If you're a Costco member and spend a lot of money on gas or electric vehicle charging, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi card is a great option for maximizing your rewards at this popular wholesale club. Just remember that your rewards will only become available to you once a year, and that you'll have to visit a brick-and-mortar Costco store to get your cash back or to cash in your rewards for merchandise.
Here's what you should know about one of the best credit cards for Costco shopping.
$0
N/A
19.49% - 27.49% Variable
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Excellent
- Generous cash-back categories, especially for gas purchases
- No foreign transaction fee
- You can only receive rewards once per year
- You need to visit a Costco location to redeem rewards for cash back instead of merchandise
If you're a Costco member and you spend a lot of money on gas or EV charging, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi card can a great option. Just remember that your rewards will only become available to you once per year, and that you'll have to visit a brick-and-mortar Costco store to get your cash back or to cash in your rewards for merchandise.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by CitiCostco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi Overview
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi offers generous cash-back rewards in several spending categories, including Costco purchases. But where the card really stands out is for the rewards it offers on gas and EV charging purchases worldwide.
If you're someone who drives long distances or commutes to work, this card could be an excellent choice for your wallet for that reason alone. You'll earn 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases worldwide on up to $7,000 in spending per year (then 1%).
You'll also earn 3% cash back on all restaurants and eligible travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, and 1% back on everything else. Note that the card has no annual fee, but you'll need an active Costco membership to qualify for the card.
While the ongoing rewards you earn with this card can be quite lucrative, the fact that there's no sign-up bonus is a downside, as is the limitation on how you can use your rewards — you'll only receive your rewards once per year, in the form of a certificate you can redeem for cash back or merchandise at Costco.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi Card Rewards
Welcome Bonus
The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi doesn't offer a public sign-up bonus. However, Costco members are sometimes targeted for an exclusive bonus when opening a Costco membership. If you don't find any targeted bonus online, you can always apply in-store at Costco and ask if you're eligible to receive a bonus.
How to Earn Rewards
One great feature about a "store card" like the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is that you aren't relegated to Costco purchases alone. In fact, this is an extremely rewarding card for purchases that have nothing to do with Costco.
Gas Stations and EV Charging
You'll earn 4% cash back at gas stations and EV charging with the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi for up to $7,000 in spending per year (then 1% cash back). This return makes it one of the best credit cards for gas purchases. Just note that gas, when purchased at a superstore, supermarket, convenience store, or warehouse club other than Costco, will only earn 1% cash back. Similarly, if you purchase fuel for non-automobile vehicles, you'll earn 1% back.
Restaurants and Travel
The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi also accrues 3% cash back for both travel and restaurant expenses. Travel purchases include:
- Airfare
- Hotels
- Rental cars
- Cruises
- Travel agencies (including Costco Travel)
Costco Purchases
The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi earns 2% cash back at Costco.
If you've also got a Costco Executive membership (which offers 2% back at Costco), you'll earn a total of 4% back on all purchases — or 5% back when buying travel through Costco Travel. That's excellent.
In other words, Costco Executive members can earn 4% back with Costco if they have this card — or 5% back if they're making a purchase through Costco Travel.
Other Eligible Purchases
This card earns a flat 1% cash back for expenses that don't fall into a bonus category. There's no limit to the amount of cash you can earn.
How to Use Rewards
Redeeming the rewards you earn with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi isn't as convenient as you'll find on other cash-back credit cards.
You can't redeem incrementally as you accrue cashback — you can't even redeem monthly after your rewards post. You can only cash out once per year "as an annual credit card reward certificate once your February billing statement closes." You can either receive cash or use your rewards for merchandise at US Costco warehouses.
Either way, you'll have to actually visit a Costco warehouse to obtain your rewards.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi Benefits and Features
This card doesn't offer as impressive a suite of benefits as our favorite rewards credit cards, but you can do worse for no annual fee. Here's what you can expect.
Purchase Protection
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi offers purchase protection against damage or theft, for example, provided you report the incident within 120 days of purchase (90 days for New York residents). This makes the card a good choice when making expensive purchases.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Some credit cards charge a fee (usually 3%) just for the privilege of swiping your card outside the US. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi doesn't charge these foreign transaction fees, so it's a good card to bring when traveling abroad.
Car Rental Insurance
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi will cover you for up to $50,000 in repairs (or the cash value, whichever is less) of a car rental reserved in full with this card. You're covered for both theft and damages. Only rentals lasting 31 consecutive days or less qualify.
To activate this benefit, you'll need to waive the CDW at the rental agency counter. You'll receive primary insurance when outside the US, and secondary when renting domestically.
Peer-to-peer rental platforms like Turo aren't covered under this perk.
Travel Accident Insurance
This card will cover up to $250,000 per person in the event of tragedy during your travels. Eligible situations that qualify for travel accident insurance include:
- Accidental death on a "Common Carrier" (such as a plane, train, ferry, cruise ship, etc.)
- Loss of a limb
- Loss of sight
- Loss of speech
- Loss of hearing
Those covered include the primary cardholder, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents.
Roadside Assistance Dispatch Service
If you're within the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands), you'll have access to 24/7 roadside assistance.
You'll pay a pre-negotiated price for each service call, and will have access to the following:
- Towing/winching
- Jumpstart
- Change of flat tire (you must have a spare)
- Lock-out service (when the key is inside the vehicle
- Up to two gallons of gas delivered
The primary cardholder is the only one covered for this benefit, and must be physically with the car in order to be eligible. In other words, the primary cardholder cannot share this perk with another driver who takes the vehicle out on their own.
Travel and Emergency Assistance
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi provides 24/7 emergency assistance for things like travel arrangements, medical referrals, legal issues, etc. While the information will be free, you'll still have to pay for the services once requested.
Family members and traveling companions are eligible to use this benefit — even if you're not traveling with them.
Citi Entertainment Access
Additionally, you'll receive access to presale tickets and exclusive experiences through the Citi Entertainment program.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi Annual Fee and Other Costs
You must have a Costco membership to qualify for this credit card. Costco memberships start at $60, which is worth considering if you don't have a membership already and don't plan on shopping at the store very often.
In terms of additional costs, this card will charge interest on outstanding balances, as well as cash advance and balance transfer fees.
It's great to see no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, however.
Compare the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is fantastic for diehard Costco shoppers. But if you diversify your household expenses, you should also consider other picks from our list of the best cash-back credit cards. Here are two of the most popular options.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash rewards on all purchases, and the rewards are much more flexible for redemption than what you earn on the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi.
This flat-rate cash back card comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 12 months from account opening (then a 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable APR). It also offers a welcome bonus of $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card also comes with extremely useful benefits, including cellphone insurance, roadside dispatch, travel, and emergency assistance services, emergency cash disbursement and card replacement, and access to the Visa Signature Hotel Collection. Most of these perks rival or exceed those on the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, and can round out your wallet more effectively than the Costco card.
Read more about this card in our Wells Fargo Active Cash card review.
Chase Freedom Flex® vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
The Chase Freedom Flex® is another powerhouse of a $0 annual fee credit card that outstrips the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi in many ways.
Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders earn 5% cash back (in the form of 5 Ultimate Rewards points) on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 5% (5x Ultimate Rewards) on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in rotating bonus categories if you activate the promotion; 3% on dining and drugstore purchases; and 1% per dollar on everything else.
You can earn a welcome bonus of $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You'll also have cellphone protection, car rental insurance (secondary in the U.S, primary otherwise), trip cancellation/interruption insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and travel and emergency assistance services.
New cardholders can also take advantage of the 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (then 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR).
Read more in our Chase Freedom Flex credit card review.
Costco Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Costco Anywhere Visa?
You must be a Costco member to open the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. Even though this card doesn't have an annual fee, you must pay an annual fee for a Costco membership to qualify for the card.
Is the Costco Anywhere Visa a cash back card?
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is effectively a cashback-earning credit card — though you can choose to redeem your rewards for either cash or Costco merchandise.
How do you redeem rewards with the Costco Anywhere Visa?
You can only redeem your rewards once per year (after your February billing statement closes). You'll have through December 31 to redeem your cash back, and you must visit a Costco warehouse.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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