Costco NZ Fuel: Do You Need a Membership, and How Do You Pay at the Pump?

New Zealand has one Costco fuel station, at the Westgate warehouse in west Auckland. It sells Unleaded 91, Premium 95 and diesel, usually for less than the servos nearby. Before you drive over, you need to know two things: can you fill up without a membership, and how do you pay at a forecourt with no counter? This guide covers both, from membership fees and Shop Cards to which cards the pumps take.

Short answer: Yes, you need a current Costco membership. The pump checks your membership before it takes payment. Costco New Zealand sells Gold Star for NZ$60 and Business for NZ$55 a year, and both come with a free household card. Payment is at the pump only, by debit card or Visa or Mastercard credit card with a PIN. Costco says you can't pay with cash, fleet cards or a Costco Shop Card.

Can anyone buy fuel at Costco Westgate?

No. Costco's fuel FAQ, Paying for your fuel at Costco, is served from costco.co.nz and linked from the Costco NZ fuel station page. It says:

"You need to be a current Costco member to be able to dispense fuel at Costco. Upon successful membership validation, transactions must be then 'pre-authorised' with a payment card."

It has been that way since the station opened in 2022. The NZ Herald reported at the time that "the Costco service station's 27 self-service pumps are only available to Costco members."

The warehouse works the same way. Costco's Member Privileges and Conditions let members bring up to two guests into the warehouse, "however, only Costco members may purchase and pay for items." A non-member can't pay at a kiosk instead, because the forecourt doesn't have one.

One caveat: that FAQ is the same document Costco Australia uses, dated December 2014. It's still the payment guide Costco's NZ site serves, so we treat it as Costco's word for Westgate.

How much is a Costco NZ membership?

Costco New Zealand sells two memberships. These are the prices Costco's NZ website listed for its membership products on 15 October 2026:

Those are the same fees as at opening: the NZ Herald quoted "$60 or $55 for business" in 2022, and blogTO had the same figures in January 2025. A $65 figure you see online is an Australian or US price.

To join, Costco's conditions say you must be 18 or over and "provide a valid photo ID and proof of current address in New Zealand". You can sign up at the Westgate membership counter, online or in the Costco app.

Is there an Executive membership in New Zealand?

We couldn't find one. Costco's NZ site lists only Gold Star and Business. Its app page mentions only "your Gold Star or Business membership", and the NZ conditions we read have no Executive reward terms. In Australia, the US and Canada, the 2% Executive reward isn't paid on fuel anyway (see Executive membership and Costco fuel in Australia and the Executive reward and gas in the US and Canada). If Costco brings Executive to New Zealand, expect the same exclusion, but check its terms. For now every member pays the same pump price.

Can I use someone else's Costco card for fuel?

Not by the rules. Costco NZ's conditions say "Cards are not transferable" and that a card "must have a card number and your photo to be valid". They also say "Memberships may be terminated at Costco's discretion."

A borrowed card may well start the pump, since it checks the membership, not your face. That doesn't make it allowed, and it's the lender's membership at risk. The legitimate option is a free household card.

Can I use a Costco Shop Card or gift card for fuel?

No. This is a big difference from the US, where a non-member with a Costco Shop Card can fill up (see the US Shop Card rule). Costco NZ's Shop Card terms, published with the member conditions, say a Shop Card "cannot be used: to purchase petrol from Costco". The payment FAQ doesn't list Shop Cards as a way to pay either.

Shop Cards come in any amount from NZ$25 to NZ$999.99, have no expiry date and can only be bought by members. They can pay for "merchandise, services and Costco memberships". So a Shop Card can't buy fuel directly. It can pay for a NZ$60 membership at the counter, and then you can fill up as a member.

Can I renew my Costco membership at the pump?

No. We found nothing that says the pump can take a membership payment. If your membership has lapsed, the pump won't get past the membership check. Renew first, in one of these ways:

• In the Costco app. The app page offers "in-app renewal", so you can renew on your phone before you pull up to the pump.
• Online. Sign in at costco.co.nz and renew with a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card, per Costco's renewal page.
• At the membership counter inside Westgate. That only works during warehouse hours.
• Auto-renew. The conditions say members who join online are registered for auto-renewal unless they opt out. Costco sends a reminder before it charges you.

Check the times before you go. The fuel station opens at 6am every day, but the warehouse opens later: 10am on weekdays, 9:30am on Saturday and 10am on Sunday. If you find out at 6:30am that your membership has lapsed, the counter can't help you. Renew in the app instead. Full times are on our Costco fuel hours in NZ page.

Renewing late doesn't win you free months. The conditions say a renewal within two months of expiry runs "12 months from the expiration date". You keep the same card: "You will not receive new membership cards each year."

Which cards do the Westgate pumps accept?

Costco's fuel FAQ says: "Costco accepts all debit cards and all major credit cards – Visa and Mastercard – all issued with a PIN number. Cash payments cannot be made at Costco Fuel stations. Costco does not accept Motorcharge, Motorpass or any Fleet Cards."

Motorcharge and Motorpass are Australian cards, but "any Fleet Cards" covers New Zealand ones too, such as Z Business, BP Plus or Mobil cards. Pay with your own card and claim the cost back. And know your PIN: there's no till to pay at instead.

How do you fill up at Costco Westgate, step by step?

1. Check today's price on our Costco Westgate fuel prices page, and check the fuel hours.
2. Make sure your membership is current. If it isn't, renew in the app before you join the queue.
3. Pull up to a free pump. The hoses are long, so you can fill from either side.
4. Present your membership card at the pump. The pump checks that your membership is current.
5. Insert your payment card and enter your PIN. Choose an amount if the pump asks. Your bank pre-authorises it.
6. Choose Unleaded 91, Premium 95 or diesel and fill up. Not sure which? See Costco 91 vs 95.
7. Hang up the nozzle and take your receipt (tax invoice) from the pump.

Can I buy Costco fuel in NZ? Every scenario

Is a membership worth it for fuel alone? It depends on how much fuel you buy. At NZ$60 a year, a saving of 10c a litre pays for the Gold Star fee after 600 litres. That's about ten fills for a car with a 60-litre tank. To see how far below your usual servo Costco is today, check the Westgate price page. Our is Costco petrol cheaper in Auckland post works out the break-even against the national average and discount dockets.