How To Get Cheap Gas at Wholesale Clubs

According to C-Store Dive, the company also plans to open an additional standalone gas station in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2027.

Wholesale clubs are retail stores that sell a wide variety of items, often in larger quantities or in bulk. Most of the time, wholesale clubs require a membership fee to enter, which helps offset some of their overall costs. This, combined with the power of bulk purchasing and the thin margins warehouse stores often maintain, usually results in lower prices than those of traditional grocery stores.

Costco requires a club membership to use its gas stations, with two options available: the Gold Star Membership ($65 per year) and Executive Membership ($130 per year). The Gold Membership gets you in the door, while the Executive Membership offers additional benefits, discounts and an annual reward certificate worth 2% of your pre-tax purchases (up to $1,250).

One thing to be aware of is that Costco is a little pickier about which payments it accepts; the store doesn’t accept Mastercard, Discover or American Express credit cards. Your best bet is to use the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, any other Visa credit card or a debit card.

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has no annual fee (with a Costco membership) and earns 5% cash back on Costco gas, plus 4% on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging (up to $7,000 in combined spending per year, then 1%). You’ll also earn rewards on eligible travel and restaurant purchases, plus 2% back at Costco and Costco.com.

Redemptions are quite limited, though; cash back is awarded as an annual credit card reward certificate in your February billing statement and is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses.

To pump gas at a discounted price, simply scan your active Sam’s Club membership card. Sam’s Club stations accept all major credit cards, unlike Costco, and since the wholesale club is owned by Walmart, you can typically pay with Walmart gift cards, as well. Sam’s Club gas stations usually have longer hours than the warehouse stores, open roughly two to three hours before and after the warehouse closes.

To boost your earnings, you can open the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® and earn 5% back in Sam’s Cash™ on gas and EV charging, but it’s capped on the first $6,000 per year (after which you’ll earn 1%). You can also earn up to 3% back on Sam’s Club purchases if paired with the Plus membership.

Similar to the Costco Visa, your rewards are less flexible compared to points or cash back from standard rewards credit cards. Rewards are earned in the form of Sam’s Cash, which you can redeem toward membership renewal fees, eligible purchases from Sam’s Club or SamsClub.com or cash out by visiting a Sam’s Club.

BJ’s also has a Fuel Saver program, which can save you 10 cents per gallon or more on gas purchased at BJ’s gas stations. To get the savings, you have to purchase specific Fuel Saver items in-store or online. This discount can be applied to your next fill-up within 30 days, up to a maximum of 40 gallons or $99, whichever comes first. It’s also worth noting that once you use your discount, it resets to 0.

Unlike the Costco or Sam’s Club credit card, the BJ’s One+® Mastercard® doesn’t offer elevated rewards on gas purchases. Instead, you’ll receive 15 cents off per gallon on gas purchases at BJ’s gas stations. While the card earns 5% back on all BJ’s Club purchases and a strong 2% back everywhere else Mastercard is accepted, you can only redeem rewards within the BJ’s ecosystem.

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