Points and miles are currently my preferred credit card reward currencies, but there was a time when cash back was my top choice.
Of the eight cards in my wallet, three are cash back products; I continue to hold all three because two of them — the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Discover it® Cash Back — account for a significant portion of my credit history.
I added the third one, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi (see rates and fees), to my wallet in 2023, and it's been putting in work ever since.
The Costco Anywhere Visa shines in two areas where my household spends a lot of money: Costco and gas purchases. It also features solid cash-back rates in popular bonus categories, making it a great option for Costco members who want to maximize their cash back earnings.
Let's discuss why the Costco Anywhere Visa might be a great fit for you.
Earns cash back in key categories
Most of my family lives within a three-hour drive from me, so fueling up to drive back and forth to visit them can add up. Fortunately, the generous 5% cash back on gas at Costco and 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging for up to $7,000 in combined spending each year (then 1%), giving me a chance to earn rewards on every trip I make.
Additionally, my household includes a daily commuter who fills up twice a week and is an authorized user on my Costco Anywhere Visa, earning me even more rewards in this category.
Then there’s the unlimited 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel categories, including airfare and cruises booked through Costco Travel. Even though my American Express® Gold Card is my go-to for restaurant and grocery purchases, it's useful to have a backup option that earns a healthy rewards rate on my dining purchases at places where Amex cards aren't accepted.
I also earn 2% cash back on all purchases from Costco and Costco.com, which I constantly browse for flash sales and other deals. Plus, the added benefit of earning 1% cash back on all other purchases is the cherry on top — even when I’m not earning higher rates of cash back in my main categories, I still earn rewards every time I tap my card.
The major caveat with redeeming your cash-back rewards with the Costco Anywhere Visa is that you can only do so once a year, which differs from most cards that make your rewards redeemable at the end of each billing cycle. If you’re a fan of redeeming your rewards on a more frequent rolling basis, this card may not be the best for you.
Pays for my Costco membership
I love Costco, but because the closest one to me is 30 minutes away, I typically shop at the warehouse every five to six weeks. This means my Costco trips are hauls where I get groceries like produce and meat in bulk (much of which gets frozen and stored for future meal prep use) and sometimes bigger items like kitchen appliances, cookware and even indoor-outdoor furniture.
Within the first two months of opening my Costco Anywhere Visa, the cash back I accumulated, in addition to the digital shop cards I earned, more than paid off my $130 annual Costco Executive Membership fee. (Although the Costco Anywhere Visa doesn't charge an annual fee, you must be a Costco member to obtain the store card.)
Essentially, this credit card pays for your Costco membership while boosting your cash-back earning power across multiple categories, some of which you can even combine (but more on that in just a bit).
Doubles as a decent travel card
While most people don’t consider the Costco Anywhere Visa a travel card in the traditional sense, it offers cardholders great perks, including no foreign transaction fees wherever Visa is accepted and 3% cash back on rental cars, hotel stays and other eligible travel categories.
But one of my favorite perks — which I think is one of the best perks and often tell people about — is that cardholders get to combine the 3% cash back on eligible travel with the 2% cash back that everyone with Costco’s Executive Membership gets for a total of 5% cash back on travel rewards.
Bottom line
The Costco Anywhere Visa makes it easy to maximize cash-back rewards. I’m a huge fan of its multifunctionality and killer cash-back offers in my most frequently used categories.
In addition to doubling as a great travel card, the Costco Anywhere Visa also acts as your Costco membership card, so it’s not a big deal if you forget your physical membership card at home. It’s also nice to know that you'll earn at least 1% cash back each time you use your card.
Because it’s such a workhorse for earning me cash-back rewards, this card is a staple in my wallet.
To learn more, read our full review of the Costco Anywhere Visa Card.
