Best Credit Card For Drugstore Purchases

According to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics the average American spends $502 on drugs annually (we’re assuming this only includes the legal kind that can be bought at drugstores). Individuals will spend vastly differing amounts depending on their health and what insurance they have available.

Below we’ve listed the best cards for drugstore purchases, along with any limitations these cards might have.

Personal Cards

Huntington Voice, 3% Cash Back, No Annual Fee, $2,000 Per Quarter Limit

The Huntington voice card allows you to pick one 3% cash back category, one of the options is drugstores. There is a limit of $2,000 per quarter.

Bank of America Cash Rewards 3%-5.25% Cash Back, First $2,500 Per Quarter, No Annual Fee

The Bank of America cash rewards card lets you select one category to earn 3% cash back in on the first $2,500 in spend per quarter. This deal becomes better with Bank of America Preferred Rewards program. This lets you earn another 25-75% back, meaning this card can earn up to 5.25% cash back on this category.

VantageWest Credit Union Connect Rewards Credit Card – 5x, No Annual Fee ($15 Joining Fee), $1,500 Limit Per Quarter

Our review

Card lets you choose one category to earn 5x points in. Unfortunately there is a limit of $1,500 per quarter.

Old AmEx Blue Cash 5% Cash Back, After $6,500 In Purchases, No Annual Fee

This card earns at a pathetic 1% rate on all gas, grocery & drug store purchases until you make $6,500 in purchases and then these categories earn at 5%. It also earns 0.5% on all other purchases until the $6,500 is reached and then at 1% on all purchases. It also does not come with an annual fee.

This is most likely going to be the best option for those spending well above $6,500 on these purchases within a year.

Honorable Mentions

Citi Dividend, 5% Cash Back, No Annual Fee, $6,000 Annual Limit

The Citi Dividend has rotating 5% categories that change every quarter. In the first quarter of 2014 the Citi Dividend offered 5% cash back on all drugstore purchases. Unlike the Chase Freedom & Discover it cards this card has an annual limit of $6,000 rather than a quarterly limit of $1,500.

Wells Fargo Cash Back Card, 5% Cash Back, First Six Months Only, No Annual Fee

The Wells Fargo cash back card earns at an impressive 5% on all grocery, gas & drugstore purchases. Unfortunately it only earns at this rate for six months. After this period it earns at a flat 1% on all purchases.

Citizen’s Bank Cashback Platinum Card, 5% Cash Back, First Three Months Only, No Annual Fee

This is similar to the Wells Fargo card listed above, except it only earns at the increased rate for the first three months. The upside is that it also earns 10% on all restaurant & catering purchases.

Cards That Didn’t Make The Cut

We didn’t include any cards that earned at a rate of 3% cash back (or equivalent in miles/points) or less in our main list. We’ve listed other cards that earn at an increased rate on drug store purchases below.

  • Barclay Arrival Plus: 2.2% when redeeming against travel expenses (1% for all other expenses), annual fee of $89 waived first year
  • American Express Fidelity: 2% cash back, no annual fee
  • AAA member rewards: 2% cash back, no annual fee
  • US Bank Cash+: 2% cash back, no annual fee
  • Chase Amazon.com Rewards: 2% cash back, no annual fee
  • Citi Hilton HHonors: 3 points per $1 spent, no annual fee
  • AmEx Hilton HHonors Surpass: 3 points per $1 spent, $75 annual fee

As with all of our “best credit card” series, this is an affiliate link free zone. If we missed any cards that earn at a high rate on drug stores, please let us know in the comments and we will add them.

We’ve compiled a similar list of the best credit cards for different purchases. Please click on one of the links below to view that information:

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11 Comments
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jnw
jnw (@guest_1739640)
November 18, 2023 20:32

Citi Custom Cash 5%. Kroger Credit Card %5 for mobile wallet

Gene
Gene (@guest_1048712)
September 4, 2020 10:00

Will this page be updated to include the new Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited, as well as any other recent updates to the drugstore category?

Froide
Froide (@guest_786066)
July 21, 2019 11:46

You might add Amex Blue Business Plus to the “Cards That Didn’t Make The Cut” list: Earns 2% Member Rewards on all purchases

Also, pharmacy purchases at a drugstore located within a retail store (e.g., Target), a supermarket, or a warehouse club may earn points associated with the host establishment’s merchant code. YMMV

Brandon
Brandon (@guest_708887)
January 19, 2019 21:53

BOA Cash Rewards now lets you choose drug stores as a 3% category. Makes it better than the Huntington Voice card for this category.

Alex
Alex (@guest_701762)
January 7, 2019 15:19

You should add Chase Freedom, which is 5% back at drugstores in Q1 2019.

JDubs
JDubs (@guest_683645)
December 3, 2018 01:11

Drugstores is no longer a 2% option for the US Bank Cash+ card.

Lisa in FL
Lisa in FL (@guest_564037)
February 25, 2018 16:46

The only way a person can get approved for the Vantage West Credit Union rewards card is if the person lives in the state of AZ. If you live in any other state, you will be declined. I know because I tried to get the card (I have excellent credit) but I was declined because I do not live in the state of AZ. It would have been helpful if your website mentioned this little fact. Now, I have an inquiry on my credit report for a card that I couldn’t get. Thanks for nothing. I’m not happy about your article or advice.

Brandon
Brandon (@guest_641055)
September 11, 2018 05:06

They do mention so now. But I would have challenged them to take off the hard pull since geography not credit was the factor. And that they didn’t state that fact on their website.

brteacher
brteacher (@guest_233000)
March 13, 2016 23:52

The Hawaiian Airlines card has 2 points per dollar at CVS. I’ve been buying VGCs from CVS with it.

Beavis
Beavis (@guest_14303)
June 17, 2014 18:48

Does a medical marijuana dispensary count as a drug store?

chuck
chuck (@guest_14258)
June 17, 2014 15:00

Quick note about the Citi $300 annual limit ( I learned this the hard way):
Citi only officially credits your cashback when the statement closes. OK, fairly common.
But listen to this: whichever year the cashback posts, it counts toward that year’s annual limit. So if you make purchases in December 2014, and your statement closes on Jan 1 (or Jan 6, whatever), then the purchases of December will count toward the annual limit of 2015, not 2014.
This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending how you’re trying to leverage the cashback.