Costco is one of the largest and most beloved membership warehouse chains, and for good reason. Best known for its grocery offerings, it also offers savings on gas, electronics, clothing, electronics and more, and has one of the most generous return policies.
One quirk about shopping at Costco: your credit card may not be accepted at checkout.
Costco limits which type of credit cards you can pay with to only Visa-backed cards. Originally, Costco shoppers were restricted to Amex-issued cards, but that changed in 2016 when Visa became Costco's exclusive credit card network.
This may cause issues at checkout if your preferred form of payment is a credit card that happens to be backed by a different network.
Below, CNBC Select reviews what credit cards are accepted at Costco warehouses and how that compares to what's allowed at Costco gas stations and for online purchases.
Credit cards accepted at Costco warehouses
When you shop at Costco, you can use the warehouse club's co-branded card, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, as well as any other credit card backed by the Visa network.
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is a valuable card to pair with a Costco membership, but the rewards program is more restrictive than what you get with a typical cash-back card.
- High rewards rates for gas/EV charging and travel
- No foreign transaction fees
- Restrictive rewards that you can only cash out once per year
- Requires a paid Costco membership
- No welcome bonus
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
- Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter.
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases and eligible travel, including Costco Travel.
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
- Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
Balance transfer fee
5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum
Foreign transaction fee
None
Here are some credit cards that can be used at Costco warehouses:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees)
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)
At checkout, you can swipe or insert your card, as well as use contactless payment methods, such as tap-to-go and mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay).
Considering the average Costco shopper spends just over $100 per trip, you'll want to pay with a credit card that maximizes your spending. CNBC Select ranked these as the top credit cards for shopping at Costco because of features like their rewards rates, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APRs and more.
The reason Costco only takes Visa ultimately boils down to a deal it negotiated with the card issuer so that it can pay lower merchant fees, and hopefully pass those savings on to customers.
Keep in mind that the Visa-only restriction only applies to credit cards — Costco accepts most PIN-based ATM/debit cards.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers get long intro APR
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is great if you want simplicity thanks to its flat-rate 2% unlimited cash rewards on purchases and $0 annual fee.
- High flat-rate return on purchases
- Intro-APR for purchases and qualifying balance transfers for a year
- No annual fee
- Cell phone protection
- Has a foreign transaction fee
- Limited redemption options unless you pair it with a Wells Fargo card that allows point transfers
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Credit cards accepted at Costco gas stations
Similar to the warehouses, Costco gas stations only accept Visa cards, most PIN debit cards and Costco Shop Cards.
When refueling at a Costco gas station, make sure you're using the right credit card to maximize your rewards. For example, the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® offers a generous 4% cash back on gas station purchases for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in the bonus categories annually.
PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card
Rewards
4% cash back at gas stations, 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, and 2% cash back at grocery stores, for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in these categories annually, 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
$200 bonus after you make $1,000 or more in purchases during the first 3 months following account opening
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for the first 15 billing cycles on balance transfers
Regular APR
19.24% to 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
3%, $5 minimum, within the first 90 days from account opening, then 4%, $5 minimum
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Pros
- High cash-back bonus spending categories
- Valuable welcome bonus
- No annual fee
Cons
- Bonus cash-back categories are capped
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Credit cards not accepted at physical Costco stores
Since Costco has an exclusive contract with Visa, shoppers can't use credit cards backed by the other three main networks — American Express, Mastercard and Discover — at Costco warehouses. However, you can pay with Mastercard for purchases made at Costco.com and the Costco app.
Here are some cards that can be used online or via the Costco app:
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The Citi Rewards+® Card has a handful of interesting perks, like a 10% rebate on points redemptions, that make it a good card to pair with other Citi credit cards.
- Unique perks such as the 10% rebate on points redemptions and round up to the nearest 10 points on all purchases
- Long intro APR for purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Low rewards rate on most purchases
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Rewards
- As a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.
- 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.
- 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The Chase Freedom Flex® is an excellent cash-back card for maximizing your spending in a variety of categories.
- Long intro APR for purchases and balance transfers
- Rewarding quarterly bonus categories
- No annual fee
- Bonus categories are capped each quarter
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Rewards
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1%)
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% on drugstore purchases and on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
FAQs
What payment methods does Costco accept?
According to Costco's website, for in-store purchases, Costco accepts all Visa cards, cash, personal, business or traveler's checks as well as Costco Shop Cards and a few other forms of payment.
Does Costco only take certain credit cards?
Costco warehouses only accept Visa cards, but you can also use a Mastercard when shopping online at Costco.com.
Does Costco charge a fee for using a credit card?
Costco does not charge extra for using a credit card at checkout.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit cards. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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*Information about the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of the cards prior to publication.
