Costco is a wholesale retailer that sells products to customers in bulk. It is one of the largest retailers in the United States and is the fifth largest wholesale retailer in the world. It offers a vast variety of products to its customers. It is also known for eatable items it sells at cheap and affordable rates. There are over eight hundred Costco stores and warehouses located in the United States in each of its states and its territories. Does Costco Accept MasterCard?
Costco does not accept MasterCard from its customers for making purchases at their stores or warehouses. It is also not accepted for making payments availed at the store. Costco does, however, accept Visa cards from customers for making purchases. It should be brought to notice that other credit cards issued by other recognized banks and credit unions are also not accepted at Costco. However, customers may use other credit cards for making payments to Costco when shopping online.
In this article, we will go through the payment methods that are acceptable at Costco. We will also list the payment methods which cannot be used for shopping at Costco along with the reasons for their decline. Finally, we will mention some alternatives to Costco that accept MasterCard from their customers and answer some questions asked frequently by customers.
List of Payment Methods Accepted at Costco’s Physical Locations
The following is a list of payment methods that customers may use for shopping at Costco’s physical locations:
- Cash: Cash is accepted at all physical locations of Costco and for home deliveries to the customers’ homes. It may be deposited at the cash register or customer checkout desk and customers can receive their payment receipts.
- Checks: Personal and business checks issued by any recognized bank or credit union can be used for paying at Costco stores and warehouses. It should be noted that customers cannot use checks which have been previously signed for making payments. Only checks signed firsthand in front of store employees may be accepted. Checks are also scanned through anti-fraud systems to ensure that the checks are authentic and the payment is valid. Personal checks are not acceptable for home deliveries.
- Visa Credit and Debit Cards: Visa cards are taken at all Costco stores. They are also accepted for making payments online at Costco.com or Costco’s mobile app.
- Costco Store-Cards: Credit cards issued by Costco are valid for making payments at the store or for online payments at Costco.com or its mobile app. Costco credit cards are also Visa cards.
- EBT Credit Cards: Costco also accepts credit cards issued by EBT for in-store and online transactions.
- Mobile Payment Systems: Mobile payment systems like Google Pay or Apple Pay are also accepted for making payments at Costco’s physical locations. However, they cannot be used for shopping online at Costco.
- Costco Gift Cards: Gift cards issued by Costco are accepted for making purchases at all Costco locations. E-gift cards can also be used for making payments with Costco online.
List of Payment Methods Accepted at Costco.com or Costco App
The following is the list of payments accepted online at Costco:
- Visa Cards: All Visa cards are accepted for shopping online at Costco. Both credit and debit cards issued by Visa are valid for making payments.
- MasterCard Cards: All MasterCard credit and debit cards can be used for making payments at Costco.com or Costco app. These cards are accepted online even though they are not accepted for shopping physically at Costco.
- Discover Cards: All Discover credit and debit cards are also accepted by Costco online.
- Costco Credit Cards: As mentioned above, Costco accepts its store-issued card for making purchases at Costco.com or Costco app.
- ATM and Debit Cards: All Pin-based cards like ATM and debit cards issued by recognized banks or credit unions are accepted for making purchases online at Costco.
- Costco Gift and E-gift cards: These cards can also be used, provided the holder owns them and knows the use code for these cards.
List of Payment Methods not Accepted at Costco
The following is the list of payment methods that are not taken at Costco. These payment methods are not valid for making purchases at its physical locations or online:
- PayPal: PayPal is not accepted either for online or offline shopping at Costco.
- American Express Cards: These cards will not be accepted at any Costco location. There is also no provision to use American Express Cards at Costco.com or Costco app.
- BNPL: BNPL payment methods are also not accepted due to the relatively lower volume cost of buying in bulk.
Why Does Costco Reject MasterCard for Offline Shopping?
Costco does not accept MasterCard from its customers for offline shopping because it has an agreement with CITI Bank to exclusively issue and use Visa cards. Due to the agreement between the two, Costco cannot accept payments made through other credit cards for offline shopping.
However, there is no restriction for paying with MasterCard when shopping online. That is why MasterCard is accepted for online shopping at Costco.
Alternatives to Costco That Accept MasterCard
Due to Costco not accepting any credit cards and PayPal, customers may find it hard to shop there. In such a case customers can shop at any of the following retailers that offer similar goods and prices as Costco but also accept MasterCard and PayPal:
- Sam’s Club
- Target
- Walmart
- Amazon Prime
- Dollar Store
- Trader Joe’s
Conclusion
Costco does not accept MasterCard and many other credit cards from its customers for shopping offline. This is due to their agreement with CITI Bank to exclusively accept only Visa cards at their physical locations. It does, however, accept these credit cards for online shopping at Costco.com or Costco app. However. If a customer does not have a Visa card to shop with, they may shop at any of the retailers mentioned above which offer similar products and services as Costco.
FAQs
Q1. Does Costco accept third-party gift cards?
A1. No, Costco does not accept any third-party gift cards.
Q2. Does Costco accept debit cards?
A2. Yes, Costco accepts debit cards issued by all recognized banks and credit unions.
