The Sam's Club Mastercard works at any store or website that accepts Mastercard, not just at Sam's Club

The Sam's Club Mastercard is a standard Mastercard issued by Synchrony Bank. Once you have the card in hand, you can use it anywhere Mastercard is accepted — at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, online retailers, and thousands of other merchants worldwide. The card is not locked to Sam's Club locations.

However, the card's rewards structure is built around Sam's Club purchases. You earn higher cash back when you use it at Sam's Club and at gas stations and restaurants, and a lower rate everywhere else. This design means the card delivers the most value when used for Sam's Club shopping, but nothing prevents you from using it elsewhere.

Key Takeaways

  • The Sam's Club Mastercard is accepted anywhere Mastercard is taken, including online, at other retailers, and internationally.
  • Rewards rates are higher at Sam's Club (up to 5% back depending on membership level) than at other merchants (1% back on most purchases).
  • You do not need a Sam's Club membership to apply for the card, but you will need one to shop at Sam's Club and earn the higher rewards rate there.
  • The card has an annual fee that is waived for the first year; after that, you pay the fee unless you close the account or meet certain spending thresholds.

How the rewards structure changes based on where you use the card

The Sam's Club Mastercard offers different cash back rates depending on where you swipe it. At Sam's Club, the rate ranges from 2% to 5% back on purchases, depending on your membership tier — Plus members earn 2%, and Plus members with higher spending earn up to 5%. At gas stations and restaurants, you earn 1% back. Everywhere else, you earn 1% back on all other purchases.

This tiered structure means using the card outside Sam's Club is less rewarding than using it inside. If you have a Sam's Club membership and shop there regularly, the card makes sense. If you do not have a membership or rarely visit Sam's Club, you are earning the same 1% cash back you could get from many other cards, and you are paying an annual fee for the privilege.

What happens if you do not have a Sam's Club membership

You can open a Sam's Club Mastercard without holding a Sam's Club membership. Synchrony Bank will issue the card to you based on your credit history alone. However, without a membership, you cannot enter a Sam's Club location to shop, so you cannot earn the higher rewards rates that make the card valuable.

If you apply for the card without a membership, you are limited to the 1% cash back rate on all purchases outside Sam's Club, plus the 1% rate at gas stations and restaurants. You would be paying the annual fee (after the first year) to earn rewards at the same rate as cards that charge no annual fee. This is not a practical use case for the card.

The annual fee and when it applies

The Sam's Club Mastercard carries an annual fee. The fee is waived for the first year, which gives you time to test whether the card's rewards justify keeping it. After the first year, the fee applies unless you close the account.

Some cardholders keep the card active by making small purchases each year to stay under the fee's threshold or to maintain the account for emergency use. Others close the card after the first year if they find the rewards do not offset the annual cost. The decision depends on how much you spend at Sam's Club and whether the higher cash back rate there outweighs the fee and the lower rates elsewhere.

Using the card internationally

The Sam's Club Mastercard can be used in any country where Mastercard is accepted, which includes most developed nations and many developing ones. Mastercard has a global network of merchants and ATMs, so the card works for purchases and cash withdrawals abroad.

Be aware that Synchrony Bank charges a foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside the United States. This fee is typically 3% of the purchase amount and is added to your bill. If you travel frequently or make regular purchases from international merchants, this fee will reduce the value of the card's rewards. Check your cardholder agreement for the exact foreign transaction fee rate, as it can change.

Comparing the Sam's Club card to other Mastercard options

If you do not have a Sam's Club membership, a general-purpose Mastercard with no annual fee and a flat 1.5% to 2% cash back rate on all purchases will serve you better than the Sam's Club card. Cards like the Citi Double Cash or the Capital One Quicksilver offer higher rewards on every purchase and no annual fee, which means you keep more of what you earn.

If you do have a Sam's Club membership and shop there monthly, the Sam's Club Mastercard can be worth the annual fee because the 2% to 5% cash back at Sam's Club is higher than what most other cards offer. The math changes if you shop at Sam's Club infrequently — once or twice a year — because the higher rewards rate there will not offset the annual fee and the lower rates everywhere else.

What to do if you want to close the card

To close the Sam's Club Mastercard, call the customer service number on the back of your card or log into your online account and request closure. Synchrony Bank will process the closure, and the account will be marked as closed on your credit report. Any remaining balance must be paid off before or after closure, depending on the terms.

Closing the card will lower your available credit, which can raise your credit utilization ratio if you carry balances on other cards. It will also remove the card's payment history from your credit report over time, which may have a small negative effect on your credit score. If you are closing the card only to avoid the annual fee, consider whether the rewards you earn in the first year justify keeping it open for a second year before deciding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Sam's Club Mastercard at Walmart or other big-box retailers?

Yes. The Sam's Club Mastercard is a standard Mastercard, so it works at Walmart, Target, Costco, and any other retailer that accepts Mastercard. You will earn 1% cash back on these purchases, not the higher rate you would earn at Sam's Club. The card is not restricted to Sam's Club locations.

Do I need to activate the card before I can use it anywhere?

Yes, you must activate the card before using it. Synchrony Bank will provide activation instructions when the card arrives in the mail, either through a phone number on the card itself or through your online account. Once activated, you can use it immediately at any Mastercard-accepting merchant.

What happens if I use the card at Sam's Club without a membership?

You cannot enter a Sam's Club location without a membership, so this scenario does not apply. If you have the card but no membership, you can only use it at merchants outside Sam's Club, where you earn 1% cash back.

Does the Sam's Club Mastercard work at Sam's Club gas stations?

Yes, the card works at Sam's Club gas stations. You earn 1% cash back on gas purchases at Sam's Club locations, not the higher rate you earn on in-store purchases. The gas station rate is the same whether you are at a Sam's Club location or a non-Sam's Club gas station.

Can I use the card online to shop at Samsclub.com?

Yes. When you use the Sam's Club Mastercard to shop on Samsclub.com, you earn the same cash back rate as in-store purchases — 2% to 5% depending on your membership tier. The card works for online purchases the same way it works in physical locations.