Yes, Instacart counts as a grocery store for credit card rewards, meaning that purchases made using the third-party delivery service could be eligible for bonus rewards if your credit card offers them on groceries. The best credit cards for groceries give up to 6% cash back on eligible purchases.
Notable Credit Cards That Count Instacart as a Grocery Store
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Instacart provides pickup and delivery services for local grocery stores. To qualify for grocery store bonus rewards, Instacart purchases posted to an eligible rewards card account must be categorized with the merchant category code, or MCC, for “grocery stores” or “supermarkets.” Credit card networks assign retailers a specific merchant category code based on their primary line of business.
Bear in mind, though, that not all Instacart purchases will qualify for bonus rewards, as the credit card networks may not always classify grocery purchases with the appropriate merchant category code. To know for sure if a specific merchant qualifies for bonus rewards, check out a recent billing statement and look for the “Grocery Stores” merchant category code next to each eligible purchase.