Redeeming Kroger Rewards Points for Groceries A Smart Idea?

Kroger recently announced an expansion of it Kroger Rewards Program to help customers save money. Previously, Kroger shoppers earned Fuel Points for every dollar spent at Kroger. These points could then be redeemed at Kroger and participating gas stations for discounts at the pump.

Starting June 25, 2026, Kroger Rewards members now have another way to redeem their Kroger Points. In addition to saving money on gas, Points can now be used to save money on groceries.

Kroger touts the new option as a perk for members by giving them another way to use their points that fits their needs.

Is being able to trade your Kroger Points for savings at the register worth it? The truth is… Not always. Here is why redeeming your rewards for gas can still be a better choice.

How the Kroger Rewards Program Works

The Kroger Rewards Program rewards loyal Kroger customers who shop at their over 2,700 grocery stores under dozens of local banner names.

There are two ways to register for the Kroger Rewards membership.

You can sign up for a free digital account on the Kroger website or Kroger app. When you check out, enter your linked phone number as an alternative ID at the register to earn Points.

For those who prefer a physical card, you can stop by the customer service desk and get a Kroger Shoppers Card, also known as the Kroger Plus Card, to scan at checkout.

How to Earn Kroger Rewards Points

Once you are a Kroger member, every time you purchase groceries, purchase qualifying gift cards, or fill a prescription at the pharmacy, you will earn points that can be redeemed for discounts.

You will earn one Point for every $1 spent on grocery purchases at the store or online for pickup or delivery.

You can earn up to 4X Points by clipping digital coupons for certain promotions such as shopping on Friday or purchasing specific gift cards.

Boost members can earn 2X points on purchases with their $8.99 or $12.99 membership.

How to Redeem Kroger Rewards Points

For Gas: You can use your Kroger Points to save money on gas at Kroger fuel stations and participating stations like Shell. For every 100 points, you save 10 cents per gallon up to a maximum of 35 gallons per fill-up. The maximum redemption in a single fill-up is 1000 points for a discount of $1.00 per gallon.

To redeem your points at the gas pump, you can either insert your Kroger Plus Card or enter your phone number on the keypad.

For Groceries: Convert your Kroger Points into grocery savings by redeeming 100 points for $1 off at the register. You can redeem up to 1000 points per day for a maximum of $10 in savings.

To redeem for savings at the register, you must log in to your account on the Kroger website or app and apply the points before going to checkout.

Which is the Better Choice?

To make the math easier, let’s assume you have 1000 Kroger Points. Should you redeem the points for discounts on gas or groceries?

With 1000 Rewards points, you can get a quick $10 off your total grocery purchase. Or you can redeem for $1 off per gallon of gas at Kroger gas stations, up to 35 gallons.

Upon doing the math, you can immediately see that if you purchase more than 10 gallons of gas in one transaction, you will save more money by going with the fuel savings. This makes using the Kroger Points for gas a better option if the following applies:

• You have a Kroger gas station in your area
• You can put at least 10 gallons of gas in your car

Without a local Kroger Fuel Center, you are stuck with redeeming 100 points at a time at a Shell or participating gas station.

If you have access to a Kroger Fuel Center, you will want to maximize the amount of gas pumped when you redeem the Points.

The table below shows the gas tank size for some popular vehicles:

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. You do not want to wait until your car is on “Empty” to get gas since it is not good for the fuel pump, nor do you want to get stranded.

Generally, people who drive large trucks and SUVs have larger fuel tanks and can benefit more from the Kroger Rewards Points.

To get the biggest discount, you can try to purchase the full 35 gallons of gas. This will save you a massive $35 in gas. But how can you do this when even the Ford F-150 with its giant 30-gallon tank is still less than the limit?

By getting 5-gallon gas cans for $20 each at Walmart (or less on Facebook Marketplace) and filling those up too.

I’ve been doing exactly this for over a year now. My car has a 23-gallon tank, and I can put in a little over 17 gallons when it is down to 1/8 tank. Then I use gas cans to max out my fuel savings.

Don’t leave money on the table.

Closing $ense

Kroger expanding their rewards program to groceries is a big plus. You will still come out ahead when using Kroger Reward Points at the gas station if you are able to pump more than 10 gallons of gas in a single fill-up.

The program expansion gives you an additional way to redeem your points if you do not drive, need gas at the moment, or Kroger does not have a fuel center nearby.

The next time you redeem your Kroger Points, do the math and see which option offers you the most savings. If you want to maximize your Points, picking up some extra gas cans can help.

Besides Kroger, you can use the Upside app to save money on gas. With the Upside app, you also get a 15-cent referral bonus for each new Upside user you refer. These new user bonuses stack, and you can use the cash back bonuses for up to 50 gallons of gas.

Another perk of the Upside app is that you can earn cash back for grocery purchases at Kroger!  In my area, Kroger is offering 13% cash back for in-store purchases, up to $15 in total earnings.

Download the Upside app and use the promo code GOODMONEYSENSE to get a $5 signup bonus added to your account on your first use.

What do you think about Kroger adding grocery purchases to the Rewards program? Do you plan to redeem your Kroger Rewards Points for groceries or are you sticking with gas?