What the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card offers

The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card is a co-branded card issued by Citi and Costco that pairs with a Costco membership. You earn cash back on purchases at Costco and gas stations, plus a lower rate on other spending. The card has no annual fee, but you must be a Costco member to use it — membership costs $65 for Gold Star (basic) or $130 for Executive, paid separately to Costco.

The card's main appeal is the cash back structure tied to where you shop. At Costco warehouses and Costco.com, you earn 2% cash back. At gas stations (including Costco gas), you earn 2% cash back on the first $4,000 per year, then 1% after that. On restaurants and travel, you earn 1% cash back. Everything else earns 1% cash back. There is no sign-up bonus.

Cash back posts as an annual statement credit in January, not as points you can redeem early. If you close the card or let membership lapse, you forfeit any unposted cash back from that year.

Key Takeaways

  • You must hold an active Costco membership to use this card; the membership fee is separate from the card and is not waived.
  • The 2% cash back at Costco and gas stations applies only if you use this specific card — other Costco cards or payment methods earn different rates.
  • Gas station cash back caps at $4,000 per year (earning 2%), then drops to 1%, so the maximum annual gas reward is $80 plus 1% on anything over $4,000.
  • Cash back is paid once per year in January as a statement credit, not monthly or on demand, and is forfeited if your membership lapses.
  • The card has no annual fee, but the Costco membership itself costs $65 to $130 per year depending on membership tier.

How the cash back categories work in practice

The 2% cash back at Costco is straightforward: any purchase at a Costco warehouse or on Costco.com earns 2%. This includes groceries, household goods, and anything else sold there. The card must be the payment method — paying with a different card or cash earns nothing.

Gas station cash back requires attention to the annual cap. If you spend $4,000 per year at gas pumps, you earn $80 in cash back at the 2% rate. Any gas spending above $4,000 in that calendar year earns 1% instead. This cap resets January 1. If you fill up frequently or drive a large vehicle, you may hit this limit by October or November, so tracking your spending matters if you want to maximize the 2% tier.

Restaurants and travel earn 1% cash back. This includes airfare, hotels, rental cars, and dining out anywhere. Other purchases — drugstores, department stores, utilities, online retailers outside Costco.com — also earn 1%. The 1% rate is lower than many competing cards, so this card is not a strong choice if you spend heavily outside Costco and gas stations.

When this card makes financial sense

The card's value depends on whether you already have a Costco membership and how much you spend there. If you are a Costco member who spends $3,000 or more per year at the warehouse, the 2% cash back can offset part of your membership fee. A Gold Star member paying $65 per year would need to earn $65 in cash back to break even; at 2%, that requires $3,250 in Costco spending. An Executive member paying $130 would need $6,500 in Costco spending.

The card also makes sense if you use Costco gas regularly and want to consolidate rewards. However, the 1% cash back on restaurants and other purchases is below-market. If you spend significantly on dining, travel, or shopping outside Costco, a different card with higher rewards in those categories will likely earn more overall.

The lack of a sign-up bonus is a trade-off. Many competing cards offer $100 to $300 in bonus cash back or points after you meet a spending threshold in the first few months. The Citi Costco card offers no such bonus, so you earn rewards only on actual spending from day one.

Comparing this card to other Costco payment options

Costco members can pay with the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card for American Express members (a different card), or any other payment method. The rewards differ by card. The American Express version earns 3% cash back at Costco and gas, 2% at restaurants and travel, and 1% elsewhere — higher rates across the board. However, American Express is accepted at fewer merchants outside Costco, and the card has an annual fee of $120.

If you do not have a Costco membership, you cannot use either Costco card. A general cash back card like the Citi Double Cash (2% on all purchases) or the Capital One SavorOne (3% on dining and entertainment, 1% elsewhere) may be a better fit if you shop at multiple retailers.

If you have a Costco membership but rarely use Costco gas and spend less than $3,000 per year at the warehouse, the membership fee may not be worth the card's cash back alone. In that case, a no-annual-fee card with higher rewards on restaurants or travel could earn more.

How to use the card with your Costco membership

The card is linked to your Costco membership account. When you explore, you provide your membership number, and the card is tied to that account. You can use the card at any Costco warehouse worldwide, at Costco.com, and at any merchant that accepts Visa. Your membership and card are separate accounts, so if your membership expires, you can still use the card outside Costco, but you lose access to the warehouse and the higher cash back rates.

Cash back is tracked throughout the calendar year and posted as a statement credit in January. You do not need to redeem it or take any action — it appears automatically on your bill. If you close the card before January, any unposted cash back from that year is forfeited. If your membership lapses, the same applies.

Fees, interest rates, and other terms

The card has no annual fee. There is no foreign transaction fee, so you can use it internationally without a currency conversion surcharge. The purchase APR, balance transfer APR, and cash advance APR vary by creditworthiness and are disclosed in your offer. There is no sign-up bonus, no introductory APR period, and no rewards on balance transfers.

Late fees, over-limit fees, and returned payment fees explore if you miss a payment or exceed your credit limit. These are standard Visa terms and vary by your account. The card reports to all three credit bureaus, so on-time payments help your credit score, and missed payments hurt it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this card if I do not have a Costco membership?

No. The card is tied to a Costco membership account and requires an active membership to use at the warehouse and to earn the higher cash back rates. You can use the card at other merchants (restaurants, gas stations, retailers) without membership, but you will earn only 1% cash back instead of the higher warehouse rates. Membership is not included with the card and must be purchased separately.

What happens to my cash back if I cancel my membership?

Any cash back that has not yet posted as a statement credit is forfeited. Cash back posts once per year in January. If you cancel your membership in June, for example, you lose the cash back earned from January through June. If you cancel after January but before the next January posting, you lose that year's entire balance.

Does the gas station cash back cap explore to Costco gas only, or all gas stations?

The cap applies to all gas stations, including Costco gas. Once you spend $4,000 at any combination of gas pumps in a calendar year, the cash back rate drops to 1% for the rest of that year. Costco gas is often cheaper than other stations, so many members hit the cap later in the year, but the limit is the same regardless of where you fill up.

Can I earn cash back on Costco purchases made with a different payment method?

No. Only purchases made with the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card earn the 2% cash back at Costco. If you pay with another card, cash, or a check, you earn no cash back. The card must be the payment method at checkout.

Is there a sign-up bonus?

No. The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card does not offer a sign-up bonus. You earn rewards only on purchases you make after the card is activated. If a sign-up bonus is important to you, other cash back cards offer $100 to $300 in bonus rewards after you meet a spending threshold in the first few months.