If you want to shop at Costco, you may wonder whether you can use your MasterCard to pay for your purchases.
This post will answer this question and provide some insight into alternative forms of payment you can use at Costco.
As of 2022, Costco doesn’t accept MasterCard when shopping at its physical warehouse locations. The only forms of payments accepted in-store at Costco include all Visa cards, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, cash, personal checks, EBT cards, and so on.
However, you can use your MasterCard to pay when shopping online at costco.com.
Contents
Why Does Costco Not Accept MasterCard?
Costco doesn’t accept MasterCard because it already has an exclusive deal with Visa. The warehouse club chain has had a partnership with the credit card company since 2016. Initially, Costco had an exclusive agreement with American Express, but the two companies disagreed on the renewal terms.
Costco offers various payment methods at its stores, including cash, debit cards, credit cards, and business or personal checks from current Costco members. You can use more than one form of payment per purchase. For example, you can pay for items with a Costo shop gift card and your Visa card.
How Does the Switch to Visa Save Money For Costco Members?
Costco’s partnership with Visa meant more rewards for its members. For example, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi doubles up as a membership card, has no foreign transaction fees, and doesn’t charge any annual fees. You can use the card to make purchases at other stores, but you can only redeem its cashback rewards at Costco outlets.
Some of the ways Costco members save money when using the card include—
- 4% back on all eligible gas purchases up to $7,000 per year, and then 1% afterward
- 3% back on restaurants and eligible travels
- 2% back on all purchases made at Costco in-store and costco.com
- 1% on all other purchases
What are the Payment Methods Accepted at Costco?
Costco accepts a wide range of payment methods at physical Costco stores that include the following;
- Cash
- Costco Shop cards
- All Visa Cards
- Pin-based ATM/Debit cards
- Personal and business checks from Costco members
- EBT cards
- Mobile payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay
- Travelers checks
- The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
You can use the following methods to pay at Costco gas stations
- The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
- Costco shop gift cards
- All Visa cards
- Pin-based ATM or debit cards
Credit Cards Accepted at Costco
When shopping at Costco, you can only pay with a Visa credit card or any other credit card that’s backed by Visa. Some of the credit cards accepted at Costco warehouses and gas stations include;
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
- Capital One Venture X Rewards card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card
Credit Cards Not Accepted at Costco
Due to its exclusive partnership with Visa, Costco doesn’t accept credit cards from other payment processing networks such as MasterCard, Discover cards, and American Express. Below are examples of credit cards you can’t use at Costco physical stores
Savor Rewards Credit Card
Citi Premier® Card
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
- American Express® Gold Card
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Discover it® Cash Back
How To Pay With MasterCard In Costco Online?
Although Costco doesn’t accept MasterCard at its warehouse locations, you can use the card online at costco.com to pay for your purchases. In addition to the MasterCard, you can use the following forms of payment when shopping online at costco.com.
- Discover cards (such as Diners Club and JCB)
- Costco shop cards
- All Visa cards
- The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- Pin-based debit/ATM cards
To pay with MasterCard for your online purchases at Costco, follow these steps
- Log in to your account on costco.com on the website or through the Costco app
- Click on the shopping cart icon to start shopping
- Browse for items and add them to your cart
- When done, click on “Checkout”
- Enter your shipping address information that includes names, address, zip code, phone number, and so on
- Click on “Payment methods”
- Select “Credit or Debit card”
- Enter your MasterCard details such as the card number, expiration date, CVV code and your name
- Choose whether you would like to use your MasterCard as the default payment method
- Select your most preferred shipping option to complete the checkout
FAQs
Does Costco take MasterCard gift cards?
When shopping at physical store locations, Costco accepts only Visa gift cards. You can, however, use MasterCard gift cards while shopping at Costco.com. In addition, you can use Discover gift cards while shopping online but not in-store at Costco.
Does Costco only accept MasterCard in Canada?
Different credit cards are accepted at different Costco locations. In Canada, MasterCard is the only accepted credit card. In the United States, Visa is the only credit card accepted at physical Costco warehouses and gas stations.
Will Costco accept debit card payments from other carriers?
Costco states that it accepts most pin-based debit cards. Although Costco primarily deals with Visa credit cards, it’ll take any debit cards secured with a pin. So, you can use any pin-based debit card from MasterCard, American Express, and Discover card, among others.
What top credit cards are recommended for Costco payments?
Some of the best credit cards for Costco payments include;
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit card
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Conclusion
You cannot use MasterCard to pay for items at physical Costco warehouses, but you can use it on the website. This is because Costco has an exclusive partnership with Visa that prohibits the use of other payment processing networks. Other forms of payment accepted in store include Visa cards, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, cash, personal checks, EBT cards, and so on.
