Best Dining Credit Cards 2026
| Card |
Dining Rate |
Annual Fee |
Delivery Included? |
Best For |
| Amex Cobalt |
5x (~5%) |
$156 |
✅ Yes |
Best overall |
| Scotia Gold Amex |
5x dining |
$120 |
❌ No |
Scotiabank users |
| Amex Gold |
3x dining |
$250 |
✅ Yes |
Premium perks |
| TD First Class VI |
3x dining |
$139 |
❌ No |
TD ecosystem |
| CIBC Aventura VI |
2x dining |
$139 |
❌ No |
CIBC customers |
| Tangerine World MC |
2% (category) |
$0 |
❌ |
No-fee option |
| Rogers World Elite MC |
1.5% all |
$0 |
✅ (flat rate) |
Simple no-fee |
Annual Dining Rewards
Based on $500/month dining + $100/month delivery:
| Card |
Dining Earned |
Delivery Earned |
Annual Fee |
Net Value |
| Amex Cobalt |
$300 |
$60 |
$156 |
$204 |
| Scotia Gold Amex |
$300 |
$12 |
$120 |
$192 |
| TD First Class VI |
$180 |
$12 |
$139 |
$53 |
| Tangerine World MC |
$120 |
$12 |
$0 |
$132 |
| Rogers WE MC |
$90 |
$18 |
$0 |
$108 |
Top Picks
Best Overall: Amex Cobalt
| Feature |
Details |
| Annual fee |
$155.88 ($12.99/month) |
| Restaurants |
5x MR-S points |
| Food delivery |
5x (Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes) |
| Groceries |
5x |
| Streaming |
2x |
| Everything else |
1x |
| Welcome bonus |
Up to 30,000 points |
What earns 5x:
- Restaurants (dine-in and takeout)
- Fast food
- Bars and pubs
- Cafés and coffee shops
- Food delivery apps
- Grocery stores
Best for: Anyone who spends on food — it’s the single best food card in Canada.
Best Visa/MC: Scotiabank Gold American Express
| Feature |
Details |
| Annual fee |
$120 |
| Dining |
5x Scene+ points |
| Groceries |
5x |
| Entertainment |
3x |
| Everything else |
1x |
| Welcome bonus |
Up to 40,000 points |
Note: Despite the name, this card is issued on the Amex network. However, Scotiabank also offers a companion Visa/MC for non-Amex merchants.
Best No-Fee: Tangerine World Mastercard
| Feature |
Details |
| Annual fee |
$0 |
| Dining (chosen category) |
2% |
| Two other categories |
2% each |
| Other purchases |
0.5% |
| Income requirement |
$80,000+ |
Strategy: Choose restaurants as one of your three 2% categories.
What Counts as “Dining”?
Usually Included ✅
| Merchant Type |
Examples |
| Full-service restaurants |
The Keg, Milestones, local restaurants |
| Fast food |
McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Subway |
| Cafés & coffee shops |
Starbucks, Second Cup |
| Bars & pubs |
Craft breweries, wine bars |
| Pizza delivery |
Pizza Pizza, Dominos |
May NOT Count ❌
| Merchant Type |
Why |
| Food delivery apps |
Only some cards (Amex Cobalt does, most don’t) |
| Food courts |
May code as mall/retail |
| Restaurants inside hotels |
May code as hotel |
| Catering |
Often codes as specialty services |
| Bakeries |
May code as retail, not restaurant |
Card Pairing Strategy for Foodies
| Purchase |
Best Card |
Rate |
| Restaurants |
Amex Cobalt |
5% |
| Food delivery |
Amex Cobalt |
5% |
| Groceries |
Amex Cobalt / PC WE |
5% / 4.5% |
| Coffee shops |
Amex Cobalt |
5% |
| Non-Amex restaurants |
Scotia Gold Amex or Tangerine |
5% / 2% |
| Everything else |
Rogers WE MC |
1.5% |
Maximizing Dining Rewards
- Always use your dining card — Keep it in the front of your wallet
- Pay the bill for the table — Have friends pay you back to earn more points
- Use delivery apps wisely — Only use Amex Cobalt for delivery (5x), other cards may only give 1x
- Stack with restaurant apps — Use loyalty apps (Tim Hortons, Starbucks) alongside your card
- Check merchant coding — Some restaurants have unexpected merchant codes
Amex Acceptance in Canada
| Concern |
Reality |
| “Not accepted everywhere” |
Most chain restaurants accept Amex |
| Coverage |
~85% of restaurants accept Amex in major cities |
| Strategy |
Carry a backup Visa/MC (Tangerine or Rogers) |
| Food delivery |
Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes all accept Amex |