Discover it® Cash Back Card
vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Both the Discover it Cash Back Card and the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi offer cash back rewards and charge no annual fee, making them strong contenders for your wallet. However, if frequent Costco shopping is part of your routine, the Costco Anywhere by Citi emerges as the better choice due to its high rewards on gas, travel and dining, and additional cash back on Costco purchases.

The Discover it Cash Back is not to be overlooked since it also has good benefits. Discover it Cash back offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, and its lower credit score requirement makes it more accessible to a wider range of consumers.

You might prefer the Costco Anywhere if you're a frequent Costco shopper and spend a lot on gas, dining and travel. With higher cash back rates in these categories and no foreign transaction fees, this card maximizes rewards for Costco members. However, it requires a Costco membership, which comes with an annual fee.

You might prefer the Discover it Cash Back if you value flexibility in earning rewards and want to benefit from introductory offers. The card provides a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months and matches all cash back in the first year, making it a strong contender for those looking to maximize short-term gains.

Evaluating APRs, fees, credit requirements, rewards and other features will illuminate which card aligns with your financial habits. For instance, if you frequently shop at Costco, the Costco Anywhere card's higher cash back rates on gas and Costco purchases might be advantageous. Conversely, the Discover it Cash Back card could be more appealing if you prefer a card with a 0% intro APR period and rotating cash back categories.

The Costco Anywhere card leads with a robust rewards program, especially for frequent Costco shoppers and those who spend heavily on gas, travel and dining. However, the Discover it Cash Back card's rotating 5% cash back categories can be lucrative if your spending aligns with those quarterly categories, which include options like groceries and gas, up to the quarterly maximum upon activation.

For those who prefer a more predictable rewards structure, the Costco Anywhere may be more appealing, especially with its additional benefits for Costco members. The Discover it Cash Back card's rotating categories require activation and can be less consistent, but they offer the potential for high rewards in everyday spending areas.

Following this section, you'll find a table of bonus categories for a visual comparison of the rewards programs.

The Costco Anywhere card offers an annual reward certificate, redeemable at Costco warehouses for either merchandise or cash back. These certificates have an expiration date of December 31 in the year they are issued, and cardholders must maintain their Costco membership to redeem rewards. The Discover it Cash Back card allows cardholders to redeem rewards at any time for various options, including statement credits and direct deposits, with no expiration as long as the account remains open and active.

MoneyGeek evaluates credit cards like the Discover it Cash Back and Costco Anywhere for various use cases, such as balance transfers and cash back rewards.

Four key factors influence these scores, including introductory offers, regular APR, issuer satisfaction and penalties. For a deeper understanding of our process, you can review our ranking methodology.