Best Credit Card for Walgreens in 2026
Walgreens is classified under MCC 5912 (Drug Stores and Pharmacies). The best card for Walgreens purchases is the Sapphire Reserve ($795/yr annual fee), earning 3x on drug stores and pharmacies — an effective return of 6.15%.
Drug stores like Walgreens are a big deal for credit cards with rotating rewards, especially those in the Custom Cash category.
Make sure your Custom Cash category includes drug stores like Walgreens when it rotates each quarter.
Walgreens purchases are classified under MCC 5912 (Drug Stores and Pharmacies).
MCC Details for Walgreens
Best Credit Cards for Walgreens (2026)
How Walgreens Codes on Your Statement
When you pay at Walgreens at their locations, your card issuer sees MCC 5912 in the transaction data. This code tells your bank that the purchase was made at a drug stores and pharmacies merchant. Bonus reward rates on your card apply based on this MCC — not the merchant name itself.
If your card earns bonus points on "drug stores and pharmacies" purchases, Walgreens transactions will qualify — even if your card terms only mention a category name and not Walgreens specifically. The key is that the MCC matches your card's bonus category definition.
You can verify the MCC on any Walgreens transaction by checking your card's mobile app or statement. Some issuers display the merchant category alongside the transaction details. For the most accurate information, contact your card issuer's customer service and ask whether MCC 5912 qualifies for bonus rewards.
Bonus Category Match — Walgreens
About MCC 5912: Drug Stores and Pharmacies
Merchant Category Code 5912 is assigned by card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) to classify businesses in the Drug Stores and Pharmacies industry. Issuers use MCCs to determine which transactions qualify for bonus reward rates. When a merchant is assigned MCC 5912, all qualifying card programs that include drug stores and pharmacies as a bonus category will apply the elevated earn rate.
The Pharmacy industry group encompasses several related MCCs. Not all merchants in a similar business will share the same MCC — for example, a grocery store inside a warehouse club may code as wholesale ({"5300"}) rather than grocery ({"5411"}). Always verify with your issuer if you're unsure whether a specific merchant qualifies for bonus rewards on your card.
Other Drug Stores and Pharmacies merchants: Bartell Drug, Brooks Pharmacy, cardinal health.
What You Could Earn at Walgreens
Spending $200/month at Walgreens with the Sapphire Reserve (3x on drug stores and pharmacies) earns approximately $72/year in rewards. A basic 1% card earns $24 on the same spending. After the $795 annual fee, that is $-723 more per year.
Prefer no annual fee? The Freedom Flex earns 3x at Walgreens merchants, earning $72/year with no annual fee.