Shopping Discussion

Costco Digital Shop Cards

  • Last Updated:
  • Sep 9th, 2022 5:13 pm
Deal Fanatic
Jun 11, 2016
5291 posts
6491 upvotes

Costco Digital Shop Cards

Any fellow RFDer have experience using a Costco digital card purchased from the Costco.Ca website?

About to purchase a shop card (via Visa for points) and the reviews are fairly low w/ the majority of the complaints being the stores don't know how to apply the card balance to the purchases.

Cheers, KH
9 replies
Deal Addict
Oct 27, 2012
3063 posts
4997 upvotes
Toronto
Done it many times to meet minimum spends on Visa.

Zero issues using them in the warehouse. Only thing is it doesn't work with self-checkout.
Deal Addict
Apr 12, 2008
1833 posts
1624 upvotes
I've been using them for months. There are times where the cashier doesn't know how to use them.. thankfully, there are "cashier instructions" right on the page where the barcode is, so if anything, you can show them that
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User avatar
Jun 17, 2013
18226 posts
36618 upvotes
Scarborough
ozzie16 wrote: Done it many times to meet minimum spends on Visa.
Thanks for the good idea! This should get me half way to my goal on my new RBC Visa card.

I've only bought one digital shop card before but I had no issues using it in the US or Canada.
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Deal Expert
User avatar
Jan 9, 2011
19733 posts
28613 upvotes
Vancouver
Yes I have bought them several times. Here in Canada the cashiers know what to do. At US warehouses, they usually don't and have to call over a more experienced cashier or even a supervisor.
Shop cards have these two advantages:
  • If you have the CIBC Costco MC, it earns 2% at all your online costco.ca spending. Buy shop cards online and spend them in the warehouse, effectively earning 2% back on all your warehouse purchases.
  • Shop cards use the mid-market exchange rate when spending them at warehouses in the USA. There is no better way to pay at US Costco.
Deal Fanatic
Jun 11, 2016
5291 posts
6491 upvotes
TomRFD wrote: Thanks for the good idea! This should get me half way to my goal on my new RBC Visa card.

I've only bought one digital shop card before but I had no issues using it in the US or Canada.
If I used the Visa to buy digital shop cards rather than using the Mastercard in store I'd be posting from the Caribbean....

Last question.. is the 'digital shop card' stored on the Costco app, accessed the barcode through Costco.ca or does it need to be printed out? The website isn't clear on how to use it..

Cheers, KH
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jan 9, 2011
19733 posts
28613 upvotes
Vancouver
KravenHead wrote: If I used the Visa to buy digital shop cards rather than using the Mastercard in store I'd be posting from the Caribbean....

Last question.. is the 'digital shop card' stored on the Costco app, accessed the barcode through Costco.ca or does it need to be printed out? The website isn't clear on how to use it..

Cheers, KH
An email will arrive with a link to click. The link takes you to a website with a barcode for the cashier to scan. Save this email. Every time you click the link to get the barcode, you will also be shown the card's remaining balance.
Deal Fanatic
Jan 21, 2014
8517 posts
6260 upvotes
You just click on the link and show it to cashier so she can scan it. You can also go the service desk and ask for converting it to physical shop card. Another beauty about the shop card? Unlike any other gift card, if you lose/misplace it (email or physical cards) you can call Costco and they will resend them to you. I have done this for both types of shop cards before.
Deal Fanatic
Feb 19, 2017
5308 posts
3779 upvotes
Vancouver
They work fine and it’s a great way to take advantage of credit card promo if you shop at Costco given Costco never discount their gift card anyways. As far as digital card, there is a barcode you can scan. It works pretty much like the rebate checks except it’s digital.

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