Sam’s Club Mastercard Review: Great for Gas and Premium-Tier Sam’s Members

Elevated rewards for Sam's Club Plus members

If you're a Sam’s Club Plus member, the Synchrony Bank-issued Sam's Club® Mastercard® is made for you. You’ll earn a stellar rate of up to 5% cash back on eligible purchases with the retailer. That's a lot of rewards potential for groceries and other household items, and it's in line with what some of the best store credit cards on the market offer for shopping within their walls.

One of the highest rewards rates on gas and EV charging stations

With a 5% cash-back rate on up to $6,000 in gas and EV charging expenses per year, you could earn $300 annually in that category alone, plus 1% on those purchases beyond that cap. And those earnings would be in addition to Sam’s Club member-exclusive prices offered on fuel at select locations. That's a sizable chunk of savings, especially for rideshare drivers, weekend warriors and others who hit the road often.

Appetizing rewards at restaurants

You'll earn a high 3% cash-back rate on dining, which includes things like restaurants, drinking places and caterers. In 2019, the average American household spent $3,526 per year on food outside of the home, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey. If you spent that much at restaurants with the Sam's Club® Mastercard®, you could earn more than $105 annually.

Mediocre rewards for baseline Sam's Club members

Sam's Club gas stations aside, any shopping you do at Sam's (either inside the store or online) will net you only 1% cash back with a baseline Club membership. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card can double that rate while also still delivering a relatively high rate back on fuel purchases. It earns 3% cash back on gas/EV charging or on your choice of one of five other categories, plus 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). All other purchases earn 1% back.

Too many reward caps and rules

The card's 5% cash-back rate on gas and EV charging is capped at $6,000 in spending annually, and your total rewards-earning ability for all purchases is capped at $5,000 a year. And for Plus members, there's even more to keep in mind:

• At the Plus tier, the card itself earns 3% back on qualifying Sam's Club purchases in-store or online — but the additional 2% back via your membership is only on qualifying in-store purchases, not at samsclub.com.

• The 3% rate from the card is unlimited, but the 2% rate from the membership is capped at a $500 in rewards per year.

• The 2% back from your membership tier is also subject to a $2,000 overall "maximum balance" at any given time. Once you hit that threshold, you stop accruing rewards until you "reduce" that balance by redeeming rewards.

That's a lot of rules and limitations to keep track of. If you prefer no-fuss rewards, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash back on all purchases. That makes it a good card to use at Sam's Club or anywhere else.