Best credit card to use at Costco
Costco purchases fall under wholesale clubs. Here are the cards that earn the most there, ranked from live reward data. CashCatch checks your own wallet in a tap.
Top cards at Costco
- 12%Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card2% base (everything else)No annual fee
- 22%Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card2x pts base (everything else)$95/yr annual fee
- 32%Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card2x pts base (everything else)$95/yr annual fee
- 42%Capital One Venture X Business2x pts base (everything else)$395/yr annual fee
- 52%Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card2x pts base (everything else)$395/yr annual fee
- 61.5%Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card1.5% base (everything else)No annual fee
Not usable at Costco: American Express® Gold Card, American Express Platinum Card®, Apple Card, Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, Chase Freedom Flex®, Citi Double Cash® Card, Citi Strata℠ Card, Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, Citi Strata Premier® Card, Discover it® Cash Back, Discover it® Student Chrome, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, PayPal Cashback Mastercard®, Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® (wrong network).
Rates come from our live dataset and can change. Always verify with the card issuer before you rely on a number.
How to earn the most at Costco
Wholesale clubs work differently from ordinary retailers. Shopping at Costco generally requires a paid membership, and despite the groceries on the shelves, clubs are usually excluded from grocery bonuses because they code as warehouse or general retail. Some clubs also limit which card networks they accept at the register, so a card that is otherwise ideal may not be usable in store even when it would work online. Fuel centers attached to Costco are commonly excluded from gas bonuses for the same coding reasons.
Picking a card for Costco means weighing acceptance first, then rewards. Confirm which networks Costco accepts in store, since that can rule out otherwise strong cards, and remember that online acceptance is sometimes broader than at the register. A flat everyday card frequently wins at a club because the specialized grocery and gas bonuses usually do not apply. A club's own co-branded card can also reward spending there. Acceptance rules and rates change, so the ranking above reflects current data.
Costco cashback FAQ
What is the best credit card to use at Costco?
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card tops the list for Costco, earning 2% here (2% base (everything else)). But the best card is whichever one in your own wallet earns the most on wholesale clubs, which is exactly what CashCatch checks for you in a tap.
Does Costco accept all credit cards?
Costco accepts VISA only, so cards on other networks will be declined there. Keep an eligible card on hand before you check out.
Why doesn't my grocery card earn a bonus at Costco?
Warehouse clubs like Costco usually code as a club or general retailer rather than as a supermarket, so grocery bonuses typically do not apply even though you are buying food. The card is working normally; the category simply does not match. A flat everyday card often earns more at Costco than a grocery card that excludes it.
Does Costco accept every card network online too?
Online acceptance at Costco is sometimes broader than in the warehouse, where network restrictions are more common. That means a card you cannot use at the register may still work on the website. Because these policies change, confirm current acceptance on Costco's own site before counting on a specific card.
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