The Best Costco Executive Membership and Store Credit Card Benefits Worth the Money

Here’s how I combine all the benefits to make hundreds of dollars a year shopping at Costco.

Both the executive membership and the store credit card come with great benefits

Executive membership gets you 2% off most purchases in-store and online. I typically spend about $300 a month at Costco.

The membership rebate is paid three months prior to your card renewal date and is capped at $1,000 per year.

But the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is my secret weapon for maximizing rewards. Most items purchased in-store or online automatically earn 2% cash back, and gas at qualifying stations earns 4% cash back.

Since Costco has the best prices in our area, I always fill up there and take advantage of the perks.

I also earn 3% reward on qualifying restaurant and travel purchases, as well as 1% back on everything else, so I’m always earning.

Citi issues a rewards certificate after the February statement closes. Just remember, it’s a credit card, and interest will accrue on any balance transferred. I like to pay off my balance in full each month to avoid having my rewards eaten up by fees.

In addition, the Costco app offers many lesser-known rewards opportunities

One of my favorite Costco deals is the four-pack of restaurant gift cards available through the app. I either give them away throughout the year or use them when I go out to dinner with the family.

You can buy $100 gift cards to various restaurants for $75 or $80. The instant discount is great, of course, and I still get the 2% discount and 2% cash back.

The Costco app also offers discounts on select online clothing and footwear purchases. It’s a great way for my family to stock up on basics like socks and underwear every year.

For example, during July, members could save $20 on any five to nine eligible items and $50 on any 10 eligible items. However, the discount amount may change each month, so make sure you download the app and keep an eye out for special offers.

Shipping is included in the price and my 2% discount and 2% cashback still apply.

All these discounts and rewards add up – in our case – to hundreds of dollars

For my family, our average $300 monthly travel earns us $72 a year in executive discounts and $72 in Costco credit card rewards. We also spend about $220 on gas, which earns us another $105 in Citi rewards a year.

All of our gift cards for clothing, shoes, and restaurants (with big discounts right away) easily add up to an extra $50-$100 in annual rebates and rewards.

Finally, we usually make at least one big purchase each year. For example, last year we purchased a washer and dryer, car tires, and my laptop through our Costco membership. That netted us an additional $120 in rebates and rewards.

Together we made over $400 last year with our executive membership and Costco credit card. That easily covered the cost of the membership plus almost a whole month of grocery shopping. It’s hard to argue with those savings.