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Kroger Credit Card Review 2026: Is 5x Worth It?
September 11, 2026
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Kroger launched a new cobranded credit card on September 24, 2026, replacing the version that U.S. Bank stopped issuing earlier this year. The headline numbers look strong: up to 5x points on pickup and delivery, 4x at the fuel pumps, up to 3x in store, and no annual fee.
Read the rewards terms, though, and those multipliers mean something different than they appear to. Here is what the card actually earns, how it compares to the Kroger card it replaces, and where it lands next to the grocery cards most people already carry.
What Is the New Kroger Credit Card?
The Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard® is issued by First Bank & Trust, with Imprint running the card program. It carries a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
The advertised earn structure:
- Up to 5x points on pickup and delivery orders
- 4x points at Kroger fuel pumps
- Up to 3x points in Kroger stores
- 2x points on dining, utilities, and travel
- 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases
New cardholders earn a $100 Welcome Bonus after spending $750 outside of Kroger transactions within 90 days of opening the account. The bonus is redeemable toward groceries only, not fuel. The card also includes a complimentary Boost Essential membership, which Kroger prices at $69 per year, and a $10 birthday reward credited within 30 days of your birthday.
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A Kroger card-linked offer is live right now. Up to 10% back on select Chase, Wells Fargo and US Bank cards through October 11. See if you're targeted.
How Do the Rewards Actually Work?
This is the part worth slowing down on.
The Kroger Rewards Program Terms state plainly:
The table below includes the points rate applicable to points earned through the Kroger Rewards Program, Boost Membership, and the Credit Card Rewards Program.
In other words, the advertised 5x, 4x, and 3x are combined totals across three separate programs, not what the credit card earns on its own. A Kroger shopper already earns base loyalty points without any credit card, and the included Boost membership adds its own points on top. The card supplies the remainder.
The practical effect: the in-store rate is the one that suffers most. Anyone with a Kroger Plus card and a Boost membership is already earning most of that 3x before a credit card enters the picture.
Kroger points redeem at 100 points for $1 off groceries, or 100 points for 10 cents per gallon at the pump. At the grocery redemption rate, a point is worth one cent.That one cent per point matters, because it makes the comparison to a cash back card straightforward: 3x points on groceries is worth about 3% back when redeemed for groceries.
Kudos shows you which card in your wallet earns the most at Kroger, in store or online, and auto-activates Kroger card-linked offers when your issuer has one, so you don't need a store card to get the best rate.
Grocery rewards depend on where you shop. Supermarkets, warehouse clubs and supercenters are coded differently. Compare grocery cards by store type.
How Does It Compare to the Old Kroger Card?
Kroger's previous card, also called the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard and issued by U.S. Bank, earned straight cash back:
- 5% cash back on mobile wallet purchases
- 2% cash back on Kroger in-store purchases
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Two differences stand out.
The currency changed. The old card paid cash back. The new one pays Kroger points, redeemable only for groceries or fuel at Kroger. If you leave Kroger, or Kroger leaves your area, the rewards do not follow you.
The 5% was broader. The old card's 5% applied to mobile wallet purchases generally, not only at Kroger. The new card's best rate is tied to Kroger's own digital channels.
The new card adds things the old one did not have: the Boost membership, the birthday reward, and no foreign transaction fee. Whether that trade favors you depends almost entirely on how much of your spending happens inside Kroger.
A naming note: both cards are called the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard. If you are searching for terms or comparing offers, confirm the issuer. The old card is U.S. Bank; the new one is First Bank & Trust.
Thinking about applying? See what a card would actually earn on your real spending before you take the hard inquiry. Test drive a card first.
How Does It Compare to Grocery Cards Like Blue Cash Everyday and Blue Cash Preferred?
Two of the most common grocery cards in a Kudos wallet are Amex's Blue Cash pair.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets, then 1%. It also earns 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% at U.S. gas stations, 3% on transit, and 1% on other eligible purchases. American Express lists a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See Rates & Fees)
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has no annual fee and earns 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%. It also earns 3% on U.S. online retail purchases and 3% at U.S. gas stations, each on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. (See Rates & Fees)
[[ COMPARE_CARD * {"ids": ["24808", "261", "260"], "bestCategoryIds":["17", "18", "19"], "bestForTexts":["Kroger Loyalists", "Heavy Grocery Spending", "No Annual Fee Groceries"]} ]]
Set side by side, the picture is clear enough.
For in-store grocery spending, the Blue Cash Preferred's 6% at U.S. supermarkets is double what the Kroger card's in-store rate is worth at the grocery redemption rate, and that 6% arrives as cash back you can spend anywhere. The Blue Cash Everyday matches the Kroger card's in-store value at 3%, with no annual fee and no requirement to shop at one chain.
Two caveats in Kroger's favor. The Amex supermarket bonus caps at $6,000 per year on both cards, so very heavy grocery spenders will exhaust it. And American Express is not accepted everywhere, though Kroger does accept it.
Where the Kroger card genuinely wins is the fuel pump, at 4x, and the Boost membership, which has real cash value if you already order Kroger delivery.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Who Should Get the New Kroger Card?
The case is narrow but real:
- You order Kroger pickup or delivery regularly. The Boost Essential membership alone is worth $69 a year by Kroger's own pricing, and the digital channel rate is the card's best.
- You fill up at Kroger fuel centers. 4x at the pump is the rate with no obvious equivalent elsewhere.
- You want a no annual fee card and are not trying to optimize spending outside Kroger.
Who Should Skip It?
- You shop in store more than online. The in-store rate is the weakest part of the card once you account for what you already earn without it.
- You want flexible rewards. Points redeem for Kroger groceries or Kroger fuel. That is the whole list.
- You spend meaningfully outside Kroger. Everything else earns 1 point per $1, which is below what a flat rate cash back card returns.
- You already carry a strong grocery card. If you have the Blue Cash Preferred or Blue Cash Everyday, adding the Kroger card mostly buys you the Boost membership at the cost of a hard inquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 5x rate really 5x from the credit card?
No. Kroger's rewards terms state that the advertised rates combine points from the Kroger Rewards Program, the Boost Membership, and the Credit Card Rewards Program. The card contributes part of that total, not all of it.
What are Kroger points worth?
Kroger redeems 100 points for $1 off groceries, or 100 points for 10 cents per gallon of fuel. At the grocery rate that is one cent per point.
Does the welcome bonus work like normal cash back?
Not quite. The $100 Welcome Bonus requires $750 of spending outside Kroger within 90 days, and it can only be redeemed toward eligible Kroger grocery purchases, not fuel.
Can I still get the old Kroger card?
No. U.S. Bank stopped accepting applications for the previous Kroger card earlier in 2026. The new card from First Bank & Trust replaces it.
Is there a foreign transaction fee?
No. The card carries a $0 foreign transaction fee, which the previous Kroger card did not offer.
The Bottom Line
The new Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard® is built for one kind of person: someone who buys groceries and gas from Kroger and does not want to think about it much. For that shopper, the free Boost membership and the fuel rate carry the card. For everyone else, the advertised multipliers do more work in the marketing than in your wallet. The rates bundle three programs together, the points only spend at Kroger, and anything outside the chain earns 1 point per $1. A general grocery card will usually do better, and the rewards will be yours to spend anywhere.
Kudos tracks the cards in your wallet and tells you which one to use at checkout, including at Kroger. Connect your cards and stop guessing.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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