Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
vs. USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card

Shield Insurance

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Both the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi and the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card are strong contenders for those who prioritize gas rewards, with no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees. However, the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus edges out slightly with a higher gas rewards score. It's also more accessible and requires a lower credit score.

The Costco card, a co-branded option, is particularly rewarding for frequent Costco shoppers. The Costco Anywhere offers high cash back on gas, travel and dining. Despite its higher credit score requirement, its benefits at Costco make it a worthy option for loyal wholesale club customers.

Credit Card logo for Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Credit Card logo for USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card
USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card
MoneyGeek Rating
3.8/ of 5
MoneyGeek Rating
3.4/ of 5
On Issuer's Site
On Issuer's Site

Which Card Is Better for You?

You might prefer the Costco Anywhere if you frequently shop at Costco and want to maximize your rewards on gas, dining and travel. With this card, you'll enjoy higher cash back rates in these categories, especially beneficial if you already have or are considering a Costco membership. The card also offers a straightforward rewards structure without an annual fee, making it a solid choice for loyal Costco shoppers.

You might prefer the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus if you're looking for cash back on gas and military base purchases, and you value the flexibility of a 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for the first 15 months. This card is particularly suited for military families who can take advantage of the higher cash back rates at commissaries and exchange stores, as well as for anyone who wants to manage existing credit card debt with a balance transfer offer.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Card Details and Features

Evaluating APRs, fees, credit requirements, rewards and other features will illuminate which card aligns with your financial habits. For example, if you frequently shop at Costco, the Costco Anywhere card's benefits at Costco locations may sway your decision. Conversely, if you're associated with the military, the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus card's higher cash back at military bases could be more beneficial.

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    Regular APR: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

    The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus potentially offers a lower APR, starting at 17.15%, compared to the Costco Anywhere's 20.49% APR.

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    Annual Fee: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

    The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus is better for those seeking a straightforward $0 annual fee without additional membership requirements. The Costco Anywhere also offers a $0 annual fee but requires a paid Costco Membership, starting at $60 per year.

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    Introductory 0% APRs: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

    Neither card offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases. However, the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus provides a 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, making it the better choice for this feature.

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    Rewards: Costco Anywhere

    For rewards, the Costco Anywhere is better for Costco members and those who spend across a variety of categories, offering up to 4% cash back on gas and EV charging, 3% on dining and travel and 2% on Costco purchases.

    The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus, however, shines for those with heavy gas station and military base spending, offering 5% back in these categories.

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    Welcome Offers: Tie

    Neither the Costco Anywhere nor the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus offers a welcome bonus, making this feature a tie between the two cards.

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    Recommended Credit Score: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

    The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American is better for individuals with lower credit scores, requiring a minimum score in the good to excellent range (670 to 850), compared to the Costco Anywhere's excellent score requirement (740 to 850).

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    Penalties and Fees: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

    The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus is better for penalties and fees, with a lower late fee of up to $35 and no penalty APR, compared to the Costco Anywhere's late fee of up to $41 and penalty APR of up to 29.99%. Both cards do not charge foreign transaction fees.

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    Issuer Satisfaction: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

    For issuer satisfaction, USAA Federal Savings Bank outperforms with a rating of 4.8 compared to Citibank's 4.1.

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    Other Features & Perks: Tie

    The Costco Anywhere provides benefits tied to Costco membership, including cash back on various purchases and rewards redeemable at U.S. Costco warehouses. The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus offers a suite of insurance coverages, identity theft resolution and concierge services, catering to a broader range of needs beyond cash back.

Rewards Comparison

The Costco Anywhere card leads with a more generous reward structure, particularly for those who fill up their tanks often and dine out or travel regularly. Its heightened cash back rates at Costco and on Costco.com purchases also make it a standout choice for Costco members.

The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus card's most compelling bonus category is its 5% cash back on gas station and military base purchases, which is slightly higher than Costco Anywhere's gas rewards but with a lower annual cap. However, for grocery spending, the USAA card edges out with a 2% cash back rate, compared to Costco Anywhere's flat 1% for non-Costco grocery purchases.

Following this section, you'll find a table of bonus categories to visually compare the rewards programs of both cards.

Category
Costco Anywhere
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

Gas

4% for the first $7,000 annually/1% thereafter

5% for the first $3,000 annually/1% thereafter

Groceries

1%

2% for the first $3,000 annually/1% thereafter

Restaurants

3%

1%

Travel

3%

1%

Costco Purchases

2%

1%

Redeeming Rewards

The Costco Anywhere card provides an annual reward certificate after your February billing statement, which you can redeem at any U.S. Costco warehouse for merchandise or cash back by December 31 of the year issued. In contrast, the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus card allows you to redeem cash back in $1 increments at any time, with the option to apply it as an account credit or deposit into a USAA checking or savings account.

Both cards offer redemption methods akin to cash. Still, the Costco Anywhere card has a specific annual redemption period and method, while the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus offers more immediate and flexible redemption options.

Methodology

MoneyGeek examines and rates credit cards like the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus and Costco Anywhere for various use cases, such as balance transfers and cash back rewards. In this comparison, each card's highlighted score reflects the category where it performs best.

Various key factors influence these scores, including introductory offers, regular APR, issuer satisfaction and penalties.

FAQ: Costco Anywhere vs. USAA Cashback Rewards Plus

What are the cash back rewards for each card?

Do either of the cards have an annual fee?

Can I use these cards for international purchases without extra fees?

What credit score is required for each card?

Are there any introductory offers?

About Doug Milnes, CFA


Doug Milnes, CFA headshot

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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