Can Anyone Use A Costco Gas Station?

Costco can provide shoppers with just about anything they could possibly need. From food to appliances to odds and ends, this wholesale club undoubtedly delivers in the variety department. As it happens, the chain can also do quite a bit for your car. Not only can you buy an entire vehicle through Costco, or get the parts you need to get your current ride back up and running at its best, but most allow you to fill up your gas tank. The bulk of Costco locations you're likely to come across have gas stations, offering fuel at competitive prices.

The convenience of being able to get your shopping done and top off your tank is a major reason why so many join Costco's club. Though they're not 24-hour, Costco gas stations now even offer extended hours so you have more time to fuel up during the day. Sadly, unlike most other gas stations, not just anyone can drive up to a Costco pump and use it. The fuel station is only intended for use by Costco members, as the pumps require you to present your membership card and for it to be verified as active before you can use the nozzle.

If you want in on Costco gas and don't have a Costco membership card, you can always get one. It also comes with some other perks to sweeten the deal, too.

At the end of the day, Costco is a wholesale club that requires valid membership to enter. Therefore, it only makes sense that a prerequisite to using the chain's gas pumps is having a Costco membership card — as frustrating as it might be for those who don't shop there yet want to fill up. Fortunately, if you're determined to get in on Costco's gas, it isn't difficult by any stretch to get a membership of your own. Costco's membership application can be filled out and submitted completely online, with a standard Gold Star membership costing you $65 for the year. This tier offers a single household card, while the $130-dollar Executive Membership does as well and comes with additional perks like increased savings and an annual 2% reward.

Naturally, if you're going to pay any amount of money for a Costco membership, you should know that you get far more than just gas pump and store access. You can have your tires done at the Costco Tire Center, get help from technical support for your Costco-purchased electronics, and get delivery and installation on appliances purchased through the Costco website. Medical benefits are included, too, such as discounts on medications and access to the Costco Hearing Aid Center as well as Costco Optical. A small handful of Costco locations even have a car wash for members.

With all of that said, a membership isn't technically the only way to get Costco gas. By presenting a different type of Costco card, you too can get in on the gasoline typically reserved for members only.

Getting a Costco membership card and using it at the store's pumps is arguably the most straightforward way to use Costco gas stations. However, what many might not know is that it's not technically the only way to do so. The other method is to get ahold of a Costco Shop Card, also known as a Costco Cash Card, which allows you to bypass the membership option at the pump if you don't have one. These cards are only available to members, however, so you will need to know someone who has an active membership to get one, but once it's paid for and has funds to use, you're good to go.

For those unfamiliar, Costco Shop Cards are basically gift cards with a little extra to them. These cards come in a range of denominations, from $25 to $500 per their Costco website listing, and can actually be replenished as funds are used. While many opt for physical cards, you can always go for a digital Shop Card should you please — a fine example of a virtual present that makes an excellent quick gift during the holidays. The only downside to the digital format is that it can't be used at a Costco food court or a Costco gas station, though it can be exchanged for a physical equivalent in-store.

Though it takes some added effort, getting gas at Costco is worth the hassle to many. With locations virtually everywhere and oftentimes better rates than most other gas stations, it's not hard to see why the wholesale club remains so popular for filling up the tank.