Costco Executive Membership and Citi Card Rewards
A Costco Gold Star membership is $65 a year; Executive costs $130 and pays a 2% reward up to $1,250, and the Citi card adds cash back.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store policies change. This is a summary in our own words of Costco's Join, Executive Rewards, Executive Member Benefits and credit card pages, read on October 26, 2026. The official pages are the ones that apply; check them before you sign up.
Costco membership cost
| Membership | Yearly cost | Main extra |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Star | $65 | Shopping access, one free Household Card |
| Executive | $130 ($65 plus a $65 upgrade) | Annual 2% Reward, capped at $1,250 |
Business members can upgrade to Executive for the same $65 a year, plus sales tax where it applies. If you upgrade mid-year, Costco prorates the fee for the months left, and you pay the full $130 at the next renewal. You upgrade at the membership counter of any warehouse.
How the 2% Reward works
- It is about 2% of pre-tax purchases, minus refunds, at warehouse registers, on Costco websites and on completed Costco Travel bookings.
- It is capped at $1,250 in any 12-month period.
- Only purchases by the primary cardholder and the primary household cardholder count, and nothing bought before the upgrade counts.
- The reward arrives on the renewal statement, about three months before the renewal date. You must still be a paid Executive member at the end of the membership year to get it.
Costco lists purchases that earn nothing, including gasoline, cigarettes and tobacco, Costco Shop Cards, postage stamps, membership fees, cellphones and their plans, food court purchases, taxes and shipping. Alcohol and prescriptions are excluded in some states.
Is the Executive membership worth it?
The math is simple: the upgrade costs $65, and 2% of $3,250 is $65. Members who spend more than about $3,250 a year on purchases that qualify get back more than the upgrade costs. Costco says the reward is not guaranteed to equal the fee. If you downgrade or cancel to get the upgrade fee back, any reward already issued or earned is subtracted from that refund.
Executive members also get extra offers on some Costco Services, such as 20% off a junk removal service and added value on Costco Travel and the Costco Auto Program, per the Executive Member Benefits page. Costco's same-day delivery FAQ adds that the reward on Instacart orders is figured on the warehouse price, not the marked-up delivery price.
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
The card has no annual fee while you hold a paid Costco membership. Costco's card page lists these cash back rates:
| Purchase | Cash back |
|---|---|
| Gas at Costco | 5% |
| Other eligible gas and EV charging | 4% |
| Restaurants and eligible travel, Costco Travel included | 3% |
| Other Costco and Costco.com purchases | 2% |
| Everything else | 1% |
The 5% and 4% rates apply to a combined $7,000 of spending a year, then 1%. Cash back comes once a year as a reward certificate after your February statement closes, and you redeem it for cash or merchandise at a US Costco warehouse. This card reward is separate from the Executive 2% Reward, which Costco pays on the renewal statement.
Source
Costco's Join Costco, Executive Rewards, Executive Member Benefits and Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi pages. Policy checked October 26, 2026.