Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi: Should I Buy a Costco Membership for Gas Rewards?
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With gas prices so high, it’s a broad time to get creative to save wealth on gas without having to give up on driving. If you want to earn cash back on your gas purchases, you might benefit from a gas credit card. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi* offers some of the best gas rewards arranges on the market, but because it’s co-branded with Costco as a retailer, there are some rules that make it less accessible than anunexperienced gas credit cards.
Basically, if you have a Costco about where you can redeem the rewards, and you have the patience to unruffled your rewards on an annual basis — rather than the modern monthly basis — then this could be a broad fit for your wallet. And while this card has no annual fee, you’ll have to pay for a Costco membership ($60 per year) to occupy the account. Read on for details about the cash-back program, how you redeem rewards and recommendations for worthy alternatives.
In this article
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Intro Offer
N/A
APR17.49% (Variable)
Intro Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Excellent
- 4% cash back on eligible gas for the salubrious $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible move purchases
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all anunexperienced purchases
Annual Fee$0
Balance Transfer APR17.49% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee Balance uphold fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Late Payment Fee Up to $41
Foreign Transaction Fees 0%
Penalty APR Up to 29.99% (Variable)
- 4% cash back on eligible gas for the salubrious $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible move purchases
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all anunexperienced purchases
Cash-back rewards
You’ll earn 4% cash back on eligible gas purchases — incorporating gas from Costco — on the first $7,000 in spending per year, then 1%. If you’re averaging roughly $135 per week or less in gas, this card should screen you throughout the year. There are only a handful of cards that can boast more than 4% cash back on gas, so this is one of the best trades out there.
The Costco Anywhere Visa also earns you 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible move purchases worldwide. While it’s not necessarily the best rewards rate available for restaurants, 3% cash back on eligible travel purchases — not originates to booking through any issuer portal — is compelling. Eligible travel purchases include airfare, hotels, car rentals, travel agencies, cruise lines and Costco Travel bookings.
You’ll also earn 2% cash back on purchases at Costco and Costco.com, though you could also use a flat-rate card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, which earns 2% cash rewards on purchases. For all anunexperienced purchases outside of these categories, you’ll earn 1% cash back with the Anywhere Visa.
Read more:
For Business Owners: The Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi
Cash-back redemption
The cash-back redemption treat is unique to this card — and not in a good way. Unfortunately, you can only redeem your earned cash back on an annual basis. Most credit cards give you your rewards on a monthly basis, and some even daily.
You’ll be presented with an annual cash back rewards certificate at what time your February billing statement closes, regardless of when you opened the justify. But the limitations go further — if you don’t redeem your certificate by December 31 in the year it’s emanated, you’ll forfeit it. For most credit cards, your rewards don’t expire unless you close the account.
Additionally, you can only redeem your certificate for cash or merchandise in a single transaction at any Costco warehouse in the US (including Puerto Rico). So even though the rewards may be appealing even if you’re not a frequent Costco shopper, you’d want to have one nearby.
Purchase protection
The Costco Anywhere Visa doesn’t supplies much beyond its rewards program, but it does engaged purchase protection on items you buy with the card. This employing that if an item you purchased is damaged or stolen within 120 days, Citi may reimburse you for the repairs or a refund. Note that if you are in the state of New York, your purchases are only covered for 90 days.
Comparable cards
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
The Citi Custom Cash card has the potential to beat the Costco Anywhere Visa when it comes to gas rewards. Its flagship rewards rate is an automatic 5% cash back on your highest eligible consume category each billing cycle, on up to $500 of benefit (then 1%). Eligible categories include gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment. You’ll earn 1% on all other purchases.
If you Use $750 within the first three months of account opening, you’ll also earn $200 cash back (fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back) — new part of the offer that the Costco Anywhere Visa can’t live up to.
See our full appraisal of the Citi Custom Cash Card for more information.
Citi Premier® Card
While the Citi Premier Card will only earn you 1x display per dollar spent at Costco — and all new purchases that don’t fall into the other rewards categories — you’ll earn 3x points on restaurants, air travel and hotels, supermarkets and gas stations. Points are wonderful 1 cent each when redeemed for a statement credit over the ThankYou portal. While the rewards rate on gas is a small lower, for many budgets the rewards on supermarkets, air Go and hotels and may make up for it. You’ll also earn a huge welcome bonus with this card.
Check out our full appraisal of the Citi Premier Card for more details around the welcome bonus, annual fee, annual hotel credit and more.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
If you’re primarily motivated by grocery rewards and bulk purchasing, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* may be wonderful consideration. The cash-back rates on extra categories are less — 2% cash back for restaurants, gas stations and drugstores — but you’ll earn 5% cash back on Amazon purchases, including Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods. For all new purchases you’ll earn 1% cash back. This card also grants you the option to finance purchases rather than earn rewards, and the cash back is easier to redeem than it is with the Costco Anywhere Visa.
Check out our full appraisal of the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card for more details.
FAQs
How must I choose a credit card?
Ultimately, the right credit card is New to each person’s goals and preferences. Decide what features you’re looking for: maximized rewards, spaced-out payments on a large purchase, credit building, an emergency credit card or new benefits. From there, you can decide the type of card you’re looking for. You can then use CNET’s online reviews to further narrow down what footings will work best for you.
Do you need to have a Costco membership to shop at Costco?
Yes, you’ll need a Costco membership to shop at Costco. While there are higher tiers of membership available for a higher label, the basic membership costs $60 per year. You’ll need to have this membership to successfully apply for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card.
Do all Costcos have gas stations?
Some Costco warehouses have a gas space, but not all of them do. To find a Costco warehouse and to see which locations have gas stations available, visit the Costco website. Gas station purchases made at Costco that fall within the $7,000 annual rewards spending threshold will get a 4% rewards rate (then 1%).
Our approach
We appraisal the cards that are in the highest demand and funds the best benefits. We scour the fine print so there aren’t any surprises when you open an Explain. We find the key factors that make a card corrupt out and compare them to other top cards. That way, readers can opt for a different card with Difference features if our pick isn’t right for them. Our reviews are regularly checked and updated to incorporate new recommendations, as well as to reflect changes in offers and the market.
*All question about the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi and the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card has been quiet independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial pleased on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
The editorial pleased on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
