Best Credit Cards for Restaurants

As household budgets remained strained, we've put together a list of the Best Restaurant Credit Cards to help foodies save money.

According to the most recent data published by SpendingPulse, research entity of MasterCard Worldwide, Americans spent approximately $392 billion at restaurants annually in 2009. These expenditures account for roughly 34.6% of annual discretionary spending, but there were 0.7% fewer people eating out in 2009 compared to 2008.

Dining Rewards © CreditDonkey

The economic downturn over the past three years has created pent-up demand for dining out and two out of five consumers are not dining out as much as they would reportedly like, according to the National Restaurant Association.

The right restaurant credit card depends on the consumer's individual needs. We compared generous rewards, low interest rates, low fees and helpful benefits to determine the best credit cards for restaurants.

Plus, credit card issuers are serving up sizzling sign-on deals and appetizing benefits.

We recommend the following three types of credit cards for dining out, depending on your needs:

Cash Back

For consumers who like to dine out, earn cash back using restaurant credit cards with cash back.

Discover® Open Road Card 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 19.99%* 2% automatically at gas stations and restaurants all year long* Plus, up to 20% Cashback Bonus at popular online retailers when you shop through Discover.com Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report) 24/7 access to a U.S.-based Account Manager within 60 seconds Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee 0% 0% 10.99% - 19.99% (Variable) $0

Earning cash back is simple and helps consumers save money at restaurants.

Travel

For travelers who dine out frequently, enjoy travel benefits using restaurant credit cards with travel rewards.

Chase Sapphire Preferred℠ Card Limited Time Offer! - Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months- that's $625 toward travel! 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Use 20% fewer points when you redeem for travel. Just book your flight, cruise, or other travel through Ultimate Rewards(SM) No foreign transaction fees Earn a 7% annual points dividend - even on points already redeemed Transfer points you've earned to participating frequent traveler programs at a 1:1 value 24/7 direct access to expert service advisors (No voice recording) No Annual Fee for your first year - A $95 value Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee - - 15.24% (Variable) $95

It's often difficult to prepare your own meals when traveling. Savvy travelers can earn travel rewards toward future trips just by using the right travel credit card while eating out.

Small Business

For small business owners, earn rewards using business credit cards for dining out.

Ink Cash℠ Business Card $250 cash back bonus after you spend $5,000 within 3 months! 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually on office supply store purchases, cellular/landline phone service, and cable services 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually on gas and dining 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn Cash back rewards do not expire 0% Introductory APR for 6 months* No Annual Fee* Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee 0% 0% 13.24% (Variable) $0

Entertaining clients and business lunch expenses can quickly add up. Using the right business rewards credit card allows you to reinvest the rewards into your growing business.

Write to Charles Tran at charles@creditdonkey.com

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Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Discover. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Discover, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Discover. This site may be compensated through Discover Affiliate Program.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Chase. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Chase, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase. This site may be compensated through Chase Affiliate Program.