Costco has the largest overall membership base of the bulk wholesale clubs with more than 90 million members. They are best known for the bulk family-sized and commercial grocery offerings, it also offers savings on gas, electronics, clothing, and electronics.
One major con with Costco is that your credit card may not be accepted at checkout but you will most likely find that out when purchasing a membership.
Credit cards accepted at Costco
When you shop at Costco, you can use the warehouse club’s co-branded card, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, as well as any other credit card backed by the Visa network.
Here are some credit cards that can be used at Costco warehouses:
Since Costco has an exclusive contract with Visa, shoppers can’t use credit cards backed by the other three main networks — American Express, Mastercard and Discover — at Costco warehouses. However, you’re able to pay with Mastercard and Discover cards for purchases made at Costco.com and the Costco app.
Here are some cards that can be used online or via the Costco app:
Does Costco accept Discover card at the warehouse?
Costco does not accept Discover credit cards as a form of payment at the warehouse in-person. You can use it online.
Does Costco accept AMEX?
Costco stopped accepting American Express as a form of payment at its warehouses and gas stations. However, American Express may still be accepted at Costco-affiliated businesses such as Costco Travel or at certain Costco locations outside of the United States. I would recommend checking with the specific location you plan to visit to confirm their accepted forms of payment.
Costco U.S. accounts for 8% (10% worldwide) of spending on American Express cards overall right now but it appears the agreement will end on in 2016. Warehouse club retailer Costco Wholesale Corp will stop accepting American Express credit cards after a 15 partnership at U.S. stores and the loss of Costco would reduce spending on AmEx cards by about $80 billion a year, including their use at businesses other than Costco’s 468 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico.
If you enjoy Guinness beer then check out this deal that will get you up to a $10 discount. This offer is for those of legal purchase age in select states only..
The exact offer varies by state, but you should see one of these offers:
To receive a $10 rebate, you must purchase TWO (2) 4/6-packs OR ONE (1) 8/12-pack of any GUINNESS product AND groceries ($10.01).
To receive a $5 rebate, you must purchase TWO (2) 4/6-packs OR ONE (1) 8/12-pack of any GUINNESS product.
GO here for the Direct link to offer. If you would like to find delivery deals go here for up to $30 off DoorDash and GoPuff for $10 off first 3 Deliveries that includes New years!
The Fine Print
Groceries exclude purchase of lottery tickets, tobacco, money orders, postage stamps, gift cards/certificates and prescription pharmacy purchases.
Offer valid to those of legal purchase age on purchases made in AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, MD, MA, MI, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, WA, WI & WY.
FOUR (4) rebates per household per month.
Limit ONE (1) rebate per transaction.
Offer not to be combined with any other offer. Subject to qualifying purchases and official rules.
Offer not valid for employees of alcohol beverage suppliers, wholesalers, retailers or members of their families or households.
By texting GROCERIES to 24272, you agree you are of legal age to purchase beverage alcohol and to receive recurring marketing SMS and MMS messages, including text messages, using an automatic telephone dialing system from Diageo Americas, Inc. Msg & data rates may apply.
Text STOP in reply to any message to stop our messages.
You may also text HELP to 24272 for more info. Not responsible for technological malfunctions of any kind.
All rebate submissions must be received by (deal was extended from 12/31/2022) 04/30/2023 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was launched roughly a year ago, and has proven to be an incredibly popular product. We normally look at credit card values in the context of what a card has to offer for the primary cardmember as you’ll see in our top cards of 2022. However, sometimes it makes sense to look at the overall value of a card for a family.
Is there such a thing as a perfect credit card for families? Well, I’d argue the Capital One Venture X is unbeatable in that regard.
The Capital One Venture X pays for itself
First for some background, the Capital One Venture X has a $395 annual fee. However, in reality the card shouldn’t cost anyone nearly that much, as there are endless reasons to pick up this card. Among other things, the card offers:
A $300 annual travel credit redeemable through Capital One Travel; this should be good as cash to most cardmembers, as it can be used for flights, hotels, or rental cars
10,000 anniversary bonus miles, which can be redeemed for $100 toward a travel purchase, or can be transfered to airline and hotel partners
Amazing airport lounge access, including a Priority Pass membership, Plaza Premium lounge access, and access to Capital One Lounges
Primary rental car coverage
Cell phone protection
Hertz President’s Circle elite status
2x Venture miles per dollar spent with no caps on earnings and no foreign transaction fees, making this one of the best cards for everyday spending, and one of the best cards for foreign purchases
The card is also offering an excellent welcome bonus of 75,000 Venture miles upon completing minimum spending, and anecdotally lots of people are having success getting approved.
This is truly a card that pays for itself — the $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles should more than cover the annual fee on an ongoing basis, and then the rest is just having your cake and eating it. Did we even mention you get early access to concerts such as Taylor Swift?
Why the Capital One Venture X is perfect for families
While the value of the Capital One Venture X is there for just a single user, what makes this card exceptional is the unrivaled value it offers to families. Capital One lets you add up to four authorized users to the Venture X at no extra cost, and best of all, each authorized user gets many of the same perks as the primary cardmember.
This is ideal for families who want to add their significant other, children, parents, etc., to their credit card (Capital One also doesn’t have a minimum age to add authorized users). Authorized users receive:
All the same lounge access perks as the primary cardmember, including a Priority Pass membership, access to Plaza Premium Lounges, and access to Capital One Lounges
Earn 2x Venture miles on spending with no foreign transaction fees; the primary cardmember is on the hook for paying and racks up the points, but this is a great everyday spending card to give to a spouse or children if you’re looking to maximize rewards in an easy way
The same protections, including cell phone protection, primary rental car coverage, etc.
Hertz President’s Circle elite status
In one example you can add your parents to the Capital One Venture X, so that they can get airport lounge access. If you have teens you can add them.
While there are several good premium credit cards, other popular options don’t let you add authorized users for free:
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card (review) charges $75 per authorized user
The Platinum Card from American Express charges $175 to add a total of up to three authorized users (Rates & Fees)
So by comparison, being able to add four authorized users at no cost on the Capital One Venture X is unbelievably generous.
Bottom line
The Capital One Venture X has an amazing value proposition in general, but the area where the card really shines is for families. That’s because you can add four authorized users to the card at no extra cost, and they get many of the same perks as the primary cardmember, including airport lounge access. You also get to bring up to 3 people into a lounge with you when you fly at any Priority Club lounge (some are saying more than that). They are also adding a new Capital One Lounge in Denver and Las Vegas!
Being able to gift airport lounge access to family and close friends is an awesome opportunity, especially since it doesn’t come at any sort of opportunity cost. So if you are considering this card, be sure to think of it beyond just the value to the primary cardmember.
Gas prices peaked out this summer but they are still high. Let’s be real – no one likes wasting money on gas. There are so many ways to avoid high gas prices you just have to open your phone apps or look online. The national average pump price continued its recent trend by dipping three cents over the past week to hit $3.76.
The cost of gasoline has risen in recent weeks as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine applies pressure on global oil markets. At the same time, the U.S. has begun lifting mask mandates instituted to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a move projected to spur consumer spending and travel.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline at all-time highs again this week according to AAA.
With rising gas prices many drivers are being more selective when it comes to filling up. Comparing prices at the pump and researching loyalty programs are some ways to get ahead of the game before the big summer travel hits and we see over $4 at the pump.
The great thing about gas loyalty programs is that you can normally stack them on top of credit card rewards programs such as the Chase Freedom or Discover IT cards. These two cards are known to give at least a full quarter towards 5% cash-back on gasoline purchases each year.
Here are the best gas station loyalty programs:
1. Get Upside App (Variety of gas stations)
GetUpside partners with businesses to give you cash back on everyday purchases. Most of them are gas stations, but in some areas there are restaurant, grocery and convenience store offers as well. It’s best to claim offers just before you make your purchase. That’s because GetUpside puts a timer, which typically lasts a few hours, on each offer.
When you sign up via this Upside Referral Link and enter Invite Code B263E2, you’ll get an extra 15 cents per gallon cashback on gas – on top of whatever great offer you find in the app.
Before you claim an offer, make sure to comparison shop. If the deal is for gas, use an app like GasBuddy, or take a look at local prices on Google Maps.
2. Shell Fuel Rewards
Among the major national brands, Shell takes the top spot. With its program, members always save at least three cents a gallon at participating locations. They’re also rewarded when they shop at select retailers, restaurants, grocery stores and more. Rewards are redeemed by swiping the Fuel Rewards card at the pump.
Favored by 28% of GasBuddy respondents, Speedway’s rewards program beat the national big brands. Members earn 20 points per dollar on in-store purchases and 10 points per gallon on fuel purchases. Points can be redeemed for free stuff using Speedway’s mobile app. Featured items include food, beverages, fuel discounts and gift cards.
4. BP Driver Rewards
BP’s fuel savings program ranked second among the nationwide chains in a recent survey. Members earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent on BP fuel. On its website, BP says savings can add up to $600 a year! By linking your BP Driver Rewards account to a credit card that you use at the pump, you’ll earn rewards automatically.
Kroger, the largest grocer in the United States took the #1 spot in the grocery category for their points program.
The fuel program along with KrogerPlus cards allow you to receive savings of up to $1.00 off per gallon one one fuel purchase up to 35 gallon at Kroger, Turkey Hill and participating Shell stations.
For each increment of 100 fuel points (up to 1,000 point) you will receive $0.10 per gallon.
Earn points in current month and redeem thru each month. Each month is a separate accumulation period. Months’ points don’t combine in a single transaction.
6. Thorntons
For regional brands, GasBuddy respondents favored Thorntons as their top choice. With locations in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
7. Sheetz & Wawa
Sheetz was a top regional pick and now has more than 600 locations across six states — Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina. While Wawa is along the East Coast of the United States, operating in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Florida.
A Wawa Credit Card may seem like the greatest option for additional rewards unless you mainly just want free coffee. A Wawa retail card will give you 25¢ per gallon for the first two months and 5¢ per gallon after that. While it may seem like good rewards, there’s also a pitfall as you can use this card at Wawa gas stations only.
ExxonMobil Speedpass+ participated in the Plenti rewards program, which lets you earn points at one place and use them at Plenti partners such as Macy’s. One point is awarded for every gallon of fuel purchased and two points for every dollar in eligible non-fuel purchases. Members simply enter their phone number or swipe a card at the pump. The bad news is that Plenti is shutting down later this year so we have taken this off the list.
Who would you like to see on this list? Maybe Buc’ees out of Texas or for Exxon to revamp their program?
HBO Max is offering 3 months for $1.99 per month. Can go through a portal for additional cash back, looks like Topcashback is $12.60 for a monthly plan and actually make money from this deal. You can always cancel before the 3 months is over.
The Fine Print Offer ends 11/28/22. Valid on With Ads plan only.
