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Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR20.24% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
Active Costco membership required
- $0 $0Cash Bonus
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card, from our partner Citi, is a must-have for all Costco members. Not only do cardholders earn 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases, but they also earn 3% cash back on restaurant and travel spending and 2% cash back on all other Costco in-store and online purchases.
A Rewarding Cash-Back Card for Costco Die-Hards
If you have a Costco membership, you should know about the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, one of our partners. This cash-back rewards card has no annual fee and is only available if you are a Costco member. It is among the best credit cards for gas purchases. With a 4% cash-back rate on up to $7,000 in annual gas and EV charging purchases, including Costco gas stations, this card saves me more money on fuel spending than any other.
Read more to learn about how this card saves money on gas purchases, as well as other valuable cash-back opportunities.
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
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card is a credit card from 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.
Rewards Rate
As we discussed above, this card features up to 4% cash back on popular purchase categories like gas, EV charging purchases, restaurants and travel. Here’s a rundown on the rewards you get with this card:
- Gas and EV Charging: 4% back ($7,000 annual limit)
- Restaurants and Travel: 3%
- Costco and Costco.com: 2%
- Everything else: 1%
Annual Costco Credit
One unique feature of this cash back rewards card is how you get your cash back. While most cards give you a monthly credit or a credit when you hit a certain rewards level, the Costco Visa offers an annual rewards credit for all of your cash back earned.
Every year after your February statement closes, Citi and Costco add up your rewards and give you a single credit redeemable for cash or merchandise at Costco.
The benefit of this is that you are not tempted to spend your cash back randomly on little purchases throughout the year. The downside is that you have to wait for February or March to roll around to get your annual reward certificate. You also can’t use the certificate as a statement credit to lower your balance.
Annual Fee
The credit card has no annual fee, but it does require a Costco membership that starts at $60 per year. When you have the Costco Anywhere Visa Card, you can use the credit card in place of your membership I.D. card, so it doesn’t add any weight to your wallet.
How to Redeem Rewards
Your reward certificate will come by email if you’re enrolled in paperless billing or by snail mail if you get paper statements. You can also access your certificate through the Citi mobile app if you have it installed.
Take your certificate (or your phone with the certificate pulled up) to the cashier when you check out at Costco. You can ask the cashier for cash back or use the certificate to pay for your purchase. If you use part of the rewards on a purchase, the remainder is given to you in cash at checkout.
Other Benefits
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card has a few additional benefits that add value to the card beyond the cash back rewards. Those include:
No foreign transaction fee: You can use this card anywhere in the world Visa is accepted and you won’t be charged added foreign transaction or currency exchange fees. Most cards charge around 3% extra for foreign purchases.
Damage and theft purchase protection: New purchases made with this card are insured against unintentional damage or theft for up to 120 days. Limits apply.
Alternative Options
With competitive cash back rates on popular gas, restaurant and travel categories, this card is among the best cash-back cards. After factoring in additional bonus rewards for regular Costco shoppers and no annual fee, this card is a clear winner.
Even if it isn’t your primary card, adding the Costco Visa to your wallet can help you earn higher rewards on certain purchase categories where you may have earned less with another card.
While it does work well as a stand-alone card for your everyday spending, it also pairs well with other cash back cards like the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express or Chase Freedom Unlimited® to earn even more on your most common purchases.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is an excellent card that is highly recommended for Costco members who are looking to earn cash back rewards on every purchase. With no annual fee, you can use this card for free as long as you pay it off in full every month by the due date and avoid certain fee-bearing activity.
A good cash back rewards card should put cash back in your pocket where you spend most, and for many Costco members this card does exactly that. If you belong to Costco, you should definitely consider applying for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card.
Ready to apply? Start here.
Eric Rosenberg
Eric Rosenberg is a finance, travel, and technology writer in Ventura, California. He is a former bank manager and corporate finance and accounting professional who left his day job in 2016 to take his online side hustle full-time. He has in depth experience writing about banking, credit cards, investing, business, and other financial topics. When away from the keyboard, Eric enjoys exploring the world and spending time with his wife and little girls. You can connect with him at Personal Profitability or EricRosenberg.com.
