Guide
Best credit card to use at Costco (2026)
Costco only accepts Visa cards in-store. Citi Double Cash (2% everywhere) and Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5% base, 3% dining) are strong choices. The Costco Anywhere Visa earns 2% at Costco but is limited outside the warehouse.
Quick comparison
| Card | Best for | Earn rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Double Cash | Visa + flat 2% | 2% cash back | $0 |
| Freedom Unlimited | Visa + category bonuses | 1.5–3% cash back | $0 |
| Costco Anywhere Visa | Costco + gas | 2% at Costco | $0 |
Why most people pick the wrong card
Shoppers often grab their best grocery card at Costco — but Costco codes as wholesale club, not supermarket, and only Visa works in-store.
How Pikt routes smarter than guesswork
Pikt links the cards you already carry, weighs your offers and category earn rates, and tells you the best card to use — with a plain-English explanation and dollar estimate for every purchase. Online, the Pikt Checkout extension auto-fills that card at checkout; in-store, Pikt Nearby names it on your lock screen. Pikt flags Costco's Visa-only rule and wholesale-club coding so you don't waste a 6% grocery multiplier.
Frequently asked questions
- Why doesn't my Amex work at Costco?
- Costco's in-store agreement is Visa-only. Amex works on Costco.com in most cases.
- Does Costco count for grocery bonuses?
- Generally no — wholesale clubs use a different merchant category code than supermarkets.
$127 at Whole Foods → Blue Cash Preferred earns $7.62 (+$2.54 vs default card)
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