Many grocery stores offer their customers loyalty programs with rewards such as discounts, cash back, points, or free items for purchasing groceries they already need. Details vary from store to store, but these programs can offer big benefits to customers and stores alike.
Everyone is aware that food prices have gone up in recent years, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting an increase of 2.9% from May 2024 to May 2025. Every bit of savings can help. Understanding how these grocery store reward programs work can help you make informed choices before you head for the check out.
Key Points
• Grocery store loyalty programs provide customers with benefits like discounts, cash back, points, or free items in exchange for sharing purchasing data with retailers.
• Rewards include points redeemable for store discounts or gas savings, member-exclusive pricing, digital coupons through apps, and cashback rebates on purchases.
• Savings are the primary advantage, with rewards applied automatically at checkout to lower grocery bills or provide discounts at partner retailers like gas stations.
• Stores use purchasing data to send personalized offers for items customers already buy, and apps provide spending histories to help with monthly budgeting.
• Maximizing benefits involves combining rewards with coupons and sales, while credit card users should pay balances in full monthly to avoid interest charges.
What Are Grocery Store Rewards?
Grocery store rewards are useful for grocery shoppers on a budget. They are targeted benefits that shoppers receive for participating in a loyalty program. In return shoppers typically provide access to data on their purchasing habits, which can be invaluable information for stores.
How Does a Grocery Store Rewards Program Work?
Grocery store rewards programs usually require you to sign up for a card or app by providing personal information, such as your name, phone number, and email address.
To earn and redeem rewards, shoppers are asked to present their card or app when they check out to buy grocery items like eggs or household products, like sponges or dish soap.
Grocery store reward programs offer benefits in both directions. Stores like to use them because they encourage loyalty and repeat visits. They also use these programs to gather data on what their customers are buying, which helps shape marketing campaigns and inventory decisions.
Types of Grocery Store Rewards
Some reward programs such as SoFi Plus Experiences offer entertainment benefits. Grocery store rewards programs try to offer shoppers the chance to earn a number of different benefits linked to food shopping, such as:
• Points: Shoppers may receive points that they can redeem for money off in-store purchases. Some stores may offer points that can be redeemed for discounts on gas at partnering gas stations.
• Discounts: Rewards program members may have access to coupons through a store’s app, for example.
• Members pricing: Certain products may be priced lower for rewards members.
• Cash rewards: Cashback rewards give you a certain percentage of your money back as a rebate when you make purchases.
Benefits of Grocery Store Rewards
The biggest—and perhaps most obvious—benefit of a grocery store rewards programs is savings. Rewards can help you lower your grocery bill or provide points for discounts with other retailers, such as gas stations or pharmacies. Savings are quick and easy, usually applied at the point of checkout.
Other less obvious benefits are connected to the data grocery stores collect on your purchases. This information may allow them to target special offers to you based on your purchasing patterns. This way you receive offers for items that you already buy rather than a collection of random promotions.
Rewards apps often offer purchase histories and savings summaries that allow you to track your spending as well as how much you typically spend on deals. This information can be helpful as you build your monthly budget.
Finally, because grocery store rewards help incentivize you to shop at the store, they can also incentivize eating at home versus eating out regularly. This can be a boon to budget-conscious shoppers, since the cost of eating at home hovers around $4 to $6 per person on average, while dining out can be $15 or more per person.
Recommended: What Are the Average Monthly Expenses for One Person?
Examples of Grocery Store Rewards Program
There are many different rewards programs from major retailers. Some are relatively elaborate. For instance, Kroger, a major grocery store chain, offers a free card with personalized deals, digital coupons, and points that can be redeemed for gas. The retailer offers a paid tier membership which doubles fuel points, offers free grocery delivery, and several free streaming services.
Other rewards programs may be simpler. Publix, for instance, offers digital coupons and notifications for buy-one-get-one sales.
Ways to Earn Grocery Store Rewards
Usually, all you have to do to earn grocery store rewards is sign up for the program and redeem benefits at checkout.
Some retailers offer a paid membership that can unlock further rewards, such as free delivery on purchase over a certain amount, free shipping for online purchases, no-rush returns, or access to a selection of free gifts or exclusive discounts.
Alternatives to Grocery Store Rewards Program
Not all grocery rewards programs operate as in-house benefits. For example, certain bank cards may offer cashback on grocery story purchase. For example, the SoFi Smart Card offers 5% cashback rewards,1 which can add up to hundreds of dollars in annual value, depending on grocery store spending.
Other cards may offer different types of rewards for spending, such as points that can be redeemed for airline tickets or hotel rooms. Some cards may offer higher rewards for spending at grocery stores, while others may not differentiate them from other retailers.
Grocery Store Rewards Tips
To maximize rewards programs use tips that can help you save money on groceries. For instance, make use of coupons and shop sales for items that you already need. If you are using a rewards credit card, pay your bill in full each month. This way you will avoid carrying a balance, which triggers interest payments that could erase the cost savings you gained at the store.
Recommended: Average Grocery Budget for Family of 3
The Takeaway
Whether you’re looking to stretch your budget or pick up extra savings to use toward other financial goals, understanding rewards programs can help you make informed decisions and which programs to sign up for. Ultimately the goal is to maximize your benefits to ensure that you are getting real value from these programs.
FAQ
What are advantages of using a grocery store rewards program?
Grocery store rewards programs can help you save money, allowing you to stretch a grocery budget or secure savings for other financial goals. They can also provide more targeted offers for items that you already buy.
What is the 6-to-1 grocery rule?
The 6-to-1 grocery rule was designed by chef Will Coleman and suggests that when grocery shopping, shoppers buy six vegetables, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two sauces, and one fun item. According to Coleman, this should provide shoppers with cost-effective, versatile ingredients that can be used for a week’s worth of meals.
Is $300 a month good for groceries?
Wondering how much you should spend on food? Your grocery budget will depend on your food preferences, where you shop, and the size of your household. That said, spending $300 a month on food is well below the approximately $504 monthly average Americans spend according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It may be a big enough grocery budget for a single person. However, the grocery budget for a family of five, for example, might need to be much larger.
What is a realistic monthly grocery budget?
The average cost of groceries is $504 a month, according to the BLS. This may serve as an appropriate benchmark. The United State Department of Agriculture provides food budget estimates of around $300 to $500 per month per adult. Costs also vary widely by age, household size, and location. A grocery budget table can help you determine the average cost for your situation.
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15% Cash Back Rewards Program
Earn 5% cash back rewards on eligible grocery store purchases with the SoFi Smart Card. Cash back rewards are issued in the form of SoFi Member Rewards points. Members earn 5 points for every dollar spent on eligible grocery store purchases. SoFi, in its sole discretion, determines grocery store eligibility. Superstores like Walmart and Target, warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club, convenience stores, grocery delivery services, and meal-kit delivery services are not considered grocery stores. This benefit is subject to continued paid SoFi Plus subscription. All terms and conditions applicable to the use of SoFi Member Rewards apply. To learn more about SoFi Member Rewards, please see the SoFi Member Rewards page. No rewards points will be earned with respect to reversed transactions, returned purchases, cash advances, or other similar transactions.
SoFi Plus: SoFi Plus is a premium membership that gives members access to our best rewards, benefits, and more when they pay the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. Between 12/9/25–3/30/26, members with Eligible Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits will receive complimentary access to SoFi Plus. Benefits are subject to change and may not be available to everyone. All terms and conditions applicable to the use of SoFi Plus apply. To learn more about SoFi Plus and available benefits and terms, please see the SoFi Plus page.
*Based on a series of blinded surveys of financial memberships across banking, borrowing, investing, and credit cards. A nationally representative sample of 900 consumers were asked to rank offerings based on the question “Which financial membership brand is most rewarding?” Results as of January 2025. See sofi.com/plus-survey for details. INVESTMENTS AND DIGITAL ASSETS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
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