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What credit cards does Costco accept?

If you're thinking of becoming a Costco member, know that its warehouses only accept credit cards issued by Visa at checkout. Costco.com and the Costco app accept cards from other issuers.

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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 around.

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 the exclusive credit card network of Costco.

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, Select reviews what credit cards are accepted at Costco warehouses and how that compares to what's allowed at Costco.com and on the Costco app.

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Credit cards accepted at Costco

When you shop at Costco, you can use the warehouse club's co-branded card, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi (see rates and fees), as well as any other credit card backed by the Visa network.

Here are some credit cards that can be used at Costco warehouses:

At checkout, you have the option to 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 $114 per trip, you'll want to pay with a credit card that maximizes your spending. Select ranked these as the best 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.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's secure site
  • Rewards

    Enjoy 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

  • Welcome bonus

    INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

  • Annual fee

    $0

  • Intro APR

    0% for the first 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers

  • Regular APR

    20.49% - 29.24% variable

  • 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%

  • Credit needed

    Excellent/Good

  • Member FDIC. Terms apply.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's secure site
  • Rewards

    Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

  • Welcome bonus

    Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

  • Annual fee

    $0

  • Intro APR

    0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate

  • Regular APR

    20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

  • Balance transfer fee

    3% intro for 120 days from account opening then BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5

  • Foreign transaction fee

    3%

  • Credit needed

    Excellent/Good

See rates and fees, terms apply.

Credit cards not accepted at Costco

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're able to pay with Mastercard and Discover cards for purchases made at Costco.com and the Costco app. Discover cards will no longer be accepted online as of Nov. 15, 2023.

Here are some cards that can be used online or via the Costco app:

*Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of the cards prior to publication.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Chrome, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Cash Back, click here.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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