Is The Kroger Credit Card Worth It? Here's What You Should Know

When we think of the best items from the Kroger bakery or our favorite store brands, our minds are usually on eating ... we're foodies, after all! And yet, along with the best days to shop at Kroger, our minds sometimes go to the logistics — like how we're going to pay for our supermarket hauls. For that instance, Kroger offers a Kroger Family of Companies Rewards World Elite Mastercard, a long and fussy name for a store card that manages to offer potentially big returns. Users can expect cash back rewards, including 5% on purchases made with their mobile wallets, 2% back at stores under the Kroger umbrella (which is a lot of them), and 1% cash back everywhere else.

Kroger also offers a rewards program on gas from its fuel stations, which currently number over a thousand across 16 states. The gas rewards aren't tied to cardholding, but you are automatically enrolled in the store loyalty program when you get your card. Fuel perks are earned at a rate of one point for every dollar you spend at Kroger, or two points per dollar on gift card purchases. For every 100 points you accumulate, you get 10 cents off per gallon of gas up to 35 gallons. Points accumulate monthly and expire at the end of the month in which they were earned.

Sounds like a lot of potential benefits, right? If you're wondering whether the Kroger credit card is worth it, the answer is an ambivalent "it depends." That's because potential perks are tied largely to whether you pay your credit card statements off in full every month, along with how often you shop at Kroger.

The biggest downside to the Kroger Mastercard is the annual percentage rate (APR). At interest rates between 11.99%-23.99%, those finance charges can add up fast, despite the card itself having no annual fee. This isn't an issue if you pay your balance in full every month, of course. In terms of rewards, the most generous ones will be earned by frequent Kroger shoppers, because non-Kroger purchases get just a "meh" amount of rewards as compared to general cash-back credit cards. Furthermore, there are redemption minimums for rewards earned — you can only claim cash back in $10 statement credits or $25 Kroger gift cards. If you are at Kroger constantly and are exceptionally fiscally responsible, this card may well be worth it. Opening a new line of credit is not a decision to make lightly, though, so weigh the pros and cons of your own situation before applying.

Over on Reddit, a discussion broke out as to whether the Kroger Mastercard was a worthwhile tool, and responses were generally favorable. "Even just getting it for the free annual Boost membership and $3K per year ($150 cash back) of mobile wallet is worth it IMO," one commenter opined. "It's probably the best catch-all card available if most of your spend is already covered by categories," another speculated. Ultimately, if the idea of having a Kroger card in your wallet to cha-ching all your best new Kroger finds is appealing, this may be a good option for you.