“Costco Petrol” in Canada: A Newcomer’s Guide to Gas Bars, ¢/L and Pumping

If you grew up in India, the UK, Australia, the Philippines or Nigeria, you probably say "petrol" and "petrol pump", and you may ask about a station's "timings". In Canada the same thing is called gas, and Costco calls its fuel station a gas bar. This guide translates the vocabulary, shows how to read a Canadian price sign, compares octane numbers with the ones you know from home, and covers timings, payment and winter tips, with today's Costco petrol prices by province.

Short answer: Costco petrol in Canada is sold as "gas" at self-serve gas bars, open to Costco members only, usually 6:00 AM–9:30 PM on weekdays and 6:00 AM–8:30 PM on weekends. Prices are in cents per litre: 173.0 means $1.73 a litre, which was the average Costco regular price across the 78 Canadian gas bars we track as of our September 29, 2026 reading. Pay with a Mastercard or a Canadian debit card, not Visa, and pump the fuel yourself.

What is "petrol" called in Canada?

Petrol is "gas" or "gasoline" in Canada, and a petrol pump or petrol bunk is a "gas station". Costco's own name for its fuel station in Canada is the gas bar. Nobody will be confused if you say petrol, but searching "gas" gets you better results on maps and websites.

Costco Canada sells two gasoline grades, regular and premium, with no mid-grade. Only 6 of the 78 Canadian gas bars in our data list a diesel price; see whether Costco sells diesel.

Don't go by nozzle colour

In the UK and Australia a green nozzle usually means petrol, while in North America green is often used for diesel. AAA points out there is no standard, so read the label on the pump and the button you press, not the colour of the handle.

How to read Costco petrol prices in cents per litre

Canadian price signs show cents per litre (¢/L), not dollars. A sign reading 149.9 means 149.9 cents, or $1.499 per litre. The last digit is a tenth of a cent. It is not a price of $149.90, and it is not $1.49.

The trailing .9 is an old North American retail habit. NACS, the US convenience store association, traces fractional-cent fuel pricing back to the 1930s and describes it as marketing: a price just under a round number sounds cheaper. It notes that in Canada prices often end in .9 but .4, .2 or .7 are also common, because fuel is sold by the litre and a one-cent change per litre is roughly 4 cents per US gallon.

Your total is simply price per litre times litres. Canada stopped making the penny in 2013, but the federal government's rounding rules apply to cash only; card and debit payments are settled to the exact cent. Costco gas bars don't take cash anyway, so you pay the exact amount.

Worked example: a 50-litre fill

Using the average Costco regular price in Canada in our September 29, 2026 reading, 173.0¢/L:

1. Move the decimal two places: 173.0¢ = $1.730 per litre.
2. Multiply by the litres: 50 × $1.730 = $86.50.

Converting Costco petrol prices to rupees, pounds or pesos

UK and Australian drivers already buy fuel in pence or cents per litre, so the only change is the currency. For everyone else, and for the currency step, the method is the same:

1. Take the price in dollars per litre (173.0¢ = $1.73).
2. Multiply by how many units of your home currency one Canadian dollar buys today. Use your bank app or a current rate from a reliable source, because exchange rates move every day.

For the arithmetic only, suppose one Canadian dollar bought 60 units of your home currency (a made-up round number, not a real rate). Then $1.73 × 60 = 103.8 per litre, and a 50-litre fill of $86.50 × 60 = 5,190. Swap in today's real rate and you have your comparison.

Fuel taxes differ a lot between countries, and Natural Resources Canada says provincial and municipal taxes are the biggest reason prices differ even between Canadian provinces.

Octane in Canada vs India, the UK and Australia

The octane numbers on Canadian pumps look lower than at home, but the fuel is not weaker. Canada and the US post the Anti-Knock Index, written (R+M)/2: the average of two lab tests, the Research Octane Number (RON) and the Motor Octane Number (MON). The US Energy Information Administration explains that the (R+M)/2 on the pump label is exactly that average. India, the UK, Australia and most of the world post RON alone, which reads about 4 to 5 points higher for the same fuel.

Canada's national gasoline standard, CAN/CGSB-3.5, sets grades by this anti-knock index, with 87 as the minimum for regular. Costco Canada does not publish its premium octane, but drivers report 91 on the pump label at Costco gas bars.

These are approximations, because the gap between RON and MON varies by fuel. The practical rule is the one the RAC gives UK drivers: use the grade your car's manual asks for. If your manual (or the fuel flap sticker) says "95 RON", Costco premium is the match. If it says "91 RON" or "87 AKI", Costco regular is right, and paying about 23¢/L more for premium (the median gap in our Canadian data) buys nothing. Our guide to Costco gas grades and octane goes into more detail.

Most Canadian gasoline also contains some ethanol, as it does in the UK (E10) and India (provincial ethanol rules). Federal rules require at least 5% renewable content in gasoline on average, and the national standard covers blends up to 10% ethanol for ordinary grades. Costco adds extra detergent on top; see whether Costco gas is Top Tier.

Do you pump petrol yourself at Costco?

Yes. Costco gas bars are self-serve, like almost every gas station in Canada. Nobody fills the tank for you, as a petrol pump attendant would in India or Nigeria. Costco does staff its gas bars, and its Canadian gasoline page says attendants are trained in safety and environmental rules, so ask them if you get stuck.

Full-serve stations, where an attendant pumps for you, still exist in a few places in Canada, and a couple of cities in British Columbia have historically required them. They are the exception, and they are not Costco.

Do you need a Costco membership to buy petrol?

Yes. The pump will not start until you scan an active Costco membership card. In Canada that means the plastic card (or a CIBC Costco Mastercard, which doubles as one): Costco Canada says the digital card in the app is not accepted at the gas station. The basic Gold Star membership costs $65 a year in Canada (plus tax), and Executive costs $130. The one workaround is a physical Costco Shop Card, which non-members can spend. Our post on whether you need a Costco membership to buy gas covers household cards, expired memberships and the Shop Card in detail.

Costco petrol station timings in Canada

Costco gas bar timings in Canada are 6:00 AM–9:30 PM Monday to Friday and 6:00 AM–8:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday, according to the costco.ca warehouse pages we checked in September 2026. No Costco gas bar is open 24 hours, and the pumps are locked after closing.

The gas bar closes on major holidays with the warehouse. The next one is Canadian Thanksgiving, Monday, October 12, 2026, when the costco.ca pages we checked list the gas bar as closed. For holiday rules and quieter times to fill up, see Costco gas hours. Every station page on our site also shows that gas bar's hours.

How to pay for Costco petrol in Canada

Costco Canada's gas bars accept Mastercard (credit and debit), debit cards and physical Costco Shop Cards. They do not accept Visa credit cards, American Express or cash. This surprises many newcomers, because Costco in the US is the opposite (Visa only).

What that means if you just arrived:

• A Visa credit card from home won't work at the pump, whichever country issued it.
• A Canadian debit card from your new bank account works, and it is the simplest option for most newcomers.
• A Mastercard works. Costco doesn't say anything specific about foreign-issued cards, so if you use a Mastercard from home, expect your bank's foreign transaction fee and check the card works before you queue.

Because the pump doesn't know how much you'll buy, it places a temporary pre-authorization hold on your card before fuelling. Costco Canada says that if the account doesn't have enough available funds, the pump shows "Authorization Declined". After you finish, the hold is replaced by the actual amount, although Costco notes that some banks take several days to release it. Costco Canada's gasoline Q&A puts the hold at $200, or your card's own limit if that is lower, so keep at least that much room on a new card or account.

For a full list, the best card to use and workarounds, read how to pay at Costco gas in Canada.

How to use a Costco petrol pump: a quick walkthrough

Costco pumps work the same way at every Canadian gas bar. In short:

1. Check which side your fuel door is on (an arrow next to the fuel gauge shows it). Costco's hoses are long, so either side of the island works.
2. Turn off the engine.
3. Scan your membership card at the pump.
4. Insert or tap your Mastercard, debit card or Shop Card and follow the prompts (debit asks for your PIN).
5. Lift the nozzle, press the button for Regular or Premium, and fill.
6. Hang up the nozzle, close the fuel cap, and take a receipt if you want one.

The step-by-step version, with what the screens ask and how to avoid long lines, is in our first-timer's guide to getting gas at Costco.

Winter petrol tips for newcomers to Canada

The Government of Canada's newcomer driving guide recommends learning winter driving safety and notes that winter tires are mandatory in some provinces. Cold weather also lowers tire pressure, and Costco's Tire Centre tops tires up with nitrogen; see free air and nitrogen at Costco. For fuel:

• Keep the tank at least half full. CAA advises this in cold weather because it reduces condensation in the tank, which can freeze and block fuel from reaching the engine. It also means you can run the engine for heat if you are stuck in a storm.
• You don't need to change what you buy. Refiners supply a winter blend of gasoline that evaporates more easily, which helps cold engines start. The switch happens at the refinery, so the Regular button at Costco gives you the right fuel for the season.
• Gas-line antifreeze is mostly unnecessary in a modern car. These bottles of alcohol were sold to absorb water in the fuel. Cars.com notes that ethanol-blended gasoline already contains the same kind of water-absorbing alcohol, so an extra bottle adds little. It does little harm, but it isn't a substitute for keeping the tank above half.

How much is Costco petrol today?

The fastest way to check today's Costco petrol price near you is our Costco gas station finder: search your city or postal code, and each station page shows today's regular, premium and (where sold) diesel price in ¢/L, the gas bar hours and 30 days of price history. The Canada page lists every gas bar we track.

Here is the average Costco regular price by province as of our September 29, 2026 reading, from cheapest to most expensive (why provinces differ so much is covered in Costco gas in Canada vs the US):

Prices vary a lot within a province too. In the same reading, the Abbotsford, BC gas bar showed regular at 176.9¢/L while Langley, BC, less than an hour away, showed 191.9¢/L. Premium averaged 195.7¢/L across Canada.

For how much you save against nearby stations, see why Costco gas is so cheap.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Costco petrol station near me in Canada?

Most Costco warehouses in Canada have a gas bar, but not all do. Use our Costco gas station finder or the Canada page to see the gas bars near you, with today's prices and hours.

What does 159.9 mean on a Canadian gas sign?

It means 159.9 cents per litre, which is $1.599 a litre. Multiply by the litres you buy to get the total, so 40 litres at 159.9 costs about $63.96.

Which Costco petrol should I buy for a car that needs 95 octane?

A car manual that asks for 95 RON, the UK and European standard, is matched by Costco premium, which drivers report as 91 on the Canadian (R+M)/2 scale. If your car needs 91 RON, as most Australian and Indian cars do, Costco regular (87) is the equivalent.

Can I use my Indian, UK or Filipino card at a Costco gas bar?

A Visa card from any country will not work at a Costco gas bar in Canada, because the pumps accept Mastercard, debit and Shop Cards only. A foreign Mastercard credit card is on the right network, but Costco does not say whether foreign cards are accepted, so a Canadian debit card is the safer choice.

Does someone fill the petrol for you at Costco?

No. Costco gas bars are self-serve, so you pump your own fuel. Attendants are on site to supervise and help if the pump gives you trouble.

What time does the Costco petrol pump open on Sunday?

Canadian Costco gas bars open at 6:00 AM on Sunday and close at 8:30 PM, the same as Saturday. Holiday hours differ, so check your warehouse's page before a long weekend.

Sources

• What are the gas station payment options?, Costco Canada — Mastercard, debit cards and Shop Cards accepted; cash not accepted.
• What methods of payment does Costco Canada accept?, Costco Canada — gas stations take Mastercard credit and debit, debit cards and physical Shop Cards only; no cash or digital Shop Cards.
• Why is there a pre-authorization hold at gas pump?, Costco Canada — why the hold happens, "Authorization Declined", holds that take days to release.
• Gasoline, Costco Canada — long hoses reach either side; trained attendants; 5X the CGSB deposit control additive.
• Why Gasoline Prices Vary Across Canada, Natural Resources Canada — provincial and municipal taxes are the biggest reason prices vary.
• Why Gas Is Priced Using Fractions of a Penny, NACS — history of the 9/10 cent convention; Canadian prices also end in .4, .2 or .7; one cent per litre is about 4 cents per gallon.
• Budget 2012, Eliminating the penny: FAQ for consumers, Government of Canada — rounding applies to cash only; card and debit payments are settled to the cent (seen in search results).
• Gasoline explained: octane in depth, U.S. Energy Information Administration — (R+M)/2 is the average of RON and MON; typical regular and premium numbers.
• CAN/CGSB-3.5-2026 Automotive gasoline, Standards Council of Canada — the national gasoline standard; grades by anti-knock index; ethanol types (seen in search results).
• What is the best fuel for my car?, RAC — UK standard unleaded is E10 95 RON; super unleaded 97/98 RON; 99 RON the highest; use the grade your car recommends.
• E10 facts, NSW Government — Australian regular unleaded is RON 91, E10 is 94, premium at least 95; 98 also sold.
• XP95, IndianOil — IndianOil's 95-octane premium petrol (seen in search results; reports that Indian regular petrol has been 91 RON also came from search results).
• Federal renewable fuels regulations: overview, Government of Canada — 5% average renewable content in gasoline, now carried into the Clean Fuel Regulations (seen in search results).
• Winter Car Care, CAA — keep the tank at least half full to reduce condensation that can freeze in the fuel line.
• Do I Need Gas-Line Antifreeze During the Winter?, Cars.com — ethanol in gasoline does the same job as gas-line antifreeze.
• Winter gas vs summer gas, EnergyNow — winter blends are more volatile to help cold starts (seen in search results).
• Driving in Canada, Government of Canada (IRCC) — newcomer guidance on licences, winter driving and winter tires.
• Common Myths About Fuel Pumps, AAA — nozzle colour is not standardized; diesel and gasoline nozzles can be any colour (seen in search results).
• Two B.C. cities continue ban on self-serve gas, Penticton Herald via PressReader — Richmond and Coquitlam have long required attendants (2018 report, seen in search results).