For the most part, Costco does accept Apple Pay. Both in the United States and Canada, customers using Apple Pay do not have any issues doing so. However, there are some things you need to know about what kind of payment Costco accepts before attempting to use Apple Pay. Below, you will find what kind of payment methods Costco carries, and if you can use Apple Pay.  

What payment does Costco take?

Costco accepts almost all kinds of payment methods, but there are stores and types of stores that do not accept all of these. For example, Costco stores are listed as accepting Apple Pay, but there are some Costco stores in the United States that reportedly do not accept Apple pay. On the other hand, Apple Pay is not listed as a viable payment method for the Costco gas station, but there are some that accept it. 

In all cases, Costco does not accept just any credit card. They only accept Visa credit cards. Therefore, your Apple Pay will work only if you have a Visa credit card attached to it. But, of course, there are other options such as debit cards. Read below for detailed information on where you can use Apple Pay and what other payment methods are available at Costco.

List of payment methods accepted by Costco stores

Apple Pay 

Apple Pay is accepted in almost every Costco store you may walk into in the United States. They also accept other mobile payments such as Samsung Pay and Google Pay. Therefore, using Apple Pay will not be a problem at Costco. Although, as mentioned above, if you are planning to use a credit card, make sure the credit card attached to your Apple Wallet is Visa. 

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card (Citi)Any Visa credit card you might haveAs long as it has a PIN, all debit and ATM cardsCashCostco Shop CardsYou can use the Personal and Business checks provided by current members of Costco and Costco BusinessEBT Cards

List of payment methods accepted by Costco’s online shop Costco.com 

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card (Citi)Any Visa card you might haveAny MasterCard you might haveAs long as it has a PIN, all debit and ATM cardsJCB cardsMobile Payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay)

List of payment methods accepted in Costco gas stations

Unfortunately, Apple Pay is not listed as a valid payment option at Costco gas stations, but as of 2022, Costco gas stations have started to accept Apple Pay under some circumstances.

As you might guess, Costco gas stations only accept Apple Pay if the linked card is Visa. If it is not a Visa card, you cannot make a payment at a Costco gas station. 

Here is what you can make your payment with:

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card (Citi)Any Visa card you might haveAs long as it has a PIN, all debit and ATM cardsCostco Shop Cards

An important note is that both Costco food courts and Costco pharmacies accept all kinds of mobile payments including Apple Pay. Especially in a Costco pharmacy, using Apple Pay at checkout is a good idea because it saves a lot of time.

How to use Apple Pay in Costco?

If you have not yet used your Apple Wallet in a Costco, here is how you are to do it:

First, you should add your card to your Apple Wallet on the app. Since these are instructions for Costco, it should be a Visa card if you are using credit.  Second, spot the NFC reader on the counter at checkout and move your phone close to the reader with your Apple Wallet on.

Why only Visa?

It might be limiting for some people to only be able to use Visa credit cards. This was not always the case, Costco used to work with American Express. But now, they are partnered up with Visa. Therefore, until 2017, Costco only accepted American Express credit cards, but since 2017, they only accept Visa credit cards. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Costco, being one of the most popular retail stores in the U.S., accepts various types of payments for various types of stores, and most of them do accept Apple Pay as a viable option. Therefore, it is not likely that you will have any problems shopping with your Apple Wallet. Although, you should pay attention to whether your preferred card attached to your Apple Wallet is a Visa card. As long as it is, you can shop from Costco with Apple Pay.