Sam's Club Mastercard Review 2024 (2024)

Sam’s Club superfans will find plenty of value in the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®*, especially Sam’s Club Plus members. In addition to strong rewards at the namesake warehouse club, the card earns stellar rewards at the pump and high earnings on dining both at the restaurant and via takeout. Just be aware that these high-earning rates have caps.

Editor’s Note: This review is for the Sam’s Club Mastercard. If you’re looking for the store card-only version, we compare the differences between the two below.

The rewards, rules and stipulations surrounding the Sam’s Club Mastercard are enough to make you say “What in the Sam Hill?!” The card boosts the earning power for Sam’s Club members both at the store and in other spending areas; notably gas and dining.

The card earns 5% cash back rewards on gas purchases (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%), 3% cash back rewards on dining and takeout, 3% cash back at Sam’s Club for Plus Members and 1% cash back rewards on all other eligible purchases, but only if you’re a Sam’s Club Plus member, which costs $110 per year (compared to $50 for a basic membership). If you’re a regular Sam’s Club member, your Sam’s Club purchases will earn only 1% though all other earnings remain the same.

Someone who spends a lot at Sam’s Club will fare well with this card and a Sam’s Club Plus membership. But for most, the major value of this card lies with the generous rewards on gas spending. If you already belong to Sam’s Club, road warriors and frequent road-trippers may find this card is worth it just for the rewards at the pump.

The Sam’s Club card isn’t without speed bumps, however, even with those revved-up rewards on gas. Once you’ve accrued a total of $5,000 in Sam’s cash-back rewards per calendar year, you won’t earn any more rewards until the new annual period begins. That makes this card a poor choice for mega-spenders in any category.

• $0 annual fee
• Earn a $30 statement credit after spending $30 in Sam’s Club purchases within 30 days of account opening
• Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas purchases (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%), 3% cash back rewards on dining and takeout, 3% cash back at Sam’s Club for Plus Members and 1% cash back rewards on all other eligible purchases

Earning Rewards

The Sam’s Club Mastercard earns 5% cash back rewards on gas purchases (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%), 3% cash back rewards on dining and takeout, 3% cash back at Sam’s Club for Plus Members and 1% cash back rewards on all other eligible purchases. With a standard Sam’s Club membership, the rewards rate on Sam’s Club spending drops to 1%.

Redeeming Rewards

Rewards earned with the Sam’s Club Mastercard are issued along with all other Sam’s Cash rewards you’ve earned after one to two billing cycles. You must have an active membership and card account to redeem your earnings. You can only take the earnings as a statement credit or toward a purchase being made at Sam’s either at the register or SamsClub.com. Deposit into a bank account is not allowed.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor used data from various government agencies to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually and total annual credit card spending of $39,337.

Our sample household spends $2,990at gas stations, earning $149.50, $4,622on dining earning $138.66, $724at warehouse clubs earning $21.72 (assuming Plus membership and spending only at Sam’s Club) and $31,001on all other spending earning $310 for a total of $619.88 each year.

Your potential benefits will vary depending on your purchasing behavior.

As a Mastercard, the Sam’s Club card comes with the following benefits:

• Zero-fraud liability protection. You’re not responsible for unauthorized charges made on your card.
• Global services. Get emergency assistance anytime, anywhere and in any language. This includes reporting a lost or stolen card, obtaining an emergency card replacement or cash advance, finding an ATM and answering questions on your account.
• ID theft protection. You can opt in to this service that monitors your credit file for changes that could indicate fraud, sends you emergency alerts and can assign you a resolution specialist if fraud is detected.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.90% or 28.90% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: See Terms
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

Sam’s Club® Mastercard®* vs. Sam’s Club® Credit Card*

The Sam’s Club® Credit Card* and the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®* are entirely different products. The Mastercard is an “open-loop” card, meaning it can be used outside of the warehouse club. The Sam’s Club® Credit Card* is a store-only card without rewards that’s only accepted at Sam’s Club and Walmart stores.

As a store-only card, it may be easier to get approved for, but those with better credit will benefit from the rewards structure on the Mastercard version.

Sam’s Club® Mastercard®* vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi*

If warehouse shopping is where you get most of your household needs, consider the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi*. With this no-annual-fee card, you’ll earn 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 spent annually, 1% thereafter, 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases, 2% cash back on purchases from Costco and Costco.com and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply, which starts at $60 annually.

Rewards are paid out once a year in February for the Costco card. Like with the Sam’s Club Mastercard, the Costco credit card has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee. Ultimately, the better card for you will come down to spending habits and geography if you’re closer to one warehouse club over the other.

Sam’s Club® Mastercard®* vs. U.S. Bank Cash+®Visa Signature®Card

Occasional or infrequent warehouse shoppers may also want to consider a no-annual-fee card with adjustable earning categories like the U.S. Bank Cash+®Visa Signature®Card.

With this card you can earn 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center, 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of choice, 2% cash back on one everyday category such as gas stations, grocery stores or restaurants, and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Warehouse clubs aren’t one of the 5% categories but depending on how you spend in other areas, this card may be more rewarding for you overall.

One potential drawback is that you have to select your 5% and 2% earning categories online each quarter. If you forget to make this selection, you will only earn 1% on purchases in that quarter. And for bigger spenders, that combined category cap could be limiting.

If you already have a Sam’s Club membership and/or you spend a lot on gas, the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®* offers worthwhile benefits. But those who spend minimally on gas and only visit Sam’s Club a few times a year may find that another credit card will be a better fit overall.

Methodology

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.