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Few retailers inspire such strong customer loyalty as Costco (one couple even got married there). But is it smart for Costco members to sign up for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi to maximize their savings? After all, store credit cards are not always the best option for consumers as they sometimes have less than stellar terms and rewards. Select took a deeper look at the Costco Anywhere Visa Card's benefits and drawbacks to help you decide whether it is right for you. Here are five important things you should know about the card. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Pros
Cons
1. It has a robust rewards programWhile experts usually don't recommend signing up for a store credit card, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card is an exception, thanks in part to its tiered rewards program that benefits gas guzzlers, foodies and frequent travelers. Here are the rewards you earn with the Costco Anywhere Visa:
Unfortunately, the card doesn't currently offer a welcome bonus, so you can't earn increased rewards during your first few months of account opening. 2. Costco purchases don't earn the highest cash-back rateThough this card is co-branded with Costco, purchases at the store don't earn the highest amount of cashback. You earn 2% cash back on purchases from Costco and Costco.com. While this may seem rather low, if you frequently shop at Costco for groceries, it can still help you maximize your savings. Many credit cards that offer bonus rewards for grocery shopping exclude warehouses like Costco, so while you can earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%) with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, that doesn't apply to Costco purchases. Terms Apply. Also, keep in mind that Costco warehouses only accept credit cards issued by Visa so you wouldn't be able to swipe an American Express, Mastercard or Discover card anyway. The Costco Anywhere Visa Card is still a decent option for Costco purchases with 2% cash back. However, there are other cards that offer similar (or better) returns at Costco. For example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a no annual fee Visa card that offers 2% cash rewards on all eligible purchases, including ones made at the wholesale club. And if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn up to 2.62% cash back on all purchases made with the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Card. You can become a Preferred Rewards program member by having at least $20,000 in a Bank of America deposit and/or Merrill investment account, though you'll need to have at least $100,000 invested to unlock the maximum 2.62% return. Wells Fargo Active Cash® CardOn Wells Fargo's secure site
3. You can only collect rewards once a yearThe cashback you earn with the Costco Anywhere Visa Card is provided via an annual reward certificate once your February billing statement closes. To redeem the certificate for a check or merchandise, you have to head to a U.S. Costco warehouse. That may come as an unexpected surprise if you didn't read the fine print as most other credit cards allow you to redeem rewards online, typically within one billing cycle of earning them. 4. You have to be a Costco memberWhile the card itself has no annual fee, cardholders must have a paid Costco membership, which starts at $60 for Gold Star and Business levels, then doubles in price to $120 for Gold Star Executive and Business Executive members. If you're already a Costco member, this isn't really an added cost. But if you're considering this card and already have a membership with BJ's or Sam's Club, you may think twice about adding the cost of another warehouse club membership. 5. The card offers helpful perks for travelersAside from the solid 3% return on travel purchases, frequent travelers will benefit from the various perks provided by the Costco Anywhere Visa Card, which include travel and emergency assistance, worldwide travel accident insurance and worldwide car rental insurance. Additionally, there are no foreign transaction fees, so purchases made outside the U.S. won't incur the typical 3% charge. This can add up to substantial savings if you regularly travel abroad. For more details on the card's benefits and perks, see our full review of the Costco Anywhere Visa Card. Bottom lineThe Costco Anywhere Visa Card is right for you if you're a Costco member who wants to earn competitive rewards on gas, EV charging purchases, dining and travel purchases, and don't mind receiving rewards once a year. However, if you're not loyal to Costco and want a card that doesn't require a membership but still earns high rewards, check out our list of the best credit cards for Costco. You can also browse Select's roundups of the best cards for travel, dining, grocery and gas purchases. Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date. Read moreFor rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here. Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party. Does the Costco anywhere Visa card have foreign transaction fees?The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi provides cardmembers with some of the following benefits: No matter where you're traveling, you'll enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases.
Does Citi card charge a foreign transaction fee?What are the charges on your card for a transaction made in a foreign currency? Citi charges a foreign currency markup fee of up to 3.5%. This is a standard charge levied across the market.
Can you use your Costco card anywhere in the US?Your membership card is valid at any Costco warehouse worldwide and is not transferable.
Can I use my Costco Citi card in Mexico?You're more likely to see places that take Visa and Mastercard but not American Express or Discover. But while you can use Costco Credit Card anywhere in the world, you do have to be a Costco member to get it in the first place.
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