How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Costco?

We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Costco's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.

Can I use a Mastercard or Discover card at Costco?

Not at the warehouse: in-store, Costco accepts Visa only. On costco.com the rules loosen, and Mastercard and Discover are accepted alongside Visa. That is why this page ranks the two channels separately. Before a warehouse run, check that the card you plan to swipe is a Visa, and save the Mastercard or Discover for online orders.

Is the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi enough on its own?

It earns 2% at Costco with no annual fee and no listed caveats, matching the effective rate of nearly every card in these rankings. The one clear step up is the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card at 3% on wholesale clubs — also a Visa, so it is accepted at the warehouse, and also free, but its 3% shares a $500-per-year cash back cap with groceries and gas. If your Costco trips are occasional, or that cap is already spoken for, the Costco Anywhere Visa remains the sensible default: it is a Visa, it is free, and its 2% has no strings.

Best cards at Costco

AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card earns the most at Costco right now at 3%. Heads up: in store, Costco only accepts Visa.

Rankings use issuer rates verified as of August 16, 2026.

Heads up: in store, Costco only accepts Visa.

In store

1
#13%
AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card
Bread Financial · Visa · No annual fee · up to $16,667/yr (combined)
3%
2
#23x
Robinhood Gold Card
Coastal Community Bank · Visa · No annual fee
3x
3
#32%
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Citi · Visa · No annual fee
2%
4
#42%
Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi
Citi · Visa · Business · No annual fee
2%
5
#52%
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
Bank of America · Visa · No annual fee · up to $2,500/qtr (combined) · Lower rate after the cap
2%
6
#62%
Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card
Elan Financial Services · Visa · No annual fee
2%
7
#72%
PNC Cash Unlimited Visa Signature Credit Card
Pnc · Visa · No annual fee
2%
8
#82%
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Wells Fargo · Visa · No annual fee
2%
9
#92x
Venture Business
Capital One · Visa · Business · $95/yr
2x
10
#102x
Venture Rewards
Capital One · Visa · $95/yr
2x

Online

Good to know at Costco

The first question at Costco is the network, not the rate. Warehouses take Visa only, so whatever the rankings say, your in-store pick has to be a Visa. On costco.com the door opens wider: Mastercard and Discover work there too. That single rule explains why the in-store and online rankings on this page differ, and why a strong card on another network can still be useless at the register.

The new leader in both channels clears that rule on its own: the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card is a Visa, so it works at the warehouse register, it charges no annual fee, and you do not need a AAA membership to apply. It pays 3% at wholesale clubs — the only rate above the 2% pack here. Read its limit twice, though, because it is unusual: the cap is on cash back earned, not on spending. You get $500 per calendar year across groceries, wholesale clubs and gas combined, and everything past that earns 1%. Groceries alone reach that ceiling at about $10,000 of spend, so a heavy grocery year can quietly use up the allowance before your Costco runs ever touch it.

Behind it the field is essentially a 2% tie, and fees become the tiebreaker. The Robinhood Gold Card, a Visa we value at about 2.1%, is waitlist-only and requires the $50-a-year Robinhood Gold plan; the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards holds 2% in the warehouse with a combined cap; the Apple Card pays 2% online through the wallet; and the Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi earns its flat 2% at the register that requires a Visa. The Venture Rewards and Venture Business run $95 a year and the Venture X pair $395, yet they earn the same effective 2% here as the no-fee options. So: if you shop Costco regularly and have not burned the AAA card's $500 allowance on groceries and gas, that extra point is worth claiming. Otherwise any no-fee 2% Visa in your wallet is the honest answer at the register.

The math

Spend $400 a month at Costco and AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card returns about $144 a year at our valuations — a flat 2% card returns $96.

Common questions

What is the best credit card at Costco?: AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card earns the most at Costco right now at 3%. Heads up: in store, Costco only accepts Visa.
How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Costco?: We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Costco's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.
Can I use a Mastercard or Discover card at Costco?: Not at the warehouse: in-store, Costco accepts Visa only. On costco.com the rules loosen, and Mastercard and Discover are accepted alongside Visa. That is why this page ranks the two channels separately. Before a warehouse run, check that the card you plan to swipe is a Visa, and save the Mastercard or Discover for online orders.
Is the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi enough on its own?: It earns 2% at Costco with no annual fee and no listed caveats, matching the effective rate of nearly every card in these rankings. The one clear step up is the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature Card at 3% on wholesale clubs — also a Visa, so it is accepted at the warehouse, and also free, but its 3% shares a $500-per-year cash back cap with groceries and gas. If your Costco trips are occasional, or that cap is already spoken for, the Costco Anywhere Visa remains the sensible default: it is a Visa, it is free, and its 2% has no strings.

Rates reflect each card's best case at this merchant and can change; check the issuer's terms before applying.

In store

Online

Good to know at Costco

The math

Common questions

Related reading