Sam's Club® Mastercard® vs Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard®
Side-by-side comparison
| Sam's Club® Mastercard® | Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | $30 statement credit | $50 statement credit |
| Dining | 3x | 3x |
| Groceries | 1x | 3x |
| Gas | 5x | 4x |
| Travel | 1x | 2x |
| Streaming | 1x | 2x |
| Everything else | 1x | 2x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $438 | $716 |
| Points type | Cash back only | Cash back only |
| Network | Mastercard | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified August 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Sam's Club® Mastercard® | Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | $30 statement credit | $50 statement credit |
| To earn it | $30 same day | $500 in 60 days |
| Est. first-year value* | $468 | $766 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $438 | $716 |
The Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Sam's Club® Mastercard® | Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | None | None |
| Points & redemptions | Cash back only | Cash back only |
The two are closely matched on perks and redemptions, so the welcome offer and everyday earning above are what should decide it.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Sam's Club® Mastercard® earns about $438 a year in rewards and the Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® about $716, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Sam's Club® Mastercard® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards and any credits, the Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® delivers more total value, about $278 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and groceries. Neither leans on transferable points, so the deciding factors are the welcome offer, the card network, and which everyday perks you will actually use. On the sign-up bonus, the Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Sam's Club® Mastercard® if your spending leans toward gas. Pick the Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® if your spending leans toward groceries, travel, streaming.