Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi review: Worthwhile for routine Costco shoppers

If you already pay for an annual Costco membership, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi * The information for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is practically essential for households who love a good deal, especially since there’s no annual fee. Plus, the card offers an impressive rewards rate on eligible gas and EV charging purchases — even at non-Costco gas stations.

About the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi

If you frequent the membership-only warehouse store for groceries, household items and everything in-between, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi offers valuable cash-back rewards to use on future Costco purchases. There’s no annual fee to worry about as long as you pay for a Costco membership, which costs as little as $60 per year. When you shop in-store, your Costco Anywhere Visa Card doubles as your membership ID card. 

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card earns 4% cash back on gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year then 1%, 3% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases, 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply.

If you have any international trips planned, the Costco Anywhere doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and can be used wherever a merchant accepts Visa.

There are a few caveats to note with this popular cash-back card. Your Costco rewards are only accessible once per year in February, so you may want to look elsewhere for a card that lets you redeem your cash back more frequently. Finally, you’ll want to be careful to pay off your full statement balance in a timely manner, as it has a 20.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfers must be completed within two months from account opening and a fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies. 

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi basics

• Annual fee: $0 (but a Costco membership is required to apply for the card).
• Welcome bonus: None.
• Rewards: 4% cash back on gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year then 1%, 3% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases, 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply.
• APR: 20.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfers must be completed within two months from account opening and a fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
• Other perks and benefits: No foreign transaction fees.
• Does it report to all three credit bureaus? Yes.
• Does the issuer offer a pre-approval tool? No.
• Recommended credit score: Excellent.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi other details

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi rewards

The major benefit of the Costco Anywhere Visa Card is that it offers rewards on both Costco purchases and other life expenses. With this card you can earn 4% cash back on gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year then 1%, 3% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases, 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply.

While you can earn a tremendous rewards rate on eligible gas and EV charging purchases, there are a few limitations to discuss. First, you can only the elevated rewards rate on the first $7,000 spent per year, and some gas stations at non-Costco superstores and grocery stores may not count towards the elevated rewards rate. If your household spends more than $583 on gas per month, you’ll only earn the lower rewards rate on gas and EV charging purchases after this spending threshold. 

It’s also worth noting that many credit cards offer strong rewards on groceries but tend to exclude warehouse stores like Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s. If you shop at Costco often, opening the Costco Anywhere Visa Card can be a great way to earn a solid rewards rate on all of your Costco purchases. 

Patience is a virtue with the Costco Anywhere Visa, as cardholders will receive a lump sum of their rewards earned once per year—specifically when your February billing statement closes. Rewards accrued from January through December’s billing statements are given in the form of an annual Costco credit card reward certificate and must be redeemed by December 31 of that same year.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi rewards potential

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. We’ll also assume that this household spends half of its grocery spend at Costco. 

• $1,568 in spending on gas x 4% back = $62.72 in rewards.
• $2,375 in spending at restaurants x 3% back = $71.25 in rewards.
• $985 in spending on travel x 3% back = $29.55 in rewards. 
• $2,471 in spending on groceries at Costco x 2% back = $49.42.
• $17,688 in spending on all other eligible purchases = $176.88. 

This example cardholder can earn a grand total of $389.82 in rewards annually.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi pros

• No annual fee: As long as you have a Costco membership open, you won’t pay an annual fee if approved for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card.
• Good rewards rate: The card offers impressive rewards potential on popular bonus categories, including Costco purchases, gas, restaurants and travel.
• No foreign transaction fees: The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi is accepted anywhere that accepts Visa worldwide, and comes with no foreign transaction fees.
• Card doubles as your membership ID: Forget your Costco ID at home? Don’t fret — you can show your Costco Anywhere Visa Card instead.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi cons

• You must keep your Costco membership open to keep the card (and rewards): If you decide to close your Costco membership, you’ll lose all of your hard-earned rewards — and the ability to keep the Costco Anywhere Visa Card active.
• Rewards expire: Cardholders will receive their cash-back rewards annually in February and must redeem their reward certificate in-person by the end of the year.
• No more extended warranty: The card no longer offers this useful benefit, which adds an additional 24 months on top of an eligible manufacturer’s warranty for up to a maximum of seven years of protection. 
• No sign-up bonus: There’s no introductory welcome offer on the card. 

How the Costco Anywhere Visa card compares to other rewards cards

Costco Anywhere Visa Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

If you’d rather redeem your rewards throughout the year, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is another trusty cash-back card that may fit your needs better. Also with no annual fee, the card earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 

The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers greater flexibility since you earn a higher rewards rate than the Costco Anywhere Visa on all other purchases. Plus, you can redeem your rewards on the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal at any amount. 

Currently, new cardholders can earn 1.5% back on everything bought in the first year on up to $20,000 in spending, which is worth up to $300.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi * The information for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.  

If you’re a restaurant owner, are self-employed or own any type of small business, you may want to consider the Costco Anywhere Visa Business card instead. It offers the same great benefits and rewards rates as the personal version, also with no annual fee. Costco’s Business membership starts at $60 per year. 

The Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card is also a solid option for keeping your personal and business finances separate. You can also add employees as authorized users for no additional cost, but they must have their own Costco membership to qualify. 

Costco Anywhere Visa Card vs. Citi Strata Premier℠ Card * The information for the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.  

The Citi Strata Premier Card can help you stretch your everyday expenses further and earn travel rewards. The card offers 10 ThankYou® points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. 

While there’s a $95 annual fee with the card, you have many valuable redemption options for your rewards. For maximum value, consider transferring your points to one of Citi’s travel loyalty partners. Plus, you can enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or greater (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through thankyou.com, once per calendar year — a move that can help you break even with the annual fee.

New applicants can also earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. 

Should you get the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?

With more than 120 million members, Costco is among the most popular warehouse clubs in the world. If you’re a Costco loyalist, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card can help you maximize your purchases and save big on a future purchase, whether you’ve been eyeing a new TV or want to reduce your grocery cost.  

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi summary

COSTCO ANYWHERE VISA CARD BY CITI DETAILS
Annual fee	$0 with a paid Costco membership
Rewards	4% cash back on gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year then 1%, 3% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases, 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply
APR	20.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfers must be completed within two months from account opening and a fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies
Welcome offer	None
Foreign transactions fees	None

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

^{*Blueprint credit ranges are derived from FICO® Score 8, which is one of many different types of credit scores. If you apply for a credit card, the lender may use a different credit score when considering your application for credit.}