Best credit card for Costco Travel in Canada: rewards, Visa, and the insurance gap

The best credit card for Costco Travel depends on whether you need insurance. Costco Travel Canada accepts Visa and Mastercard, credit or debit, so you aren't limited to Mastercard as you are in the warehouse. The CIBC Costco Mastercard pays 1% on Costco Travel bookings and has no travel insurance, so on a $5,000 trip it earns $50. If a card with trip cancellation and travel medical coverage would replace a separate policy, it's usually worth more than that 1%. Executive members earn 2% on top either way; compare cards on our best cards for Costco page.

What cards does Costco Travel accept?

From Costco Travel Canada's payment page, checked October 4, 2026:

You can split payments between cards in your Costco Travel account or by phone, and pay in instalments until the final payment date where the booking allows it. Costco Travel may place a temporary $1 pre-authorization before charging a deposit.

How much does the CIBC Costco Mastercard earn on Costco Travel?

1%: Costco Travel isn't one of the card's bonus categories (restaurants, gas and Costco.ca). Example only, with the Executive reward for members who have it:

The Executive reward is applied after the trip and can take up to 2 months to appear, Costco Travel says; see whether Executive pays off. Since Costco Travel charges in Canadian dollars, the card's 2.5% foreign transaction fee doesn't apply to the booking itself, but it does to spending abroad.

Does the CIBC Costco Mastercard cover your trip?

No. Its certificate lists mobile device insurance, purchase security and extended warranty only: no travel medical, trip cancellation or interruption, baggage or rental car collision coverage. Costco Travel's own help page tells members to check whether their credit card offers travel protection before booking. See what the CIBC card covers when you travel.

When is a travel card worth more than the Costco card?

When its insurance replaces something you'd otherwise buy. Trip cancellation and out-of-province medical coverage on a family package can cost more than 1% of the trip, so a card that includes them, usually one with an annual fee, can beat the Costco card's 1% even before its rewards. Check three things before you rely on one:

• How much of the trip must be charged to the card for coverage to apply (many policies require the full cost, which matters if you split payments).
• Age and trip-length limits on travel medical coverage.
• Whether it covers rental cars, if you book one through Costco Travel.

If you'd buy insurance anyway, Costco offers members travel insurance through Manulife; see our Costco Travel page.

What's the best way to pay for a Costco Travel booking?

• No insurance needed (you have workplace coverage, or it's a short domestic trip): the CIBC Costco Mastercard for 1%, plus 2% if you're Executive.
• You want the trip insured: a Visa or Mastercard whose travel coverage fits the trip, charged as its terms require.
• Either way: check whether your package includes a Digital Costco Shop Card, which is Costco credit, and keep the Executive reward stacking in mind.