Cheap COSTCO gas without membership - use AMEX card

[ronniejay]

I happened to be near a COSTCO in Houston, TX and needed gas. I am not a member. I saw this on a forum and did it before. Just used my AMEX Blue - any AMEX works probably. It took my card when it asked for COSTCO member card and I got unlead for $1.50. HAPPY MOTORING!

 

[Ocuflox]

i think that has to be an amex deal not a costco deal as they only except discover cards and their own cards. you get a 5 cent discount if u use their card to gas.

 

[sat4fun]

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
i think that has to be an amex deal not a costco deal as they only except discover cards and their own cards. you get a 5 cent discount if u use their card to gas.

All of this is incorrect. When was the last time you were at Costco? They haven't taken Discover in over two years.

 

[qqqgnss]

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
i think that has to be an amex deal not a costco deal as they only except discover cards and their own cards. you get a 5 cent discount if u use their card to gas.

you're talkin about Sam's, right?

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: sat4fun

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
i think that has to be an amex deal not a costco deal as they only except discover cards and their own cards. you get a 5 cent discount if u use their card to gas.

All of this is incorrect. When was the last time you were at Costco? They haven't taken Discover in over two years.

yep. sat4fun is correct, costco only accepts amex now, you could use other cards, but you would get hit with a 50 cent service charge.

 

[SCTrojan]

Does anyone know where CostCo gets their gas? Obviously they don't refine it, so they must buy it from someone else. I would guess one reason it is so cheap is that it is low BTU gasoline (which means less miles per gallon).

 

[Stifko]

is the gas pump at the costcos store ? I am asking b/c the costcos by me don't have gas pumps.

 

[RDMustang1]

Originally posted by: SCTrojan
Does anyone know where CostCo gets their gas? Obviously they don't refine it, so they must buy it from someone else. I would guess one reason it is so cheap is that it is low BTU gasoline (which means less miles per gallon).

Just like any other non-major manufacturer (Walmart, Albertsons, Diamond Shamrock, etc...) they buy from the cheapest distributer that week so the brand of gasoline changes very often which is why it's probably not the best gas for your car. Many people believe that it doesn't matter what brand you go with but you should try to stick with it... I'm not saying I do this, just what some people think...

Originally posted by: Stifko
is the gas pump at the costcos store ? I am asking b/c the costcos by me don't have gas pumps.

I'm guessing your CostCo is older because yes, all the new CostCos have pumps right outside the store.

 

[sat4fun]

Originally posted by: SCTrojan
Does anyone know where CostCo gets their gas? Obviously they don't refine it, so they must buy it from someone else. I would guess one reason it is so cheap is that it is low BTU gasoline (which means less miles per gallon).

They buy the same place as other dealers, name and no name. Gasoline is gasoling and you would be a fool to think otherwise. I live close to five refineries and have seen trucks of all types filling at all five. The difference is in the additives.

Originally posted by: Stifko
is the gas pump at the costcos store ? I am asking b/c the costcos by me don't have gas pumps.

They are at select newer Costco outlets. You can see the sites that have gasoline at costco.com.

 

[dethman]

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
i think that has to be an amex deal not a costco deal as they only except discover cards and their own cards. you get a 5 cent discount if u use their card to gas.

what the heck are you smoking dude?

 

[pslak]

Originally posted by: ronniejay
I happened to be near a COSTCO in Houston, TX and needed gas. I am not a member. I saw this on a forum and did it before. Just used my AMEX Blue - any AMEX works probably. It took my card when it asked for COSTCO member card and I got unlead for $1.50. HAPPY MOTORING!

It used to accept AMEX BLUE card at my COSTCO earlier but now it asks for COSTCO card first.

 

[jayster]

My store also asked to insert COSTCO card first, but I just shoved my amex card in and a second sceen comes up asking you to choose which type of card you wish to pay with ( in my case it was "another type amex card" ) Then just put your amex card in again and away you go.

Cheap gas? well not exactly at $1.71, but about 3 cents less than anywhere else in town.

 

[cejay]

1.40$ in metro ATL costcos..
thats not bad..
cj

 

[MontyBurns]

Just to jump on the "no, you're completely wrong" bandwagon:

The suggestion of it "not being the best gas for your car" is absolutely silly. Gas is gas. Consumer reports does a nearly annual issue on this very subject. The various companies have spent a ton of money trying to advertise their various additives, but I challenge you to direct me to any data suggesting that performance truly is improved.

Assuming your car is in good working condition and with a reasonably current engine, Exxon's 92 octane is not going to be any different for your car than the Kwik-E-Mart's 92 octane.

Also, to further burst your bubble: Gas station companies don't do all of their own refining. Not even close. They deal with the same distributors costco deals with.

 

[sat4fun]

Originally posted by: MontyBurns
Just to jump on the "no, you're completely wrong" bandwagon: The suggestion of it "not being the best gas for your car" is absolutely silly. Gas is gas. Consumer reports does a nearly annual issue on this very subject. The various companies have spent a ton of money trying to advertise their various additives, but I challenge you to direct me to any data suggesting that performance truly is improved. Assuming your car is in good working condition and with a reasonably current engine, Exxon's 92 octane is not going to be any different for your car than the Kwik-E-Mart's 92 octane.

AMEN BROTHER. One is better to get higher octane at a no name station than to get the same priced, low octane at a name brand.

Actually I beleive that Shell additives make some cars run worse, forcing you to up the octane. I had a new car that pinged like crazy on Shell 87, but ran fine on Shell 92. The same car would ron just fine on any other 87 in town. The only reason that I did use Shell was due to free gas from my Shell Mastercard. Now I buy all of my gas at Costco, I never go to a name brand. My cars run perfect, and I am a little richer.

 

[bleuiko]

I use to slie my AMEX card twice at the pump to get gas at Costco... but a while ago they switched their systems and even if you swipe the amex card it won't work.. it'll keep asking for the costco card... correct me if they've changed that again...

this is in San Diego and Los Angeles

 

[DerProfi]

Originally posted by: bleuiko
I use to slie my AMEX card twice at the pump to get gas at Costco... but a while ago they switched their systems and even if you swipe the amex card it won't work.. it'll keep asking for the costco card... correct me if they've changed that again...

this is in San Diego and Los Angeles

Same thing happens in Northern Virginia...

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: DerProfi

Originally posted by: bleuiko
I use to slie my AMEX card twice at the pump to get gas at Costco... but a while ago they switched their systems and even if you swipe the amex card it won't work.. it'll keep asking for the costco card... correct me if they've changed that again...

this is in San Diego and Los Angeles

Same thing happens in Northern Virginia...

i thought it was always like this. im a diego resident and they've always asked for my costco card first (been a few good years now). i kno that you can get a amex/costco card, so, iunno.

 

[DerProfi]

Originally posted by: anxi80


i thought it was always like this. im a diego resident and they've always asked for my costco card first (been a few good years now). i kno that you can get a amex/costco card, so, iunno.

Some folks say so, but I think it varied from state to state. As recently as 9-12 months ago (I can't remember exactly), I could get Costco gas using an AmEx card and without swiping my Costco card.

 

[Startide Rising]

As of summer 2002 in the Seattle area, my EXPIRED costco card would be accepted at the Costco gas station. Evidently, it didn't check to see if the card was current or not. Since I renewed my card, I am unable to continue testing whether or not this is still the case. Ha, ha, just posting it here will probably get Costco management's attention.

 

[WHipLAsh13]

And a little FYI on the type of gas Costco uses, its BP. I was a manager at a Costco. Here is my input on all this talk about quality of gas. The actual gas may have no quality difference but there is a difference in the upkeep of some generic gas stations compared to say a Mobil or a Exxon. Mobil/Exxon sends quality inspectors to make sure the station is well maintained and clean. I definately think you run more of a risk of having water in your gas in one of those generic stations than you do in a Mobil/Exxon station. For the extra pennies Mobil is the only gas that touches my tank.

 

[Hawk]

Well, supposedly Cheveron is better than Mobile. I know gas is gas, but I don't think I would ever put Arco in my car.

 

[Mallow]

pretty cool idea ronniejay. Wonder if this would work at places like sam's club?

 

[TechDreamer]

I can confirm that an expired Costco card will work. I had a manager admit to me that the system is not set up to check membership status. I can also confirm that you can use an American Express card without putting the Costco card in first. This works because Costco offers an American Express membership card. The system cannot tell the difference between a Costco Amex card and a regular Amex card. This worked for me in Torrance California last night. I guess they haven't updated the system there yet.

One other thing I noticed is that Costco is now giving out coupons that let anybody signup. Im guess they want to be like Sams Club now.

 

[MowSow]

From experience, Shell makes my car knock .. while chevron doesn't .. assuming I keep the boost under 14PSI on my TTZ since the highest octane we have in Cali is 91.