Best card for Sam's Club

Updated September 17, 2026 · from RightCard's verified card and merchant data

Usually not. Sam's Club codes as a warehouse club (MCC 5300). Grocery bonuses are written for supermarkets (MCC 5411). Warehouse clubs code differently, and several issuers name them as excluded. Use your best flat-rate card here, not your grocery card.

Why the code decides, not the cart

Every card purchase carries a merchant category code (MCC). The store sets it once, for the whole store. Your bank pays a category bonus by that code, not by what is in your bag. That is why a cart full of groceries can still earn the base rate.

Two Sam's Club notes. The Sam's Club Mastercard earns its 5% on gas, not inside the club, and the 3% in-club rate is for Plus members only, so we do not publish it. And like Costco, the club's own card is not automatically your best card for the cart.

What actually earns here

Your best flat-rate card. A 2% everywhere card beats a 6% grocery card that pays 1% at this store. Verified flat-rate cards in our data:

Card	Everything	≈ value / $1
Robinhood Gold Card (needs a Robinhood Gold membership)	3%	3¢
Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard	2x miles	2¢
BJ's One+ Mastercard	2%	2¢
Blue Business Cash Card from American Express	2%	2¢
Bread Cashback American Express Credit Card	2%	2¢
Capital One Spark Cash Plus	2%	2¢

Some popular 2% cards are not in this table yet because they have not cleared our two-source verification. Missing means unverified, not worse.

Also check whether one of your cards is carrying a targeted bank offer for this store. Those are free money and they beat any category math.

How RightCard handles this: search "Sam's Club" in the app and it will not pretend your grocery card wins. It shows your best guaranteed card with a note that this store codes as a warehouse club. The app is free and private. No bank login. Recommendations are computed on your phone.

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FAQ

Does Sam's Club count as grocery for credit card rewards?

Usually not. Sam's Club codes as a warehouse club (MCC 5300). Grocery bonuses are written for supermarkets (MCC 5411). Warehouse clubs code differently, and several issuers name them as excluded. Use your best flat-rate card here, not your grocery card.

Does Sam's Club gas earn my gas bonus?

Often yes. Sam's Club fuel centers carry a gas code in our directory. Some issuers exclude warehouse-club fuel, so check your card's terms.

Which networks does Sam's Club accept?

Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover are accepted in clubs. That is different from Costco's Visa-only rule.

Where these numbers come from: RightCard's data pipeline re-checks each card's published rates weekly and lists a rate only after two independent sources agree. Merchant codes come from our merchant directory. If a card or store is missing here, it is because we could not verify it, not because we guessed.

More guides: Costco rewards guide · Walmart rewards guide · Freedom Flex 5% calendar · Best card for BJ's Wholesale · Best card for Home Depot and Lowe's