Does food delivery count as dining?

It depends on the card. The Amex Cobalt includes food delivery at 5x. Many Visa/Mastercard dining categories do NOT include delivery apps — check your card terms.

What about bars and coffee shops?

Most cards that offer bonus dining rates include bars, pubs, and cafés. Tim Hortons and Starbucks typically code as restaurants/cafés.

Is the Amex Cobalt the best card for dining in Canada?

Yes. The Amex Cobalt earns 5x Membership Rewards points (~5% value) on all restaurants, bars, cafés, and food delivery apps. No other card in Canada matches this rate. The $15.99/month fee ($191.88/year, per americanexpress.com) is easily offset if you spend $250+/month dining out.

Do I need a separate card for groceries and dining?

Not necessarily. The Amex Cobalt earns 5x on both groceries and dining, making it a single-card solution for food-related spending. However, if you want a Visa or Mastercard backup for restaurants that do not accept Amex, pairing it with a Tangerine Mastercard (2% dining category) or Rogers World Elite (1.5% everywhere) covers all bases.

Best Dining & Restaurant Credit Cards in Canada 2026: Earn 3%

Q: What is the best credit card for restaurants in Canada?

The Amex Cobalt earns 5x points (~5%) on all restaurants and food delivery, making it the clear winner. For Visa/Mastercard, the Scotiabank Gold Amex offers 5x on dining.

Best Dining Credit Cards 2026

Annual fees confirmed as of August 2026 — verify current terms directly with each issuer before applying.

Card	Dining Rate	Annual Fee	Delivery Included?	Best For
Amex Cobalt	5x (~5%)	$191.88	✅ 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	$191.88	$168
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	$191.88 ($15.99/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

Frequently asked questions

What is the best credit card for restaurants in Canada? The Amex Cobalt Card earns 5× Membership Rewards on food and drink purchases (including restaurants and food delivery) — the highest earn rate for dining of any Canadian credit card. For those who prefer Mastercard acceptance, the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns 5× on restaurant purchases. For cash back, the Scotiabank Gold Amex earns 6× Scene+ points on dining (equivalent to ~3–4% value depending on redemption).

Does the restaurant bonus apply to food delivery apps in Canada? Yes — most cards that earn bonus points on restaurants also include food delivery services (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Skip The Dishes, SkipTheDishes). Always confirm with the card issuer: some cards restrict the bonus to in-person restaurant charges by merchant category code (MCC 5812/5813), while others include delivery apps.

Are dining credit card rewards worth it in Canada? For people who regularly spend $200–$600+/month on dining and food delivery, a dedicated dining card can earn $150–$400/year in rewards above what a flat-rate card would earn. The key is ensuring you actually use the card consistently in those categories — and that the annual fee is justified by your spending level.