Does Aldi Take Credit Cards? (Types Of Cards + Other FAQs)

Using credit cards in everyday shopping wasn’t always the norm, but retailers got with the program quickly when they realized the sales potential.

Now, credit cards are accepted just about anywhere, and fewer people carry cash than ever before.

That might make you wonder: Does Aldi take credit cards? Perhaps you’ve heard that they don’t or that you can only pay in cash. It’s time to take a deeper look at this question.

Does Aldi Take Credit Cards?

Aldi does take credit cards, including all four major companies: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. While Aldi did not always accept credit cards, they began to do so in 2016 and have continued to expand the accepted forms of payment, including tap-and-go and contactless payment.

Let’s delve even further into this subject, including a breakdown of the types of cards, whether or not Aldi charges a fee for using credit cards, and even if you can get cashback. Read on for more!

What Kind Of Credit Cards Does Aldi Take?

Per Aldi’s website, “We accept several forms of payment including cash, most debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), Link cards, SNAP and contactless pay such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.”

As you can see, the four major types of credit cards out there, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, are all accepted at Aldi.

If you keep reading, you will see that many of the perks and extras associated with using those cards work in conjunction with shopping at Aldi.

Does Aldi Charge A Fee To Use A Credit Card?

As far as my research tells me, Aldi does not charge a fee to use credit cards at their stores.

It’s true some retailers pass the cost of fees onto the customer, but that would go against everything Aldi’s business model stands for (which is to pass on all the savings!).

If you see a fee on your credit card bill, you should call your credit card company to inquire about it.

Can You Use Tap-And-Go Credit Cards At Aldi?

Luckily, Aldi’s point of sale (POS) terminals are outfitted with near-field communication (NFC) technology, meaning that the terminals are capable of picking up both Apple and Google Pay via mobile devices and tap-and-go credit cards.

It’s a super simple process; after the cashier gives you your total, pull your tap-and-go credit card out (or better yet, have it at the ready) and hold it up to the NFC symbol – it looks like a series of parentheticals all facing the same direction: )))).

The reader will automatically detect the presence of a card outfitted with NFC technology. If it’s approved, you’re good to go!

Can You Use Your Credit Cards Via Apple Or Google Pay At Aldi?

Can You Use Your Credit Cards Via Apple Or Google Pay At Aldi?

Apple and Google Pay make it possible to forget your wallet at home and not have to double back for it.

If you have loaded your credit card info onto your Apple or Google Wallet, you can use your mobile device in-store to pay with that card at the register.

Just like with tap-and-go credit cards, you hold your phone up near the NFC symbol and wait for the transaction to go through until approval.

Can You Get Cash Back With Your Credit Card At Aldi?

Users of the Cash Back credit card from Discover often wonder if individual stores will actually give them cash back at the register.

Aldi does indeed participate in the Discover card’s cashback program, and the same rules apply as to their debit card cash back: no more than $100 per transaction, and shoppers can only receive $10, $20, $40 or $100 (no multiples of five).

Does The AMEX Blue Cash Preferred Work At Aldi?

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred program does apply to Aldi purchases. This program, which reimburses users with six percent of their totals based on their supermarket purchases, recognizes Aldi as a supermarket (as it should).

Multiple Redditors confirmed on the r/CreditCards subreddit that their BCP cards gave them six percent of their Aldi purchase totals back.

Can You Use Credit Cards To Shop With Aldi Instacart?

You can absolutely use credit cards to shop at Aldi via Instacart. You simply load your credit card information into the app or desktop website and then choose that card when checking out.

When Did Aldi Start Accepting Credit Cards?

It may seem difficult to believe, but Aldi only began accepting credit cards in March 2016!

Before that, Aldi US stores only took cash or debit cards – and never checks.

While Aldi has never made a formal statement as to why the chain only accepted certain forms of payment until 2016, some bloggers have guessed that it has something to do with the prevalence of cash transactions in Germany, which is where Aldi is based internationally.

Aldi US’s CEO Jason Hart commented at the time of the payment upgrade, stating, “We care about being able to make our customers’ shopping experiences simpler and better…and offering them the convenience of using their credit cards will help us do just that.”

A slightly more cynical reason might be that the company realized they were missing out on revenue by eschewing credit cards and that it might be turning off one of its most important target markets: middle-class and wealthier shoppers.

If you are looking to learn more, you can see our related posts on whether or not Aldi takes Apple Pay, if Aldi does cash back, if Aldi takes EBT, and if Aldi takes checks.

Conclusion

Aldi accepts the four major credit cards on the market, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, and even better, many of the card perks associated with shopping at a grocery store can be applied to Aldi purchases.

If you’re looking to maximize the returns on shopping you have to do anyway, it makes sense to use your credit cards when checking out at Aldi!

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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