Best Student Card for Costco
Costco only accepts Visa — make sure your rewards card works. Best cards offer 2-4% on wholesale club purchases. Student cards approve at lower credit scores and help build a long credit history early.
Top student picks for Costco
Discover it Student Cash Back
Discover · No annual fee
The best student credit card overall. Discover's Cashback Match effectively doubles all rewards earned in your first year — making a 5% rotating category card worth up to 10% on quarterly categories during year one. No annual fee, no late fee on your first missed payment, and a $20 Good Grades reward make this extraordinarily forgiving for first-time cardholders.
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards
Capital One · No annual fee
The best student card for international students or study-abroad situations — flat 1.5% cashback with zero foreign transaction fees. Combined with Capital One's automatic credit limit increases, this is a strong launching pad for building an excellent credit score throughout college.
Discover it Student Chrome
Discover · No annual fee
A student-friendly card with Cashback Match and good grades rewards.
Chase Freedom Rise
Chase · No annual fee
Chase's student card earns an impressive 1.5% on all purchases — the same rate as many mainstream cards — making it one of the most rewarding cards for college students building credit. A $25 Good Standing reward each account anniversary incentivizes responsible use. Path to upgrading to Chase Freedom Unlimited after graduation.
Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students
Bank of America · No annual fee
Bank of America's student travel card earns flat 1.5x on everything with no foreign transaction fees — perfect for students who travel internationally or study abroad. The 25,000-point welcome bonus is worth $250 toward travel (flights, hotels, car rentals), providing excellent first-year value with no annual fee.
Annual value math — Discover it Student Cash Back at Costco
Typical spend
$5,000
per year at Costco
Earn rate
1%
base rate on general purchases
Annual value
$50
rewards earned per year
Pro tips for maximizing rewards at Costco
- Costco only accepts Visa credit cards in-store
- Citi Costco Anywhere Visa earns 2% at Costco + 4% gas
- Costco.com accepts Mastercard and other networks online
More card picks for Costco
Best student cards for other retailers
Frequently asked questions
What is the best student credit card for Costco?⌄
Our top pick is the Discover it Student Cash Back — it's a student card. With typical spending of $5,000/year at Costco, that's about $50/year in rewards.
Do Costco purchases count as Groceries?⌄
Costco purchases typically code as Groceries or Groceries & Wholesale or Wholesale Clubs depending on the issuer. Card networks determine merchant category codes (MCC), so coding can vary between Visa and Mastercard for the same retailer.
Is a student card worth it just for Costco?⌄
A student card is only worth it if its broader utility matches your spending. The Costco fit is a bonus — not the primary reason to open one.
Any pro tips for using a card at Costco?⌄
Costco only accepts Visa credit cards in-store Citi Costco Anywhere Visa earns 2% at Costco + 4% gas Costco.com accepts Mastercard and other networks online
How much can I earn per year on Costco with a student card?⌄
Earnings depend on the specific card. Most cards earn 1-2% at Costco, giving $75-100/year at the $5,000 typical spend level.