Do You Earn Rewards on Membership Fees (Costco, Amazon Prime, Gym)?
This guide explains how common membership fees code and where a bonus applies.
Most memberships earn the base rate
A membership fee is not a bonus category on mainstream rewards cards, so paying for Costco or Sam’s Club membership, Amazon Prime, or a gym generally earns your card’s base rate. That is still worthwhile on a strong flat-rate card, but do not expect a category bonus on the fee itself.
The exceptions worth knowing
A few cases differ. A Costco membership fee codes as a warehouse club, so a card bonusing warehouse clubs earns there, and remember Costco takes only Visa. Some cards bonus gym or fitness memberships as a category. And Amazon Prime often codes as an Amazon or digital purchase, so a card bonusing Amazon may earn an elevated rate on it.
How to earn the most
Match the card to the membership: a warehouse-club or flat-rate card for Costco, a card bonusing Amazon for Prime, and a fitness-bonus card for a gym if you have one. Where no bonus applies, a flat-rate card avoids the base-rate penalty. Since these are recurring charges, setting the right card once means you earn a bit more every renewal without further effort.
Frequently asked questions
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