Card guide · Cash Back
Citi Costco Anywhere Visa
Card guide overview
A no-annual-fee cash-back card for Costco members that earns 5% on gas at Costco, 3% on dining and travel, and 2% at Costco—best for Costco shoppers who want a single card for warehouse and everyday spending.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi | Costco Cash Rewards | Cash back | Visa | $0 |
Closest alternatives
At a glance
The card in three decisions.
The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa is a no-annual-fee cash-back card exclusively for Costco members. It earns 5% cash back on gas at Costco (4% on other eligible gas and EV charging up to $7,000/year combined, then 1%), 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% at Costco and Costco.com, and 1% everywhere else. The card doubles as your Costco membership ID.
There is no welcome bonus, and cash back is issued as an annual certificate redeemable only at U.S. Costco warehouses. The card requires an active Costco membership—if you cancel your membership, the card is closed. For heavy Costco shoppers who also spend on gas and dining, this is one of the strongest no-fee cash-back combinations available.
Best fit
Costco members who want a single card for Costco, gas, and dining
If you shop at Costco regularly, fill up at Costco gas, and eat out, the earning rates align perfectly with Costco member spending patterns.
Current timing
No welcome bonus—apply when you need the card
With no bonus to optimize for, the timing decision is purely about when the card fits your spending.
Main watchout
Cash back is annual and only redeemable at Costco
Cash back is issued once per year as a certificate. You must visit a Costco warehouse to redeem it. If you do not shop at Costco regularly, other 2% cash-back cards are more flexible.
Current & historical offer
No welcome bonus—the value is in the earning rates.
We compare public offers with public offers. The Costco Anywhere Visa has never offered a welcome bonus.
Timing assessment
There is no timing advantage—apply when the card fits.
With no welcome bonus to optimize for, the decision is purely about whether the earning rates match your spending. The card is always at its standard offer level.
Why someone may wait
Costco accepts Visa only—but other Visa cards also work.
If you already have a strong 2% cash-back Visa card, the incremental benefit of the Costco Anywhere card may be limited to the 5% gas rate at Costco. That alone may not justify opening a new card.
Card benefits
Strong gas and dining earning at no annual fee—with the Costco membership requirement as the tradeoff.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among no-fee cash-back cards—not labels supplied by Citi or Costco.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits that set this card apart from other no-fee cash-back cards.
5% cash back on gas at Costco
The highest gas cash-back rate among no-annual-fee cards, and it works at Costco gas stations. 4% on other eligible gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year combined, then 1%.
- 5% at Costco gas stations (no cap).
- 4% at other eligible gas stations and EV charging (combined $7,000/year cap, then 1%).
- Most no-fee gas cards top out at 3%.
Know the limits: The $7,000 annual cap on non-Costco gas and EV charging is roughly $583/month—enough for most households but worth tracking if you have a long commute.
3% on restaurants and eligible travel
Strong earning on dining and travel at no annual fee. Few no-fee cards earn 3% on both categories simultaneously.
- Restaurants, cafes, bars, and food delivery.
- Eligible travel includes airfare, hotels, car rentals, and Costco Travel.
- No caps, no activation, no rotating categories.
2% at Costco and Costco.com
Doubles as your Costco membership ID. All Costco purchases earn 2% cash back—on top of any Executive membership rewards.
Tier 2 · Good, but with limitations
Benefits that add value but have meaningful restrictions.
No FTF No foreign transaction fees
No foreign transaction fee on purchases made abroad. Unusual for a co-branded store card.
The card uses the Visa exchange rate, which is generally competitive.
Annual Cash back issued annually
Cash back is issued as a certificate each February, redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses.
You cannot redeem monthly or transfer to a bank account. The annual cycle means your rewards are locked up until February.
Tier 3 · Expected card basics
Standard protections and purchase benefits.
Purchase protection Protection
Damage and theft purchase protection up to 120 days (90 days for NY residents).
Worldwide car rental insurance Rental
Secondary car rental coverage worldwide.
Costco membership required Requirement
Must maintain an active paid Costco membership. Card is closed if membership lapses.
Comparison method: No-annual-fee cash-back cards including Chase Freedom Unlimited, Citi Double Cash, Capital One Quicksilver, and Wells Fargo Active Cash; official public pages reviewed in July 2026.
Earning rates
5% gas at Costco, 3% dining and travel, 2% at Costco, 1% elsewhere.
Rates shown are cash back per dollar on eligible purchases. Gas/EV earning has a combined $7,000/year cap for non-Costco purchases.
Gas at Costco
5% cash back on gas purchases at Costco gas stations. No cap on Costco gas purchases.
Other eligible gas and EV charging
4% on eligible gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year combined, then 1%.
Restaurants and eligible travel
At restaurants worldwide and eligible travel including Costco Travel, airfare, hotels, and car rentals.
Costco and Costco.com
All purchases at Costco warehouses and on Costco.com.
All other purchases
One percent on purchases not eligible for a higher rate.
Costco membership requirement: This card requires an active paid Costco membership. If you already shop at Costco regularly, the 2% base rate at Costco is competitive with other 2% cards—and the 5% gas rate at Costco pumps is unmatched among no-fee cards. If you are not a Costco member, the membership fee ($60–$120) must be factored into the value calculation.
Costco ecosystem
A Costco-branded card that rewards the Costco shopping pattern.
The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa is designed for the way Costco members already spend: gas at the pump before shopping, the warehouse trip itself, and dining out afterward. The earning rates map directly to the Costco member journey, which is why it works well for the right person.
Key benefit
5-3-2earning structure
Earning rates tuned to Costco member spending.
Gas at Costco (5%), dining and travel (3%), and Costco itself (2%) are the three spending categories most Costco members use most. The card eliminates the need to carry separate gas and dining cards alongside a Costco payment method—it does all three. The tradeoff is the annual cash-back redemption model and the Costco membership requirement.
Where this card excels
Spending categories that align with Costco membership.
- 5% at Costco gas pumps—best-in-class for no-fee cards
- 3% dining and travel—competitive with dedicated dining/travel cards
- 2% at Costco—on top of Executive membership rewards
- No foreign transaction fee—works abroad
Where this card falls short
Categories where other cards earn more.
- 1% on groceries outside Costco—many cards earn 3%+
- No welcome bonus—most no-fee cards offer $200+
- Annual cash-back redemption—cannot redeem monthly
- Card is tied to Costco membership—closed if you cancel
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: August 18, 2026
Reader feedback