Most products on this page are from partners who may compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how they appear on the page. However, opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain.

Not all available financial products and offers from all financial institutions have been reviewed by this website.

Costco members can enjoy big savings on bulk products, but if you're planning to pay with a credit card, the wholesale club only accepts Visa at physical locations. What's more, the retailer doesn't fall under the standard grocery or supermarket spending categories, so rewards cards that are generally good for grocery shopping may not be a good fit for Costco purchases.

Fortunately, several Visa credit cards can offer bonus rewards on Costco purchases or a high rewards rate on all your purchases. Here are our top picks for the best credit cards to use at Costco.

Check out the current Costco deals to save more on your regular purchases.

Best Credit Cards for Costco Shopping

Costco shopping carts

Slickdeals

Whether you're buying groceries to feed a lot of mouths or you're just a sucker for the retailer's rotisserie chicken or hot dog combo, these credit cards can be a great way to maximize your Costco purchases. 

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Apply Now

Secure application on issuer’s website

Rates & Fees

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card is a credit card from our partner Citi made exclusively for Costco members. It comes with cash back potential on annual gas and EV charging purchases, on restaurant and travel purchases, and at Costco and Costco.com. With a generous rewards rate for dining, groceries, gas and Costco purchases, this card can add up to big savings.

Overview

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card is a credit card from our partner Citi made exclusively for Costco members. It comes with 4% cash back on up to $7,000 in annual gas and EV charging purchases (and then 1% after), 3% back on restaurant and travel purchases, 2% back at Costco and Costco.com and 1% everywhere else. Aside from the $7,000 caveat, there are no other limits on what you can earn with this card.

Read the review

Pros

  • Generous cash back on gas, restaurants, travel and of course, Costco purchases
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • No sign-up bonus
  • You'll need a Costco membership to apply for the card

Rewards

  • 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging worldwide, including at Costco, for the first $7,000 each year
  • 3% back on restaurants and eligible travel worldwide
  • 2% back on all other purchases at Costco and Costco.com
  • 1% back on all other purchases

Why We Chose It

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, from our partner, Citi, isn't the only card that can give you 2% back on Costco purchases, but its high rewards rate on gas purchases makes it worthwhile for frequent Costco shoppers and fuel purchases. The card also offers solid rewards on dining and travel, though its base rewards rate may leave some cardholders wanting more. Finally, the card can act as your membership card, so you don't need to bring both to the warehouse.

Best For

Consider the Costco Anywhere Visa Card if you shop a lot at Costco and spend a lot on gas, dining and travel.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Apply Now

Secure application on issuer’s website

Rates & Fees
  • Our Rating 4.0/5 How our ratings work Read the review
  • APR20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% (Variable)
  • Annual Fee$0
  • Welcome Bonus $200Cash Bonus More Info

    Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

If you’re a fan of earning cash rewards for your everyday spending, you need a credit card that rewards you for purchases outside of popular bonus categories like travel, grocery stores and gas stations. With the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (Rates and Fees), you earn 2% back for every dollar spent without the fuss of tracking specific bonus categories.

Overview

While many rewards credit cards tempt you with bonus rewards for specific purchases, these cards invariably offer a mere 1% rewards rate on the vast majority of charges that don’t qualify for a bonus. And with many of these cards, the amount of purchases that are eligible for your bonus is capped, restricting the overall potential value.

But with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, you simply receive a high level of cash rewards on purchases. There’s no need to register for anything, and there are no limits on the amount of cash rewards you can earn.

Read the review

Pros

  • Earn an unlimited 2% cash back on every single purchase
  • No annual fee
  • Automatic cellphone protection when you pay your monthly bill with the card

Cons

  • Points don't transfer to travel partners unlike other card currencies
  • No bonus earning categories

Rewards

  • 2% cash back on every purchase

Why We Chose It

The card's 2% rewards rate matches what you can get with the retailer's co-branded credit card, and you'll also earn that rate on every other purchase you make. It also offers a $200 cash rewards welcome bonus after spending $500 in the first three months and a 0% APR promotion for 15 months followed by a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% (Variable) APR, giving you the opportunity to get a lot of value up front. Keep in mind, though, that you won't be able to maximize your rewards on certain spending categories like you can with a tiered rewards card.

Best For

Consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card if you prefer a simple rewards program that doesn't require you to keep track of bonus categories.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card

Apply Now

Secure application on issuer’s website

  • Our Rating 4/5 How our ratings work Read the review
  • APR18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases
  • Annual Fee$0
  • Bonus Offer $200Cash Bonus More Info

    $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is a solid choice for many people who want to maximize their everyday spending. The card is one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market because it provides flexibility with its top rewards bonus category. It’s especially worth considering if you’re a Preferred Rewards member with the card issuer.

Overview

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards card is a good cash back card for people who don’t spend a lot each month. It has flexibility with the 3% cash back on the category of your choice (choose between gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores or home improvement and furnishing), and you can change which one you go with each month. Since it’s a Visa card you can also use it at Costco and get 2% back, which is the rate for wholesale clubs and grocery stores. However, once you’ve spent the quarterly limit of $2,500 in purchases combined between the 3% and 2% categories, you only get 1% back after that.

Read the review

Pros

  • Ample bonus spending categories
  • No annual fee
  • Sign-up bonus

Cons

  • Bonus spending categories capped at $2,500 in combined quarterly purchases

Rewards

  • 3% cash back in a category of your choice from gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores/pharmacies or home improvement/furnishings
  • 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
  • 1% back on all other purchases
  • There's a $2,500 quarterly combined spending cap for the card's 3% and 2% rewards categories

Why We Chose It

If you want a lot of flexibility with your credit card rewards, look no further than the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card. You can earn up to 75% more cashback if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member. That said, check your spending habits to determine how quickly you'll hit the $2,500 quarterly spending limit on bonus rewards. If you're a high spender in the 2% and 3% categories, you might want to consider another card with no cap or a higher limit.

Best For

Preferred Rewards members will get the most value from this card, though it can also be worth considering if you like the idea of picking your top rewards category.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Apply Now

Secure application on issuer’s website

  • Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
  • APR20.49% - 29.24% (Variable)
  • Annual Fee$0
  • Sign Up Bonus 1.5%Extra Cash Back More Info

    Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

We like that the card offers a high flat rewards rate but also provides accelerated rewards on some common everyday spending categories. You’ll also get access to the Chase Travel portal, which allows you to use your cash-back earnings for travel rewards, gift cards and more. If you make this your primary card for most purchases you can quickly rack up a lot of rewards.

Overview

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is unique for a couple of reasons. First, it comes with purchase protection and extended warranty protection you don’t see with some other cash-back cards. Second, you earn cash back in the form of points (Chase Ultimate Rewards) and when paired with another annual-fee earning Chase product, you can get even more value if you love to travel by transferring to partners.

That’s because while the Freedom cards are marketed as cash-back credit cards, they actually offer points. You can use those points to book travel through Chase at a rate of 1 cent per point. But if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll get 25% and 50% more value on those travel redemptions, respectively. (Plus, the ability to transfer your points, too.)

Read the review

Pros

  • No category bonuses to remember; earn at least 1.5% back on everything
  • No annual fee
  • Generous travel and purchase protection benefits

Cons

  • Can't transfer Chase points unless paired with another annual-fee Chase product

Rewards

  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 3% back on drugstore purchases and on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
  • 1.5% back on all other purchases

Why We Chose It

All of the best credit cards for Costco are solid options for everyday spending, but the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers bonus rewards on certain purchases and a high rewards rate on all non-bonus spending. The card also offers a 0% APR promotion for 15 months followed by 20.49% - 29.24% (Variable) APR to new cardholders and flexible redemption options.

Best For

Consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited if you want a solid cash-back credit card for everyday spending without having to deal with a low base rewards rate.

Which Credit Card Is Right for You?

shopping at costco

As you consider the best credit cards to use at Costco, make sure you're also considering rewards rates for other purchases, as well as other card benefits and features and annual fees. Carefully consider these and other top Visa credit cards to determine which card can offer you the most value overall.

Also, keep in mind that the best rewards credit cards are typically reserved for consumers with good credit, which is typically a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. Be sure to review your credit before you apply to evaluate your approval odds.

Check Out Current Costco Deals

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Costco ended its exclusive partnership with American Express in 2016. Currently, the wholesale club doesn't accept Amex credit cards in-store, at the pump or online.

  • Costco has an exclusive partnership with Visa for in-store and gas credit card purchases. That said, you can use a Mastercard debit card for those purchases. Costco also accepts Mastercard credit cards online.

  • Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards are both Visa credit cards and can be used at Costco.

using credit card for online shopping Related Article

Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping (April 2024)

Read More
BL

Ben Luthi

Ben Luthi is a personal finance and travel writer and credit card expert. He has a degree in finance from Brigham Young University and worked in financial planning, banking and auto finance before writing full-time for NerdWallet and Student Loan Hero. Ben is now a full-time freelance writer and enjoys traveling and spending time with his two kids. His work has appeared in several publications, including U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, Money, Success and Slickdeals.