Is Costco gas worth the drive? The club math
Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's sell gas 5 to 25 cents under the stations around them, to members only, usually with a line. PumpWatt counts the miles to get there and the fee to get in, and says whether the club pump beats the one on your way. Walmart+ and Amazon Prime play the same game with 10 cents off at partner brands.
Which one for what
| You want to | Use |
|---|---|
| Pay the lowest sign in town, and shop there anyway | Costco, Sam's Club or BJ's |
| Find out if the club pump beats the station on your way, fee and miles counted | PumpWatt Fill up |
| Get 10 cents off at a brand you already pass | Walmart+ or Amazon Prime, at their partner pumps |
| See what a hybrid or EV would save at today's price | PumpWatt Hybrid or Charge up |
Twenty cents under, four miles off your way
The club is 20¢ under the station on your corner and 4 miles off your way. On a 14 gallon fill that is $2.80 saved at the pump. The eight extra miles cost about $1.08 in gas at 26 mpg, and the line costs ten minutes. You keep about $1.72 a fill.
Now the fee. A typical driver buys about 38 gallons a month, 456 a year; at 20¢ under that is $91 a year, against $65 for Gold Star. It pays, barely, and only if you were going anyway. At 10¢ under it does not. PumpWatt does this per station with your real gallons, so the club shows up as a row you can trust or a row that loses.
The break-even gap is the fee over your gallons. $65 over 456 is about 14¢ a gallon on your route, and about 22¢ with that four-mile detour on every fill. Sam's Club and BJ's at $60 need about 13¢ and 21¢. Walmart+ needs 980 gallons at 10¢ to earn back $98, more than two years of gas.
What each costs
PumpWatt: free, no sign-up, no card. Some links pay us; that never changes which station wins.
Costco: $65 a year Gold Star, $130 Executive. Gas is members only. Sam's Club: $60 Club, $120 Plus (first-year offers run lower), member fuel prices at both tiers. BJ's: $60 Club Card, $120 Club+, and Club+ takes an extra 5¢ a gallon off the member price. Walmart+: $98 a year, 10¢ off at Exxon and Mobil plus member prices at Walmart and Murphy pumps. Amazon Prime: $139 a year, 10¢ off at bp, Amoco and ampm.
How far under: warehouse clubs price 5 to 25 cents below the local average, per Consumer Reports' checks; the gap moves week to week and town to town.
Fees from each club's own membership page and the gap from Kiplinger's membership comparison, checked September 17, 2026.
Questions people ask
Is Costco gas worth the membership?
Only on the gallons. At the typical 456 gallons a year and a 20 cent gap, Costco gas saves about $91 against a $65 Gold Star fee. At a 10 cent gap it saves $46 and loses. Most members also shop there, which is what the fee is really for.
Can I buy gas at Costco without a membership?
No. Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's pumps are card-operated and members only. Sam's Club lets anyone buy with the app in some states, but the member price needs the card.
Does PumpWatt know the club's price?
When Google has it, yes, the same way as any station; when it does not, tap the price on the card and type the sign. Enter the membership fee on the Fill up page and it is spread over your year of gas.