Some grocery credit cards make good additions to the wallet, but the Meijer credit card isn’t one of them. You’ll earn more on groceries with a general rewards card.
Many of us are looking for ways to trim our grocery bills, and for good reason: Americans spent about $5,700 a year on food at home in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While additional rewards on grocery purchases can be helpful, the Meijer credit card unfortunately isn’t up to par, even for Michigan-based retailer loyalists.
The Meijer card, issued by Citibank, earns a rewards rate just a bit more than 1%, but any consumer savings can be quickly negated by the card’s outrageous interest rate.
How does the Meijer Credit Card Work?
For more appealing alternatives, check out our list of best credit cards for groceries, which includes cards that earn up to 6% cash back.
Admittedly, the highest-rate cards do require at least good credit (690+) to qualify, but there are some good options for lower scores too, such as the Citi Double Cash Card.
If your Meijer credit card application is approved, you’ll end up with one of two versions of the card:
- The Meijer Card: A closed-loop card, it can only be used at Meijer grocery stores and gas stations.
- The Meijer Mastercard: As an open-loop card, it can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
A Citi representative confirmed that creditworthiness is a factor in determining which card an applicant receives. Most rewards credit cards provide rewards in the form of certain spending categories.
You might have one card that gets 4x points on dining and another card that gets 3% cash back on gas. The Meijer card simplifies it much more, though this simplicity comes at a price in the form of low rewards.
Do the Meijer Credit Cardholders Get a Reward?
Meijer cardholders earn a $10 reward for every $750 charged on the card, which works out to an earnings rate of 1.33% cash back on purchases.
It’s simple to find a card that rewards more. If you had the Citi Custom Cash Card, for example, you’d get 5% back at grocery stores if that’s your top spending category for the month. (The 5% rate applies to up to $500 in spending per billing cycle; after that, the card rewards 1%.)
Rewards on the Meijer credit card are given in paper or electronic certificates; the first one is good for 60 days from the issue date and the other for 45 days.
Further, those $10 rewards certificates are not redeemable on alcohol, prescriptions, gift cards, home delivery orders, and store pickup orders.
Is there a Signup Bonus on the Meijer Credit Card?
As of February 2024, the Meijer card has a sign-up bonus, albeit a very small one. New cardmembers can earn up to $50 off a Meijer purchase.
They’ll get a $10 discount off the first in-store purchase made within 30 days of account opening and an additional $40 off if that purchase is made by March 2, 2024. There’s no minimum purchase requirement to earn the sign-up bonus.
For a more competitive welcome offer, consider the following one from the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express (annual fee: $0; see rates and fees): Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months.
And the Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases; 1% thereafter. Terms apply.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, visit this page.
What are the Benefits of the Meijer Credit Card?
The Meijer card’s purchase APR was 34.24%, more than 10 percentage points higher than the average APR on interest-charging credit cards in November 2023, according to the Federal Reserve.
That makes it costlier to carry a balance on the Meijer card compared to other cards. To avoid paying interest on any credit card, pay balances in full when possible.
Bottom Line
You’ll get 10 cents off per gallon when you fill up at a Meijer gas station and pay using a Meijer credit card. Those savings aren’t so dull on their own; the Meijer card discount is stackable with points gained by using mPerks, Meijer’s rewards program.
mPerks members earn 10 points for every $1 spent at Meijer stores and 1,000 points for every qualifying prescription filled.
Dollars spent on Net Qualified Purchases using your Meijer Credit Card or Meijer Mastercard Credit Card will be added to your Dollars Spent Balance for earning Rewards in your Reward account online (“Dollars Spent Balance”).
