Food delivery apps — Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes — are now among the largest spending categories for urban Canadians. Choosing the right credit card for delivery orders can earn you 5%–8% back on every meal.
Best Credit Cards for Food Delivery in Canada
| Card | Annual Fee | Deliver App Earn Rate | Effective Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Cobalt Card | $156 | 5x MR on all food & drink | ~7.5% via Aeroplan transfer |
| Scotiabank Gold Amex | $120 | 6x Scene+ on dining | 6% (Scene+ at 1¢/pt) |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | $120 | 5x BMO Rewards on food & dining | ~3.3% (150 pts = $1) |
| TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite | $139 | 3x TD Rewards on dining | ~1.5% via Expedia for TD |
| Tangerine Money-Back Card | $0 | 2% (if “restaurants” chosen) | 2% cash back |
| Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard | $0 | 1.5% everywhere | 1.5% cash back |
Best Card: Amex Cobalt Card
The Amex Cobalt Card is Canada’s top credit card for food delivery — and for good reason. It earns 5x Membership Rewards points on all food and drink purchases, including:
- Uber Eats
- DoorDash
- SkipTheDishes
- Grocery delivery (Instacart, Grocery Gateway)
- Restaurants and bars
- Coffee shops (Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Second Cup)
- Grocery stores
At a transfer value of ~1.5¢ per Aeroplan point (via 1:1 Amex MR → Aeroplan transfer), 5x MR = ~7.5% effective return on food delivery. On $300/month in delivery orders, that is $270/year in Aeroplan value just from this category alone.
Annual fee: $156 ($12.99/month). On $200/month of food spending, the Cobalt earns ~$180/year in Aeroplan points — nearly covering the fee from food alone, before all other spending.
Note: All three major delivery apps (Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes) accept American Express in Canada.
Best for Scene+ Points: Scotiabank Gold Amex
The Scotiabank Gold Amex earns 6x Scene+ on dining, which can include food delivery apps depending on how the merchant codes. At 1¢ per Scene+ point, that is an effective 6% return.
The Scotiabank Gold Amex also has no foreign transaction fee — so if you occasionally order through a US-based food app interface or travel, you won’t pay the 2.5% FX surcharge.
Caveat: Food delivery apps may code as “restaurant/dining” or “online shopping” depending on the order. The 6x rate applies to dining — verify your actual earn on your first few orders by checking your statement.
Best No-Fee Option: Tangerine Money-Back Card
The Tangerine Money-Back Card earns 2% in up to three chosen categories. If you select “restaurants” as one of your categories, food delivery orders that code as dining earn 2% cash back. No annual fee.
Limitation: You only get two categories by default (a third unlocked if you deposit rewards into a Tangerine savings account). If groceries and gas are higher priorities, restaurants might not make the cut.
For occasional delivery users, the Rogers Red World Elite (1.5% flat, no fee) is the simpler choice — no category selection needed.
How Delivery Apps Code on Credit Cards
| App | Typical Merchant Category Code | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats | Eating places & restaurants | Qualifies for dining categories |
| DoorDash | Eating places & restaurants | Qualifies for dining categories |
| SkipTheDishes | Eating places & restaurants | May vary; check your statement |
| Instacart | Grocery stores | Qualifies for grocery categories |
| Grocery Gateway | Grocery stores | Qualifies for grocery categories |
| HelloFresh / meal kits | Grocery stores or direct merchant | May not qualify for dining |
Why this matters: If a card has separate earn rates for “dining” and “groceries,” food delivery apps typically code as dining — not grocery. Grocery delivery apps (Instacart) typically code as grocery.
The Amex Cobalt solves this entirely: it earns 5x on all food and drink (both restaurants/dining and groceries), so it earns 5x regardless of which merchant category the app uses.
Uber Pass and Card Strategy
Uber Pass (now called Uber One in Canada) is a subscription offering free delivery and discounts on Uber Eats orders. At ~$9.99/month, it reduces the per-order cost for frequent users. Amex Cobalt earns 5x on the Uber One subscription payment as well as every Uber Eats order — making it the ideal card for Uber One members.
Worked Example: Annual Value on $250/Month Food Delivery
| Card | Monthly Spend | Earn | Annual Points/Cash | Approx. Annual Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Cobalt (5x MR → Aeroplan) | $250 | 1,250 MR/month | 15,000 MR | ~$225 (at 1.5¢/pt) |
| Scotiabank Gold Amex (6x Scene+) | $250 | 1,500 Scene+/month | 18,000 Scene+ | ~$180 (at 1¢/pt) |
| Tangerine (2% cash back) | $250 | $5/month | — | $60/year |
| Rogers Red (1.5% cash back) | $250 | $3.75/month | — | $45/year |
For heavy food delivery users, the Amex Cobalt delivers dramatically more value than no-fee alternatives.
Related Articles
- Amex Cobalt Card Review
- Scotiabank Gold American Express Review
- Best Dining Credit Cards in Canada
- Best Cash Back Credit Cards in Canada
- How to Maximize Credit Card Rewards in Canada
- American Express Canada — Issuer Hub
Earn rates are subject to change. Delivery app merchant coding may vary. Verify with your card issuer and check your statement. See our Advertiser Disclosure.