Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® review

Best for earning rewards on Kroger purchases

• Rewards rate: 3X points per $1 spent on Kroger Family brand products, 2X points per $1 spent at Kroger family companies (excluding fuel centers) and 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Welcome offer: New accounts opened by Jan. 15, 2021, get 5 percent cash back on eligible in-store Kroger purchases (up to $2,500 in purchases within the first 90 days)
• Annual fee: $0
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
• Regular APR: 11.99 percent to 23.99 percent variable APR

The Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® offers tiered points geared toward purchases made in Kroger stores and on Kroger-brand products. While the card comes with the benefit of no annual fee and the potential to save big on gas at Kroger-owned gas stations for the first year, the point structure and earning potential are a bit haphazard.

Put simply, if you’re an avid Kroger shopper, this card may be a great fit for your finances. But if your spending is more spread out, the Kroger credit card isn’t terribly compelling.

Kroger Rewards World Mastercard current welcome offer

The current Kroger Rewards World Mastercard bonus (for new accounts opened by Jan. 15, 2021) is 5 percent cash back on up to $2,500 spent on in-store Kroger purchases in the first 90 days after card ownership, provided accounts are open, have available credit and no minimum payment past due.

This card also offers a year-long fuel bonus tied to card ownership—when cardholders redeem at least 100 points at participating Kroger Family fuel centers, they receive 25 cents off per gallon. After the first year, cardholders receive only 5 cents per gallon for points redeemed.

Rewards

This Kroger rewards credit card was previously called the 1-2-3 Rewards Mastercard—and is still referred to as such in some Kroger credit documentation—for its three tiers of reward points.

Earning rewards

You’ll earn 3X points for every dollar spent on Kroger Family brand products in-store, followed by 2X points for every dollar spent at Kroger stores and 1X points on all other purchases.

Strangely enough, cardholders can’t earn reward points by spending money at Kroger fuel stations, but they can use their reward points to get 25 cents off per gallon when they fill up. While this does offer substantial savings at the pump the benefit only lasts for a year, after which the reward rate drops to just 5 cents per gallon.

Redeeming rewards

You don’t actually need to redeem anything, as Kroger sends out reward certificates at least four times a year automatically if you have at least 1,000 Rewards Points.

How much are points worth?

For every 1,000 points redeemed, cardholders get $5 to spend on groceries at Kroger stores. Doing the math, this means that one Kroger point is worth just 0.5 cents; many other rewards cards have substantially higher points values. It’s also worth noting that grocery credit certificates are the only way to redeem rewards for this card.

Kroger Rewards World Mastercard: Benefits

Along with decent grocery reward rates, the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard also offers other benefits.

Potentially low APR

Applicants with solid credit history may be approved for a variable APR that’s less than the industry average at 11.99 percent, while the higher-end 23.99 percent offered by this card remains slightly lower than many competitor cards.

No annual fee

No annual fee means you don’t have to worry about breaking even by spending a certain amount with the card; you’ll be in the black after your very first purchase.

Rates and fees

This Kroger credit card offers no introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers, but it does come with a competitive regular APR and no annual, overdraft protection or foreign transaction fees.

When it comes to balance transfers or cash advances, however, cardholders are on the hook for $10 or 4 percent of the total amount, whichever is greater.

How the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard compares to other rewards cards

As a grocery store-branded credit card, this Kroger card leans heavily on purchases from its grocery store ecosystem to deliver solid reward rates and potential savings. But how does it compare to other grocery store cards?

The Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express lets you earn 6 percent cash back at any U.S. supermarket up to $6,000 in purchases per year, followed by 1 percent, making it easier to spend how and where you want while still earning cash back. Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Meanwhile, the Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories typically include grocery stores each year, as well as superstores that offer grocery delivery and pickup.

Best cards to pair witch the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard

If you’re looking to pair the Kroger Rewards card with other credit offerings, consider an everyday cash back card and true points card that lets you earn and redeem points more easily.

While it makes sense to use your Kroger card at the grocery store or when buying fuel from Kroger-owned businesses, a flat-rate 1.5 percent cash back credit card offers greater utility for other everyday purchases. Additionally, more popular cash back or points and miles cards are great for large purchases and let you redeem for everything from airfare to gift cards.

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 decent rewards for shoppers who prefer the Kroger brand, it can’t compete with cash back and reward credit cards that offer rewards on any grocery purchases rather than store-specific spending. With frustratingly strange fuel benefits and a relatively small cash back welcome offer, this card is outperformed across the board by other credit cards.

The bottom line? While it may be a good fit for loyal Kroger shoppers, it’s not a standout spending option.

Pros

• No annual fee
• Competitive APR
• First-year fuel bonus offers significant savings

Cons

• Value of points is lower than average
• Purchases at Kroger fuel stations don’t earn rewards
• After the first year, gas savings aren’t great

The information about the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.