Here's a list of what you can pay with at Sam's Club. It just says Mastercard, so they should take any, especially as they mention the Sam's cards separately. Hope it helps!

http://help.samsclub.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1551/~/accepted-payment-methods

Not answering your question, but we earned about $200 by using our Sams MC for all our purchases for about 6 months, so I love that card! LOL

I have the Costco AmEx, and 2 months ago my husband and I received checks for nearly $1k in cash back for the last year. We charge a lot on them. The rewards are really good on some of these cards.

Our Costco only took AmEx until recently. They ditched that and now accept Master Card. I love that! Any M/C.

I know at Costco you can only use their credit card which now is with American express but I use my debit card all the time. We did have the credit card but decided to cancel it because we were never using it this was before they changed to American express. I have a sams club account and I sure thought was the same way only their card for credit card purchase.

It costs companies more to take every card, that is why most companies (retail) all have their own store card because its costs them less in fees when you use their card. This is why they give more rewards for using their card too, to try to get you to use their card. They save money on fees, and the rewards get you back in the store. That is also why some companies like costco and sams will only take their card and require you to get one. Some really small businesses (like a rural mom and pop gas station) would rather be paid cash and will tack on an extra 2.5% for credit card use because they cant afford the fees, but most people don't know there is a fee for using their card cause the vast majority of companies just pay it.

It's against the standard merchant agreement for them to charge you more for using a credit card, though they can discount for cash, which winds up being the same thing. The difference is that more people will use their cards if it's stated as cash discount rather than penalty for using a card. It's the brand of the credit card that determines whether a merchant will take it, not the co-branded loyalty sponsor. Most clearinghouses will take MC, VISA, AmEx and Discover interchangeably, nowadays. For low volume businesses, like the mom and pop store, their local merchant bank may still only take MasterCard and VISA, but there are many alternatives. In the old days, you had to submit to each one separately, and it was a bother, but if you're big enough to have a terminal, you can send them all to a clearinghouse for processing. And if you're tiny, there are a bunch of vendors, such as PayPal and Square, who charge a higher discount and far lower minimum, and take all the major cards.

I've never had any trouble using a non-Costco AmEx at Costco, and I'd be mightily surprised if Sam's wouldn't take a non-Sam's MC, as is borne out by the page Chi83 linked. There would be no upside for MasterCard to co-branding if their other cards weren't accepted. The difference is that you don't get the Sam's loyalty points they give you for using your Sam's card when using a different MasterCard.

The employee you spoke to may have misspoken (said the wrong word) or been under trained. It has to be MasterCard (or Discover) and not VISA or AmEx. Really big sellers make special agreements with the credit card companies to only accept their cards, which is why no VISA. And why VISA always advertises that the Olympics doesn't accept American Express. They throw their weight (and money) around to get exclusivity. Which is why Sam's would be screwing it up if they only took the Sam's labelled MasterCard.

You said "apply" however. You probably can only apply for a
Sam's MasterCard at Sam's. You can get a plain MasterCard at your bank,
or choose from any number of co-branded cards from other stores, organizations and institutions.

I put everything we purchase on Visa and then pay it off every month. I wish, when Costco switched from AmEx it would have gone to Visa instead of MasterCard. I keep getting asked at Walmart, "do you know what you could have earned if you had a Walmart MasterCard?" And I reply, "Do you know how much I just earned with my RBC preferred Visa?"

Companies pay a percentage of sales to the credit card companies that they honor. However, if Costco only accepts MasterCard, then they accept all MasterCards, not just the one you signed up for at their store. If you buy a lot of goods from that store and want use your credit card, then you have to get the card or cards they honor. If you don't want to take out another card, then be prepared to use cash or debit. And, unless you pay your card off, every month, would the purchase still be one you would make if you add in the interest charges you pay on your card? Or are the rewards you earn worth the interest charges you might be paying on that card?

Just food for thought, because credit can and does get so many people in trouble these days.

In March/April of next year 2016, US Costco stores are dropping the Amex affiliation and going to Visa. Their own card will be a combo membership Citi Visa card.
Costco to go to Citi Visa

I use my regular MasterCard at Sam's, no problems! I have the Sam's credit card, but rarely use it.

I use my Amazon Visa card for almost everything (and have fun with the points), but use a regular MasterCard at Sam's Club. I think the employee led you astray, WalnutCreek.

The practice may vary from store to store, but I use my regular Master Gold Card at the local Sam's Club. As I recall, a number of years ago, Sams was more restrictive about credit card use. but that changed several years ago and now Master Card is accepted. I think that Vista is accepted also. Call your Sams store to verify which cards are accepted.

My card was issued by AT&T. I got it (back when there were phone booths) for both personal and Company travel. I could dial an 800 number that got me into the ATT phone system and I could make long distance calls anywhere in the country for the price of a local call. My Master Card is good in Canada and the British Isles, too.

Thanks to all of you. I am now armed with material if I get told I can't use a regular master card. I will get the cheapest Sam's Club membership I can. Again, thank you so much.