[REVIEW] CIBC Costco Mastercard
Costco and Capital One ended their relationship, but when one door closes, another door opens. Just for reference, here are the highlights of each card for comparison’s sake.
Costco Membership
Comparing Canadian and U.S. Costco Credit Cards
After Costco dropped American Express as the exclusive accepted credit card at its retail stores, they took at MasterCard in Canada and Visa in the United States. Today, we will be comparing the two respective co-branded Costco credit cards available.
Both cards require the cardholder to be an existing Costco member to qualify. Furthermore, in both cases, the cash back is received once per year in the form of a Costco certificate (or rebate coupon).
Costco Membership Fee Going UP
Effective June 1, 2017, Costco’s two membership levels are going up by $5 and $10 respective. The new fees are as follows:
Gold Star Membership increases from $55 to $60
Executive Membership increases from $110 to $120
I previously written a post about whether the annual fee is worth it.
Whether the Costco Executive Membership is Worth it
First of all, the Gold Star Membership costs $55, but without any rewards. The Executive Membership costs $110 to sign up. So we are essentially talking about a $55 price difference. Gold members do not receive any sort of rewards; conversely, Executive Members get 2% cash back on all purchases (up to $750 cash back or $37,500 in annual spending).
[READER QUESTION] Using My Capital One MasterCard at U.S. Costco Stores
Recently, I have been questioned by a frequent Costco customer who travels between U.S. and Canada whether or not he is able to use his Capital One Platinum MasterCard in the U.S. The simple answer is no, he would need to carry two credit cards across borders in order to shop at the popular wholesale retailer.
[PROMOTION] Earn Double Aeroplan Miles Shopping Costco (expired)
From February 22 to March 29, 2015, you can earn double the Aeroplan Miles for every dollar spent on Coscto.ca. If you’re currently not a Costco Member, you can sign up and earn up to 1,500 Aeroplan miles based on the type of membership you apply for. For example, if you apply for the Costco Executive Business Membership card, you can earn 1,500 Aeroplan miles by typing in the code AEROBEX. Here is the link to start shopping at Costco online.
American Express (AMEX) | Best Buy Reward Zone (Discontinued) | Capital One | Chase Canada (Discontinued) | Costco Membership | Credit Cards | Marriott Hotels & Resorts (Marriott Bonvoy) | Sears Club (Discontinued)
Thinking About Changing up my Credit Card Strategy
The credit card industry in Canada appears to be changing very rapidly over the past 12 months and it is makes me wonder whether I should change my credit card strategy. Below are some of the most significant changes happening:…
[READER QUESTION] Whether it is Worth Getting the Costco Executive Membership (expired on December 31, 2014)
For those of you who may not be aware, Costco has two levels of membership, Executive and Regular. Currently, there is a 1,500 Aeroplan sign up bonus promotion for Executive members ($110 annual fee), while Regular members ($55 annual fee)…
[ANALYSIS] Capital One Platinum MasterCard
Drum roll please… It looks like Capital One is the new winner to form a partnership with Costco, to replace American Express. This is actually very good news for consumers. It shows me that competition still exists and if you are not…
Costco to Switch from American Express to MasterCard
American Express already discontinued its credit card that was affiliated with Costco, so I guess it was only a matter of time before Costco stops accepting American Express all-together. The negotiations between American Express and Costco have broken down. In the past, American Express was the only credit card accepted at Costco. But now it seems that they will be switching to MasterCard instead.