Why you should consider booking a trip through Costco Travel

There’s a lot to love about Costco, the free samples and quality goods at wholesale prices being chief among the perks.

I love that Costco is a one-stop shop for basics like groceries, dog food, car tires, office supplies, furniture and so much more.

In fact, one of the many perks of being a Costco member — and a Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi (see rates and fees) cardholder — is that I get access to exclusive deals via Costco Travel.

While you don’t need the Costco Anywhere Visa to book travel within the retailer’s portal, you do need an active Costco membership.

Let’s discuss why Costco Travel is an underrated gem — and why you’ll want to have the store’s Citi-issued credit card to maximize every reservation.

Booking through the Costco Travel platform

Like most travel booking platforms, Costco Travel allows you to book hotels, cruises, rental cars and travel packages. However, Costco advertises competitive rates and additional perks or deals. For example, if you book a stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort through Costco Travel, your vacation package would include a daily breakfast buffet (valued at $48 per person), a $300 resort credit and waived daily resort fees (valued at $55 per day).

However, when looking at these deals, it’s important to read the terms and conditions. Some packages require you to book and/or travel by a certain date, or the resort fee may only include certain amenities.

But, no matter how good the “deal” may seem, we always recommend crunching the numbers and checking to see what it would cost if you booked the exact hotel or vacation package on your own, and not through Costco Travel.

For example, I compared the cost of booking a Universal Orlando theme park vacation in mid-November via Costco Travel and on my own. To book two queen beds at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista from Nov. 13-16, plus two-day park tickets to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and a one-day ticket to Epic Universe for two people, it would cost $1,280.84 on Costco Travel.

Now, if I booked the same hotel stay and park tickets on my own, it would cost, $1,561.90 (cost $418.10 for the room and $1,143.80 for the park tickets for two people). Therefore, I would save $281.06 by booking this vacation package through Costco Travel.

Though I am saving money on this vacation package, it’s best to be diligent and make sure you crunch the numbers yourself and compare the out-of-pocket cost of booking through Costco’s platform versus on your own.

Plus, for those who value earning points or elite status benefits or credits, you typically won’t get any when booking through Costco Travel.

Other Costco Travel perks

Aside from possibly saving money on your travels, booking through Costco Travel could give you additional perks.

If you’re anything like most of us at TPG, you get a thrill anytime you earn credit card rewards. With Costco Travel, you’re in for a serotonin boost when you book a trip since some reservations, like cruises, earn you a Costco Shop Card, which functions like a gift card, except they never expire.

These are reloadable and can be earned in several ways:

• Signing up for a Costco membership during a promo period
• Purchasing services through Costco (think solar panel installations and other home improvement projects)
• Booking certain travel

You can also purchase Shop Cards as a Costco member in any denomination.

Note that while it’s possible to earn Shop Cards when booking via Costco Travel, you cannot redeem Shop Cards for Costco Travel purchases.

Related: 10 best Alaska cruises for every type of traveler

Why you’ll want to get the Costco Anywhere Visa card for travel purchases

You can opt for two types of Costco memberships: Gold Star or Executive (a Gold Star membership is $65 annually, whereas an Executive membership costs $130 annually).

Gold Star gets you access to the clubs, while Executive does the same but also provides a 2% cash back Executive Reward in the form of a once-yearly certificate, which you typically receive about two months before your membership renewal date.

Let’s discuss why Executive is worth it over Gold Star and how it helps you earn even more cash back when coupled with the Costco Anywhere Visa.

Booking Costco Travel with an Executive membership

As an Executive member, I especially love that some travel deals estimate how much cash back you could net before you confirm your trip, thanks to that 2% reward for this membership tier (up to $1,250 annually). Plus, you’ll see the value of any Shop Cards you’d earn with that specific booking.

For example, a seven-night Holland America cruise starting at $919 per person would earn me at least $18.38 cash back.

As I move through the booking process, I also get notified that the current sailing I’m considering would earn me a $25 Digital Costco Shop Card, which I can use as payment at Costco warehouses and on Costco.com.

The beauty of a Costco Shop Card is that they don’t expire, whereas your annual cash back reward certificate (delivered via mail each February) expires on Dec. 31 of the same year.

The same cruise itinerary booked directly with Holland America Line starts at the same price (and like the Costco sailing, includes the taxes and fees per person), but booking directly doesn’t offer the bonus perks you’d get when booking via Costco Travel, like the 2% cash back and the Costco Shop Card.

But if you don’t have the premium membership, booking through Costco’s travel portal may not offer you much value — so keep this in mind if you’re considering a Gold Star or Executive membership.

Booking Costco Travel with a Costco Anywhere Visa

It’s true that you can get a Costco membership without needing to get the Costco Anywhere Visa, but if you’re always looking to maximize your reward-earning strategy, you need the cobranded store card.

First, the Costco Anywhere Visa is an open-loop card, meaning you can use it anywhere Visa cards are accepted, not just at Costco clubs. Another plus? This card doesn’t charge an annual fee, but you do have to have a Costco membership to get it. If you’re a frequent Costco-goer, this shouldn’t be an issue. Remember, you’ll also need a store membership to access Costco Travel.

One of my favorite perks of being a Costco Anywhere Visa cardholder is the generous up to 5% cash back rate on Costco Travel purchases (the rate is cumulative; more on this in a moment).

Related: The best no-annual-fee credit cards

Before you start a Costco Visa application, though, you should know two things:

• You need an Executive membership to earn the 5% cash back rate on Costco Travel bookings. This is because Executive members earn 2% cash back across almost all Costco and Costco Travel purchases in the form of an Executive Membership Reward (which usually arrives via mail and does not expire like the annual cash back reward certificate). Gold Star members do not earn any cash back with their membership.
• The Costco Anywhere Visa earns 3% cash back on eligible travel, including Costco Travel purchases, which also arrives via mail (in February) in the form of a cash back reward certificate.

To maximize your travel cash back earnings with a Costco membership and the Costco Visa, you’ll need to get the Executive membership. Ideally, your cash back certificate will be enough every year to offset the cost of the $130 membership.

Related: The best Visa cards for Costco shopping

Aside from earning up to 5% cash back on travel bookings, this card is great for travelers, as there are no foreign transaction fees.

I’ve previously referred to the Costco Anywhere Visa as a cash back workhorse because it’s a solid earner in key spend categories that I frequently use. In addition to groceries and other Costco-specific purchases I make, the Anywhere Visa earns me 5% cash back on gas at Costco and 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first combined $7,000 per year, then 1% thereafter.

I added my partner as an authorized user to my account because he commutes to work daily. His gas fillups equate to faster cash back accrual, and we like that we can visit Costco stores independently of each other since we both have our own memberships and credit cards.

Related: The best gas credit cards

Why Costco Travel and the Costco Visa might not be for you

If you don’t have a Costco membership and don’t care to pay for one, you won’t get access to book through Costco Travel. This travel portal could save you hundreds of dollars, highlight last-minute getaway deals or offer resort benefits like on-property credits or waived booking fees.

But when booking through this third-party site, you won’t typically earn points, elite status credits or benefits. Plus, if your vacation goes awry, such as a flight being cancelled, you will likely have to chat with the customer service team at Costco Travel first, instead of the airline directly. For some, this may be a bit off-putting, especially if you are requesting a refund or compensation for travel disruptions.

As for the cobranded store card, if you’re a frequent Costco shopper, this no-annual-fee card could save money on everyday purchases. Plus, if you opt for the Executive membership, you can earn 2% cash back on qualified purchases (up to $1,250 per year) and earn 3% cash back on Costco Travel purchases with this premium membership tier and rewards card.

However, your cash-back rewards can only be redeemed once per year in the form of a reward certificate. Therefore, those looking to see cash back statements hit their account more frequently may not want this particular card.

Bottom line

If you feel like you’ve exhausted your options when planning a trip and would like to see what Costco Travel has to offer, get a membership.

If you’re feeling noncommittal and simply want to test drive the portal, you can access it with a $65/year Gold Star membership. However, those looking to maximize cash back earnings — and get access to perks offered by Costco Travel (like Shop Cards and waived resort fees) — should consider the Executive membership. It’s well worth the investment.

Apply here: Costco Anywhere Visa

Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses of September 2025