Which Chase card for dining?

Updated September 24, 2026 · from RightCard's verified card and merchant data

Chase Sapphire Preferred has the highest verified everyday dining value from Chase in our data: 3x points (about 5.4¢ per dollar toward travel). Chase Sapphire Reserve ties it on value.

Dining is where Chase is deep. Several cards earn 3% or 3x at restaurants. The raw rate often ties, so what decides it is whether you want cash or Ultimate Rewards points, and whether you hold a Sapphire to pool them.

Verified dining rates

Everyday rates only. No limited-time offers, no welcome bonuses. Ranked by value per dollar, not by the biggest multiplier.

Card	Dining	≈ value / $1
Chase Sapphire Preferred	3x points	5.4¢
Chase Sapphire Reserve	3x points	5.4¢
Aeroplan Credit Card	3x miles	3.9¢
Ink Business Cash Credit Card	2x points	3.6¢
Chase Freedom Flex	3%	3¢
Chase Freedom Unlimited	3%	3¢
IHG One Rewards Premier	5x points	2.5¢
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card	2x points	2.4¢

Value column: cash at face value; points at conservative per-program estimates (Chase Ultimate Rewards 1.8¢, Aeroplan 1.3¢, Southwest Rapid Rewards 1.2¢, IHG One Rewards 0.5¢) toward travel. Cash out and most points are worth 1¢ or less. RightCard lets you flip between the two.

The part people miss

The bonus follows the store's merchant code, not the sign on the door. Superstores and warehouse clubs are the common trap for grocery. Hotel restaurants and stadium concessions are the usual traps for dining. When the code does not match, the purchase earns the base rate, and no app can change that.

How RightCard handles this: add your cards and the dining tile on Home shows the one card that wins, including this quarter's rotating bonus and your bank offers. The app is free and private. No bank login. Recommendations are computed on your phone.

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FAQ

Which Chase card is best for dining?

Chase Sapphire Preferred has the highest verified everyday dining value from Chase in our data: 3x points (about 5.4¢ per dollar toward travel). Chase Sapphire Reserve ties it on value.

Freedom Unlimited 3% or Sapphire Preferred 3x for dining?

Same earn rate. If you hold a Sapphire, points from either card can be worth more than 1 cent when redeemed for travel. For cash, they are equal.

Where these numbers come from: RightCard's data pipeline re-checks each card's published rates weekly and lists a rate only after two independent sources agree. Merchant codes come from our merchant directory. If a card or store is missing here, it is because we could not verify it, not because we guessed.

More guides: Costco rewards guide · Walmart rewards guide · Freedom Flex 5% calendar · Best Amex card for groceries · Add every Amex Offer automatically