Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi Review: Generous Cash Back Inside and Outside of Costco

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi provides consistent cash back to Costco loyalists, but its highest rewards can be found outside of the wholesale club — on gas, travel and dining. It doesn’t charge an annual fee but requires a Costco membership. Also, its reward redemption is less flexible compared to other cards. Nonetheless, if you’re already a Costco member and regularly shop there, this card is an excellent addition to your wallet.

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi caters to Costco members who want to maximize the cash back they get from their everyday purchases. Your Costco and Costco.com purchases earn unlimited 2% cash back, but true to its name, you can use the card anywhere. It offers 4% cash back on gas and EV charging (up to $7,000 annually) and unlimited 3% on travel and dining. All other purchases earn 1%.

This card doesn’t require an annual fee, but you do need a Costco membership — the cheapest is $60 per year. Unlike other cash back cards, the Costco Anywhere lacks a 0% intro APR period and welcome bonus. Its rewards can only be redeemed once a year and require you to go to a Costco store.

If you already pay for a Costco membership and frequently go there, it’s hard to find a card that can match the cash back you get from this card. However, if Costco is not part of your routine, consider other cards to find one that better fits your lifestyle.

>>MORE: MoneyGeek's Best Cash Back Credit Cards

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi caters to Costco members who are looking to maximize their cash back on everyday spending. As its name suggests, you can use this card anywhere, as it rewards your Costco purchases and your regular spending outside of the superstore.

The card rewards users with an impressive 4% cash back on gas and EV charging purchases (up to $7,000 annually). Dining and travel expenses earn unlimited 3% back, while purchases at Costco and Costco.com earn 2%. All other purchases earn 1% cash back.

However, redeeming rewards with Costco Anywhere is somewhat restrictive. Cardholders receive their cash back annually as a credit card reward certificate after their February billing statement closes. These certificates can be redeemed for merchandise or cash at any U.S. Costco warehouse, including Puerto Rico, but they must be used in a single transaction by December 31 of the year they are issued.

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi offers high cash back on categories that make up most of your everyday spending. Here's why it might be a smart choice for your wallet:

High Cash Back on Gas: The 4% cash back on gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 a year can lead to substantial savings. If you maximize the spending limit, that could mean $280 cash back per year.

It isn’t easy to find a card that can match this rate, with most gas cards offering 3% cash back. You can find cards that offer 5% cash back on fuel, but they come with quirks and aren’t as simple as what you get with the Costco Anywhere.

Rewards on Travel and Dining: Travel enthusiasts and foodies will appreciate the 3% cash back on travel and dining expenses. This cash back rate equals what you can get from travel cards that charge hundreds of dollars per year.

Cash Back on Costco Purchases: You earn 2% cash back on all purchases from Costco and Costco.com. Although you can find cards offering higher than 2% cash back on supermarket purchases, most exclude big-box stores like Costco. The unlimited 2% you get on Costco and Costco.com purchases exceeds the usual 1.5% cash back from flat-rate cards.

While the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi has its perks, a few considerations might lead you to look elsewhere.

Costco Membership Required: Although Costco Anywhere has no annual fee, an active Costco membership is required. The cheapest is $60 per year. This requirement could be a deal-breaker for those who don’t want to pay a fee for their card. If you’re looking for cash back on groceries and want a no-annual-fee card (see Rates and Fees) the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express may be an alternative.

Limited Reward Redemption: Rewards can only be redeemed once a year and require you to get it physically at a Costco store. Most cash back cards allow you to redeem as a statement credit or cash anytime and online. The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers high cash back on grocery stores and dining while having user-friendly redemption options.

We compare the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi with similar cash back cards to help you determine whether it is the best card for your needs.

You can maximize your rewards by finding a complementary card to pair with the cash back offered by the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, tailoring another card to the categories you spend the most in.

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi is a prime pick for Costco members who often fuel up, dine out or travel out of town. If you're already paying for a Costco membership and your spending aligns with the card's higher cash back categories, this card can offer substantial savings without you feeling its drawbacks.

Most cash back cards exclude superstores in their grocery categories, so the card’s 2% cash back on Costco is already competitive. Moreover, its 4% cash back on gas (up to $7,000 per year) and unlimited 3% on dining and travel are hard to beat.

However, if you’re not yet a Costco member and want a more conventional cash back card, consider looking at other cards.

Our evaluation of the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi involved a comparative analysis of 60 credit cards. We focused on key features that align with consumer spending habits and cardholder satisfaction, applying the following weights to determine the card's overall score:

• Effective Reward Rate: 50% (evaluated based on the effectiveness of the cash back rate)
• Offer ROI: 10% (assessed by the return on investment from introductory offers)
• Annual Fee: 10% (measured by the presence or absence of an annual fee)
• Issuer Satisfaction: 5% (determined by customer satisfaction with the issuer)
• Penalties: 5% (evaluated based on the cost of late payments and other penalties)
• Intro Purchase APR: 5% (assessed by the benefits of the introductory purchase APR)
• Recommended Credit: 5% (based on the credit score requirements for approval)
• Regular APR: 5% (measured by the cost of carrying a balance)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 5% (evaluated based on charges for transactions made abroad)

We carefully considered these factors to ensure the card's features align with the needs of consumers seeking high rewards on dining, entertainment and groceries.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card From American Express, please click here.