
Costco warehouses and gas stations only accept Visa credit cards, cash, debit cards, and Costco Shop Cards (gift cards). They do not accept Mastercard, American Express, or Discover cards.... These days, non-Visa cards no longer work at Costco, so you'll need a Visa card to pay and earn rewards.
Can you use any visa at Costco?
You are allowed to use any Visa credit or debit card. MasterCard Visa Card by Citi. Benefits the Costco Anywhere program. The most common debit/ATM card with a pin number. I have an Costco Shop Card*. Cash. Checks payable to Costco members in the present. Costco Business Members currently receive business checks from Costco.
Does Costco have a credit card?
Costco Credit Card. APR: 16.74% as of Jul 2019. Annual Fee: $0. Rewards: Earn 2% cash back on Costco purchases. ★★★★★ 3.2/5.0. To start, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card only earns 2% cash back on Costco and Costco.com purchases (excluding gas), which is fairly low for a branded store card.
Does Costco have Apple Pay?
Yes, Costco does take Apple Pay. Costco accepts Apple Pay at most, if not all, of its stores. Some Costco stores that don’t accept Apple Pay likely don’t have an NFC reader. If you don’t see this terminal at the checkout lane, then there’s a chance that your Costco store either doesn’t support it or is in the process of installing it.
Which credit cards does Costco accept?
Which credit card you can use at Costco depends largely upon the way you shop:
- In-warehouse: Visa only
- Costco Gas: Visa only
- Online: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club, and JCB

Why does Costco only use Visa?
Costco came up with an even more strategic way of saving money—a lot of money—by striking a deal with Visa. The warehouse club agreed to accept only Visa cards, and in exchange, the credit company lowered Costco's merchant fee to a negligible less than 0.4 percent.
Can you use Mastercard or Visa at Costco?
Since Costco has a contract with Visa, shoppers can't use credit cards backed by the other three main networks, American Express, Mastercard or Discover, at Costco warehouses. However, you're able to pay with Mastercard and Discover cards for purchases made at Costco.com and the Costco app.
Why does Costco not allow Mastercard?
No, you can't use your Mastercard credit card at Costco, because Costco has a contract with Visa. You can, however, use your Mastercard credit card for purchases made at Costco.com and through the Costco app. For their warehouse locations Costco only accepts cards on the Visa network.
What type of credit cards do Costco accept?
Costco warehouses and gas stations only accept Visa credit cards, cash, debit cards, and Costco Shop Cards (gift cards). They do not accept Mastercard, American Express, or Discover cards.
Does Costco accept any MasterCard?
You might be surprised to learn, then, that the only credit cards accepted at Costco are Mastercards....Payment methods and credit cards accepted at Costco.Credit card typeAccepted at CostcoMastercard✅Visa❌American Express (partnership ended in 2014)❌Debit cards (including Visa debit cards)✅4 more rows•Jul 13, 2022
Does Costco Accept 2022 MasterCard?
As of 2022, Costco doesn't accept MasterCard when shopping at its physical warehouse locations. The only forms of payments accepted in-store at Costco include all Visa cards, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, cash, personal checks, EBT cards, and so on.
Can I use my debit Mastercard at Costco?
MasterCard. Discover Cards (Including JCB and Diners Club) Most PIN-based Debit/ATM Cards. Costco Shop Cards*
Can I pay cash at Costco?
Costco warehouses accept: Visa cards, debit/ATM, cash, checks, EBT and Costco Shop Cards. Costco.com accepts: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, debit/ATM and Costco Shop Cards. Costco Gas Stations and Car Washes accept: Visa, debit/ATM and Costco Shop Cards.
When did Costco stop taking Mastercard?
The Costco credit card change happened on June 20, 2016. More specifically, that's when Costco's switch to Visa from American Express officially took effect, after being announced in February 2015.
What credit cards does Costco accept 2022?
Here are Select's picks for the top credit cards for shopping at Costco:Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi.Chase Freedom Unlimited®Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card.Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
What form of payment does Costco take?
Can You Shop at Costco If You Don't Have a Visa? Yes, customers don't need to have a Visa card to pay for their Costco purchases. Costco also accepts cash, checks, debit/ATM, EBT and Costco Cash Cards. Costco gas stations and Costco car washes, however, do not accept cash, checks or EBT.
Can you use someone else's Costco card?
The Costco membership card is non-transferable, but there are several ways to share the experience with family and friends. Anyone with a card can bring up to two guests to the Warehouse during each visit.
What credit cards does Costco accept 2022?
Here are Select's picks for the top credit cards for shopping at Costco:Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi.Chase Freedom Unlimited®Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card.Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Can I use my MasterCard debit card at Costco?
By not accepting Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, we are better positioned to continue offering the lowest prices on our merchandise.” Note: this message was from when American Express was the only payment option in Costco warehouses. Visa cards are now the only Costco payment method accepted in the warehouses.
Does Costco Canada take Visa?
Cards Accepted at Costco Warehouses As of November 2020, the following credit cards are accepted at all 100 Canadian Costco locations: MasterCard Credit Cards. Debit Cards (includes Visa debit cards)
Why do people wait outside Costco?
Many Americans continue to wait on long lines outside Costco, hoping to find toilet paper and buy food in bulk as the coronavirus pandemic persists.
Does Costco use Visa?
Originally, Costco shoppers were restricted to Amex-issued cards, but that changed in 2016 when Visa became the exclusive credit card network of Costco. This may cause issues at checkout if your preferred form of payment is a credit card that happens to be backed by a different network.
Does Costco have a Visa card?
Costco limits which type of credit cards you can pay with to only Visa-backed cards. Originally, Costco shoppers were restricted to Amex-issued cards, but that changed in 2016 when Visa became the exclusive credit card network of Costco.
Can I use a Costco card at Costco?
When you shop at Costco, you can use the warehouse club’s co-branded card, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, as well as any other credit card backed by the Visa network.
Does Costco accept American Express?
From 1999 to 2016, Costco only accepted American Express cards. Why? AmEx was able to offer them a favorable merchant fee in exchange for exclusivity. For a credit card company, that’s a big deal. It means the 79 million members walking into Costco with anything other than cash or a check are going to charge the purchase to the card network of Costco’s choosing.
Can you use a debit card at Costco?
You can still use most branded debit cards at the register, since the “swipe” fees are much lower for merchants. And Mastercard and Discover are accepted on the Costco.com website. But for in-store credit purchases, Costco is banking on the fact that members aren’t going to go anywhere else.
How long did Costco have an exclusive relationship with American Express?
For 16 years Costco had an exclusive relationship with American Express. A partnership that was mutually beneficial to both companies. When the agreement...
Why did Costco drop Amex?
First, Costco dropped Amex for Citibank because they got a better deal. Note that it was a better deal for them AND for Costco members (better rebates). One of the great things about Costco is that they actually care about their customer base.
Does Costco use Visa gift cards?
Yes, I regularly pay for my Costco purchases with Visa gift cards issued by Metabank (purchased from Kroger grocery stores) and US Bank National Association (purchased from Tom Thumb/Albertsons grocery stores). In addition to taking them, their POS system appears to be able to consume the whole card automatically without entering the remaining balance. So let’s say you buy $200 worth of goods and you have $42.55 left on your Visa gift card; when you swipe it, their system will automatically apply $42.55 to your purchase and prompt for the remainder with another form of payment. It makes it a s
Does Costco accept Visa?
Costco only accepts VISA credit cards. They also accept MasterCard debit cards. They do not accept Discover or American Express. A few years ago Costco was only accepting AMEX. That relationship ended and all accounts were transferred to a Costco branded VISA.
Does Costco have a relationship with Citibank?
Costco has a new relationship with Citibank and receives a credit back of the merchant fee. How much is a secret. So Costco has every incentive for members to use its store-branded credit card from Costco. AMEX is the previous company until they lost the contract after many years.
Does Costco have multiple card types?
So they don’t feel the need to support multiple card types. This gives them the ability to negotiate exclusivity deals that give them lower interchange fees.
Why Did Costco Switch to Visa?
Costco entered into a deal with Citi for it to be the issuer of Costco’s credit card. And since the card, Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, is a Visa, Costco has to accept all Visa cards now.
What Are Costco’s Visa Card Terms?
Its bonus points include 4% back on up to $7,000 per year (and 1% thereafter) in eligible gas purchases, 3% back at restaurants, 2% back at Costco and 1% back on everything else. It also has the benefit of being a Visa card, which is accepted at more merchants worldwide than American Express. Reward points are only redeemable at Costco warehouse stores and on Costco.com.
How Can You Pay at Costco?
If you don’t have a Visa, you can pay with cash, checks, debit cards /ATM, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) or Costco Cash Cards.
Does Costco use Visa?
Per their agreement, Visa is the only payment network that Costco will work with. Payment networks are the key to credit card payments. When a credit card is swiped in a store, the transaction information is sent through the credit card processor to the payment network (in this case, Visa). The network relays the information to the card’s issuing bank (e.g. Citi or Chase), which then approves or denies the transaction based on the cardholder’s available credit. The bank sends the approval or denial back to the network, which sends it to the processor, then the store. Basically, Visa talks to the customer’s bank on Costco’s behalf, gets the approval, and transmits the funds.
Does Costco accept American Express?
If you’re thinking about becoming a Costco member in order to save on your grocery billor you’re an existing member who wants to use your credit card to pay for your purchases, you’ll need to have to Visa card to do so. Costco no longer accepts American Express cards.
Does Costco accept Visa cards?
As of 2020, Visa is the only credit card that Costco accepts. If you don’t have a Visa, you can pay with cash, checks, debit cards/ATM, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) or Costco Cash Cards. Costco’s change to Visa came as a surprise to many, since the retailer had a deal to accept only American Express cards since 1999.
Do you need a Visa card to pay at Costco?
Yes, customers don’t need to have a Visa card to pay for their Costco purchases. Costco also accepts cash, checks, debit/ATM, EBT and Costco Cash Cards. Costco gas stations and Costco car washes, however, do not accept cash, checks or EBT.
Does Costco take Visa cards?
Costco takes Visa credit cards, Visa debit cards and Visa gift cards. In fact, Costco only takes Visa cards. You cannot use Mastercard, Discover or American Express cards at Costco. If you don’t have a Visa card, you will have to pay by cash or check.
Does Costco accept Mastercard?
They won’t accept Mastercard, Discover or American Express. You can tell if your card is a Visa by looking for the Visa logo (usually on the front). If you don’t have a Visa card, you’ll only be able to pay with cash, a check or a prepaid Costco Cash Card. Costco has its own co-branded Visa credit card, the Costco Anywhere Visa.
Does Costco accept American Express?
This has been the case since June 2016, when Costco switched from only accepting American Express cards. It’s not common for retailers to have an exclusive relationship with one card network. Most stores that accept Visa also take Mastercard. It’s more common for stores to not take Discover or American Express.
