The merchant category is not assigned by American Express, it's selected by the store's acquirer, the firm which processes their credit card transactions. If a store is franchised the owner may already have another merchant account for another business, and that coding may be carried over. It's a mistake, but no one is really motivated to fix.

You can see how a specific merchant is categorized by expanding the details of a transaction when it posts on your online account.

The typical Whole Foods and equivalents count (large natural food grocery stores).

But some small natural food stores are half grocery store and half restuarant, and may code as a restaurant. In fact, any store (whether it's natural food or not) that's half one thing and half another may code either way.

And for the ultimate confusing example: Some 7-11's have gas pumps, they tend to code as gas (but no guarantees). But some 7-11's that have never had gas pumps also code as gas, yet other 7-11's code as grocery, and yet other 7-11's code as general merchandise or whatever. Unless you have experience with a particular 7-11, I'd say all bets are off.

I wonder if the Citi AT&T Access More would code InstaCart as online shopping and earn 3x TYP?

Raley's groceries?
 

Let me know if it's impolite to resurrect or hijack this thread. But..
the reason I just got this card was obviously for my 6% cash back on groceries. The majority of my grocery shopping is done at Raley's and I can't find Raley's on the list of grocery stores. Anyone know if Raley's gets the 6%?

It did last time I shopped there.

How have your other purchases coded on previous card statements?

A big grocery store is a supermarket.

A tiny grocery store is not a supermarket.

Ie, a supermarket is a grocery store above a certain size.

That is the colloquial distinction.

Now, how Amex counts that, I dunno.

On my Everyday card, where I get 2x to 2.4x MR on groceries, I don't worry about whether a tiny grocer is a supermarket or not, as long as they code as groceries. Which, btw, some 7-11s do but other 7-11s don't (some 7-11s code as gas instead, whether or not they have gas pumps attached).

On my Everyday card, Ralphs (a Kroger supermarket brand), Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and certain 7-11s all code identically as:
If you have another card, and are not sure whether supermarkets code differently on it than other groceries, I suggest you make a small purchase at a supermarket, a small purchase at a small grocery, and see if there's any difference in the coding after each purchase posts.

I don't see what else it could be. Raley's is pretty much the stereotypical American supermarket. In my experience, chain stores are usually classified properly. It's the mom and pop merchants that sometimes are misclassified for whatever reasons.

In my mind, a supermarket is a grocery store that also sells some general merchandise, such as health and beauty products, magazines, party supplies, etc. A supercenter combines a supermarket with a discount store that sells clothes, housewares, and so on.

For example, Trader Joe's would be a grocery store but not a supermarket.

But recently, the lines are blurring and the best advice is to make a small test purchase to determine how a particular location codes.

It might depend on the card network too. I know that my local Target is classified as a grocery store according to Mastercard, for instance.

I just chatted with an Amex rep stating that Instacart now codes as groceries. Has anyone else heard of this change?

I just placed an order with Instacart using my AmEx. The pending charge does show as "Merchandise & Supplies - Groceries", which is the same as my local supermarket. I have no idea if it will post that way or if it will qualify for any bonus points, but I can send an update once I learn more.

Thanks I appreciate this! I just applied for the EveryDay card and this would be great for me to gain 2x on that.

Even though Total Wine is categorized as "Category: Merchandise & Supplies - Groceries" in the transaction detail, it does NOT qualify either.

Just ordered a few things from Instacart yesterday, posted today and coded as "Category: Merchandise & Supplies - Groceries". Chat couldn't say if it did gain 2x or not, will have to wait until it closes.

After reading T&C, it stated that when you do go to a grocery store, you have to use your physical card and not Apply Pay. Is this true?

So, you are thinking that AmEx actively excludes this merchant chain even though it is in the right category? So strange. Are you sure it is not a month behind for counting the credit?

For my 3% groceries Blue Cash Everyday, this is THE only category that AmEx counts (even though it is like a month late in terms of how it works to calculate the rebate):

Category: Merchandise & Supplies - Groceries

And AmEx is way more inclusive with its classification of groceries compared to Visa/MC MCC in terms of merchants in particular small neighborhood grocery stores. Lastly, my impression was groceries was a lower discount rate versus other retail categories, so it was in the interest of grocery stores of all types to try and be in that category.

The only one that is not counting for me is when I buy via Google Express as Google is the posting merchant.

Rasheed