113. 4 Ways to Maximize Points for Costco Spend (Without Overcomplicating It)

Point Me To First Class

Devon Gimbel MD

Finances, Education, How To, Travel, Credit, Expenses, Card, Cards, Society & Culture, Professionals, Tips, Personal, Places & Travel, Business, Points, Rewards

5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Whether your Costco haul includes a 5-pound bag of almonds or a giant sectional sofa, one thing is certain: you’re probably not spending just a few bucks.

If you’ve ever wondered how to earn more credit card points on your Costco runs, this episode walks you through four smart, strategic ways to maximize rewards—whether you’re shopping in-store, online, or through a workaround like Instacart. You’ll learn which cards work, which ones don’t, and how to pick the best method based on your spending habits and points goals.

This episode is your go-to guide for getting the most out of every Costco trip—without having to overhaul your strategy or juggle a dozen cards.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/maximize-points-costco/

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Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here:

https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Point Me to First Class, the only show for employed professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners who are looking to optimize their higher than average expenses to travel the world.
0:10.7	I'm your host, Devin Gimble, and I believe that your expenses are your greatest untapped asset, if you know how to leverage them.
0:17.8	Ready to dive into the world of credit card points and miles so you can travel more, travel better, and travel often. Let's get started. Hello, everyone, and welcome
0:31.5	back to another episode of the Point Me to First Class podcast. Today, I'm going to be tackling a
0:36.3	very specific question that comes up
0:38.3	frequently in the points community, and that is, how can we maximize points earning for Costco
0:43.7	spend? I don't care whether you're looking for a year's supply of toilet paper, diamond jewelry,
0:48.3	20 pounds of mixed nuts, or a ficus tree. Costco has it all. And if you're anything like me, there's no such thing as a
0:55.7	Costco run that costs just a few bucks. My family spends more money at Costco than I would care
1:00.4	to admit, but apparently we're not alone. According to an article at investopedia.com, Costco has
1:07.3	captured over 55% of the wholesale club market, and Costco customers visit the warehouse
1:12.7	30 times per year, spending an average of $100 to $150 per trip. And while the average Costco
1:19.1	customers spends $3,000 to $4,500 per year, according to some data sources, I'm sure there's more
1:25.7	than a few of us high achievers who may spend more.
1:28.5	So if you're as big of a Costco fan as I am, and you've been wondering how to maximize your
1:33.7	points earning on your next Costco run, whether you need new patio furniture or a 16-pound sheetcake
1:39.0	that feeds 200, you're in the right place. Today, we are going to be diving into four distinct approaches that you can take
1:45.7	to ensure your earning as many points as possible for your Costco halls.
1:50.2	But before you can craft your ideal Costco points earning strategy,
1:53.7	there are three very important things that you have to understand about how Costco accepts
1:58.6	and codes payments.
2:03.2	First, when you're shopping in store at a Costco warehouse and you go to checkout, you can't use just any points earning credit card to pay.
	...

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