Costco Only Accepts One Kind Of Credit Card At Checkout
While it may be difficult to believe you're saving money at Costco — especially if your receipt always tallies over $500 — the savings from those 64-ounce jars of mayo, 30-pound buckets of mac and cheese, and 1 Year Emergency Food Pallet add up. Still, there are a lot of mistakes you can make when shopping at Costco, and perhaps the biggest one is breaking out your American Express card when it comes time to pay. While some people might never leave home without their Amex, hopefully you have another option in your wallet when you visit this warehouse retailer — because it only takes Visa.
Costco ended its exclusive, 16-year partnership with American Express in 2016,which was a sad decision for customers who enjoyed the cash back rewards from their Costco-Amex branded credit card. With that said, Visa and Costco created their own cobranded credit card that similarly offers qualified Costco members the opportunity to earn cash back rewards when used at Costco, as well as on other qualifying purchases.
Other ways to pay
If you are someone who enjoys participating in things like Costco's 'treasure-hunt' shopping style — in search of weekly bargains — then it's important to realize that you can pay with other options besides a Visa card. You can also pay with Costco gift cards or, if you're among the 14% of people that the Pew Research Center found prefers to pay their weekly expenditures with paper money, Costco also accepts cash in addition to personal checks and traveler's checks.
It's also worth noting that you can use a Mastercard when shopping at Costco.com. Similarly, Costco allows customers to use mobile payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay in-warehouse. Meaning you can use your phone to pay for that salty, yummy rotisserie chicken or even your favorite Costco food court item. Of course, if you are just going to Costco for window shopping and samples, you don't need to bring you Visa, cash, or mobile pay options, because the most important card is ultimately your Costco membership card.