Tiger Brokers

The 2 Best Credit Cards for Shopping at Costco

Motley Fool
01 Mar

KEY POINTS

  • Costco only accepts Visa credit cards in stores.
  • A Costco Executive membership can help you earn an additional 2% back on most purchases.
  • It's important to factor in whether you routinely buy gas from Costco.

Costco has some of the most loyal customers in retail -- and for good reason. With low prices on everything from paper towels to medicine to 4k TVs, and one of the best return policies around, it's no surprise why people love shopping at Costco.

But if you want to make the most of your Costco runs, you'll want a credit card that rewards you for your spending. Since Costco only accepts Visa credit cards in-store, we've rounded up the best options to maximize your rewards and perks.

Here are the top two credit cards for shopping at Costco and how they can help you save more.

1. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Ratings Methodology
2025 Award Winner

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular APR

19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

2% cash rewards

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$0

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

$200 cash rewards

  • This card’s unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases is the highest we’ve seen for a flat-rate rewards card with no annual fee. It also has an incredibly easy-to-earn $200 welcome bonus and a decent intro APR offer. We simply haven’t come across this combination of top perks in one card before. Read Full Review

    • Unlimited 2% cash rewards
    • Long 0% intro APR offer
    • Generous cash rewards welcome bonus
    • No annual fee
    • Cellphone protections
    • No bonus categories
    • Foreign transaction fees
    • Balance transfer fee
    • 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. 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% 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.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees) offers a generous 2% cash rewards on all purchases, making it a simple yet powerful choice for Costco shoppers who value consistency.

Key perks:

  • Unlimited 2% cash rewards on all purchases
  • No rotating categories and $0 annual fee
  • APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for new cardholders

The unlimited 2% cash rewards apply to all Costco purchases, maximizing your savings without the need to track spending categories. Snag an Executive membership at Costco, and the additional 2% cash rewards means you'll be earning double back on almost all of your Costco and Costco.com purchases.

Remember that Costco membership cash back is paid annually in Costco store credit.

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Ratings Methodology
2025 Award Winner

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular APR

19.49% - 28.24% Variable

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Enjoy 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; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

1.5% - 5% cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Up to $300 cash back

  • A cash back card that has it all with unlimited 1.5% - 5% cash back rates and an excellent 0% intro APR offer. There's also an innovative sign-up bonus worth up to $300 cash back. With the bonus, you’ll earn 4.5% cash back on dining and drugstores, 6.5% on travel booked through Chase Travel, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After the bonus, you’ll still earn the regular cash back rates on every purchase. Read Full Review

    • Innovative sign-up bonus
    • Purchase and travel protections
    • Robust rewards program
    • Great intro APR
    • No annual fee
    • Limited bonus opportunities on everyday spending
    • Foreign transaction fee
    • 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!
    • Enjoy 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; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% 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.
    • No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
    • Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.49% - 28.24%.
    • 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

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card stands out for Costco shoppers who want flexible, easy-to-earn rewards without the hassle of tracking categories. While it doesn't have specific Costco bonuses, its competitive cash back rates make it a worthy contender.

Key perks:

  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
  • 3% cash back on drugstores, restaurants, takeout, and eligible food delivery
  • 1.5% cash back on all other purchases, including those at Costco

The consistent 1.5% cash back on all Costco purchases provides a reliable way to earn rewards, especially when combined with additional perks like travel and dining bonuses. Plus, you can redeem rewards through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal for added value.

Honorable mentions

1. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is the obvious choice for frequent Costco shoppers who routinely buy gas from Costco. You can get 5% cash back on gas at Costco and 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.

2. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers the flexibility to choose your 3% cash back category, making it ideal for shoppers who also spend heavily in categories like gas or online shopping. The card also offers 2% cash back at at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases.

Upgrade your wallet today. Check out our list of best credit cards now.

Make the most of your Costco trips

Shopping at Costco can already save you money, but pairing your purchases with the right credit card can take your savings even further. Whether you prefer the dedicated perks of Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi or the flexibility of flat-rate cash back, there's a card here for every type of shopper.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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