If you’re already savings-savvy enough to shop at wholesale clubs, you should consider getting even more bang for your buck with a rewards credit card tailor-made for bulk buying. Unfortunately, you can’t just use any old grocery credit card — wholesale clubs usually don’t fall under grocery store and supermarket rewards categories.
Instead, some of the best options are each wholesale club’s dedicated co-branded credit card. These are usually cash back cards with no annual fee, but the rewards categories and redemption processes are typically chained to that single retailer. Wholesale club cards can easily pay for the store’s membership fees with rewards and perks, but if you don’t shop in bulk often (or if you just go for the hot dogs), these cards probably aren’t worth it due to the strict rewards terms.
To help you make the best decision, we also break down the rare few general rewards cards with wholesale club categories.
Top cards for wholesale clubs
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You can earn a decent 2 percent cash rewards on in-store and online Costco purchases, which is nothing to sneeze at, but on par with the best flat-rate rewards cards and potentially lower than the in-store rewards that other co-branded wholesale cards provide.
However, the main selling points of the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi* are its 5 percent back on gas at Costco and 4 percent on gas and EV charging elsewhere (on up to $7,000 in combined purchases per year, then 1 percent). If you drive often and fuel up during your grocery runs, these are some of the best year-round gas rewards rates on the market. But you’ll need to weigh whether the card is worth these rewards since the redemption process is perhaps the most inconvenient process we’ve ever seen.
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Pros
- Like other wholesale club cards, there is no annual fee if you already have a Costco membership.
- Packs remarkably comprehensive fuel rewards categories with some of the highest year-round rates available.
- The 3 percent cash rewards on dining and eligible travel round out the card as a solid everyday partner.
Cons
- There is no welcome offer or notable perks outside the rewards rate (unlike with some competing cards).
- Rewards can only be redeemed in-store as a certificate once per year at the end of the February billing cycle and expire the same year on Dec. 31.
- Costco doesn’t provide a higher-tier rewards card with better in-store rewards rates like other wholesale clubs provide.
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The Sam’s Club® Mastercard®* is more well-rounded for infrequent travelers than the Costco card thanks to its modest welcome offer, similar dining rewards category and potentially stronger in-store rewards. Plus, if you spend less than $6,000 a year on gas ($500 a month, for reference), the Sam’s Club card even outperforms the already-exceptional rewards rate at gas stations. On top of the usual pitfalls like in-store-only redemption, the Sam’s Club card also requires a premium membership tier to unlock boosted in-store rewards — which is subject to rewards caps as well.
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Pros
- Unlike the Costco card, the Sam’s Club Mastercard can earn 5 percent rewards at general gas stations (although the rewards spending cap is a lower $6,000 each year, then 1 percent)
- It sets itself apart from some wholesale and retail cards with its easy-to-earn welcome offer.
- Rewards are issued and possible to redeem when received (within the usual one-to-two billing cycles), which is a step up from some competing co-branded cards.
Cons
- Unless you’re a Sam’s Club Plus member (which costs $110 per year), the card only earns 1 percent cash back in physical stores.
- You can only earn up to $5,000 in Sam’s Cash rewards each year, and the boosted in-store rewards rate for Plus members is limited to $500 in rewards each year (although these limits may not be a problem for modest spenders).
- Rewards can only be redeemed in-store.
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As far as base wholesale club-specific cards go, the BJ’s One® Mastercard®* is perhaps the most lucrative without forking up for a premium membership. In fact, the base card’s unlimited in-store rewards rate is higher than both the Costco and Sam’s Club cards’ in-store rates.
However, the card doesn’t provide other bonus categories like competitors, and the fuel savings are only available at BJ’s gas stations. Ultimately, though, the BJ’s card is better for less frequent shoppers than the other wholesale club-specific cards, and the BJ’s One+® Mastercard®* is easy to justify even for these spenders.
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Pros
- Although it has a higher-tier version, the premium price tag is still affordable and the base version is still lucrative (unlike the Sam’s Club card).
- The welcome offer is available upon approval and is relatively competitive for a retail card.
- It’s one of the only wholesale club cards — and co-branded retail cards in general — to provide a boosted flat rewards rate.
Cons
- The gas savings can be significant, but only apply to fuel purchased at BJ’s locations.
- There aren’t any additional bonus categories (like the common 3 percent on dining), which could outperform a flat rewards rate for some users.
- Rewards are at least redeemable on BJ’s website and in its app (instead of solely in-store), but they cannot be redeemed for standard cash back.
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If you don’t hit up wholesale clubs often — or you actually hit more than one but don’t want to juggle several credit cards — the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is one of the few general-purpose rewards cards with a wholesale club bonus category.
The 2 percent cash back it earns at wholesale clubs and grocery stores isn’t the highest, but the 3 percent choice category adds an exceptional layer of everyday flexibility. You can earn 3 percent cash back in one of six popular categories in addition to the 2 percent back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Note, though, that the 2 percent and 3 percent earning is on the first $2,500 in combined spending each quarter (then 1 percent), which could be more limiting than other wholesale club cards’ limits.
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Pros
- The choice categories can be easy to maximize since they include dining, gas, travel, online shopping, drugstores and home improvement/furnishing stores.
- Provides a caliber of welcome offer value and intro APR offers that surpass what many retail cards provide.
- If you have an eligible savings balance across eligible Bank of America accounts, the Preferred Rewards program can boost the rewards rates by 25 to 75 percent.
Cons
- The wholesale club rewards rate may not be as strong as competitors’ in-store rates due to the combined bonus category spending cap.
- If you’re looking to boost your in-store rewards rates, the Preferred Rewards program’s balance requirements are much steeper than the co-branded card’s annual costs for higher membership tiers.
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Like wholesale clubs, Walmart and Target are usually neglected among rewards card categories despite being top grocery destinations for many people. The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card* is perhaps the only major rewards card to specifically reward superstores and other major retailers unless you turn to a retail card. Even more surprising is how its potential rewards rates at these retailers and wholesale clubs may even surpass many co-branded cards’ store-specific rates (at least for a while). However, the quarterly spending caps may be a bit low for some bulk buyers.
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Pros
- The 6 percent retailer and 3 percent choice category cash back rates are some of the highest available for superstores and wholesale clubs, let alone with a cash back card.
- The $250 bonus is above average for a cash back card, although the $2,000 spending requirement in the first 120 days is higher in exchange.
- Although there’s a $95 annual fee, it’s $0 the first year if you want to see whether it fits your spending habits.
Cons
- The $1,500 category quarterly spending limits might be too low for some spenders, so it may act more as a flat-rate 1.5 percent cash back partner card for a chunk of the year.
- Unlike competing wholesale cards, it doesn’t offer bonus categories like gas or dining at the same time as the shopping categories.
- The selectable gas and EV charging station category doesn’t include discount store/supercenter or wholesale club gas stations like co-branded cards often do.
Comparing top cards for wholesale clubs
| Card Name | Best for | Annual Fee | Recommended Credit Score | Rewards offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi | Costco shoppers | $0 | Excellent |
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| Sam’s Club® Mastercard® | Sam’s Club shoppers | $0 | Good, excellent |
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| BJ’s One® Mastercard® | BJ’s shoppers | $0 | Good, excellent |
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| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card | Wholesale club brands | $0 | Excellent/Good |
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| U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card | Superstores and wholesale clubs | $0 introductory annual fee for the first 12 months. After that, $95 | N/A |
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How to choose a wholesale club card
Of course, the major question surrounding your card decision revolves around the wholesale clubs you visit and how often. But whether you lean toward a general-purpose rewards card comes down to other factors like your specific spending habits, current card roster and wholesale club membership status.
How one Bankrate expert chose his wholesale club card
“Personally, I like to keep my roster of credit cards to a minimum, and I considered a wholesale card years ago after graduating college and getting my own place. Sam’s Club was the only major wholesale club in my area, but moving from a four-person household to living solo, I didn’t spend enough to justify upgrading from my base membership, so the Sam’s Club Mastercard wouldn’t have been very lucrative. I wouldn’t even benefit that much from the gas rewards category since I was driving less than I previously did.
Instead, I opted to rely on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card for its boosted flat rewards rate. Since I don’t buy in bulk as often as I used to, its bonus 3 percent cash back on dining and drugstore categories ultimately make this card more lucrative than a flat 2 percent cash rewards card for me.— Garrett Yarbrough, Bankrate credit cards writer
What’s next?
The bottom line
General-purpose credit cards, even with grocery rewards categories, usually only earn 1 percent rewards at wholesale clubs. A co-branded card for your wholesale club of choice is often the best way to (hopefully) earn more than 2 percent rewards in the store. These cards are often solid partners for other everyday purchases as well, and are often some of the most rewarding cards on the market for gas purchases (especially since traditional gas categories exclude wholesale club pumps).
However, these store-specific cards might not be worth it for modest spenders and less-frequent wholesale shoppers due to the premium upgrades your store membership often requires to make the most of the card plus the headache the rewards redemption process often entails. If you fall in this camp, you might want to strongly consider a 2 percent flat-rate rewards card or one of the few cards with a wholesale club category instead.
Frequently asked questions
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Buying in bulk can be an ever better way for small businesses to save compared to the average person. Luckily, many wholesale clubs provide co-branded business cards, such as the:
- Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard®*
- (BJ’s Wholesale Club) The Business Club Card Membership* or The Business Club+ Card Membership*
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Another hook for co-branded cards is that some wholesale clubs don’t accept the card network your current cards already use. In case you’re considering a general-purpose rewards card, the three major wholesale club brands accept cards on the following networks:
- Costco: Visa cards (Mastercard allowed for online purchases)
- Sam’s Club: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover (all in-store and online)
*All information about the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, Sam’s Club® Mastercard®, BJ’s One® Mastercard®, BJ’s One+® Mastercard®, U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card, Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi, Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard®*, (BJ’s Wholesale Club) The Business Club Card Membership and The Business Club+ Card Membership has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
Information about the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card was last updated on 6/21/25.
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