Does Costco Accept Mastercard? Hack To Make It Work In-Store

If you usually buy at Costco, you may have wondered if you could use your Mastercard to pay for your purchases. We all know that Costco has a reputation for its outstanding offers and affordable pricing but also for its few payment options. Let’s talk about Costco’s current Mastercard acceptance policies in the US and exactly what you can do to use your Mastercard at this renowned warehouse club.

Can I Use Mastercard At Costco Stores?

No. Costco only accepts credit cards from networks besides Visa, which includes American Express, Mastercard, and Discover.

In 2017, Costco entered an exclusive partnership with Visa, establishing it as the preferred payment method at their warehouses.

This pertains to goods purchased at Costco Warehouses and transactions done at their gas stations. As a result, non-Visa credit cards aren’t viable choices for Costco members wanting to make payments in the warehouses.

Why Doesn’t Costco Take Mastercard?

Mastercard credit cards cannot be used for purchases at Costco’s central warehouse locations due to the company’s partnership with Visa.

There are, however, other options available. You may use your Mastercard credit card without problems for online transactions made via Costco.com and the Costco application.

You should also be aware that only cards linked with the Visa network are permitted for payment at Costco services. That’s why you must have a Visa card if you plan to shop at Costco in person.

Can I Use Mastercard At Costco.com?

Totally! You can make use of your MasterCard easily at Costco.com.

Using your MasterCard can be an effective workaround, particularly if you have a card with enticing rewards. However, the online variety might not be as large as in their physical stores.

You can use your MasterCard rewards program while shopping for Costco.

Does Costco Accept Mastercards At Gas Stations?

You can not use Mastercard credit cards at Costco gas stations as they only accept Visa or Costco Shop Cards. 

The members of Costco can save 30 to 50 cents per gallon on petrol compared to local competitors. Costco gas stations allow lots of payment methods. Some of these include:

• Most PIN-based debit/ATM cards except American Express
• All Visa cards
• The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
• The Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi
• Costco Shop cards

An important thing worth mentioning is that you can only get 1% cash back if you buy fuel at supermarkets, superstores, convenience stores, and warehouse chains besides Costco. At the same time, Costco Visa Business Card is a great way to save as much as $7,000 each year with a 1% cash-back reward.

Moreover, Costco Anywhere Visa Card can help you get 4% cash back on fuel expenses. Using this card with other Costco gas station discounts further gives you a yearly cash back of $200. 

Does Costco Travel Accept Mastercard?

Certainly! You can opt for your MasterCard as a payment method with assurance when purchasing Costco Travel packages.

This is terrific news since many MasterCard accounts comprise valuable travel insurance perks, which include trip delay coverage and settlement for delayed luggage.

As an outcome, you can leverage your MasterCard’s conveniences and advantages, plus any possible added travel insurance benefits that might get incorporated.

You can be comfortable knowing your MasterCard will be your reliable travel companion whenever you book a getaway with Costco Travel, providing an easy transaction and more serenity of mind.

Can I Use Mastercard Debit Card At Costco?

Debit cards from Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and other card brands can be used as payment at Costco.

So, if your debit card carries one of these icons, you can efficiently utilize it for Costco transactions. This versatility lets you use any debit card you want when making purchases at Costco, no matter what brand it holds.

Do Canada Costco Locations Accept Mastercard?

No. The payment legislation at Costco operates differently in Canada than in the US.

In Canada, Costco accepts just MasterCard credit cards; unlike the United States, they won’t accept Visa credit cards.

That is why you should have your MasterCard on hand as your preferred means of payment when you buy something at Costco Canada.

This one-of-a-kind payment policy promises that Costco members in Canada are limited to purchasing using MasterCard, depicting the difference between the two country’s ways of paying at Costco.

Types of Payments That Costco Accepts

Despite common belief, Costco allows an extensive range of payment options that the majority have yet to hear of. The below list covers all forms of payment that Costco accepts at present:

• All Visa cards
• The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
• Most PIN-based debit/ATM cards
• Costco Shop cards
• Cash payments
• Traveler’s checks
• Personal checks (only for Costco members)
• Business checks (only for Costco Business members)
• EBT cards (Electronic Benefits Transfer)
• Mobile payment options like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.

Costco strives to address a variety of preferences while assisting its customers with a simple checkout process by providing a wide range of payment methods. Costco will accommodate your payment choices, whether you opt for conventional methods like cards, cheques, cash, or the ease of mobile payments.

List of Credit Cards That Costco Accepts

You can use various cards and payment choices to transact at a Costco warehouse. Here are the approved forms of payment, as mentioned on the Costco website:

• All cards hold a Visa logo.
• The Costco Anywhere® Visa Card by Citi.
• The Costco Anywhere® Visa Business Card by Citi.
• Mobile payments, like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
• Most PIN-based debit/ATM cards, except the ones branded with American Express.
• Costco Shop cards.
• Cash payments.
• Traveler’s checks.
• Business and Personal statements from present Costco business members and Costco members.

Costco, therefore, provides a variety of payment choices, regardless of whether you like using a Visa card, smartphone payments, or conventional methods such as cash or checks.

Warehouses

• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi*
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi*
• All Visa Cards

Besides credit cards, Costco warehouses offer a range of alternative payment methods, which include the following:

• Cash payments
• Costco Shop Cards
• Traveler’s Checks
• Most pin-operated debit cards
• Personal checks from existing Costco members
• Business checks from existing Costco business members
• EBT cards
• Mobile payments with any of the qualified payment methods mentioned above.

With these different payment options, Costco seeks to serve its customer base’s mixed preferences and needs.

Online

You have a variety of options when it addresses making payments on the Costco website:

• All Visa cards

• Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
• Discover cards
• Mastercard
• JCB and Diners Club cards

The website also takes Costco Shop Cards and the most pin-operated debit cards. You can use your preferred credit card when purchasing through the Costco website due to the broad range of authorized payment options.

Gas Stations

• All Visa Cards
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi*

Tip! How You Can Use Mastercard For Costco In-Store Purchases?

Here’s a helpful tip if you’re keen on using your MasterCard while at Costco.

You can use your MasterCard to get a Costco Cash Card from their website, and you may load a maximum of $2000 for each card. When you have the card, all you have to do is start using it to carry out purchases at Costco by going in. With the aid of this innovative workaround, you can take advantage of your MasterCard to effectively utilize the Cash Card and make use of all of the benefits it offers. It’s something that everyone benefits from.

Your options are restricted if you plan to make a Costco shopping trip with a credit card that is not a Visa card. Consider looking at different payment options. Thankfully, Costco Warehouses allow several additional payment methods. Some of them include:

• Cash
•  Most pin-operated debit cards
•  Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Cards
•  Costco Shop Cards
•  Traveler’s checks
•  Personal checks from current Costco members

Business checks from current Costco business members.

Key Takeaways

• Costco refuses to accept Mastercard credit cards at its warehouses or website. Visa is the sole credit card it takes.
• Lower processing costs are available through a unique partnership between Costco and Visa, letting the retailer keep its pricing low.
• Costco accepts Mastercard debit cards and other payment methods such as cash, checks, Costco Cash Cards, and mobile wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Wallet.