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Old 01-24-2018, 12:24 PM   #1
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Costco Canada for fuel stops

I'm trip planning... and will travel from west to east all the way across Canada next August. IS a Costco card worth it, when fueling up in Canada? I don't have a card, but would get one if folks say it will save me some money. I like to save money
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Old 01-24-2018, 12:36 PM   #2
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I'm trip planning... and will travel from west to east all the way across Canada next August. IS a Costco card worth it, when fueling up in Canada? I don't have a card, but would get one if folks say it will save me some money. I like to save money
I dunno about Canada overall, but Costco generally is THE deal, anywhere they are found. The one in Abbotsford has lower prices than the other stations on the way to Chilliwack.
I know that when we travel in Oregon, our gas stops are Costco-Medford, Eugene, Hillsboro, or Nampa, depending on where we are.
North shore of the Columbia River: Camas and Kennewick.
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Old 01-24-2018, 12:41 PM   #3
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You might want to Google Costco locations and then decide. I don't think there are enough of them or that they are conveniently located for trailer travel.
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Old 01-24-2018, 12:54 PM   #4
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You might want to Google Costco locations and then decide. I don't think there are enough of them or that they are conveniently located for trailer travel.
Yeah working on that. I'll be passing though Regina and Winnipeg and I know there's Costcos and fueling stations there. I also have the Gas Buddy app, I was just more curious to hear from travelers or those that live there, what "impressions" may be.

Costco IS cheaper than most fueling stations in the US, but I really don't know if it's the same in Canada...
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Old 01-24-2018, 12:59 PM   #5
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Donna last week I fuelled up at Costco in Winnipeg at 99.4 c/l, at other gas stations in the city it was 1.07. Just be aware that if using a credit card at Costco in Canada it must be a MASTERCARD. In the US it's Visa. Of course you can use a debit card. As at US Costco stations it's pay at the pump only.

I certainly fund it worthwhile last Sept. driving to GA to stop in Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Birmingham Costcos for gas and some groceries and water since I was heading for hurricane Irma territory and food and water was already scarce in Columbus GA.

Adrian

on edit: Note the closest Costco to the Red River Ex grounds, on St. James St. does not have gas, the other two in the city do.
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:03 PM   #6
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Also to add Donna you'll want to fill up for sure at Costco Winnipeg before heading east from Winnipeg, when you hit northern ON the price of gas is close to 1.30 now and likely more come the summer. You don't hit another Costco east of Winnipeg until Barrie just north of Toronto so you'll have to buy expensive gas in northern ON anyway.

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Old 01-24-2018, 01:06 PM   #7
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While Costco does have good gas prices, it is a pain in the butt most times to fill up there. At least locally I get nearly as good of a deal where I feul up and way less hassle. I put value on my time, so it has to be worth it to save a couple bucks on a tank of gas.
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:06 PM   #8
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Thanks Adrian. The kind of info I was looking for Don't want to fuel up at one place then to find out two blocks away is a better deal at Costco. By time this trip gets going, I'll have a notebook full of maps, directions and information!

Guess I'd better work on remembering how to work a gas pump
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:19 PM   #9
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The cost differential here between Costco and nearby gas stations is around 3 cents a litre with longer lineups at Costco. I wouldn't purchase a Costco card just to get Costco gas as it would take a lot of gas to cover the Costco membership fees and maybe less convenient to access.
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:21 PM   #10
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On our trip across Canada last fall we stopped at all the Costco gas stations we could find to “gas” up. (Note they do not have diesel) many also have propane fill at a 1/3 the cost of other fuel stations. It was a great savings and well worth the card.
If your not in any rush it also allows you to see the area more than just fueling up on the hwy.
Of course there was always the quick lunch at the fuel stop. Death dog for me and the Chicken Cesar Salad for the wife. The fuel saving paid for the lunch.
If I am not mistaken you can print a list of the Costco’s that have fuel. We also took a list of Canadian Tire locations should we need parts but not of Ontario as they are just everywhere. Also of Walmart’s in case we had to make an emergency stop for the night.
Note the Costco’s do not have a squeegee or water. You may want to have you own on hand to clean the bugs off the windows.
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:25 PM   #11
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....
Note the Costco’s do not have a squeegee or water. You may want to have you own on hand to clean the bugs off the windows.
or air, for that matter. bring your own compressor. I have a Viair 88p that lives behind the drivers seat on my Tacoma.
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:38 PM   #12
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Donna,

You can also use that Costco membership to save money on tires if you plan on buying some before your trip. Last November I bought a set of Michelins for less than $700 at Costco. The previous set of identical Michelins cost me over $900 at Pep Boys, so it was worth the price of a Costco membership just to buy a set of tires.
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Old 01-24-2018, 01:43 PM   #13
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The gas buddy site and app includes Costco stations throughout North America. https://www.gasbuddy.com/
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Old 01-24-2018, 02:24 PM   #14
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I have found Costco here to run 4 cents per litre (so about 4%) under other stations, but recently it seems to be about 3 cents. I normally buy my gas there, but I don't have a Costco membership just for fuel. Travelling across the country I give up going to Costco, due to lack of locations; for an example, there is only one Costco gas station in all of Ottawa. Most Costco store locations (at least in Canada) don't have fuel.

Other than frequent line-ups (due to the lower price), I don't know why anyone would find filling at Costco to be any more of a hassle than other self-serve station; the pumps are the same. Well, the payment is more of a hassle than other pay-at-the-pump stations, because you need to put your Costco card into the pump to start, and (in Canada) the only credit card they take is MasterCard. The stations are normally set up to be one-way and have 3-lane-wide aisles between the pumps, so that you can pull out from or in to a pump even if the other pump in the same lane is occupied.

When less agile due to a trailer in tow, it's tough to pull past another vehicle; however, vehicles usually flow through Costco stations quickly.
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Old 01-24-2018, 02:38 PM   #15
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Well, the payment is more of a hassle than other pay-at-the-pump stations, because you need to put your Costco card into the pump to start, and (in Canada) the only credit card they take is MasterCard..
here (California and presumably the rest of the USA), they only take Visa. But, my Costco card *IS* a Visa card, so its one swipe and one extra button push, BFD. and I've never had had a costco pump ask my zip code, so thats 6 less buttons, or ask if I want store points or a car wash or wwhatever (2-3 more less buttons).

I do wonder about some people at self-serve pumps... I've pulled up in line and watched the car in front of me sit here for 5 minutes, THEN get out, and starts pumping. aren't people aware they are holding up a line of people waiting to use the same shared resource?!? then there was the time I was at a (non-costco) station in Reno Nevada a couple weeks ago, towing a 21' trailer... waiting for the person in the nearest pump to finish, they must have spent 20 minutes in the convenience store, FINALLY come out... and start pumping. oh geez. ok, I can't back up or go ANYwhere with the trailer behind me, wait them out, they go BACK in teh store and spend another 10 minutes. literally was there for 1/2 an hour. so FINALLY they leave, as I'm pulling forward to the front pump, someone comes zooming in the other way and parks there car so far forward (from their direction) that I coudl barely reach the tank on my tacoma from the middle pump when my bumper was practically touching them. so I pump, 20 gallons as I was on fumes, I'm done, they are STILL in the store farting around. again, I can't back up (there was another RV behind me) holy crap, by the time I got out of there, we'd been in that station a full 45 minutes.

sorry, sorry, had to vent.
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Old 01-24-2018, 02:48 PM   #16
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Don't know if you plan to include Vancouver Island in your trip. We are part of Canada, that is happily separated by ocean.

Costco in Courtenay has pumps, the one in Nanaimo does not. Not sure about Victoria. Usually 2-3 cents cheaper per litre. The local Co-op station is second best for rates.
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Old 01-24-2018, 02:57 PM   #17
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here (California and presumably the rest of the USA), they only take Visa. But, my Costco card *IS* a Visa card, so its one swipe and one extra button push, BFD.
Good point - you can do that in Canada, too (a Costco-affiliated credit card which serves as the membership card). I had that when Costco Canada used Amex, but when they switched to MasterCard I didn't want yet another credit card, so I just use the MasterCard I already had.

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... I've never had had a costco pump ask my zip code, so thats 6 less buttons...
Entering a postal (zip) code is a U.S. thing; Costco doesn't do it here, and neither does anyone else.
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Old 01-24-2018, 03:01 PM   #18
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here (California and presumably the rest of the USA), they only take Visa. But, my Costco card *IS* a Visa card, so its one swipe and one extra button push, BFD. and I've never had had a costco pump ask my zip code, so thats 6 less buttons, or ask if I want store points or a car wash or wwhatever (2-3 more less buttons).
John thanks for reminding me of the other reason I like to get Costco gas in the US even if a line up. Anywhere else I have to put in a zip code which I don't have so I have to go inside and prepay and guess how much I'll need. At Costco my Costco card like yours is also my Mastercard, so one card in no zip code or those questions you mention, just fill and go.

Donna don't worry about having to pump your own gas at Costco, there's always an attendant ready and willing to help you through the process.

And yes there is Costco gas in Victoria I was glad to fill up at 1.21 a litre there after spending 1.30 up Island last May.

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Old 01-24-2018, 03:05 PM   #19
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Costco is virtually always cheaper but there is two downsides to fueling up there. The ridiculous long lines as others have mentioned and they are almost always in major metropolitan areas so you almost always have to end up navigating busy city traffic to get to the pumps, not always ideal when pulling a trailer. I have a Costco card but never fuel up there, the lines are enough to put me off. I use Superstore with a free loyalty card and get 3.5 cents off a liter to use on groceries and I can also use my cash back Visa there to get another 2% off my bill.
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Old 01-24-2018, 03:07 PM   #20
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I do wonder about some people at self-serve pumps... I've pulled up in line and watched the car in front of me sit here for 5 minutes, THEN get out, and starts pumping. aren't people aware they are holding up a line of people waiting to use the same shared resource?!?
One day at Costco I noticed that the driver of the car on the other side of the island wasn't fueling, or leaving. I looked more closely and realized that she and her passenger were eating hamburgers and fries, at the pump, before getting out! I incredulously glared at her, and she got out and went to the pump. Fortunately it was Costco, so other traffic could go around her and she was only hogging one pump, not both pumps in that lane... and there are eight lanes at that location.

If I had been stuck waiting, we would have had a "conversation".
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