Costco Gas Prices | CostContessa (2024)

FAQs

What is the best day to get gas at Costco? ›

Gas stations can get busy (avoid weekends)

Avoid weekend fill-ups if you can. Buying gas on a weekend could be a nightmare, as waiting times could take hours. To avoid this, the best time to get gas at Costco is on weekdays between 10-11 in the morning.

Costco opened its first gas station in 1995 with a commitment to members to provide high quality gasoline at the lowest possible prices. Members will find regular and premium grade fuel – and in some places, diesel. High quality fuel – it's another benefit of a Costco membership.

Generally speaking, buying gas at Costco is significantly cheaper than doing so at a traditional gas station. The typical driver can save more than $100 per year. Buying gas at Costco can justify a membership all by itself.

Buy Gas on Monday or Tuesday

Be strategic about the days you fill up at the pump. “For gas, Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the cheapest days to fill up your tank as demand is lower at the beginning of the week,” Anderson said.

Good station operation and maintenance means the fuel is filtered and that contaminants, such as sediment and water, do not find their way into our members' vehicles. Costco fuel stations are well-maintained by our capable attendants so you may be confident that the fuel going into your car is clean.

Q: Where does Costco get its fuel? A: Costco buys fuel from major refineries and distributors in each area. All Kirkland Signature™ Fuel is guaranteed, just like the merchandise we sell inside the warehouse.

The short answer is that unlike pretty much every other retail business that sells gasoline, Costco doesn't care about making money from its gas pumps. In fact, Costco typically sells its gas at a moderate loss. Why would Costco do this? It's not an act of charity.

Gas purchases, for example, do not earn you cash back as an Executive member. Neither do cigarette purchases or alcoholic beverage purchases in certain states. Additionally, Costco Shop Cards (Costco's version of a gift card) won't be eligible for cash back, and neither will postage stamps.

Using a little back of the envelope math, David and Susan conservatively estimate that a member would only need to drive 7,500 miles per year while exclusively buying Costco gas before their membership pays for itself.

Is it worth getting a Costco card just for gas? ›

Most recently I saved 38 cents a gallon at Costco compared to the other gas stations in the area. That adds up to me saving a few hundred dollars a year on gas by choosing Costco. Sometimes the lines to get gas at Costco are long, but I can see why.

If you can't find your card or renewal notice, you're more than welcome to visit the membership counter at your local Costco or contact us using the link on the left of this page to obtain your number.

Eligible gas stations include any facilities that assign a merchant category code (MCC) for gas and EV charging stations to its fuel purchases. Costco Credit Card cardholders will get 4% cash back on all eligible purchases up to $7,000 spent each year, and 1% cash back afterwards.

#icymi, you can now use your scan your digital membership in @costco's app at the gas pump!

But saving money at the pump doesn't just mean knowing where to fill up – it also helps to know when to fill up. In general, gas prices tend to be lowest at the beginning of the week, on Monday and Tuesday, GasBuddy's lead petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan told Nexstar.

Weekends are the busiest, so avoid those days. Drive in between 10 am and noon on a weekday for shorter waiting times in line. Most people tend to pull up during their lunch breaks and after work in the evening on weekdays. Traffic is one-way only at all Costco gas stations to keep it moving quickly.

If you are filling up in the middle of a hot day, the gasoline may expand, causing you to get less gasoline in your vehicle, which means you pay more for less. Filling up in the morning when it is cooler can help ensure the gasoline has contracted, and you get a larger amount of fuel for the same price.

“In general, though, the best time to shop at Costco is going to be when they first open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as generally that's the least popular time for shoppers to be out,” Ramhold said.