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Steve DashiellWritten by
Courtney MihocikEdited by
Sally HerigstadReviewed by
/ 11 min
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At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict,this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for andhow we rate our cards.The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
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Snapshot
2.5
Bankrate rating
Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Bottom line
This card’s outstanding gas rewards rate makes it one of the best gas credit cards on the market, but you’ll need to be OK with an inconvenient, annual in-store redemption process.
![Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (4) Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (4)](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/3074f880-7d96-11ea-9872-a121b87c2b95.png?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
*The information about the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
*
2.5
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Bankrate score
Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Excellent(740–850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Recommended Credit
N/A
Intro offer
Intro offer is not available for this Citi credit card.
1% - 4%
Rewards rate
4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases. 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com. 1% cash back on all other purchases.
$0
Annual fee
20.49% (Variable)
Regular APR
On This Page
On This Page
- Current offer details
- Costco Anywhere Visa pros and cons
- Reasons to get this card
- Reasons to skip this card
- Costco Anywhere Visa vs. other cash back cards
- Best cards to pair with the Costco Anywhere Visa
- Is this card worth getting?
- How we rated this card
- Frequently asked questions
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi overview
The Costco Anywhere Visa has a few nice features that help it stand out from some of the best credit cards for shopping. It earns 2 percent cash back on all Costco and Costco.com purchases. This is a nice perk since few rewards cards offer bonus rewards on wholesale club purchases and these stores are typically excluded on grocery rewards cards. But more impressively, it earns 4 percent back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases(for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter), beating out most gas credit cards. This makes it one of the most lucrative gas rewards cards on the market and is reason enough for some consumers to consider it.
But out of the handful of wholesale club credit cards, the Costco card may be the least accessible, as it’s open only to Costco shoppers with excellent credit scores. Plus, with the required Costco membership and cash back restrictions lurking in the fine print, this co-branded store card may not be worth it for people who qualify.
Rewards
- 4 percent cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases including gas at Costco (for the first $7,000 per year, then 1 percent)
- 3 percent cash back on restaurant and eligible travel purchases
- 2 percent cash back on all Costco and Costco.com purchases
- 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysisWelcome offer
- This card doesn’t have a welcome offer
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysisRates and fees
- Annual fee: None ($60 Costco membership required to apply)
- Interest rate: 20.49 percent variable
- Foreign transaction fees: None
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysisOther cardholder perks
- Serves as your Costco ID
- Purchase protection
- Access to Citi Entertainment
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis
Costco Anywhere Visa pros and cons
Pros
No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees mean you don’t need to justify carrying a co-branded store card, especially when on the road
Offers one of the highest rates for gas purchases available
Eligible travel and dining earning rates provide more value for the card
Cons
Can only redeem cash back once per year in a physical Costco store for a rewards certificate that you must use within a year
Requires a Costco membership to apply (at least $60 annually)
No welcome offers and limited benefits make the card relatively one-note
Why you might want the Costco Anywhere Visa
The Costco Anywhere Visa has a few strengths that help it stand apart from the competition.
Rewards: One of the stronger gas rewards rates available
With its 2 percent earning rate on Costco and Costco.com purchases, the Costco Anywhere Visa does a respectable job of earning rewards on your wholesale shopping needs. But despite its role as a co-branded shopping card, Costco’s card earns more cash back on other expenses like gas, EV charging purchases, restaurants and travel. You’ll earn a whopping 4 percent on eligible gas and EV charging purchases on up to $7,000 in purchases per year, then 1 percent. This category doesn’t limit you to Costco gas stations, which makes it one of the most powerful gas rewards cards on the market, second only to the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®. The card also earns 3 percent on dining and travel purchases.
It’s worth noting how flexible the Costco category is, considering it could include automotive services, pharmacy needs, optical department purchases and more you’ll find in-store. However, you’ll find a few caveats in the terms and conditions. For instance, though the category extends beyond just Costco gas purchases, you can’t earn 4 percent cash back at other store-brand gas stations — like Walmart or Harris Teeter — or for non-vehicle gas purchases.
With that said, you’re only allowed to redeem your cash back once per year, after your February billing statement. You’ll receive your rewards as a single “credit card reward certificate,” which you can only redeem for purchases, cash or a combination of the two before Dec. 31 of that year, or you forfeit those rewards.
Rates and fees: No annual fees or foreign transaction fees
Though you need to be a Costco member to apply for the card — a $60 annual fee — the Costco Anywhere Visa otherwise carries no annual fee itself. This makes the card a cheap and valuable addition to your wallet, as the annual fee doesn’t cut into your card rewards.
The card also lacks foreign transaction fees, which could be useful if you travel abroad. Though more valuable travel rewards cards are available, it always pays to have a backup card on hand.
Why you might want a different shopping card
Unfortunately, the Costco Anywhere Visa has a few weaknesses that you’ll want to consider before applying.
Intro and welcome offers: Doesn’t provide up-front value
The Costco cash back card is one of the few retail credit cards that doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus. It shares this in common with the Sam’s Club Mastercard, though typically, you’ll at least see bonus store credit or introductory rates on co-branded store cards.
The card’s lack of intro APR also hurts its up-front value. Intro purchase APRs on shopping cards are particularly useful for holiday shopping and other instances when you want to carry a balance for several months and save on interest.
Limited perks: No significant Costco benefits
Store credit cards often sweeten their appeal to store shoppers by offering some additional benefits for cardholders. These can include automatic loyalty program status, early sales access or even annual store credits. The Costco Anywhere Visa is short on substantive Costco benefits outside its solid rewards rate.
Though it offers a few general card benefits, like purchase protection, roadside dispatch, 24/7 customer support and emergency card replacements, these are standard for most major credit cards. While you can access a few Citi perks, like Citi Entertainment, these aren’t enough to sell the Costco Anywhere Visa over a competing card.
How the Costco Anywhere Visa compares to other cash back cards
The Costco card’s bonus categories are competitive across the board compared to other cash back cards with no annual fee. However, many rewards credit cards have greater flexibility and are available to more shoppers.
![Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (5) Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (5)](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/3074f880-7d96-11ea-9872-a121b87c2b95.png?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Bankrate Score
Annual fee
$0
Intro offer
N/A
Rewards rate
1% - 4%
4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases. 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com. 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent(740–850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
![Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (6) Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (6)](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/45b282a0-c5c5-11ee-9db9-8dd34998ba1a.jpg?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Bankrate Score
on Bank of America's secure site
Annual fee
$0
Intro offer
$200
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards rate
1% - 3%
Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). Earn automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). Earn unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent(670–850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
![Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (7) Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi | Bankrate (7)](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/5ecc0ed0-577e-11ec-9716-87183df373f6.png?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
on Wells Fargo's secure site
Annual fee
$0
Intro offer
$200 cash rewards
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards rate
2%
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent(670–850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best cards to pair with the Costco Anywhere Visa
You have a few solid pairing options for the Costco Anywhere Visa, depending on where you prefer shopping outside of Costco.
Who is the Costco Anywhere Visa right for?
The Costco Anywhere Visa best fits the following type of person.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Costco Anywhere Visa worth it?
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card is a solid pick if you’re a Costco member looking for a way to earn cash back on your gas purchases, Costco, and dining purchases.
Unfortunately, the meager benefits and inconvenient once-per-year cash back redemption process can make the card a tough sell unless you shop at Costco often. And even then, you may be able to earn more cash back at Costco with several other cash back credit cards. If you’re considering a Costco membership just for the card’s bonus category coverage, then the impractical redemption process may be more trouble than it’s worth.
*All information about the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi and Sam’s Club® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
How we rated this card
150+
cards rated
50+
rewards programs valued
1800
data points analyzed
40+
perks evaluated
We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.
Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:
Frequently asked questions
Compare the best cash back credit cards
Written by
Steve Dashiell
Editor, Credit cards
Read more from Steve
Steven Dashiell is an editor for Bankrate and CreditCards.com with expertise in rewards credit cards, financial literacy, and helping consumers build and maintain their credit.
Edited by Courtney Mihocik
Reviewed by Sally Herigstad
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
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