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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
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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.
- Best for Gas Rewards: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- Best for High Rewards Rate on Everything: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Best for Flexible Rewards: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Best for Travel Rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Best for Everyday Spending: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR20.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
- Sign Up Bonus $0Cash Bonus
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.
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
- Our Rating 4.0/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
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Welcome Bonus
$200Cash Bonus
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.
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
- Our Rating 4/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases
- Annual Fee$0
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Bonus Offer
$200Cash Bonus
$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.
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 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.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$95
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Sign Up Bonus
75,000Capital One Rewards Miles
You can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening, equal to $750 in travel. Dollar Equivalent: $1,350 (75,000 Capital One Rewards Miles * 0.018 base)
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a lot of value to both beginner and expert travelers. The upfront bonus and high ongoing rewards rate aren’t easy to beat, making the card a solid option for a large audience. Where it really shines is with the flexibility of the redemption process, though. You can redeem miles to cover past travel expenses, book travel through Capital One or transfer miles to any of Capital One’s airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Overview
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a lot of value to beginner and expert travelers alike. The card’s big upfront bonus and high ongoing rewards rate aren’t easy to beat, making it a solid option for a large audience. Where it really shines, though, is with the redemption process. When it comes to travel credit cards, it can be really challenging to find a way to use your rewards in the way you want.
With hotel and airline credit cards, for instance, you’re basically stuck redeeming your points or miles with the co-branded hotel or airline partner. And with some general rewards programs, you might get less value if you use your points or miles to book a flight versus a rental car or hotel.
With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, though, you’ll get a lot of flexibility. Here are some of the top redemption options that are available: redeem miles to cover past travel expenses, book travel through Capital One or transfer miles to any of Capital One’s multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Perks
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to premier culinary events, must-see music events and major sporting events
Pros
- Simple rewards and earning structure
- Ability to earn transferable points to use with travel partners
- Relatively modest $95 annual fee
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Cons
- Other travel cards offer higher rewards rates on certain spending categories
Rewards
- 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
Why We Chose It
Travel enthusiasts will love the flexibility they can get with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. The card offers a high rewards rate on every purchase you make, and you can redeem your miles for travel or transfer them to one of the card issuer's airline or hotel partners. It also offers two free visits each year to Capital One lounges and access to expedited airport security screening via up to a $100 statement credit when you use your card to pay the application fees for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
Best For
Consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card if you want to rack up travel rewards on all your purchases.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR20.49% - 29.24% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
Sign Up Bonus
Matched Cash BackExtra Cash Back
SPECIAL OFFER: Unlimited Matched Cash Back. Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned at the end of your first year! There is no limit to how much cash back you can earn.
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 Ultimate Rewards 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.)
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?
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
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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.
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If your Capital One credit card runs on the Visa network, you can use it for any Costco purchase. If it's a Mastercard credit card, you're limited to online purchases.
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Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards are both Visa credit cards and can be used at Costco.
Related Article
Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping (December 2023)
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.
