Does Costco Executive Membership Earn Rewards on Fuel in Australia?

The Executive membership costs twice as much as Gold Star, so it is fair to ask whether the 2% reward covers your fill-ups. In Australia, it doesn't. This post quotes Costco Australia's own terms on fuel, then covers the reward cap, how the reward is paid, whether there is any member discount at the bowser, which cards earn points on Costco fuel, and whether Executive is worth it if you mostly buy petrol or diesel.

Short answer: No. Costco Australia's terms say the Executive 2% reward is not calculated "on purchases of fuel", and the reward can't be spent at the fuel station either. Executive members pay the same price per litre as Gold Star and Business members. The only way to get money back on Costco fuel is through the card you pay with, and only Visa, Mastercard and debit cards with a PIN work at the pump.

Does Costco Executive membership include fuel rewards in Australia?

No. Every paid membership lets you buy fuel at the Costco fuel stations (which memberships work), but Executive adds nothing at the pump. There is no Executive price, no Executive lane and no Executive pump hours. Our price data has one price per grade per station, the same for every member.

The Executive benefit Costco Australia ties to spending is the annual 2% reward, and fuel is excluded from it in writing.

What do Costco Australia's terms say about fuel?

Costco Australia's Member Privileges and Conditions list the purchases that don't earn the reward. Rewards are not calculated "on purchases of fuel, pharmacy, Costco Shop Cards, charitable donations and at food courts." Travel products, membership fees, and miscellaneous fees, deposits and taxes are also excluded.

The same terms then say where the reward can't be spent: "toward purchases that are not recorded through Costco's front-end registers, such as purchases at fuel stations, Food Courts, and online at Costco.com.au." The reward also can't be used "toward purchases of Shop Cards and Gift of Membership."

So fuel is shut out both ways. Filling up doesn't earn the reward, and the reward can't pay for a fill-up.

This matches the US and Canada, where gas is also excluded; our US and Canadian Executive reward post has the wording there. Costco UK's conditions exclude fuel too (UK membership and fuel).

How much does Executive cost in Australia, and what is the cap?

Costco Australia's terms say: "The Executive Membership fee is $130 per year. The upgrade fee is $65 per year." Gold Star is $65 a year. Costco raised Gold Star from $60 to $65 and Business from $55 to $65 in June 2023, ChannelNews reported, and did not follow the September 2024 US and Canadian increase.

The Australian cap is $1,000: the terms say the reward "is capped at and will not exceed $1,000 for any 12-month period." That is lower than the US and Canadian cap of $1,250. Reaching it takes $50,000 of eligible pre-GST spending in a year.

Costco also says the reward "is not guaranteed to be equal to or greater than the Executive upgrade fee paid."

How is the Executive reward paid in Australia?

By email. The terms say the reward "is issued by email to the primary member approximately 10 days prior to the member's renewal date and reflects the reward earned up until the issue date." Rewards under $1 aren't sent.

You spend it at the front-end registers in a warehouse, not at self-checkout, not online and not at the fuel station. If you downgrade or cancel, any reward issued and not yet redeemed is forfeited.

In the US and Canada, members can turn the reward into a Shop Card and pay for gas with that. That route doesn't exist in Australia. The reward can't buy Shop Cards, and Costco Australia's conditions say Shop Cards can be used at any Costco location in Australia "excluding purchases of petrol and excluding all online purchases." The OzBargain fuel discounts wiki says the same: Shop Cards can't be redeemed for fuel because the pumps can't process Shop Card balances.

Do Costco members get a discount on fuel?

Not beyond the bowser price. The member benefit is that the price itself is lower. There is no extra cents-per-litre discount for any tier, and the OzBargain wiki lists Costco's fuel discount offers as "N/A".

Supermarket dockets don't help either. Woolworths and Coles fuel vouchers (usually 4c/L) are redeemed at partner brands such as Ampol (Woolworths) and Reddy Express (Coles), according to the same wiki. Costco is not a partner, and its unattended pumps take only payment cards.

What you get instead is the posted price. On 15 October 2026, the cheapest unleaded grade (E10 or Unleaded 91, depending on the site) ranged from 224.7c/L at Perth Airport and Casuarina to 237.7c/L at Moorabbin, and averaged about 230.2c/L across our 14 Australian stations. Today's prices for every site are on the Australia hub and the near-me page.

Do you get money back on Costco fuel any other way?

Only through the card you pay with. Costco's fuel FAQ, Paying for your fuel at Costco, says: "Costco accepts all debit cards and all major credit cards – Visa and Mastercard – all issued with a PIN number." Cash isn't accepted, and neither are "Motorcharge, Motorpass or any Fleet Cards." That FAQ is dated December 2014, so check the pump before relying on it, but the current member conditions also list Visa and Mastercard (plus cash, debit and Apple Pay in the warehouse) and don't mention American Express. Our guide to filling up at Costco in Australia covers the pre-authorisation hold and receipts.

We found no Costco-branded credit card in Australia, nothing like the Costco Anywhere Visa in the US or the CIBC Costco Mastercard in Canada. So the return depends on your own card:

• Points or cashback Visa or Mastercard. Earns its normal rate on Costco fuel, provided the card has a PIN. Check whether your card's terms reduce or cap points on fuel or "service station" spending.
• Debit card. Works at the pump but usually earns nothing.
• Amex and fleet cards. Not listed as accepted. If your best rewards card is an Amex, it won't help here.

Here is what a typical card return looks like against fuel spend. Take a driver buying 50 litres a week at the 230.2c/L average above. That is about $5,985 a year at Costco pumps.

The card return is small next to the pump saving. CHOICE found Costco fuel was "sometimes as much as 30c less per litre than at other nearby fuel retailers" in its May 2024 spot checks. At 2,600 litres a year, even 10c/L is $260. Any card annual fee also has to come out of the return. Our post on why Costco fuel is so cheap in Australia explains where the saving comes from and how it compares with city averages.

Do Costco employees get a discount on fuel?

We could not find any Australian source that says Costco staff get a discount on fuel, and we won't guess. Costco's 2009 hiring announcement for its first Australian warehouse, reported by FarmingUK, listed "free Costco membership" among staff benefits, which would give staff pump access. US reporting from Tasting Table says Costco staff "pay the same amount as any cardholder", but that article covers the US and doesn't mention fuel. If you work for Costco Australia, your store's HR team can confirm the current benefits.

Is Executive worth it if you mostly buy fuel?

Only if you also spend at least $3,250 a year (before GST) on eligible items inside the warehouse. The upgrade is $65, and 2% of $3,250 is $65. Fuel spending doesn't count toward that number.

The reward is worked out on prices before GST. Much fresh food is GST-free, so for groceries the till total and the pre-GST total are close. For GST-taxed items, $3,250 pre-GST is about $3,575 at the register.

The common mistake looks like this. A driver spends about $6,000 a year on Costco fuel and $2,000 in the warehouse. If fuel counted, the reward would be about $160 and the upgrade would pay off. Because it doesn't, the real reward is $40, and the upgrade loses $25 a year. That driver is better off on Gold Star.

If your trips to Costco are mostly for fuel, the membership pays for itself at the bowser, not through the reward. Pump hours are the same for every tier and are listed on our opening hours page. Diesel drivers can compare prices on the diesel page or by state: NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and the ACT.

Australia vs the US and Canada at a glance