Money
PC World Elite Mastercard vs Costco Mastercard: which is better for your shopping?
The PC World Elite Mastercard earns 30 PC Optimum points per $1 (3%) at Loblaw-banner grocery stores and 4.5% at Shoppers Drug Mart, but 10 points per $1 (1%) everywhere else, including Costco. The CIBC Costco Mastercard matches it in the warehouse and beats it at Costco gas and restaurants (3%). Both are $0; PC needs $80,000 of income.
By Cost Check Editorial · Last reviewed Oct 4, 2026 · 3 min read
The PC World Elite Mastercard and the CIBC Costco Mastercard each reward their own stores: PC pays 30 points per $1 (3%) at Loblaw-banner grocery stores and 4.5% at Shoppers Drug Mart, but only 10 points per $1 (1%) at Costco. The Costco card pays the same 1% in the warehouse and 3% at Costco gas and restaurants. Both are $0, but PC needs $80,000 of income. If you shop at both Loblaw stores and Costco, carry both; compare every option on our best cards for Costco page.
Calculator
What the Costco card earns on your Costco trips
Enter what you spend at Costco, at the gas bar and at restaurants; leave Loblaw-store groceries for the PC card.
Estimate your yearly cash back
Sample dataEstimated cash back per year
$318.00
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 PC World Elite and Costco Mastercard compare?
From PC Financial's card page and CIBC's documents, checked October 4, 2026:
| CIBC Costco Mastercard | PC World Elite Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum income | $15,000 | $80,000 personal or $150,000 household |
| Costco warehouse | 1% | 10 points per $1 (1%) |
| Costco gas | 3% (first $5,000 of gas a year) | 10 points per $1 (1%) |
| Restaurants | 3% | 10 points per $1 (1%) |
| Loblaw-banner grocery stores | 1% | 30 points per $1 (3%) |
| Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix | 1% | 45 points per $1 (4.5%) |
| Esso and Mobil | 2% | 30 points per litre |
| Rewards | Costco certificate, once a year | PC Optimum points, redeemed at Loblaw stores and Shoppers |
| Purchase interest | 21.75% | 21.99% |
| Travel insurance | None | Emergency medical (10 days, under 65), rental car collision |
Which card earns more at Costco?
The Costco card, or it's a tie. In the warehouse both pay 1%, because Costco isn't a store that sells President's Choice products. At the Costco gas bar and at restaurants, the CIBC card pays 3% against PC's 1%. There's no part of a Costco trip where the PC card earns more. Both are Mastercards, so either works at the till; see which cards Costco accepts.
How much does each earn for a household that shops at both?
Sample data: our two-card guide's household, assuming its $400 a month of supermarket groceries is spent at Loblaw-banner stores.
| Setup | Cash back a year |
|---|---|
| CIBC Costco Mastercard only | $378 |
| PC World Elite only | $366 in points |
| CIBC for Costco, gas and restaurants, PC for groceries | $474 |
Add Shoppers Drug Mart spending and the PC card's case gets stronger at 4.5%. Its points only pay off if you redeem at Loblaw stores or Shoppers, the same way the CIBC certificate only pays off at Costco.
Which has better insurance?
PC World Elite lists travel emergency medical coverage (trips up to 10 days, under 65), car rental collision and loss damage coverage, purchase assurance (90 days, paid in full) and extended warranty. The CIBC Costco Mastercard has no travel or rental coverage, but adds mobile device insurance up to $1,000 and needs only part of a purchase on the card. For travellers who qualify, PC's coverage is a real advantage; see what CIBC covers when you travel.
Which should you get?
- You shop at Costco and a Loblaw-banner grocery store: both. The Costco card at Costco, the gas bar and restaurants; PC at Loblaw stores and Shoppers.
- Only one card, and Costco is your main store: the CIBC Costco Mastercard.
- Only one card, and you live at Loblaw stores and Shoppers: PC World Elite, if you meet the income requirement.
- You don't meet $80,000: the CIBC card plus a no-fee grocery card; see the best two-card setups.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the PC World Elite Mastercard earn extra at Costco?
- No. Costco earns 10 PC Optimum points per $1, about 1%, the same as the CIBC Costco Mastercard in the warehouse.
- Is the PC World Elite better than the Costco Mastercard?
- At Loblaw-banner grocery stores (3%) and Shoppers Drug Mart (4.5%), yes. At Costco gas and restaurants, no: the Costco card pays 3% against PC's 1%.
- What income do you need for the PC World Elite Mastercard?
- $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income, per PC Financial.
- Does the PC World Elite have travel insurance?
- Yes. PC Financial lists travel emergency medical coverage for trips up to 10 days (under 65) and car rental collision coverage; the CIBC Costco card has neither.
- Can I use the PC World Elite at Costco?
- Yes. It's a Mastercard, which Canadian Costco warehouses accept; it earns 10 points per $1 there.
Money
Keep reading
Money
Costco Mastercard cash back: is the CIBC card worth it? A review with real numbers
The CIBC Costco Mastercard has no annual fee and pays 3% at restaurants and Costco gas, 2% at Costco.ca, and 1% on most other spending, including Costco warehouses. On two real budgets it works out to 1.4% to 1.5% overall.
Cost Check Editorial · 3 min read · Updated Oct 1
Money
Capital One Costco Mastercard: what happened to it, and what to use now
The Capital One Costco Mastercard ended in Canada on March 4, 2022, when CIBC took over every account. What changed for cardholders, where to log in and pay now, and which Costco card to use instead.
Cost Check Editorial · 3 min read · Updated Oct 1
Money
Does Costco take Visa? Costco credit cards accepted in Canada, and what to pay with
Costco warehouses in Canada take Mastercard, debit, cash, Apple Pay and Shop Cards, but not Visa or American Express. Costco.ca takes Visa. U.S. Costcos are the reverse: Visa yes, Mastercard only if it is the CIBC Costco card.
Cost Check Editorial · 3 min read · Updated Oct 1