Connect with us

Shopping

The 5 Best Credit Cards for Shopping at Costco

Published

on

The 5 Best Credit Cards for Shopping at Costco

Costco is popular because of its low prices, which make it easy to save money by shopping there. And you can save even more if you pay with a rewards credit card.

Since Costco only accepts Visa credit cards in its warehouses, you can’t use any card you want. But that still leaves you with plenty of options. Here are some of the top credit cards that earn the most back at Costco.

1. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Wait, the Costco credit card isn’t No. 1? It’s next on the list, but for a card that earns a high rate at Costco and everywhere else, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees) could be the better choice.

Featured offer: save money while you pay off debt with one of these top-rated balance transfer credit cards

It earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, and that rate applies no matter where you use it. At Costco, it earns 2%. On groceries and gas, 2%. At the movies…you get it.

Another valuable perk is a $200 cash rewards welcome bonus for spending $500 on purchases in the first three months. It’s a lot of cash rewards for a low spend requirement — many shoppers could probably reach that spending requirement in two or three Costco trips.

2. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Costco has its own credit card that you may have seen advertised there: The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. If you’re a big spender at Costco, and also on gas, you could earn quite a bit back. Here are its cash back rates:

  • 4% on eligible gas and EV charging purchases, up to a $7,000 annual spending cap
  • 3% on restaurants and travel spending, including Costco Travel purchases
  • 2% on other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
  • 1% on other eligible purchases

The only major drawback is that this card doesn’t have a welcome offer. But many Costco shoppers love this card. And when you have it, you can use it as your Costco membership card too, so it clears up some space in your wallet.

3. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card earns 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, including Costco. It also earns 3% back in a category of your choosing. You can select your 3% category once every calendar year from this list of options:

  • Gas and EV charging stations
  • Online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans, and streaming
  • Dining
  • Travel
  • Drug stores and pharmacies
  • Home improvement and furnishings

Note that you only earn 2% and 3% back on your first $2,500 in combined purchases per quarter in bonus categories. The bonus cap shouldn’t be an issue for the typical shopper, but big spenders may find that it’s too low.

4. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has bonus categories and a high standard cash back rate, so it gets you the best of both worlds. It earns:

  • 5% on travel bookings made through Chase Travel
  • 3% at drugstores, restaurants, takeout, and eligible food delivery services
  • 1.5% on other purchases

At Costco, this Chase card earns its standard rate of 1.5%. But it also has a welcome offer of an additional 1.5% back on everything you spend the first year, for up to $20,000 in spending. That pushes its standard rate up to 3%. With the $20,000 spending cap, you can earn up to $300 in bonus cash back this way.

5. AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card

The AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card doesn’t get as much attention as other credit cards, but it has impressive cash back rates, and you don’t need to be a AAA member to open it. This card earns:

  • 5% on grocery store purchases
  • 3% on gas and EV charging stations, wholesale clubs, streaming services, pharmacies, and purchases at AAA
  • 1% on other purchases

The earning rates of 5% at grocery stores and 3% on wholesale club and gas/EV charging station purchases are capped at $10,000 in combined purchases per calendar year. After that, this AAA card earns 1% in those categories. Even with the spending cap, 3% back at Costco is as good as I’ve seen.

All these Visa credit cards earn high rates on Costco spending. If you’re not sure which one to pick, think about which one will save you the most on the rest of your expenses, too. That could be a card that earns a high rate everywhere, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, or one with bonus categories that fit your spending habits.

Alert: our top-rated cash back card now has 0% intro APR until 2025

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a lengthy 0% intro APR period, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee! Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Continue Reading