By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 12, 2026. Editorial Policy
Costco Travel has no points or miles currency of its own. What you earn on a booking comes from three other places: Costco’s 2% Reward for Executive Members, the 3% cash back on the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, and in some cases the airline’s or rental company’s own loyalty program. Hotel stays booked as part of a package earn no hotel points. Costco’s terms say so directly. Hotel chains generally treat Expedia bookings the same way. For Expedia’s own points, see using Expedia points for flights.
I am Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, and I have run The Points King since 2017. We buy airline miles and credit card points, so what a booking earns matters to my work, and Costco Travel is a case where the honest answer is mostly “not airline miles.” Everything below comes from Costco’s own pages and the hotel programs’ terms, linked at the end. There are no affiliate links on this site.
What You Earn, by Type of Booking
| Booking | From Costco | From the airline, hotel or rental company |
|---|---|---|
| Vacation package | 2% Executive Reward, 3% with the Costco Visa, sometimes a Digital Costco Shop Card | Hotel: nothing, under Costco’s terms. Flight: you can add a frequent flyer number |
| Cruise | 2% Executive Reward, 3% with the Costco Visa, a Digital Costco Shop Card with every sailing | Set by the cruise line |
| Rental car | 2% Executive Reward | You can add an Avis, Budget or Enterprise loyalty number |
| Hotel only | Costco sells room-only stays at Hyatt and Accor hotels | Costco’s Hyatt page says World of Hyatt members earn rewards, without detail |
The 2% Executive Reward
Costco’s Executive Rewards page says: “Executive Members earn an annual 2% Reward, up to $1,250, on qualified Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel purchases.” Executive Membership costs an additional $65 a year, $130 in total.
- On travel, the reward is earned after the trip is completed, and you must be an Executive Member when travel starts.
- It excludes taxes, fees, surcharges, gratuities, trip protection and extras bought through a third party.
- It can take up to two months to show in your balance. The certificate is issued about three months before your renewal date.
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
The card pays 3% “on restaurants and eligible travel, including Costco Travel”, according to Costco’s card page as of September 23, 2026. It has no annual fee with a paid Costco membership. The cash back comes once a year, as a certificate issued after your February statement closes and redeemable at US Costco warehouses.
The two rewards stack. An Executive Member who pays for a $2,500 package with the card earns up to $50 from the 2% Reward and $75 from the card, $125 in all, before the exclusions above.
You do not need that card to book. Costco Travel takes Visa and Mastercard, credit or debit. It does not take American Express, and its help center is plain about miles: “Costco Travel can’t accept frequent flyer mileage rewards or points as payment.”
Do You Earn Airline Miles?
Costco Travel does not sell flights on their own. Its help center says: “Costco Travel doesn’t sell flights separately, only as part of a vacation package.”
When a package includes a flight, you can enter your frequent flyer number on the Traveler Information page and it will appear on your itinerary. Costco does not promise that miles will post. Going, in an August 2026 guide, says the flight earns miles under the airline’s own rules but may not count toward elite status.
One warning from Costco’s terms: if you pay with an airline’s credit card, “airline benefits (i.e., waived baggage fees, mileage points, etc.) may not apply.”
Do You Earn Hotel Points?
Not on a package. Costco’s terms state: “Hotel stays that are part of a package are not eligible for hotel loyalty programs, points or benefits.” A package is any hotel stay booked in the same itinerary as a flight, rental car, theme park ticket or ground transportation.
The hotel chains say the same from their side. Marriott Bonvoy’s terms exclude rooms “booked through a tour operator, online travel channel or other third-party channel” from points and elite night credit. Hilton Honors treats third party website bookings and tour operator packages as ineligible stays.
If you hold elite status with a hotel chain, that is the real cost of a Costco package: no points, no night credit and no guarantee your status benefits are honored. What Costco offers in exchange is a lower price and extras written into the package, such as resort credits.
Rental Cars
Costco Travel compares Alamo, Avis, Budget and Enterprise. Loyalty numbers can be entered for Avis, Budget and Enterprise; Costco tells members to ask the rental program whether points will be credited. One additional driver fee is waived for Costco members at participating locations. No payment is taken at booking, and cancelling is free.
Digital Costco Shop Cards
Some packages, and every cruise, come with a Digital Costco Shop Card: an electronic Costco gift card emailed about 10 days after the trip starts. It is separate from the 2% Reward. It can be spent in Costco warehouses and on Costco.com, and applied toward a later Costco Travel package, but not toward cruises, rental cars or room-only hotel bookings.
Costco Travel or Booking Direct?
- Book direct if you have hotel elite status, are working toward it, or want the hotel’s points.
- Use Costco Travel if you would pay cash either way and the package price, the extras and up to 5% back beat the direct rate.
- Compare the totals each time. The answer changes with the hotel and the dates.
If You Have Miles or Points You Will Not Use
You cannot spend airline miles or card points at Costco Travel. If you have a balance you will not use, brokers, including The Points King, buy miles and points for cash. Selling them is against the rules of most loyalty programs, and a program can cancel your balance and close your account. Read the risks of selling miles and points first, then see selling airline miles or selling credit card points.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Costco Travel have its own points program?
No. Rewards on a Costco Travel booking come from the 2% Executive Reward, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card and, on some bookings, a Digital Costco Shop Card.
Can I pay for Costco Travel with miles or points?
No. Costco Travel’s help center says it “can’t accept frequent flyer mileage rewards or points as payment.”
Do I earn hotel points on a Costco Travel package?
No. Costco’s terms say hotel stays that are part of a package are not eligible for hotel loyalty programs, points or benefits.
Does Costco Travel sell flights on their own?
No. Flights are sold only as part of a vacation package.
Is the 2% Executive Reward capped?
Yes, at $1,250 in any 12-month period.
Sources
- Costco: Executive Rewards
- Costco Travel: terms and conditions
- Costco: Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, rates as of September 23, 2026
- Costco Travel help center: flights
- Costco Travel help center: payment
- Costco Travel help center: 2% Reward
- Costco Travel: rental car FAQs
- Marriott Bonvoy: program terms, updated September 2026
- Hilton Honors: program terms
- Going: Costco Travel guide, August 20, 2026
All Costco pages were read on October 10, 2026.
Update Log
- October 12, 2026: byline and introduction in my own name; removed two video links. Facts unchanged from the October 10 check of Costco’s pages.
- October 10, 2026: rewritten and checked against Costco’s own pages. Corrected: Costco Travel does not sell flights on their own, and package hotel stays earn no hotel points.