Standing at the Costco register with a Mastercard — or worse, an Amex — is a moment most first-timers only experience once. Costco runs one of the strictest payment policies of any major retailer in the country, and the rules differ depending on whether you’re inside the warehouse, filling up at the pump, or shopping on Costco.com. We tested payment methods across all three and put everything in one place so you never get turned away at the register again.
Key Answers — What Most People Ask First
Costco’s payment rules confuse a lot of shoppers because the rules change depending on where you’re paying. Here are the most common questions, answered plainly.
No. Mastercard credit cards are not accepted inside any U.S. Costco warehouse or at the gas pump. Costco has an exclusive credit card network agreement with Visa, which has been in place since 2016. Your Mastercard debit card — one tied to your bank account and used with a PIN — does work for in-store purchases. But a Mastercard credit card will be declined at the register.
Not anymore — and not in any department. Costco ended its 16-year relationship with American Express in June 2016 when it switched to Visa and Citibank as its exclusive credit card partner. American Express is not accepted in-store, at the gas pump, or on Costco.com. If you only carry Amex, you can pay with cash, a debit card, or a Costco Shop Card at the warehouse.
Yes — with one important catch. Costco accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay at in-store registers and at the gas pump. However, if you’re paying with a digital wallet credit card, it must be a Visa. In our testing, an Apple Pay tap linked to a Chase Sapphire Preferred (Visa) went through without a problem. Attempting to use a Mastercard or Amex through a digital wallet at the same register? Declined the same as a physical card.
You have several options without any credit card at all. Costco accepts cash, personal checks (from current Costco members), business checks, traveler’s checks, EBT cards for eligible food purchases, and debit cards from any network when used with a PIN. Costco Shop Cards — their reloadable gift cards — also work in-store and online. One workaround some members use: purchase a Costco Shop Card on Costco.com using a Mastercard or Discover card, then spend that Shop Card in the warehouse.
Yes. Costco’s website is more flexible than the warehouse. Costco.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover (including JCB and Diners Club), plus most debit cards, Costco Shop Cards, and Apple Pay. This is the main place where the in-store Visa-only rule does not apply. If your best rewards card is a Mastercard or Discover, use it online and pay with a Visa or debit in the warehouse.
Yes — but that’s true for entering the warehouse at all, not just for using a card. Costco requires a paid membership ($65/year for Gold Star, $130/year for Executive) to shop in the warehouse or at the gas pump. You do not need a membership to shop on Costco.com, though non-members pay a 5% surcharge. The Costco Anywhere Visa Card requires a current Costco membership to apply and to keep the card active — if your membership lapses, the card typically cannot be used.
Yes, in specific departments. Costco accepts FSA and HSA debit cards — whether issued on the Visa or Mastercard network — at its Pharmacy, Optical, and Hearing Aid departments. This is one of the few places inside a Costco warehouse where a Mastercard is accepted, because it’s a debit transaction tied to a healthcare spending account, not a credit card payment. For eligible health purchases at those counters, you can hand over your FSA card regardless of which network it carries.
It comes down to an exclusive business agreement Costco struck with Visa and Citibank in 2016. In exchange for Costco making Visa its sole accepted credit network, Visa negotiated significantly lower interchange (swipe) fees — industry estimates suggest Costco pays closer to 1.3–1.4% per Visa transaction versus the 1.9–2.0% it was paying Amex. For a retailer processing tens of billions in annual credit card volume, that’s hundreds of millions of dollars in annual savings that help Costco keep prices low for members.
Payment Rules by Location
The same card that works online may be declined at the register. Here’s the breakdown by exactly where you’re paying.
The most restrictive payment environment in Costco’s ecosystem. Only Visa credit cards are accepted here — no Mastercard, no Discover, no Amex. In our walk-through of the checkout lanes, the Visa restriction is enforced at every register including self-checkout, though self-checkout typically does not accept cash or personal checks. Contactless payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay work as long as the card stored in the wallet is a Visa. Debit cards from any network (Mastercard, Discover, etc.) work fine when processed with a PIN. EBT is accepted for food-eligible items per state law.
Costco’s gas pumps are known for some of the lowest fuel prices in the area, which draws long lines of members. The pumps follow the same Visa-only credit rule as the warehouse. When we tested at the pump, debit cards worked reliably with a PIN, and Apple Pay (linked to a Visa) completed the transaction in seconds. Costco Shop Cards can be used to prepay for gas. Cash, checks, Mastercard, and Amex are not accepted at the pump. Some members find that their debit cards process as credit if they don’t enter a PIN — at Costco pumps, always use your PIN to avoid a decline.
Online is where Costco loosens up. Costco.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover (including JCB and Diners Club international cards). Most PIN-based debit cards work, and Costco Shop Cards are accepted. Apple Pay is available at checkout on compatible browsers and devices. American Express is still not accepted on Costco.com. This is the practical solution for shoppers whose highest-rewards card is a Mastercard — use it online, and pay with a Visa or debit at the warehouse door.
Full Payment Method Comparison
Every common payment method, checked against each Costco location. Confirm with Costco before your trip if you have questions about a specific card type.
| Payment Method | In Warehouse | Gas Pump | Costco.com | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa credit card | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | All Visa cards accepted everywhere |
| Mastercard credit card | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Online only — not in warehouse or at pump |
| American Express | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Not accepted anywhere since 2016 |
| Discover credit card | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (incl. JCB, Diners) | Online only |
| Debit card (any network) | ✅ With PIN | ✅ With PIN | ✅ Yes | Use your PIN to avoid declines |
| Apple Pay | ✅ Visa only | ✅ Visa only | ✅ Visa only | Wallet must contain a Visa card |
| Google Pay / Samsung Pay | ✅ Visa only | — | — | Visa card in wallet required in-store |
| Cash | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | Not accepted at pump or online |
| Personal check | ✅ Members only | ❌ No | ❌ No | Not in self-checkout lanes |
| EBT card | ✅ Food items only | ❌ No | ❌ No | State food-eligibility rules apply |
| Costco Shop Card (gift card) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Reloadable; buy online with Mastercard/Discover |
| FSA / HSA debit card | ✅ Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing Aid only | ❌ No | — | Any network accepted in those departments |
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi — Is It Worth It?
Since Visa is the only credit card network accepted in the warehouse, many members ask whether they should just get Costco’s own card. Here’s what it actually earns and where it falls short.
The Costco Anywhere Visa does not issue monthly statement credits or points you can redeem any time. Instead, Citi mails you a single annual reward certificate with your February billing statement. That certificate can only be redeemed at a U.S. Costco warehouse — either as cash or toward merchandise. It expires December 31 of the same year. If you close your account before February, you forfeit that year’s rewards entirely. For someone who shops at Costco regularly and doesn’t mind redeeming once a year, this is fine. For someone who wants to redeem rewards on their own schedule, a different Visa might work better.
If you hold a Costco Executive membership ($130/year), Costco itself pays you 2% back on qualifying warehouse and Costco.com purchases — separate from the card. Combine that with the card’s 2% on Costco purchases and you’re earning 4% back at Costco. The Executive membership’s 2% reward is capped at $1,250 annually, so high spenders will hit that ceiling eventually, but for the average household it rarely comes up. The math on whether Executive membership pays for itself depends on your annual Costco spending — the break-even is roughly $3,250 in annual purchases compared to a Gold Star membership.
The 1% rate on general purchases is below average for a no-annual-fee card. There’s no welcome bonus and no introductory APR period — unusual for a major credit card. Variable APR currently runs 18.74%–26.74%, so carrying a balance is expensive. If most of your spending falls outside gas, travel, and restaurants, a flat 1.5% or 2% cash-back Visa (such as the Citi Double Cash or Capital One VentureOne, both Visa) might earn more overall while still being accepted in the Costco warehouse. Many regular Costco shoppers carry the Costco Anywhere Visa specifically for gas and travel, and use a separate flat-rate Visa for everything else.
Find Your Situation
The Costco Anywhere Visa is most likely the right card for you. The 5% at the Costco pump and 2% on all warehouse purchases add up fast for regular shoppers, and the $0 card fee makes the math simple. If you already have an Executive membership, you’re earning 4% on all warehouse spending. One thing to plan around: you’ll receive one big reward certificate in February. We’ve found it helpful to treat that certificate like a holiday shopping fund — spend it in one visit on bulk staples you’d buy anyway.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a Visa Infinite card and is accepted at Costco warehouses — any Visa credit card is. What actually happened is usually one of two things: the card was declined by Chase for a fraud alert on a large purchase, or the register misread the tap. Try inserting the chip instead of tapping. If it’s declined again, call the number on the back of the card — Chase often puts a temporary hold on cards it sees used at Costco for the first time, especially on large transactions. In our experience, one quick call to Chase clears it immediately.
American Express is not accepted anywhere at Costco — in-store, at the pump, or online. Your practical options: pay with cash or a debit card linked to your checking account, use a Costco Shop Card you purchased elsewhere (you can buy Shop Cards using Amex on third-party gift card sites, though check the terms), or get a no-fee Visa card to keep in your wallet specifically for Costco. The Citi Double Cash (Visa version) is popular here — 2% on everything with no annual fee. You’d swipe the Amex everywhere else and the Visa only at Costco.
Yes. Costco accepts EBT cards at all U.S. warehouse locations for food-eligible items, following your state’s SNAP program guidelines. The membership requirement still applies — you do need a paid Costco membership to enter. Some states participate in programs that waive or subsidize the membership fee for SNAP recipients; check with your state SNAP office or call your local Costco warehouse to ask. If you qualify for a discounted membership, the savings on bulk food items can be substantial, especially on items like chicken, eggs, rice, and canned goods.
Any Visa credit card works at Costco, so you’re free to use whichever earns you more. Several Visa cards outperform the Costco card for general purchases: the Citi Double Cash (2% everywhere), the Capital One VentureOne (1.25 miles/dollar, no foreign transaction fees), or a rotating-category Visa like the Chase Freedom Flex when Wholesale Clubs or Grocery stores are the quarterly 5% category. The downside is you give up the 5% on Costco gas and the stacking 2% + 2% if you’re an Executive member. For heavy Costco gas users, the Costco card usually wins that category; for everyone else, compare your actual spending.
Practical Tips Before Your Next Trip
If your highest-rewards card is a Mastercard, Discover, or Amex, here’s a method that lets you use it at Costco without carrying a Visa: buy a Costco Shop Card on Costco.com using your preferred card. Costco.com accepts Mastercard and Discover. Load whatever amount you expect to spend on your next trip to the Shop Card, then use it at the warehouse register. You earn your card’s rewards on the purchase just as you would anywhere else. The Shop Card behaves exactly like a Costco gift card — works at all registers, at the gas pump, and back online.
Several members have reported their debit cards being declined at Costco gas pumps when running as “credit” (no PIN). In our testing, Costco’s pump software is set to require PIN verification for debit cards. If you skip the PIN and try to run as credit, the pump may reject the card even if your bank would otherwise allow it. Enter your PIN at the start of the transaction. If your debit card doesn’t have a PIN set up, call your bank — it takes about five minutes and makes Costco gas pump visits much smoother.
Contactless tap payments (NFC) generally work smoothly at Costco registers for Visa cards and Apple/Google Pay. If a tap fails — which can happen with worn card surfaces or software glitches — insert the chip instead rather than swiping. Swipe (magnetic stripe) transactions carry a slightly higher fraud risk and some Costco registers default to chip-first. A chip insert that fails twice will typically prompt a swipe as a fallback, but going chip first saves time.
Not all payment methods that work at staffed registers are available in Costco self-checkout lanes. Cash and personal checks are generally not accepted at self-checkout. If you’re paying with cash or a check, go to a staffed register. Debit, Visa credit, Apple Pay, and Shop Cards all work fine in self-checkout. Some members find the self-checkout card reader to be less responsive to contactless tap than staffed registers — chip or insert works more reliably there.
Payment acceptance information is based on Costco’s published payment policies, Citi’s published Costco Anywhere Visa card terms, and direct testing at Costco warehouse locations. Card reward rates are current as published by Citi and are subject to change — verify terms at citi.com before applying. Key sources: Costco.com payment help pages; Citi.com Costco Anywhere Visa product page; Experian and CardRatings card reviews. This page is independent and is not affiliated with Costco Wholesale Corporation, Citibank, Visa, or any payment network. Payment policies may vary by location and are subject to change without notice — confirm with your local Costco before your trip.