Money
Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard vs Costco Mastercard: which to use for Amazon and Costco
The Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard from MBNA pays 2.5% at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods for Prime members (1.5% without Prime) and 1% everywhere else, including Costco. The CIBC Costco Mastercard matches it in the warehouse and pays 3% at Costco gas and restaurants and 2% on Costco.ca. Both are $0, so use each at its own store.
By Cost Check Editorial · Last reviewed Oct 4, 2026 · 4 min read
The Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard pays 2.5% at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods Market if you have Prime, and 1% everywhere else, Costco included. The CIBC Costco Mastercard pays the same 1% in the warehouse, 3% at Costco gas and restaurants, and 2% on Costco.ca, but only 1% at Amazon. Both are $0. Each card wins at its own store and ties or loses everywhere else, so if you shop at both, carry both. Compare every option on our best cards for Costco page.
Calculator
What the Costco card earns on everything but Amazon
Enter what you spend at Costco, the gas bar, Costco.ca and restaurants: the part the Amazon card should leave alone.
Estimate your yearly cash back
Sample dataEstimated cash back per year
$306.00
Rates are CIBC’s published rates and are editable, as is the spending. Includes CIBC’s yearly category caps (spending above a cap earns 1%); there’s no limit on total cash back. Check current terms before you apply.
How do the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard and Costco Mastercard compare?
From MBNA's card page and rewards terms and CIBC's documents, checked October 4, 2026:
| CIBC Costco Mastercard | Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Issuer | CIBC | MBNA (TD) |
| Costco warehouse | 1% | 1% |
| Costco gas | 3% (first $5,000 of gas a year) | 1% |
| Costco.ca | 2% (first $8,000 a year) | 1% |
| Restaurants | 3% | 1% |
| Amazon.ca and Whole Foods | 1% | 2.5% with Prime, 1.5% without |
| Foreign currency purchases | 1%, then a 2.5% fee | 2.5% back with Prime, 1% without |
| Everything else | 1% | 1% |
| Rewards | Costco certificate, once a year | $20 Amazon.ca gift card at every 2,000 points |
| Purchase interest | 21.75% | 21.74% |
MBNA's current welcome offer is 5% back at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods, grocery stores and restaurants for the first 6 months, on the first $3,000 of purchases: up to $150.
What does the Amazon card earn at Costco?
1% on everything: the warehouse, the gas bar and Costco.ca. That ties the CIBC card in the warehouse and loses everywhere else at Costco: 3% against 1% at the pump, 2% against 1% on Costco.ca. It's a Mastercard, so Canadian warehouses and gas bars accept it; see which cards Costco accepts. There's no reason to use it on a Costco trip if you have the Costco card.
How much more does it earn on Amazon.ca?
For a Prime member, 1.5% more than the CIBC card on every Amazon.ca and Whole Foods purchase:
| Amazon.ca and Whole Foods a month | Extra a year over the CIBC card |
|---|---|
| $50 | $9 |
| $100 | $18 |
| $200 | $36 |
| $400 | $72 |
Without Prime the gap halves to 0.5%, so the card mainly pays off for Prime members. The rewards arrive only as Amazon.ca gift cards, which is a limit in the same way the CIBC card's certificate only spends at Costco.
Should Costco shoppers carry both?
If you shop on Amazon.ca every month, yes; it's free. Sample data: our two-card guide's household, with $100 of its monthly "everything else" spent on Amazon.ca and a Prime membership.
| Setup | Cash back a year |
|---|---|
| CIBC Costco Mastercard only | $378 |
| Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard only | $288 |
| CIBC for everything except Amazon.ca, Amazon card for Amazon.ca | $396 |
| CIBC plus Tangerine (groceries and bills) | $462 |
The Amazon card adds less than a grocery card does for this household, because supermarket groceries and bills are bigger than its Amazon spending. If you can only add one card to the Costco card, pick the one that matches your biggest non-Costco spending: a grocery card for most families, the Amazon card for heavy Amazon.ca shoppers.
Does the Amazon card work at a U.S. Costco?
No. U.S. Costco warehouses take Visa, and the only Mastercard they list is the CIBC Costco Mastercard. The Amazon card's 2.5% back on foreign currency purchases (for Prime members), which MBNA says is there to help cover foreign transaction fees, is useful on U.S. trips and websites, just not at Costco. See what Canadians can pay with at a U.S. Costco and cards with no foreign transaction fee.
Which has better insurance?
They're close. MBNA lists purchase assurance (90 days, $60,000 lifetime per account) and an extended warranty that doubles the manufacturer's warranty by up to one year, plus Avis and Budget discounts. MBNA issues the card as a Platinum or World Mastercard, and each version has its own guide to coverage. The CIBC Costco Mastercard adds mobile device insurance up to $1,000; see the Costco card's insurance.
Which should you get?
- Costco is your main store: the CIBC Costco Mastercard. The Amazon card never beats it on a Costco trip.
- You're a Prime member who orders from Amazon.ca every month: both. The Amazon card only at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods; the Costco card everywhere else.
- No Prime: the Amazon card pays just 1.5% there, and a grocery card such as Tangerine is usually the better second card.
- Costco.ca versus Amazon.ca for the same item: the Costco card earns 2% on Costco.ca and the Amazon card 2.5% on Amazon.ca, so compare the prices first; see Costco online shopping.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard at Costco?
- Yes, in Canadian warehouses and gas stations, which take any Mastercard. It earns 1% there; U.S. Costcos don't take it.
- Is the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard better than the Costco Mastercard?
- At Amazon.ca and Whole Foods, yes: 2.5% with Prime against 1%. At Costco, no: it ties in the warehouse and earns 1% against 3% at Costco gas.
- Who issues the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard?
- MBNA, a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. The card's annual fee is $0.
- How are Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard points paid out?
- 100 points are worth $1. Every 2,000 points become a $20 Amazon.ca gift card, loaded automatically after your statement.
- Do you need Prime for the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard?
- No, but it pays more with Prime: 2.5% at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods instead of 1.5%, and 2.5% back on foreign currency purchases instead of 1%.
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