At Target, the best card is the Target Circle Card: 5% off almost everything in stores and on Target.com, with no annual fee, and the debit version needs no credit check. At Walmart, the best card is now the OnePay CashRewards Card, which pays 5% back at Walmart for Walmart+ members and 3% for everyone else. If you order online from both, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express pays 3% on U.S. online retail, Walmart.com and Target.com included.
Most people’s favorite grocery card does poorly at both stores, and that’s the first thing to understand.
Why don’t grocery cards pay extra at Walmart and Target? #
Card issuers classify purchases by merchant category code, and Walmart and Target code as superstores or discount stores, not supermarkets. A card that pays 6% at U.S. supermarkets, like the Blue Cash Preferred, pays its base 1% at a Walmart Supercenter even when your whole cart is groceries. Costco and Sam’s Club have the same problem as warehouse clubs.
We cover how issuers draw that line in what counts as a grocery store for credit cards. The short version: at these two stores, you want either the store’s own card or a card that doesn’t care about categories.
Which cards pay the most at Walmart and Target? #
| Card | Walmart in store | Walmart.com | Target in store | Target.com | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target Circle Card | Not accepted* | Not accepted* | 5% off | 5% off | $0 |
| OnePay CashRewards | 5% (Walmart+) / 3% | 5% / 3% | 1.5% | 1.5% | $0 |
| Blue Cash Everyday (Amex) | 1% | 3% | 1% | 3% | $0 |
| Flat 2% card | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | $0 |
*The Target Circle Mastercard version, offered by invitation, works anywhere Mastercard is accepted, but its 5% discount applies only at Target.
Target Circle Card: the Target default #
The Target Circle Card, formerly the RedCard, takes 5% off eligible purchases at checkout, in stores and on Target.com. It also gets free standard shipping on Target.com orders with no minimum and 30 extra days for returns. The discount stacks with Target Circle deals.
It comes in three versions: a store credit card, a debit card linked to your checking account, and an invitation-only Mastercard. The perks are the same. Exclusions include Target gift cards, prepaid cards, prescriptions, alcohol, shipping fees and taxes. Details are on Target’s Circle Card page.
It’s the wrong card if you might carry a balance. The credit version’s APR is high, and 5% off doesn’t come close to covering interest.
OnePay CashRewards: the new Walmart card #
Walmart’s old Capital One card is gone. Its replacement, launched in late 2025, is the OnePay CashRewards Card, a Mastercard issued by Synchrony and managed in the OnePay app. Walmart+ members earn 5% back at Walmart, non-members earn 3%, and everyone earns 1.5% elsewhere. Points are worth a cent each and are redeemed through OnePay.
Two cautions. The APR runs from about 21% to over 31% depending on the tier Synchrony approves you for, so it only makes sense if you pay in full. And the 5% rate depends on Walmart+, so if you’d only join for the card, count the membership cost against the extra 2%.
Blue Cash Everyday: best for online orders at both #
Amex pays 3% on U.S. online retail purchases up to $6,000 a year (then 1%), and Walmart.com and Target.com orders count. Orders placed in the app for pickup or delivery are generally charged online too. The same stores in person earn 1%. It also pays 3% at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, each with its own $6,000 cap.
A flat 2% card: best if you want one card #
The Wells Fargo Active Cash and Citi Double Cash pay 2% everywhere with no annual fee. At Walmart or Target that beats most rewards cards, and you never have to think about categories.
What about the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card? #
The Shopper Cash Rewards card let you pick two retailers, including Walmart and Target, for 6% back. U.S. Bank closed it to new applicants on June 22, 2026. Existing cardholders keep their card and their 6% picks.
Does Walmart take Apple Pay now? #
It’s starting to. Walmart announced in August 2026 that it will accept Apple Pay, Google Pay and other tap-to-pay methods, with a state-by-state rollout that began August 24, 2026. Walmart says all Walmart and Sam’s Club stores should accept it by the end of 2026 and its gas stations by mid-2027. Until your store switches over, Walmart Pay in the Walmart app is the phone option. Target already accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay at its registers.
How do you earn more at Walmart and Target? #
Order online for pickup. If you have a card that pays 3% on online retail, placing your order in the app and picking it up in the parking lot usually turns a 1% purchase into a 3% one.
Watch rotating 5% categories. Chase Freedom Flex and Discover it Cash Back sometimes feature superstores, wholesale clubs or digital wallets for a quarter. Check each quarter’s calendar and activate.
Be careful with the gift card trick. Buying Walmart or Target gift cards at a supermarket with a 6% grocery card used to be a popular move. Amex’s rewards terms exclude gift card purchases from earning, so it doesn’t work reliably with Amex cards. Some other issuers don’t exclude them, but read your terms before relying on it.
How do you remember which card to use at each store? #
The mistake that costs the most money isn’t choosing the wrong card. It’s pulling out the wrong one at the register. Credit Card Central has a Which Card? screen that ranks the cards you own for a purchase, using rates it reads from text like “5% at Walmart” or “3% on U.S. online retail” or that you set per category. Add a note to a card and the reminder stays with it. It needs no account and no bank login.
For Costco, which only takes Visa, see the best credit card for Costco. For online orders beyond these two stores, see the best credit cards for online shopping.
Frequently asked questions #
Does Walmart count as a grocery store for credit card rewards? #
For most cards, no. Chase, Amex, Citi and most other issuers classify Walmart and Target as superstores or discount stores, so supermarket bonuses don’t apply. Use a store card, an online retail card for app orders, or a flat 2% card instead.
What happened to the Capital One Walmart card? #
Capital One and Walmart ended their partnership, and Walmart’s new card is the OnePay CashRewards Mastercard issued by Synchrony. It pays 5% at Walmart for Walmart+ members, 3% for others and 1.5% everywhere else.
Is the Target Circle debit card better than the credit card? #
For most shoppers, yes. The debit version gets the same 5% discount, free shipping and extended returns, needs no credit check and can’t run up interest. The credit version makes sense only if you want the purchase protections of a credit card and always pay in full.
What’s the best single card for both Walmart and Target? #
A flat 2% card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash or Citi Double Cash. If most of your shopping at both is online, the Blue Cash Everyday’s 3% on U.S. online retail is better, up to $6,000 a year.
Does Target accept Apple Pay? #
Yes. Target registers accept Apple Pay and Google Pay, and a Target Circle Card added to your phone wallet still gets the 5% discount.