Left your plastic Costco card at home and pulled into the gas line? The answer depends on which side of the border you are on. This post covers where the digital membership card in the Costco app works at the pump, how to scan it step by step, what to do when the scanner won't read it, what the Costco gas app actually shows, and what happened to the old Costco gas fob.
Short answer: In the US, yes. Costco's Digital Membership Card FAQ lists "Gas Station" among the places the app card works, so you open the live app and hold the card's barcode to the pump's scanner, then pay as usual. In Canada, no: costco.ca says the digital card "currently is not accepted at the gas station," so bring the plastic card or a CIBC Costco Mastercard. The app can't pay for gas in either country.
Can you use the Costco app for gas in the US?
Yes. Costco's US Digital Membership Card General FAQs (last updated June 19, 2026) answers "Where can I use my Digital Membership Card?" with a list of places: warehouse entry, checkout, returns, pharmacy, hearing aid, optical, tire center and "Gas Station."
The same FAQ has three rules that matter at the pump:
- Screenshots don't work. "Screenshot versions of the digital card cannot be scanned at Costco registers." Open the live card in the app.
- One person per account. "Each Digital Membership Card will allow for one individual's membership card per device." A household member needs their own Costco.com account, set up with their own membership number, to get their own digital card.
- Your plastic card still works. "Your physical card will still be accepted at all locations."
The digital card has not always worked at the pump. When Costco launched it in July 2019, Retail Dive reported that a Costco representative "did not have information on whether the gas stations would accept the digital card."
How to use the Costco app for gas, step by step
The scan is the membership step only. Payment is a separate step. Here is the sequence at a US Costco pump.
- Set up the card before you go. Download the Costco app, tap the Card icon, sign in with your Costco.com account and verify your membership when prompted. Costco says the digital card needs "an active Costco membership" and a supported iOS or Android phone, and "will not operate on tablet devices."
- Open the card at the pump. Launch the app and tap the Card icon to show your digital membership card. If you have set up Costco's lock-screen Quick Access (below), the card can appear on your lock screen as you arrive.
- Turn the screen brightness up. Pump scanners read the barcode optically, and a dim screen is the most common reason a phone won't scan. This is general scanner advice, not a Costco rule.
- Hold the barcode to the pump's scanner. Costco doesn't publish a diagram of its pumps, and models differ between stations. Follow the pump screen: when it asks for your membership card, look for the scanner window on the pump face, usually near the card reader, and hold the phone flat a few inches from it until the pump accepts it.
- Pay. Insert or tap a Visa card, use a PIN debit card or a physical Shop Card, or tap Apple Pay. Costco's Tap to Pay flyer shows the mobile wallet option as "Insert membership card, Tap mobile wallet," and the scanned app card stands in for the insert. Our post on whether Costco gas takes Apple Pay covers the phone wallet side.
- Enter your ZIP or PIN, pick a grade and pump. Every US Costco station sells regular and premium. As of our September 29, 2026 reading, regular averaged $4.643/gal across 592 US Costco stations and premium $5.317/gal.
If this is your first Costco fill-up, the full walkthrough, including lanes and receipts, is in how to get gas at Costco.
Setting up Quick Access on the lock screen
Costco's app page describes a Quick Access feature. In the app, tap the Account icon, find "Access your Digital Membership Card from your lock screen" and tap Set Up Now. It asks you to allow Location (set to Always), Notifications and Live Activities. After that, Costco says, "Next time you approach your local Costco, your digital card will automatically appear on your lock screen—no app opening required." Costco describes it for arriving at the warehouse, so if the card doesn't pop up at the gas station, open the app instead.
Can you pay for gas with the Costco app?
No. The app can hold a Visa card for payment, but Costco limits that to checkout inside the warehouse. Its digital payment page says "The digital payment option can only be used for Costco warehouse purchases (excluding the food court)," and the app page says the linked Visa works "at the registers inside U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico." The gas pump isn't on either list.
So at the pump, use the app for the membership scan and a separate card or phone wallet to pay. See which credit cards Costco gas accepts for the full list. In Canada, costco.ca's FAQ says "the ability to pay using the Costco app is not available" at all.
Why won't the pump scan my Costco app card?
Work down this list before you give up the pump.
- Screen too dim. Turn brightness to maximum and turn off dark or low-power modes that dim the display.
- You're showing a screenshot. Costco says screenshots can't be scanned. Open the live card in the app.
- Cracked screen or thick screen protector. Cracks across the barcode, or a scratched privacy screen, can stop the scanner reading it. Try a different angle or distance.
- You're signed out. If the app has logged you out, or your membership hasn't been verified online, the card won't display. Sign in and verify before you drive to the station.
- You reinstalled the app or changed phones. Costco allows one transfer of the digital card to a new phone, and it says "Transfers include uninstalling and reinstalling the app, even on the same phone." After that, you have to reset it at the membership counter or through customer service.
- Expired membership. The app card shows the same membership as your plastic card, so a lapsed membership gets declined either way. See whether you need a Costco membership for gas.
- Wrong country. At a Canadian gas bar, the digital card isn't accepted at all.
If none of these fixes it, ask the gas station attendant, or use the plastic card if it's in the car.
Does the Costco digital card work without data?
For showing the card, yes. Costco's Digital Membership Card Payment FAQs say: "You do not need an internet connection to view your Digital Membership Card." The internet is only needed to add a Visa card and for the in-warehouse payment token to refresh, which doesn't apply at the pump. You do need a connection to sign in and set the card up the first time, so do that at home, not in the gas line.
Can you use the Costco app at the gas pump in Canada?
No. Costco Canada's Digital Membership Card FAQs (published September 10, 2025, and still the current version when we checked on September 30, 2026) say: "The Digital Membership Card currently is not accepted at the gas station." The digital card works for warehouse entry and at registers in Canada, just not at the gas bar.
There is a second reason to keep your phone in your pocket. The costco.ca gasoline Q&A says: "The use of mobile devices is prohibited at Costco gas stations. For your own safety and the safety of those around you, please refrain from using your cell phone."
What works instead at a Canadian gas bar:
- Your plastic membership card. Insert it first, then pay with a Mastercard, a Canadian debit card or a physical Shop Card.
- A CIBC Costco Mastercard with your photo on it. Costco Canada says "You can also use your CIBC Costco Mastercard if it doubles as your Costco membership card," and its gas Q&A says the system reads the membership number from "a membership card or a co-branded MasterCard."
- A physical Costco Shop Card. Costco Canada says a Shop Card "also serves as membership authorization for the pump." Digital Shop Cards aren't accepted at Canadian gas stations.
The payment side is covered in our guide to paying at a Costco gas bar in Canada. As of our September 29, 2026 reading, Costco regular averaged 173.0¢/L across 78 Canadian gas bars. Compare today's prices on the Canadian hub or by province, such as British Columbia.
US vs Canada: what gets the pump started
| Method | US Costco gas station | Canada Costco gas bar |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic membership card | Yes | Yes |
| Digital card in the Costco app | Yes | No |
| Screenshot of the digital card | No | No |
| Citi Costco Anywhere Visa, tapped alone | Yes, covers membership and payment | Not applicable (Visa credit not accepted) |
| CIBC Costco Mastercard | Not accepted as payment at US pumps | Yes, if it doubles as your membership card |
| Physical Costco Shop Card | Yes, no membership needed | Yes, serves as membership authorization |
| Paying through the Costco app | No (warehouse registers only) | No |
| Apple Pay or other phone wallet | Yes, after the membership step | Not listed; phones prohibited at the pump |
| Costco Pay gas fob | Legacy only, no new fobs (see below) | No |
The Citi Costco Visa: the easiest way to skip the membership step
In the US, the Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi carries your photo and membership number, so it is your membership card and your payment card at once. Costco's Tap to Pay flyer lists it as Option 1: "Tap Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi." One tap handles both steps, with no app needed. It also earns 5% back on Costco gas (4% at other gas and EV charging, on the first $7,000 a year combined). Our post on Costco Citi Visa gas rewards explains the details.
If you use a different Visa, the flyer's Option 2 is "Insert membership card, Tap contactless payment card." The app card can stand in for the membership card in that step.
What was the Costco gas fob?
The Costco Pay fob was a small key-ring tag, offered free to members at select warehouses, that combined your membership and a stored payment card for the gas pump. Costco's own page at costco.com/costco-pay.html, titled "Costco Pay Fob," described it in search listings as letting members "tap the fob for Costco membership and payment at participating Costco gas stations." Forum posts on Slickdeals describe it at select warehouses in California, Washington and Hawaii, and list mostly Southern California locations. Users there say the fob kept a card on file and the receipt went to email.
Its status today: the program stopped taking new users some time ago. Posts in the same thread quote the notice "No new fobs available for pickup or registration," and members report that existing fobs kept working only where the pumps still had fob readers. Some members posted goodbyes to the fob on social media in early 2025. When we checked on September 30, 2026, Costco's Costco Pay page returned "Page Not Found." We could not find a Costco announcement of the end date, so if you still have a fob, ask your station's attendant whether its pumps read it. For everyone else, the app card or the Citi Costco Visa does the same job.
What does the Costco gas app show?
There is no separate "Costco Gas" app. Gas features live inside the main Costco app, which in both countries includes:
- Gas prices. Costco's app page lists "Costco Gasoline: View current gas price at your local warehouse." The App Store listing adds: "Just tap the locator pin on the map to view current gas prices."
- Gas hours. The app's warehouse tools show "hours and other location-specific details," which include the gas station's hours. No Costco gas station is open 24 hours; see our post on Costco gas hours.
- Gas receipts (US). Costco's receipt help page says gasoline purchases are available in Orders & Purchases, under the In-Warehouse tab, "only for purchases on or after 9/30/24." New purchases can take up to 24 hours to show, and your membership must be verified online. Costco.ca's app page lists receipts too, but costco.ca doesn't say whether gas bar purchases are included, so keep your pump receipt in Canada.
The app shows today's price at the warehouse you pick, with no history.
Other apps for checking Costco gas prices
Crowd-sourced apps such as GasBuddy show Costco prices alongside other stations, updated by users. Our site, Costco Gas Price DB, publishes the price at every Costco station we track in the US and Canada, with 30 days of history per station, so you can see whether today's price is high or low for that pump. Use the station finder or start from the US hub. As of our September 29, 2026 reading, the US average for Costco regular was $4.643/gal, up from $4.221 thirty days earlier.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Costco app to get gas if I forgot my card?
In the US, yes: open the live digital card in the Costco app and scan it at the pump, then pay with a Visa, PIN debit, Apple Pay or a Shop Card. In Canada, no, because Costco Canada doesn't accept the digital card at gas bars.
Can I show a screenshot of my Costco card at the gas pump?
No. Costco says screenshot versions of the digital card cannot be scanned, so open the card in the app itself.
Can my spouse use the Costco app for gas on my account?
Only with their own digital card. Costco allows one person's membership card per device and account, so a household member must create their own Costco.com account with their own membership number.
Does the Costco app work at the gas station without internet?
Yes for scanning. Costco says you don't need an internet connection to view the Digital Membership Card, but you need one to sign in and set it up the first time.
Can I add my Costco card to Apple Wallet for gas?
No. Costco says the Digital Membership Card "will not be available in Apple Wallet." You can still pay with Apple Pay at US Costco pumps after the membership step.
Can I still get a Costco gas fob?
No. Members report that Costco stopped issuing new Costco Pay fobs years ago, and Costco's Costco Pay page no longer loads. In the US, the digital card in the app or a Citi Costco Visa tapped at the pump does the same job.
Does the Citi Costco Visa replace my membership card at the pump?
Yes, in the US. Costco's Tap to Pay flyer lists tapping the Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi on its own as one of three ways to pay, because the card also carries your membership.
Sources
- Digital Membership Card - General FAQs, Costco Customer Service (US) — "Gas Station" on the list of places the digital card works, screenshots not scannable, one person per device and account, one phone transfer, no tablets, not in Apple Wallet (version dated June 19, 2026).
- Digital Membership Card - Payment FAQs, Costco Customer Service (US) — no internet needed to view the card, Visa-only app payment.
- Make Checkout Fast and Easy with a Digital Payment Card, Costco Customer Service (US) — app payment limited to warehouse purchases.
- Costco App, Costco (US) and Costco App, Costco Canada — gas prices, hours, receipts in the app; Quick Access lock-screen setup; app payment at registers inside US warehouses.
- Costco Wholesale app, Apple App Store — gas prices via the map locator pin, warehouse hours.
- Digital Membership Card FAQs, Costco Customer Service (Canada) — digital card "currently is not accepted at the gas station," no app payment in Canada (published September 10, 2025).
- Gasoline Q and A, Costco Canada — mobile devices prohibited at gas stations, co-branded Mastercard and Shop Card as membership authorization.
- What are the membership requirements at Costco's gas station?, Costco Customer Service (Canada) — CIBC Costco Mastercard that doubles as the membership card.
- Gasoline Question and Answer, Costco (US) — how the pump checks membership, accepted payment.
- Tap to Pay at Costco Gas Stations flyer, Costco (US) — the three tap-to-pay options, including the Citi Costco Visa alone.
- How do I view my receipts for in-warehouse purchases?, Costco Customer Service (US) — gas receipts online from 9/30/24, 24-hour delay.
- Costco releases digital membership card, Retail Dive — July 2019 launch and early uncertainty about gas stations.
- Costco Pay Fob, Costco — seen in search results with the fob description; returned "Page Not Found" when we opened it on September 30, 2026.
- Goodbye Costco Pay Fob, Instagram post by @mikesinsocal — a member's January 2025 goodbye to the fob (seen in search results).
- Free Costco Pay Fob at select CA/WA/HI Costco stores, Slickdeals — forum reports of fob locations, "No new fobs available" notice, existing fobs at select stations (seen in search results; the page blocked direct access).