Does Gas Count Toward the Costco Executive 2% Reward?

If you pay $130 for a Costco Executive membership, it is natural to assume the 2% reward covers everything you buy at Costco, including the fill-ups. It doesn't. This post quotes the exact exclusion wording from Costco's US and Canadian terms, then covers what does earn money back at the pump, whether you can spend a reward certificate on gas, and whether Executive is worth it for someone who mostly buys gas.

Short answer: No. Gas does not count toward the Costco Executive 2% reward in either the US or Canada, and Executive members pay the same pump price as everyone else. You can still earn cash back on Costco gas with a credit card: 5% with the Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi in the US, 3% with the CIBC Costco Mastercard in Canada. You can't hand a reward certificate over at the pump, but you can use it to buy a physical Shop Card in the warehouse and pay for gas with that.

Does Costco Executive membership include gas?

Executive membership lets you buy gas, like every paid tier, but it adds nothing at the pump. The price, the pumps and the hours are the same for Gold Star, Business and Executive members. The only Executive benefit tied to spending is the annual 2% reward, and gas is excluded from it in both countries.

Our guide to Costco membership and gas covers which cards start a pump. This post is the deep dive on the reward itself.

What Costco's terms say about gas and the 2% reward

Both countries name gas as an exclusion in writing. The wording is different, and so are some of the other exclusions.

US. Costco's Executive rewards terms say: "In the U.S., Rewards are not calculated: (i) on purchases of cigarettes or tobacco-related products, gasoline, Costco Shop Cards, postage stamps, alcoholic beverages in certain states". The same clause goes on to exclude prescriptions in certain states (including Arkansas, New Jersey and New York), cellphones and cellphone plans, and food court purchases. Later clauses exclude membership fees, sales tax and shipping, most third-party services, and "certain other categories as determined at Costco's discretion".

Canada. Costco Canada's Membership Conditions and Regulations say: "Rewards will not be calculated: (i) on purchases of cigarettes or other tobacco-related products; (ii) on purchases that are not recorded through Costco Wholesale's front-end registers, such as services, purchases at Costco Wholesale's gas stations, food courts, optical centres (Quebec only), and pharmacies". Membership fees, taxes and deposits, and auto and other services are also excluded.

Two differences stand out. The Canadian clause excludes gas because the gas bar is not a front-end register, rather than naming "gasoline" as a product. And the current Canadian clause does not name Shop Cards, postage or alcohol, although an older Costco Canada exclusions list did exclude gift cards, postage stamps and gasoline. If a purchase matters to you, ask the membership counter before assuming it earns.

How much is the Executive reward cap in 2026?

The cap is $1,250 a year in both countries: US dollars in the US, Canadian dollars in Canada. Costco raised it from $1,000 to $1,250 when membership fees went up on September 1, 2024. Costco's US FAQ says the reward "is capped at and will not exceed $1,250 for any 12-month period", and Costco Canada's terms use nearly the same words.

The upgrade itself costs an extra $65 a year, taking Executive to $130 (plus tax in Canada). Costco says plainly that the reward "is not guaranteed to be equal to or greater than the Executive upgrade fee paid", though members can downgrade and get a refund of the difference, minus any reward already issued.

Hitting the cap takes $62,500 of eligible spending in a year. Gas spending never moves you toward it.

Do you get 2% back on Costco gas any other way?

Yes, from a credit card, not from the membership. The co-branded cards pay more on Costco gas than the Executive reward would have.

Using our September 29, 2026 reading, the average Costco regular price was $4.643/gal across our US stations and 173.0¢/L across our Canadian gas bars. A US driver buying 15 gallons a week spends about $3,622 a year at Costco pumps. The Citi card returns about $181 of that; the Executive reward returns $0.

A Canadian driver buying 50 litres a week spends about $4,498 a year. The CIBC card's 3% returns about $135. Since the CIBC cap is reportedly $5,000 of combined gas spending, heavy drivers hit it sooner than they might expect, and anything bought at other gas stations uses up the same cap.

Any Visa works at US pumps and any Mastercard at Canadian gas bars, so a different rewards card can beat the co-brand card once you pass its cap. Our post on which credit cards Costco gas accepts has the full rules, and paying at Costco gas in Canada covers the Canadian side in detail.

Can I use a Costco reward certificate for gas?

Not directly at the pump in either country. Costco pumps take payment cards and physical Shop Cards, and the rewards are paper or digital certificates redeemed with a cashier. The workaround is to spend the certificate on a physical Costco Shop Card inside the warehouse, then pay at the pump with that card.

Executive 2% reward certificate (US)

Costco's US FAQ says the reward "may be redeemed toward purchases of most merchandise through the front-end registers (excluding self-checkout) at Costco warehouses in the U.S." Gas stations are not front-end registers. The same FAQ says that to use the reward on Costco.com, "you may purchase a Costco Shop Card (which is redeemable online) with your reward at a warehouse location."

Costco describes that Shop Card route for online shopping, but the physical Shop Card you walk out with is also accepted at US Costco pumps. Two caveats. First, Shop Card purchases don't earn the 2% reward, which only matters if you are paying with money rather than the certificate. Second, the separate mail-in "convert my reward to a Shop Card" service is only for members who are incapacitated or have moved away from a Costco. At the register, it is simply a Shop Card purchase.

Executive 2% reward coupon (Canada)

Costco Canada is explicit. Its FAQ says: "We are currently unable to accept cash rebate or the Costco 2% Executive Reward at our gas stations or online at Costco.ca. Rebates may be redeemed at any Canadian Costco warehouse towards the purchase of a Costco Shop Card which then may be used online at Costco.ca or at our gas stations."

Buy a physical Shop Card, not a digital one. Costco Canada's gas bars don't accept digital Shop Cards.

Citi Costco credit card reward certificate (US)

The Citi certificate is a separate thing from the Executive reward (how it is earned is in our Costco Citi Visa gas rewards guide). Citi says it is "redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico" and that it expires on December 31 of the year it is issued. Costco's customer service says Citi certificates can't be used on Costco.com, but you can use one in the warehouse "to purchase a Costco Shop Card." That Shop Card then works at the pump.

You can also just take the certificate as cash at the register, or, if it is $300 or more, have Citi deposit it into a bank account through citicards.com or the Citi app. Either way the money can go toward gas. What matters most is redeeming it before December 31, because an unredeemed Citi certificate is forfeited.

CIBC Costco Mastercard gift certificate (Canada)

Costco Canada's CIBC certificate FAQ lists "purchases at Costco's gas stations" among the things it can't be used for, along with alcohol, tobacco, food courts, pharmacies and Costco.ca. It doesn't expire and only the primary cardholder can redeem it. The Canadian customer service answer quoted above covers "cash rebate" as well as the Executive reward, and says rebates can go toward a Shop Card. Costco's CIBC FAQ itself doesn't mention Shop Cards, so confirm with a cashier before counting on it.

Do Executive members get any perks at the gas station?

No. There is no Executive discount, no Executive lane and no Executive pump hours. Every member pays the posted price, and our price database shows one regular and one premium price per station, not a member-tier price.

The Executive early shopping hours that started on June 30, 2025 apply to US warehouses: 9 to 10 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and 9 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays. News coverage of the change described it as a warehouse change, separate from the gas station hours Costco had extended for all members earlier in 2025. Coverage focused on the US; Canadian members should check their warehouse's posted hours.

Gas hours are the same for everyone. Most US pumps open at 6:00 AM on weekdays, and Canadian gas bars run 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM on weekdays. Our Costco gas hours guide has the details, and each station page on the station finder lists its pump hours.

Is Executive worth it if you mostly buy gas?

Only if you also spend at least $3,250 a year inside the warehouse or on Costco.com. The upgrade costs $65, and 2% of $3,250 is $65. Gas spending doesn't count toward that number at all.

Here is the mistake to avoid. Take a US driver who spends about $3,600 a year on Costco gas and $2,000 inside the warehouse. If gas counted, the reward would be about $112, and Executive 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 with the Citi card, which pays about $181 on the same gas.

In Canada, the $65 upgrade is charged plus sales tax, so the break-even is a little higher. With 13% HST in Ontario, the extra cost is about $73.45, which needs about $3,673 of eligible spending. With 5% GST only, as in Alberta, it is $68.25 and about $3,413.

Executive does have other benefits, such as the early shopping hours in the US and a $10 monthly credit on same-day delivery orders over $150 through Instacart. None of them touch gas. If your Costco trips are mostly for fuel, the membership pays off through the pump price, which our post on how much you really save on Costco gas measures. The Executive upgrade doesn't change that saving.

US vs Canada at a glance

Prices differ a lot by region, so the dollar value of a card's cash back does too. As of our September 29, 2026 reading, Washington averaged $5.22/gal for regular, while British Columbia averaged 186.7¢/L and Alberta 160.7¢/L.

Frequently asked questions

Does Costco Executive membership give a discount on gas?

No. Executive members pay the same pump price as Gold Star and Business members. The Executive 2% reward excludes gas purchases in both the US and Canada.

Does gas count toward the Costco Executive reward in Canada?

No. Costco Canada's terms say rewards are not calculated on "purchases at Costco Wholesale's gas stations", along with food courts, pharmacies and tobacco. The reward coupon also can't be spent at Canadian gas bars.

Does buying a Shop Card to pay for gas earn the 2% reward?

Not in the US, where Costco's terms name "Costco Shop Cards" as an exclusion. Costco Canada's current terms don't name Shop Cards, but older Canadian exclusion lists left out gift cards, so ask the membership counter before counting on it.

Can I pay at the Costco pump with my Executive reward certificate?

No. The reward is redeemed with a cashier at the warehouse's front-end registers. You can use it to buy a physical Costco Shop Card inside, then use that Shop Card at the pump.

Does the Costco Citi Visa reward certificate work at the gas station?

Not at the pump. Citi's certificate is redeemable for cash or merchandise at US and Puerto Rico Costco warehouses and expires on December 31 of the year it's issued. Take it as cash, use it to buy a Shop Card, or have it deposited if it is $300 or more.

How much cash back does the CIBC Costco Mastercard give on Costco gas?

It pays 3% at Costco gas bars in Canada and 2% at other gas stations and EV chargers, on what card reviewers report is the first $5,000 of combined gas spending a year, then 1%. That works out to at most $150 a year at the top rates.

Is the Executive upgrade worth it for gas alone?

No. Gas earns nothing toward the reward, so the $65 upgrade only pays for itself with at least $3,250 a year of eligible warehouse or online spending, slightly more in Canada once sales tax is added to the fee.

Sources

• Executive Membership Terms (Executive Rewards), Costco US: US exclusion wording (gasoline, tobacco, Shop Cards, postage, alcohol in certain states, prescriptions in certain states, food courts), $1,250 cap, $65 upgrade, no guarantee, refund minus reward.
• Executive 2% Reward FAQs, Costco Customer Service (US): redemption at front-end registers (not self-checkout), buying a Shop Card with the reward, limited mail-in Shop Card conversion, no expiry, issue timing, cap.
• Membership Conditions & Regulations, Costco Canada: Canadian exclusion wording (gas stations, tobacco, food courts, optical, pharmacies), $1,250 cap, $130 fee, coupon redemption rules.
• How can I use my Executive Membership 2% Reward?, Costco Customer Service (Canada): reward not accepted at gas stations; can buy a Shop Card usable at gas stations; no expiry.
• Executive Membership 2% Rewards Exclusions List (2008), Costco Canada: older Canadian list excluding gasoline, postage and gift cards (seen in search results only).
• Membership Fee Increase, Costco Customer Service: September 1, 2024 fee change and cap increase from $1,000 to $1,250.
• Is my reward certificate from Citi accepted on Costco.com?, Costco Customer Service: Citi certificates can buy a Shop Card in the warehouse.
• When will I receive my Costco Cash Rewards from Citi?, Costco Customer Service: February issue, $300 direct deposit threshold, December 31 expiry.
• Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, Citi and How to Redeem Costco Cash Back Rewards, Citi: 5% Costco gas, 4% other gas and EV, $7,000 cap, redemption for cash or merchandise at US and Puerto Rico warehouses.
• Executive Credit Rewards, Costco: Citi certificate expiry, Executive reward never expires.
• CIBC Costco Mastercard, CIBC: 3% Costco gas, 2% other gas and EV, $0 fee, card doubles as membership card.
• CIBC Costco Mastercard review, Milesopedia: $5,000 combined gas cap (seen in search results only).
• CIBC Costco Mastercard Gift Certificate FAQs, Costco Customer Service (Canada): January issue, not usable at gas stations, no expiry, primary cardholder only.
• New, extended Costco hours now in effect, but there's a catch, NBC Chicago: Executive early hours at US warehouses, separate earlier gas station hours extension.
• Costco Really Wants Its Gold Star Members to Upgrade to Executive Status, The Motley Fool: early-hours schedule, $10 monthly Instacart credit on $150+ orders, cap increase.