How credit card issuers classify travel and dining purchases
Editor's Note
When a rewards credit card offers you a spending bonus for travel or dining expenses, it might not mean what you think it does. Each card issuer applies different criteria to charges that will qualify for these bonuses, and you might not receive the bonus rewards you expected.
In this guide, we'll take a closer look at which travel rewards credit cards offer bonuses for travel and dining purchases and, more importantly, which expenses will qualify for those extra points and miles. Then, we'll offer some tips and tricks to help you maximize your rewards.
Related: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category
American Express
Many popular Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points offer bonuses on different kinds of travel purchases.
Among the most popular is The Platinum Card® from American Express, which offers:
- 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
The American Express® Gold Card offers:
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
- 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com
The American Express® Green Card offers the broadest perk here, as it earns 3 points per dollar on the following travel purchases (including transit):
- Airfare
- Buses
- Campgrounds
- Car rentals
- Cruise reservations
- Ferries
- Hotels
- Parking
- Ride-hailing services
- Subways
- Taxis
- Third-party travel websites (e.g., Orbitz, Expedia and Priceline)
- Tolls
- Tours
- Trains
- Vacation rentals
The information for the Amex Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
When it comes to restaurants, several American Express cards do offer bonuses, but some of the cards only offer the bonus at eligible restaurants. In these cases, the following purchases are excluded:
- At bars, nightclubs and convenience stores
- At a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel, casino or event venue)
- Made through a third-party food delivery service outside the U.S.
In addition, a purchase may not qualify for additional points if the merchant submits the purchase using a mobile or wireless card reader or if you use a mobile or digital wallet.
Amex cards that offer bonuses for each dollar of eligible purchases at restaurants include:
- Amex Gold: 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide
Related: Why the Amex Gold is the perfect 'in-between' card
Barclays
Thankfully, Barclays defines dining expenses simply as charges from restaurants and fast food establishments, with no apparent exclusions.
These Barclays-issued cards offer bonuses on dining:
- Frontier Airlines World Mastercard®: 3 miles per dollar on eligible restaurant purchases
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®: 2 miles per dollar on dining
- JetBlue Plus Card: 2 points per dollar at restaurants
The information for the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard, and JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: An expert's guide to the best Barclays credit cards
Bank of America
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases, and points can be redeemed for statement credits toward travel expenses. Fortunately, Bank of America goes to great lengths to define travel, even disclosing the actual merchant codes that qualify.
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card offers you 2 points per dollar on travel and dining and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Dining includes:
- Drinking establishments, such as bars or taverns
- Restaurants, including fast food
Travel includes:
- Airlines
- Boat rentals
- Buses
- Campgrounds
- Car rental agencies
- Cruise lines
- Ferries
- Hotels
- Limousines
- Motels
- Motor home rentals
- Operators of passenger trains
- Parking lots and garages
- Real estate agents
- Recreational vehicle rentals
- Taxis
- Timeshares
- Tolls and bridge fees
- Tour operators
- Tourist attractions and exhibits like art galleries, amusement parks, carnivals, circuses, aquariums, zoos and the like
- Trailer parks
- Travel agencies
- Truck and trailer rental
Related: The best Bank of America cards
Capital One
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 2 miles per dollar on purchases, and the no-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers 1.25 miles per dollar spent. These miles are worth one cent apiece as statement credits toward travel expenses.
Capital One defines travel expenses as purchases made from:
- Airlines
- Bus lines
- Car rental agencies
- Cruise lines
- Hotels
- Limousine services
- Rail lines
- Taxi cabs
- Timeshares
- Travel agents
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 3% cash back on dining, qualified entertainment purchases, popular streaming services and grocery stores (not including gas stations, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, discount stores and superstores).
Capital One defines qualifying dining purchases as those from:
- Bakeries
- Bars
- Cafes
- Fast food chains
- Lounges
- Restaurants
Related: The best ways to maximize Capital One miles
Chase
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 2 points per dollar on all travel, and 3 points per dollar on dining expenses, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers 3 points per dollar on travel and dining.
By Chase's definition, merchants in the travel category are:
| Qualifying merchants | Ineligible merchants |
|---|---|
| Airlines Buses Campgrounds Car rental agencies Cruise lines Discount travel sites Ferries Hotels Limousines Motels Parking lots and garages Passenger trains Taxis Timeshares Toll bridges and highways Travel agencies | Educational merchants arranging travel Excursions Gift card merchants Inflight goods and services Merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling Merchants within hotels and airports Onboard cruise line goods and services Public campgrounds Real estate agents RV and boat rentals Sightseeing activities Tourist attractions |
For Chase, the dining category includes merchants whose "primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants as well as fine-dining establishments."
Chase adds that "merchants that sell food and drinks located within facilities such as sports stadiums, hotels and casinos, theme parks, grocery and department stores may not be included in this category unless the merchant has set up such purchases to be classified in a restaurant category."
Below are some of the other Chase credit cards that offer bonuses for dining or travel:
- United℠ Explorer Card: 2 miles per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services) and hotels (purchased directly with the hotel)
- United℠ Business Card: 2 miles per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services) and local transit and commuting (including taxicabs, mass transit, tolls, and ride-hailing services)
- World of Hyatt Credit Card: 4 points per dollar on Hyatt purchases and 2 points per dollar on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit, taxi, mass transit, tolls, parking and ride-hailing services and at restaurants
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year on restaurants and gas
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 of combined purchases made annually for travel, shipping, internet, cable, and phone services and advertising with social media and search engines
Related: Sweet spots: The best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Citi
Cards in the Citi ThankYou Rewards program offer some bonuses for travel and dining. The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees) offers 3 points per dollar on air travel, hotels, gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Eligible purchases include:
| Qualifying purchases | Exclusions |
|---|---|
| Bars Cafes Fast food restaurants Lounges Restaurant delivery services Takeout restaurants | Bakeries Caterers Restaurants/cafes inside another business |
Other Citi credit cards that offer dining bonuses include:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: 2 miles per dollar at restaurants
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi (see rates and fees) and Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi (see rates and fees): 3% cash back on restaurant and eligible travel purchases
The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Is Citi ThankYou Rewards the most underappreciated and misunderstood program?
Discover
The Discover it® Miles card earns 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases and allows you to redeem rewards for travel purchases. Discover's definition of travel purchases includes airline tickets, car rentals, commuter transportation, gas stations, hotel rooms, online travel sites, restaurants and travel agents. Nevertheless, any restrictions are moot, as you can redeem your miles for cash anyway.
The information for the Discover it Miles credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Tips and tricks
Watch out for warehouse stores
Many banks will exclude purchases from warehouse stores from eligibility for bonus rewards. These stores negotiate steep discounts on the fees that card issuers charge and the banks really don't want to offer additional rewards when they're already making less money from these transactions.
Be careful with travel agents
In some cases, purchases from travel agents are considered travel, while in others, they're not. For example, most card issuers will classify charges from travel agents as travel; however, some cards only award bonus points on travel that are specifically categorized as flights purchased from the airline or the issuer travel portal. Be sure to know your card's stated policy before purchasing from an online travel agency.
Call to appeal
If you have what you considered an eligible expense that didn't earn a bonus or wasn't eligible for rewards redemption, consider contacting the card issuer and asking for an exception. This won't work every time, but the credit card industry is intensely competitive, and banks have good reason to resolve these issues in your favor.
Be careful outside of the United States
American Express excludes foreign transactions from many bonus categories it offers. While other card issuers are less explicit about it, foreign transactions are also more likely to be incorrectly categorized. As a result, if you have major travel or dining expenses during a trip abroad, be sure to double-check that they have been properly credited when you return. And, of course, be sure to swipe a card with no foreign transaction fees to avoid being hit with the one-two punch of lower rewards and added fees for the purchase.
Bottom line
It's good practice to review a credit card's bonus-earning categories and see which purchases are eligible to earn bonus points versus which purchases are not included.
Based on your spending habits, some credit cards and their strict definition of travel and dining purchases may not allow you to maximize your point-earning potential. Keeping a diverse mix of credit cards in your wallet is a good way to overcome restrictive purchase classifications.
Related: The best credit cards