Using Your Costco Anywhere Visa with an Executive Membership : Maximizing Savings
November 13, 2025
For the dedicated Costco shopper, simply having a standard Gold Star membership might mean leaving money on the table. Costco offers two powerful rewards programs that work in tandem to maximize your savings: the Costco Executive Membership and the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi.
Understanding how these two systems interact is the key to achieving the highest possible cash back on your warehouse runs.
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The Two-Layered Rewards System
Think of this strategy as a two-layered cake of cash back.Layer 1: The Executive Membership 2% Reward
This is a benefit you get just for upgrading your membership. It provides an annual 2% reward on most qualified purchases made at Costco and Costco.com, up to a maximum of $1,250 per year.
Layer 2: The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi Cash Back
This is a separate cash back program from the credit card itself. It earns a flat 2% cash back on all purchases made at Costco and Costco.com.
The "Stacking" Advantage: These two rewards stack. When you pay for qualified purchases at Costco with your Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi and have an Executive Membership, you effectively earn a combined 4% total cash back on your entire purchase.
Crucial Exclusions to the Executive 2% Reward
It is important to note that the 2% Executive Member Reward is not earned on everything you buy. Costco's terms and conditions explicitly exclude several categories where you might assume you are getting rewards.Purchases that typically do not qualify for the 2% reward include:
Where the Rewards Stack Up
We focus on the categories where you get the most combined value, keeping those exclusions in mind:Most Warehouse Items
Costco Travel
Is the Executive Membership Upgrade Worth the Cost?
A standard Gold Star membership is $60 per year, and an Executive Membership is $120 (an extra $60 upgrade fee).The break-even point for the upgrade is simple:
If you spend more than $3,000 a year, the upgrade essentially pays for itself, and everything beyond that is pure profit. When combined with the credit card rewards, most large families or frequent shoppers easily surpass this threshold.
Summary: The Ultimate Strategy
For the maximum savings at Costco:1. Sign up or upgrade to an Executive Membership.
2. Use your Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi as your payment method for all purchases.
3. Maximize your spending on eligible purchases within the warehouse to hit those high bonus tiers.
By strategically pairing these two programs, you ensure you're getting the best possible return on every dollar spent within the Costco ecosystem.
If you are ready to start maximizing your rewards potential, you can learn more about the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi benefits and features and apply today.
Apply for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi Today!
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
- Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
- Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter.
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases and eligible travel, including Costco Travel.
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
- Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
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FICO® Credit Scores
FICO® Score Ranges:
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FICO® Credit Score Facts
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