Both the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi and the Credit One Bank® Platinum Rewards Visa® with No Annual Fee offer enticing cash back rewards without an annual fee. Costco Anywhere is the best choice for its high cash back rates on gas, travel and dining, particularly if you're a Costco member. However, Credit One Platinum Rewards is more accessible to those with good credit.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
vs. Credit One Bank® Platinum Rewards Visa® With No Annual Fee
Updated: June 6, 2024
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Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Credit One Bank® Platinum Rewards Visa® With No Annual Fee
On Issuer's Site
On Issuer's Site
Which Card Is Better for You?
You might prefer the Costco Anywhere if you're a frequent Costco shopper looking to maximize your rewards. This card offers high cash back on gas, travel and dining. It also provides additional rewards for purchases at Costco. It's a great fit if you already have a Costco membership and an excellent credit score.
You might prefer the Credit One Platinum Rewards if you value flexibility and rewards on everyday services. With 2% cash back on gas, groceries and essential services like mobile phone and internet, this card is suitable for a wide range of credit scores and doesn't require a membership.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Card Details and Features
Evaluating APRs, fees, credit requirements, rewards and additional features will help you determine which card aligns with your financial habits. For example, if you frequently shop at Costco, the Costco Anywhere card's higher cash back rates on gas and Costco purchases might be more beneficial. If you don't have a Costco membership, the Credit One Platinum Rewards could be more appealing for its rewards on everyday digital services.
Regular APR: Costco Anywhere
Costco Anywhere offers a more favorable regular APR at 20.49% variable, compared to the Credit One Platinum Rewards' 29.74% variable APR.
Annual Fee: Credit One Platinum Rewards
For those seeking a card without any mandatory membership fees, the Credit One Platinum Rewards is the better option. While the Costco Anywhere card has no annual fee, it requires a Costco Membership, which costs $60 annually.
Introductory 0% APRs: Tie
Neither the Costco Anywhere nor the Credit One Platinum Rewards offers introductory 0% APRs. For those interested in cards with 0% introductory APR offers, consider exploring the best cards with 0% introductory APR.
Rewards: Costco Anywhere
The Costco Anywhere offers better rewards, especially for Costco members. It provides up to 4% cash back on gas and EV charging, 3% on dining and travel and 2% on Costco purchases. In contrast, the Credit One Platinum Rewards offers a flat 2% cash back on gas, groceries and select services. Given its higher cash back rates in multiple categories and benefits for Costco shoppers, the Costco Anywhere card is the better choice for rewards.
Welcome Offers: Tie
Neither Costco Anywhere nor the Credit One Platinum Rewards offers a welcome bonus. Both cards currently do not provide cash back, miles or points as part of an introductory offer.
Recommended Credit Score: Credit One Platinum Rewards
The Credit One Platinum Rewards is more accessible, requiring a lower minimum credit score of 670. The Costco Anywhere card has a higher minimum credit score requirement of 740.
Penalties and Fees: Tie
Both cards have their advantages. Costco Anywhere does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it ideal for international use. The Credit One Platinum Rewards does not apply a penalty APR, which benefits those concerned about potential interest rate increases due to late payments. Each card caters to different needs regarding penalties and fees.
Issuer Satisfaction: Costco Anywhere
The Costco Anywhere is issued by Citi, which has a higher issuer satisfaction rating of 4.1 than Credit One Bank's 2.0. This suggests higher customer satisfaction and support with Citi.
Other Features & Perks: Tie
Both cards offer unique perks. The Costco Anywhere card provides no foreign transaction fees and an annual reward certificate for Costco purchases. The Credit One Platinum Rewards offers free online credit score access, $0 fraud liability, customizable alerts and a mobile app for account management.
Rewards Comparison
The Costco Anywhere leads with a generous cash back program, with a high reward rate on gas and EV charging purchases (4% up to $7,000 annually, then 1%) and dining and eligible travel (3%). Additionally, Costco shoppers benefit from 2% cash back on their purchases at the warehouse, enhancing the card's value for members.
Credit One Platinum Rewards offers a flat 2% cash back on practical categories like gas, groceries and certain utilities. While it doesn't match the Costco card's higher rates, it's a solid choice for those who want consistent rewards across multiple everyday expenses without the need to be a Costco member. The following table outlines the bonus categories for each card to help you compare at a glance.
Category | Costco Anywhere | Credit One Platinum Rewards |
|---|---|---|
Gas | 4% for the first $7,000 annually, then 1% | 2% |
Groceries | 1% | 2% |
Restaurants | 3% | 1% |
Travel | 3% | 1% |
Costco Purchases | 2% | 1% |
Mobile Phone, Internet, Cable | 1% | 2% |
All Other Purchases | 1% | 1% |
Redeeming Rewards
Costco Anywhere provides an annual reward certificate after the February statement, redeemable for cash or merchandise at Costco warehouses until December 31 of the same year.
Credit One Platinum Rewards does not specify redemption details, implying standard cash back redemption practices may be in place. It's important to consider these redemption policies, as they directly affect how and when you can use your earned rewards.
Methodology
MoneyGeek evaluates credit cards like the Costco Anywhere and Credit One Platinum Rewards using a ranking process tailored to specific use cases, such as cash back. For this comparison, each card's score reflects the category in which it performs best.
For cash back cards, the factors that significantly influence scores are the effective reward rate and the return on investment for offers, which account for a significant portion of the overall evaluation. Other considerations include annual fees, introductory purchase rates and issuer satisfaction. For a detailed understanding of our scoring system, you can review our ranking methodology.
FAQ: Costco Anywhere vs. Credit One Platinum Rewards
What are the cash back rewards for each card?
Costco Anywhere offers up to 4% cash back on gas and 3% on dining and travel. Credit One Platinum Rewards provides 2% back on gas, groceries and certain utilities.
Is there an annual fee for either card?
Neither card has an annual fee, but Costco Anywhere requires a paid Costco membership.
Which card offers better rewards for gas purchases?
Costco Anywhere is a great credit card for gas, offering 4% cash back compared to Credit One's 2%.
Can I use these cards for international travel without extra fees?
The Costco Anywhere is a card with no foreign transaction fees. Credit One Platinum Rewards charges up to 3%.
What credit score is required for each card?
Costco Anywhere recommends an excellent credit score (740 to 850), while Credit One Platinum Rewards requires a good to excellent credit score (670 to 850).
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.