Which Grocery Store Has the Best Gas Station Deal? We Compared Them to Find Out

Are you taking advantage of your go-to grocery store’s gas rewards program? Because it probably has one, and there’s a good chance it’s completely free. I sat down to compare different programs from different grocery store chains…and realized I’m totally guilty of missing out on free gas money. Like, I’ve been overpaying for gas for years. Womp, womp. Let’s take a look at how some of the biggest supermarkets help your fuel savings so we can all make better choices in life, shall we? 

Kroger: Free Fuel Points 

If you regularly shop at Kroger or any of its regional banners (think Ralphs, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, King Soopers), you probably have gas perks you aren’t using. Kroger’s Fuel Points program is directly tied to their grocery rewards program—you just need to make sure you’re enrolled and have a shopper’s card. It’s completely free. You earn 1 point per $1 spent on groceries (plus bonus points on gift cards and certain prescriptions). 

Once you get 100 points, you get 10¢ off per gallon at Kroger fuel centers and participating Shell stations. If you max out a 1,000 points, you get $1 off per gallon, good for up to 35 gallons. 

My take: For a program that’s free to use, there’s no reason not to take advantage of this. Just find the Kroger or eligible Shell gas stations in your area so you know where it applies!

Albertsons: Free Fuel Points 

Like Kroger, Albertsons-owned grocery stores have something called a “free for U” loyalty program that lets you earn points on regular grocery purchases and redeem them for gas discounts at certain fuel stations. It’s kinda the same deal: 1 point per $1 spent. Once you hit 100 points, you get 10¢ off per gallon, up to a maximum of $1 per gallon when you redeem 1,000 points.

You can use these rewards at Albertsons-branded gas stations along with participating Chevron, Texaco stations, and United Express stations.  

My take: Kroger and Albertsons seem to be in direct competition for your rewards, but remember: Both are free. You don’t have to choose. Dedicate more of your time and money to the grocery store that’s more accessible to reap better rewards over time. 

Costco: Annual Membership Required

Costco doesn’t play the typical “points per purchase” game, but it does offer generous gas rewards through its Costco Anywhere Visa Card. You basically earn 5% cashback at Costco gas pumps and 4% cashback on other fuel pumps outside Costco (that includes most U.S. gas stations, excluding other grocery fuel pumps). These rates apply up to $7,000 in fuel purchases per year—after that, cashback drops to 1% on fuel.

Obviously, you need to have a Costco membership to take advantage of this. And it’s important to note that rewards are distributed as an annual certificate you have to redeem at Costco, for Costco purchases. In other words, their gas rewards don’t just give you straight cash back to your wallet. By using Costco’s Visa, you’re basically earning a (fairly large) Costco gift card for yourself every year. 

Personally, my biggest question here was how Costco fuel pump prices compared to average gas station rates. A recent Business Insider analysis across 13 U.S. cities found Costco gas is $0.11 to $0.55 cheaper per gallon than local gas stations. That’s pretty great, I have to say.

My take: Costco members already know their fuel program is a no-brainer. That’s why they wait in twenty minute lines at Costco pumps to fill up. For me, it’s the traffic nightmare of fueling up at a Costco warehouse that’s always kept me from getting a Costco membership in the first place. But looking at the data, I might need to rethink that. 

Sam’s Club: Annual Membership Required

Sam’s Club operates very similarly to Costco. As a member, you can use Sam’s Club fuel stations, which have competitive fuel prices compared to other gas stations. I wasn’t able to find a dataset as clear as Business Insider, but speculative consumer reports (my fun way of saying Reddit users) definitely claim that Sam’s Club pumps are cheaper than local gas pumps. 

That said, when it comes to cashback rewards, the Sam’s Club Mastercard doesn’t measure up to Costco. Only Sam’s Club Plus members (the more expensive of their two tiers) get 5% cashback on fuel purchases. And by cashback, I do mean Sam’s Cash—like Costco, their cashback is basically a gift certificate for Sam’s Club purchases. It caps at 6,000 instead of 7,000 at the 5% rate, too. The only real upside is that Sam’s Club Mastercard can be used at all gas stations at the 5% cashback rate. If you aren’t fueling at Costco, Costco drops you down to 4%. 

My take: I have yet to see a compelling reason to choose Sam’s Club over Costco, which makes me sad, because I love to root for an underdog. But Costco rewards yield better results. 

Walmart: Annual Membership Required

Compared to Kroger and Albertson’s, Walmart’s main fuel program is largely successful for two reasons: You get a discount at many major gas stations, and you don’t have to accrue points to use that discount. You do, however, need a Walmart+ membership to have it, which is about $98 a year. So not exactly cheap. But members save 10¢ per gallon at thousands of stations, including Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, Murphy, and even at Sam’s Club fuel stations. 

My take: I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a Walmart+ membership for fuel rewards alone. But if you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, definitely look at other ways their annual membership could help (like free shipping and easy returns from home) and see if it’s right for you.