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Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® review: a gas-focused grocery store card with limited rewards

While the Mastercard and gas benefits make this card worth looking into, the overall rewards may be too minimal for most.

 /  11 min
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Snapshot

3.6

Bankrate rating
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Rating: 3.6 stars out of 5

Bottom line

The Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® might be a good fit for loyal Kroger customers. You'll earn a high rate with mobile wallet and Kroger Pay purchases up to the annual cap. However, most people can earn much better rewards with other cards, even when shopping at Kroger stores.

Image of Kroger Rewards World Mastercard®

Kroger Rewards World Mastercard®

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3.6
Rating: 3.6 stars out of 5
Bankrate score
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N/A

Intro offer

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1X - 3X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® overview

The Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® is targeted towards frequent Kroger customers, providing significant savings at Kroger stores and fuel centers. While this card earns a competitive rate on Kroger Pay and mobile wallet purchases, the spending is capped annually, limiting its usefulness outside those categories. 

Kroger shoppers can earn a good return on spending up to the annual cap in the bonus categories but can earn better and more consistent rates overall with other cards, particularly on grocery spending. Also, if you don’t have a Kroger store nearby or use Kroger fuel centers, this card won’t offer much value.

  • Credit Card Cash Back

    Rewards

    • 5 percent back on mobile wallet transactions for the first $3,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 percent back 
    • 5 percent back on Kroger Pay transactions for the first $3,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 2 percent back, excluding Kroger fuel centers
    • 2 percent back on purchases inside Kroger stores, excluding Kroger fuel centers
    • 1 percent back on all other purchases

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Rewards

    Welcome offer

    • Save an additional 25¢ per gallon of fuel each time you redeem at least 100 fuel points at Kroger fuel centers for the first year. 

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card Search

    Rates and fees

    • Annual fee: $0
    • Foreign transaction fees: $0
    • Regular APR: 19.24 percent to 29.99 percent variable APR

    Expert Appraisal: Typical
    See our expert analysis

  • Congrats

    Other cardholder perks

    • If you spend $6,000 annually, the 25¢ fuel discount extends until the end of the following calendar year through January 31.
    • Complimentary next-day delivery Boost membership for a year 
    • Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle services
    • Mastercard Global Services, zero fraud liability and Mastercard ID theft protection

    Expert Appraisal: Typical
    See our expert analysis

Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark

    The card has solid earning rates for a no-annual-fee card.

  • Checkmark

    You earn the same boosted rate on both Kroger Pay and mobile wallet purchases with separate spending caps, increasing your earning potential.

  • Checkmark

    The first-year fuel discounts can offer significant savings.

Cons

  • The cap on the highest earning categories is relatively low compared to other cards.

  • Maintaining the fuel discount after the first year requires a high spending requirement.

  • Kroger fuel centers don’t earn rewards, which may confuse some spenders.

How the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® works

This card focuses on spending and redeeming within Kroger stores. You need a minimum of 1,000 points to redeem, which equates to $10 to spend on eligible purchases at Kroger stores. Kroger points are worth one cent each. 

Rewards can be redeemed via Real-Time Rewards or statement credit. However, rewards redeemed as a Kroger gift card have a higher minimum — 2,500 Rewards Points which are worth $25. Rewards expire after 36 months.

The initial yearlong 25¢ fuel discount expires on the following January 31st. Afterward, you will get 5¢ off per gallon of fuel unless you spent at least $6,000 that year, continuing the fuel discount for an additional year.

Fuel Rewards program

When you open this card, you will automatically be enrolled in the Kroger loyalty program, which earns points on your Kroger spending independently from the credit card. These points can be redeemed for fuel at Kroger and Shell locations in 100-point increments at 10 cents off per gallon (35-gallon maximum), but at Kroger fuel centers  you can redeem up to 1,000 fuel points for $1 off per gallon. This is in addition to the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard earnings. However, fuel points don't carry over so you'll need to redeem them before they expire.

Why you might want the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard®

The Kroger Rewards World Mastercard is a great option if you buy groceries at a store within the Kroger family. The rewards rate, welcome offer and low rates and fees make a great return on everyday household expenses. Just remember to pay using Kroger Pay or your mobile wallet to get the most out of this card.

Rewards: Great for mobile wallets and groceries

This card is a great choice for grocery spending with Kroger Pay at Kroger stores and anywhere you can make purchases with a mobile wallet. Now that mobile wallet and Kroger Pay transactions are tracked separately, your cap to max out the 5 percent categories is effectively $6,000 ($3,000 for mobile wallets and $3,000 for Kroger Pay), giving a much greater return on more spending. You can enjoy added flexibility by using your mobile wallet at non-Kroger stores to earn a boosted rate anywhere, including other grocery stores. Plus, maxing out these two categories will maintain the fuel discount for another year.

Welcome offer: Fuel discount gives substantial savings

While the welcome offer differs from most other cards, it offers savings on expenses that most people have — fuel. With fuel prices constantly climbing, the ability to save at least 25¢ per gallon for an entire year adds up, especially if you have multiple drivers. This discount can be continued by spending $6,000 on the card during the year, which shouldn’t be too difficult if you purchase groceries regularly.

Rates and fees: Typical for a no-annual-fee card

This no-annual-fee card doesn’t have an introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers, but it does come with a competitive regular APR and no overdraft protection or foreign transaction fees, so you don't have to worry about added costs if you use this card abroad. Other fees are standard. Balance transfers cost $10 or 4 percent of the total amount, whichever is greater. Cash advances cost $10 or 5 percent of the total amount, whichever is greater. Late fees and returned payments can be up to $41.

Why you might want a different rewards card

While the returns on the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard can be excellent, other cards can match or exceed this card on grocery earnings and offer more benefits. Also if you don’t meet the $6,000 annual spending threshold, your fuel savings dwindle.

Perks: No unique benefits

The perks on this card are decent, but none that stands out from a different card. The travel and emergency benefits are better on most cards that earn better rates on grocery spending. You do receive complimentary Boost membership for one year so you can take advantage of free next-day delivery. Otherwise, the extra benefits aren’t a reason to get this card. 

Spending caps: Low ceilings for top categories limit value

The cap on the bonus categories with this card is lower than similar cards. Earning 5 percent on mobile wallet purchases and Kroger Pay is a strong feature, but a cap of $3,000 per year can be met quickly. After that, the card isn’t very valuable, even when spending at Kroger stores. Two percent back on groceries is weak compared to rival cards. And you'll have to remember to use Kroger Pay or a mobile wallet when shopping at Kroger or else you'll earn the lower rate. Your best bet is to spend to the $3,000 cap in both 5 percent categories, which will also get you to the $6,000 yearly threshold for the fuel discount.

Complexity: Many hoops to jump through

You won't earn the best rates if you don’t use Kroger Pay or a mobile wallet. If you forget or exceed the cap, you’ll only earn 2 percent for Kroger Pay and 1 percent for a mobile wallet. 

On top of that, you'll need to meet the $6,000 yearly spending threshold or you’ll lose the 25¢ fuel discount and only get 5¢ per gallon. If you prefer simplicity, this card might not be the right fit for you.

How the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® compares to other rewards cards

As a grocery store-branded credit card, this card’s primary value comes from purchases within their stores. But other cards may offer more versatility. 

Image of Kroger Rewards World Mastercard®

Kroger Rewards World Mastercard®

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

$100
Info

Rewards rate

1X - 3X
Info

Recommended Credit Score

N/A
Info
Image of Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

5%
Info

Rewards rate

1% - 5%
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Fair to Good (580 – 740)
Info
Image of Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

$200
Info

Rewards rate

1% - 5%
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info

Who is the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® right for?

This card works best for those who will use the card in-store and can pay with Kroger Pay or their mobile wallet. It will also work well for those who can meet the annual limits and keep track of spending caps

Bankrate’s Take — Is the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® worth it?

The Kroger Rewards World Mastercard doesn’t make our list of the best grocery credit cards or best no-annual fee offerings. While the card offers solid returns up to a point for Kroger shoppers, it doesn’t measure up with other rewards credit cards that provide superior rewards on any grocery purchases rather than being limited to Kroger stores. While the fuel benefit can be useful, other cards offer much better welcome offers and consistently exceed the value of this card.

This card can be used as a niche product to help add some extra returns to Kroger spending but has minimal usefulness outside its stores.

How we rated this card

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We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.

Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest). 

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors

Frequently asked questions

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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.