supermarkets — D-Mart, Reliance Fresh, Spencer's, Star Bazaar, or your neighbourhood kirana store — you need a card that rewards offline grocery specifically, not just online transactions.
RBL ShopRite — 5% on Grocery MCC
The RBL ShopRite Credit Card is specifically designed for grocery shoppers. It earns 20 Reward Points per ₹100 on grocery merchants (effective 5% value back), both online and offline, based on the merchant's grocery MCC code.
- 5% value back on grocery merchants (20 RP per ₹100; 1 RP = ₹0.25)
- Monthly cap: 1,000 Reward Points (₹250 value) — hit at ₹5,000 grocery spend
- Annual fee: ₹500 + GST (waived at ₹1.5L annual spend)
The limitation: The 1,000 RP/month cap means you max out at just ₹250 in monthly grocery rewards. That is ₹3,000/year — modest, but the card also gives 10% off on BookMyShow and a fuel surcharge waiver. It works best as a dedicated offline grocery card paired with a stronger online card.
SBI Card PRIME — 2.5% on Groceries + Dining
The SBI Card PRIME earns 10 Reward Points per ₹100 (effective 2.5%) on grocery, dining, and department store purchases. The rate is lower than pure grocery cards, but the PRIME bundles it with airport lounge access, ITC hotel benefits, and milestone vouchers.
- 2.5% effective on grocery + dining + department stores
- Annual fee: ₹2,999 (waived at ₹3L annual spend)
- Includes airport lounge access, Priority Pass, and brand vouchers
Best for: Higher spenders who want a single premium card covering grocery, dining, and travel perks. Not ideal if groceries are your only goal — the RBL ShopRite or HSBC Live+ offer better standalone grocery returns.
How Grocery Cashback Adds Up Over a Year
Let us put real numbers on this. Assume a household spends ₹10,000 per month on groceries — ₹7,000 online (BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto) and ₹3,000 offline (supermarket).
| Card | Online Grocery (₹7K/mo) | Offline Grocery (₹3K/mo) | Monthly Return | Annual Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Live+ | ₹700 (10%) | ₹300 (10%) | ₹1,000 (capped) | ₹12,000 |
| SBI Cashback | ₹350 (5%) | ₹30 (1%) | ₹380 | ₹4,560 |
| Amazon Pay ICICI (Fresh) | ₹350 (5%, Amazon only) | ₹30 (1%) | ₹380 | ₹4,560 |
| RBL ShopRite | ₹250 (capped) | — | ₹250 (capped) | ₹3,000 |
| SBI PRIME | ₹175 (2.5%) | ₹75 (2.5%) | ₹250 | ₹3,000 |
| YES Bank POP-Club | ₹700 (10%) | ₹60 (2%) | ₹760 (uncapped) | ₹9,120 |
| Tata Neu Infinity | ₹350 (5%, BigBasket via app) | ₹45 (1.5%) | ₹395 | ₹4,740 |
Key takeaway: At this ₹10,000/month spend level, HSBC Live+ delivers the highest absolute return (₹12,000/year), but only because it stays just under its shared ₹1,000/month cap. If your combined grocery + dining + food delivery spend runs higher, YES Bank POP-Club's 10% online rate has no stated monthly cap and can overtake HSBC once you're past that ceiling — the trade-off is it only pays that rate online, nothing extra offline. The SBI Cashback card remains the safer all-round choice for households that also use the card for other online shopping.
Use the CreditBrain rewards simulator to calculate your exact grocery savings based on your monthly spend and preferred platforms.
The Optimal Grocery Card Strategy
For maximum grocery savings, consider this two-card approach:
- HSBC Live+ for the first ₹10,000/month of grocery + dining — captures the 10% rate until the cap is hit.
- SBI Cashback for overflow — once the HSBC cap is exhausted, switch to SBI Cashback for 5% on remaining online grocery orders.
Alternatively, if you buy all groceries through Amazon Fresh, the Amazon Pay ICICI card (5%, uncapped, free) is the simplest single-card solution.
Browse all cashback credit cards on CreditBrain to find the best fit for your grocery spending pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which credit card gives the best cashback on groceries in India?
The HSBC Live+ Credit Card offers the highest grocery cashback at 10%, applicable on both online and offline grocery purchases. However, the ₹1,000/month cap is shared with dining and food delivery. For a higher cap, the SBI Cashback card offers 5% on all online grocery orders with a ₹2,000/cycle cap.
Does Blinkit/Zepto cashback work with credit cards?
Yes. Both Blinkit and Zepto accept credit card payments. Since these are online transactions, cards like SBI Cashback (5% all online) and HSBC Live+ (10% on grocery MCC) earn cashback on Blinkit and Zepto orders. The Amazon Pay ICICI earns 1% on these platforms (or 2% if paying via Amazon Pay).
Is there a credit card specifically for grocery shopping?
The RBL ShopRite Credit Card is designed specifically for grocery shoppers, offering 5% value back on grocery merchants with a ₹500 annual fee. It works at both online grocery platforms and offline supermarkets based on the merchant's grocery MCC code.
Can I use the SBI Cashback card for BigBasket and Swiggy Instamart?
Yes. The SBI Cashback card earns 5% on all online transactions, which includes BigBasket, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, JioMart, and any other online grocery platform. The 5% rate is capped at ₹2,000 per statement cycle across all online spends.
How much can I save on groceries with a cashback credit card?
A household spending ₹10,000/month on groceries can save ₹3,000–₹12,000 per year depending on the card. The HSBC Live+ at 10% (capped) yields up to ₹12,000/year. The SBI Cashback at 5% on online grocery yields about ₹4,200–₹4,560/year. Even modest savings of ₹3,000/year effectively pay for the card's annual fee and then some.