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Buy Costco Gas without Costco Membership
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Costco has since closed this loophole so you’ll need a Costco Membership to get gas there.
A friend of mine just tipped me off on this trick where you can buy gas at Costco without a Costco membership. All you have to do is swipe an American Express card first, when you would normally swipe your membership card, and then swipe it again for payment. Afterwards, it will let you buy the sweet sweet nectar of condensed dinosaur bones at rock bottom prices without the $50/year membership. It’s that simple.
Normally, you have to swipe your Costco Card or the American Express Costco TrueEarnings card in order to authenticate in their gas station systems. It appears that you can simply use any American Express card in the authentication phase because the American Express Costco TrueEarnings card is just an AMEX with a Costco bar code.
I’ve confirmed that this works in Maryland and others have reported success in other states (except those that require an attendant to pump your gas, like New Jersey and Oregon). Locate a Costco nearby (check to make sure it has a Gas Station) and give it a try, Costco gas is usually many cents cheaper than local competitors.
(Photo by shindohd)
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Nice hack, but wouldn’t work in Oregon because they don’t let us pump our own gas. Everywhere else is in luck though.
Great, thanks for exposing this hack. Now Costco closed the loophole and I have to borrow my friend’s membership every time I want to get gas. I go to Costco not only because the gas is cheaper, but they don’t hire white trash who spill gas all over my car everytime.
And in Oregon, I do get out and swipe my own card. (Why the hell would I want someone’s gas covered hands touching my credit card?) After paying, I also open the fuel tank and act like I am going to start pumping my own gas. This usually gets me faster service.
I wonder which states, besides NJ and OR, require an attendant to pump your gas…
I think it’s only NJ and OR. I grew up in Oregon… so that station attendant in Washington state was probably wondering why I pulled up and just remained sitting there in the driver seat for so long before getting out with a red face…
If you’re in Oregon and you need to pump diesel you get to pump your own. Obviously for truckers, but even diesel cars are often the same way.
What about the ethics of purchasing gas at a place that requires you to be a member, when you aren’t a member? A portion of Costco’s cost/profit is recovered via membership fees. The pump says “members only” on it; so it’s pretty clear what the requirements are. Seems like swiping an alternate card is just like using a master key to steal someone’s car, except this is only the gas part of the car.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not up on a soap box. I certainly have taken advantage of similar situations myself… But its something we all should think about. We wouldn’t like it if it were our business.
its still stealing so no thanks!
You can’t steal something your paying for…self righteous Costco members get their panties bunched up because people are using their special pumps lol
Wow touchy crowd.
Well, I have no qualms about this so thanks for the tip! I don’t have an Amex card though so I guess I should go hunting for one……….there are so many out there!
ceo: I think the Amex Simply Cash is a good card, it’s 5% cashback on gas.
Oh really? Thank Jim!
You saved me from having to do research. Does there happen to be a sign up bonus also? Ok, maybe I’m asking for too much.
Costco gasoline has 10% ethanol, so don’t think it’s an amazing deal… just an ok deal. They recently posted stickers on the tanks in Ohio to inform consumers.
well all gas here in california has 10% ethanal, so its a great deal still.
pretty unethical. why don’t you just get a membership?
Also in Rockland County,New York State there is a law which states that you are NOT allowed to have different gas prices for members and non members. Therefore everyone pays the same price.
I love to save money but, I value honesty more than I value a bargain. My 16 year old backed into a neighbor’s car. No one saw it and my MIL told us to tell the police that my husband was driving so our insurance wouldn’t go up on a minor driver. I told her that it would save us money but cost so much more in teaching all of my kids to lie. I would rather pay more in insurance than to have earned the disrespect of my children.
That does not apply. No law says you must sell to everyone. The price is not different to non-members, it’s simply not available to non-members.
..unless.. of course, you stick an AMEX card in the thing.
As for their prices? It’s all a rouse. Gas prices are the same at Safeway, Costco, whatever. Card or no card. A 5 cent difference means nothing. You can find 1 to 50 cent differences on the same street sometimes. Closer to the freeway you get, the more it costs.
Jim….I just applied for Simply Cash and got approved instantly. Can’t wait for the new card so I can fill up at my local Costco (my god, do I sound excited to pay for gas? haha)
Anyhow, I was curious if you had one too and if you’re planning on getting it knowing this new hack.
Or… you could just become a member and find out for yourself. The TrueEarnings from Amex through Costco also has 5% on gas for business members and 3% for consumers plus no annual caps and 3% for dining out and traveling, 1% elsewhere! It comes in the form of a check where one can cash it in at Costco not a credit on your statement. No annual fee as long as your a member or after 364 days of being Costco can refund your membership in full. Why cheat the system?
The 10% Ethanol is now federally mandated.
Costco memberships are inexpensive (you can find sign up coupons all the time) and if all you did was fill up on gas with the membership, it would pay for itself after a dozen or so stops (avg. $.10 savings).
There is a difference between being frugal, a cheapskate, and a thief. Highly disagree with this post. Is your next one going to be about bit torrents?
Thief is a strong word and expensive is a relative term. Stop assuming we all wear Birkenstocks and keep a swear jar with extra cash. Live your life and get that high and mighty ethical feeling out of your ass. your a member to a grocery store you idiot no ethics here you belong
I agree. Costco’s policy is to sell gas to ONLY members. It’s dishonest and unethical to get gas there without being a member. Using a cheat is ripping
off everyone else there who’s paying for their membership and is there
legitimately. It’s not alright to break laws BECAUSE we think don’t get caught.
Get legit, get a membership (it’s a good place!) or go somewhere else. I’m
an executive member and get back two checks a year for my purchases (one from Costco and one from Amex). This, along with the deals, more than pays for my membership.
I filled up at BJs (a Costco Competitor) with a family member’s card. Is it the same thing? I would argue yes. Did I have a problem with it? NOPE!
There is nothing wrong, with it – they make enough profit on each gallon…
Costco doesn’t make much money with gas. Sometimes they even lose money, I’m told.
Even so, profits have nothing to do with lack of ethics, judging a company makes enough money to accomodate you without being a member…I guess because you’re special? Other members may not agree with supporting you on this. I could be wrong, however.
I have to agree with you – there shouldn’t be a correlation between my ethical convinctions and Costco’s profits. I think the profit contention may be me, trying to fall back on the fact that I lack any care in this regard.
I just don’t feel bad, I don’t know why, I don’t think it is cause I think I am special, but you know what…maybe I do? Either way, my mom just dropped off her BJs card with a note saying “3.59″ gas, which is insane in New York….so I am going tonight and will fill my car, the wife’s car, and probably a friend or two who meet me.
I have a membership and costco amex, we got it for the convenience & so we could buy gas… I don’t see why you can’t buy gas with another amex since that’s one of the options offered at the pump – along with Costco cash cards, discover cards, and some atm cards. The price is usually the cheapest around, and their premium is cheaper than most stations’ midgrade – which they don’t have btw. Their operation runs very smoothly. The costco amex pays back 3% on gas and 1-3% on all other purchases so we get a tidy check at the end of the year, more than enough to cover our membership… and you can just go in and cash it or buy what you like and take the change.
@Kathy,
I think you misunderstood the post (and my apparent lack of ethics evidenced thereafter). When you get to the pump and you have to show your costco card to get the cheaper of the two prices – Jim was saying if you put any amex card underneath you get the cheaper price regardless of whether the consumer actually has a costco membership.
Evan,
You use your mother’s BJ’s card to fill up and pass around to other people for their use. You don’t have a membership to Costco either but want to use the products (gas) and don’t have any qualms about it, have no apparent intentions of becoming a member but instead, just want to know how to “cheat”. Hmm.
Interesting tip. The title, “blueprint for financial properity”, I would think more along the lines of saving money, earning more, but not cheating! I have been a Costco member almost since it opened. They do allow you to bring friends in to see what it is like and the prices. They even allow you to do some shopping with your friend on their card, but they expect at some point you will choose to be a member and pay your own way.
I know of some people who decided that they shouldn’t pay their taxes. They did everything in cash and under the table. The both landed in prison. I think that if you don’t want to pay your taxes, you shouldn’t live on a street with lights, paving, sidewalks, police protection, fire protection, or anything else that our taxes pay for! If you don’t want to pay your way, find a different country to live in a find out what it’s like there!
We need to teach our children to grow up to be productive members of society, paying their own way and helping others who are truly in need. The best way to teach values is by example. What values are you teaching your children? Or the children around you? It seems you have caught your values from your mom. See how it works?
Cheating for your own prosperity, is chipping away at someone else’s.
Thank you for your comments, Mom2eight. Easier to be financially savvy than waste my brain on “cheats”. Just came from back from Costco where I purchased the Kirkland brand of several items. It’s only sold at Costco and is rated to be as good (or, in many cases better) than the leading brand of whatever it is for less. Now that’s gotten me some financially prosperity. It’s in Consumer Reports all the time . Their meats have no hormones in them (better for us) and it tastes better too. Ha. You think I’m a fan?
Costco doesn’t care about making money, they just love to sell Gas!
If you don’t think they make money on gas you are just not very bright. The “lie” that gas stations don’t make much profit on gas is a myth that gas station owners have passed on and the corporate stations still perpetuate. If they didn’t make enough profit from the sales, Costco, Sams, Walmart, Kmart, etc. would not have spent hundreds of thousands to install tanks, pumps, etc. to sell gas.
Costco’s profits come from membership fees more than anything. Perhaps we have another nonmember in our midst? Check it out, I’m not lying. They’re much more than a gas station. We get upscale items for less , fresh groceries and other services as well.
I heard that Costco owns American Express, so maybe that’s the reason why it works? Something to think about…
Generally, I don’t like to call people idiots, but who ever wrote this article is, well, an idiot. I’ll explain. Every American Express card on the market today charges at least a $50 annual fee, with the exception of one. That’s right, the Costco True Earnings American Express is free with Costco Membership. This card was independently ranked last month as one of the top 5 gas rebate cards available refunding 3% to 5% depending on wheather you are a consumer or business card holder. Costco membership does cost $50 a year, but at the very least you are breaking even by using a different American Express to buy gas there. Maybe you guys should try researching a more throughly before miss leading the public.
Nice.
So basically what you’re advocating here is that you can get a “bargain” if you’re willing to steal. That’s right folks – it boils down to petty theft, and if you do it, you’re no better than a common thief. Just because Costco is unwilling to enforce the members-only policy (for now) and doesn’t prosecute offenders doesn’t mean stealing gas is legal – or ethical.
Pay for the affordable membership and clear your conscience. You might like actually shopping inside too.
Thanks for the comment, Mark. I’m with you.
Cheats. That word says it all.
I get a nice check from Costco every year with my membership and another nice one from AmEx. Consistant reliable quality products, good food, gas . It’s my favorite place to shop.
Depending on where the store is located, state law may prevent the retailer from requiring a membership for the purchase of fuel. State law may also prevent them from charging different prices for fuel based on the customer’s membership status. Some states have similar regulations regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages. In addition, pharmacies are required under federal law to fill a prescription for any customer at the same price without regard to their membership status. So depending on where you live, you can buy certain items at Costco or Sam’s Club without a membership.
Another thing to consider here is that if Costco’s price for a gallon of regular gasoline is say, 10 cents cheaper than other nearby stations, and you were buying 15 gallons of fuel, you would save only $1.50 by buying gasoline at Costco.
go’s to show you how dishonest our society is from the top all the way down. God Help Us!
In the West, most Arco stations have similar discounts for anyone willing to pay cash. Plus you don’t have to wait in line for 20 minutes to get to a pump. For me, 20 minutes is worth a lot more than saving $2.
Amy, in her post dated 10/13/2008, makes a very good point. The Costco True Earnings American Express Card has no annual fee, but you have to be a Costco member to get it, and a Costco membership will cost you $50. Any other card from AMEX will carry an annual fee of $50 or more.
While the argument put forth about stealing may have merit, the point is for the most part rendered moot because your not going to get around that $50 fee one way or the other. The only people who might be able to benefit from this trick are those who already have an AMEX card for other reasons, and don’t want to buy a Costco membership.
Considering the fact that there are very few people who actually live near a Costco with gas pumps, and fewer still who would bother to even drive into a Costco parking lot without a membership card, this whole argument about stealing seems kind of silly.
Thanks for the comment, F. Soxx. Part of the economic problem (along with greed) is that deceipt has become acceptable in society.
Amy, the Amex BLue card doesn’t have an annual fee and there are other free cards as well.
I’ve read about this trick before. If non-members can get away with using any AMEX card at Costco gas pump, then I have to wonder does using any Discover card at a Sam’s Club gas pump allow non-members to buy Sam’s gasoline without a membership?
Well, hes right. U can use any Ame to purchase gas at costco, i did it everytimes. However, today i just got caught. The attendant saw wut i was doing and he asked me for the Costco Membership Card. lol, i lied to him that i forgot it at home. Then he called 2 more people with him, while they were discussing, i tried to get into the car and drove away. My American Epress has no Anual Fee. I don’t feel good by the way they think im a cheater but thats ok. I’m gonna borrow my momther’s costco card to purchase gas over there.
Amy, YOU are the retard! I have an AMEX with no annual fee. Do your homework before making a fool of yourself!
FYI: Using another person’s Costco card can get the other person’s membership taken away if caught. The membership isn’t “transferable”. Besides, this is about financial prosperity, not financial deceipt. I’m surprised anyone would think this is smart. I wouldn’t lend my membership card out, my credit cards, my driver’s license, passport, etc. Some things apparently aren’t obvious to others here.
I agree Ziggy, this article would’ve never been published on a legitimate financial advice website. “Blueprint for Financial Prosperity” made an extremely poor judgement call in choosing to publish this ‘cheat’, but I think it warrants saying that historically many a fortune has been made illicitly. It is unfortunate that certain people can’t understand the value proposition of membership with Costco, and instead seek a small gain through attempts to beat the system. Nobody that I know, nor with whom I associate thinks this idea is right. Rather this seems to appeal to those whose morals and good sense have been blunted by a need to succeed at any cost. Our neighbors, our coworkers and our kids deserve a better example!
I think it’s time that this article was retracted and tossed.
Best wishes!
Maybe Jim should just call it Blueprint for Moralist Grandstanding? Would that make you guys happy?
Sorry if you’re offended Jon. I agree that the point has been made and re-made several times (enough is enough for me!)
Peace-out.
It’s cool Mark, I just thought it was getting a little harsh on Jim. Peace
Reminds me of the convienence store thief who robs a store in the middle of the night only to be caught because he is wearing those shoes with the red flashign lights on them.
Cheat Costco while leaving a very easy trail to follow. Not the smartest cookie in the cookie jar.
An honest approach for those opposed to paying a membership fee would be to go inside the warehouse and purchase a gift card. You don’t need to be a member to buy a gift card and the card can be used at the gas pumps. It’s inconvenient, but honest. PS- Once you’re inside you might change your mind about not joining Costco!
Good point, Rick. At our Costco you have to be a member to purchase a cash card. On the other hand, a member can GIVE a cash card to a non member for purchases. Can’t go over the amount but it would work and also be honest. Thanks.