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Best credit card for Costco Canada: what's accepted in-store, online and at the pump

Becky · Founder, PointsMaxxing

Numbers checked October 9, 2026 · 5 min read

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Costco is where a lot of Canadian grocery money goes, and it is the store most likely to reject the card you reach for. Two things to know before you get to the till: only Mastercard works in the warehouse, and Costco doesn't count as a grocery store for your card's bonus categories.

What Costco Canada accepts

  • In the warehouse

    Credit cards accepted
    Mastercard only
    Also accepted
    Debit, cash, Costco Shop Card, cheque, Apple Pay

  • Gas station

    Credit cards accepted
    Mastercard only
    Also accepted
    Debit, physical Shop Card

  • Costco.ca

    Credit cards accepted
    Mastercard and Visa
    Also accepted
    Debit, Shop Card

Per Costco Canada's payment help page, as of October 2026. No American Express anywhere. US warehouses accept Visa; Canadian ones don't.

If your best card is a Visa or Amex, there is one workaround: buy a Costco Shop Card on Costco.ca with the Visa (they come in $50 to $2,000) and spend it in the warehouse. It's a hassle, and Shop Cards earn nothing themselves, so it only makes sense if the Visa earns a lot.

Why your grocery bonus doesn't apply

Card networks tag Costco as a warehouse club, not a grocery store. A card that pays 5% on groceries pays its base rate at Costco, whatever you put in the cart. This surprises people every week. Read more in which stores count as grocery.

The CIBC Costco Mastercard

Costco's own card, issued by CIBC since 2022. As of October 2026:

  • $0 annual fee. Costco members only. $15,000 minimum income.
  • 3% at restaurants.
  • 3% on Costco gas and 2% on other gas and EV charging, on the first $5,000 of gas spending a year.
  • 2% on Costco.ca, on the first $8,000 a year.
  • 1% on everything else, including inside the warehouse.
  • Rewards are paid once a year, in January, as a Costco certificate you spend in the warehouse.

The surprise is that last line: the Costco card pays only 1% in the warehouse. It is really a gas and restaurant card that happens to work at Costco. CIBC's marketing page says "no limit" on some categories; the terms set the caps above, so plan on the caps.

So which Mastercard is best at Costco?

For warehouse spending, any Mastercard with a solid base rate. The Rogers Red World Elite pays 1.5% on everything (2% for Rogers customers), which beats the Costco card's 1% in-store. The Tangerine Money-Back pays 0.5% on everything unless you can make a category fit. For the pump, the CIBC Costco card's 3% on Costco gas is hard to beat.

Card terms, earn rates and fees change often. Check the issuer's site before you apply. This is general information, not financial advice.

Sources

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