How to Use a Costco Petrol Pump: A UK First-Timer's Guide

A Costco petrol station looks like any supermarket forecourt, but there is no shop and no till. Everything happens at the pump: your membership card unlocks it, your bank card pays for it, and you fill up yourself. This guide walks through a first visit to a UK Costco forecourt, from joining the queue to driving off with a receipt, and covers what to do if the pump says no.

Short answer: Join the one-way queue, pull up to any free pump and switch off the engine. Scan your Costco membership card, then insert a Chip & PIN debit or credit card and enter your PIN. Costco places a £120 pre-authorisation hold before fuel flows. Choose Unleaded, Premium Unleaded 97 or Premium Diesel, fill up, hang up the nozzle and take your receipt. There is no kiosk, and Costco does not accept cash, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

How does a Costco petrol station work in the UK?

Costco forecourts are members-only and pay-at-pump only. Costco's fuel Q&A page says the fuel station "is open to Costco members only" and is "entirely self-serve, with pay-at-the-pump technology." No cashier means no queue at a counter. There is nowhere to pay inside, so everything happens at the pump.

Costco lists 22 UK forecourts on its fuel locations page, and our data matches: every one sits at a warehouse. Seven UK warehouses have no forecourt at all, including Hayes, Croydon and Wembley. Check the list of Costco petrol stations in the UK before you set off.

Staff do work the forecourt. Costco says its attendants "work outside on the fuel islands," are trained under the UKPIA Forecourt Contractor Safety Passport Scheme, and help "anyone who requires additional help in filling their tank." They do not take payment or fill up for you as a matter of course.

How to use a Costco petrol pump, step by step

The prompts on the pump screen can vary slightly between sites, so follow what yours says.

1. Check the station is open. In our data, all 22 UK forecourts open 06:00 to 21:30 on weekdays. Saturday closing ranges from 19:00 to 20:00, and most open 07:00 to 18:00 on Sunday (Southampton opens at 09:00, Sunbury at 06:00). See Costco petrol opening times for your site, and our opening times explainer for bank holidays and Christmas.
2. Join the queue. Traffic runs one way through the forecourt, which Costco says "makes it easier to get in and out." At busy times expect to queue to get onto the forecourt, and follow any attendant directing cars to free pumps.
3. Take any free pump. Costco says its "extra-long hoses allow fueling from either side of the vehicle, so there is no need to be concerned with which lane to choose." Pull forward to the front pump in your lane if it is free, so the car behind can use the one behind you.
4. Switch off the engine. Costco cites Chief Fire Officers Association rules that ban running engines and smoking while refuelling, and attendants are told to enforce them.
5. Scan your membership card. Hold the barcode on your Costco card to the scanner. Costco says the pump "reads the barcode/membership number on the card and confirms the membership is active."
6. Insert your payment card and enter your PIN. Costco accepts Chip & PIN debit cards (UK Maestro, Visa Debit) and Chip & PIN credit cards (Mastercard, American Express and Visa).
7. Wait for the pre-authorisation. The pump checks with your bank before it releases fuel. See the next section for how the £120 hold works.
8. Choose your fuel. Lift the nozzle for the grade you want: Unleaded, Premium Unleaded 97 or Premium Diesel. Read the label, not just the colour.
9. Fill up. Put the nozzle in the filler neck and squeeze. The pump cuts off automatically when the tank is full. Stay by the car and don't keep topping up after the first click.
10. Hang up and take your receipt. Replace the nozzle, follow the screen prompt for a receipt, close the fuel cap and drive forward out of the forecourt.

How does Costco fuel payment work?

You pay at the pump by card, and only by card. Costco's fuel Q&A lists Chip & PIN debit (UK Maestro, Visa Debit) and Chip & PIN credit cards (Mastercard, American Express and Visa). It says: "Cash and mobile payment methods (e.g Apple Pay/Google Pay) are not currently accepted." Cheques aren't accepted either.

Before fuel flows, Costco "requests a £120 pre-authorisation amount." Once you finish, Costco tells your bank the real amount, and the bank should release the rest. Costco says the £120 pending amount "should drop off shortly after the transaction is completed," but a bank error can leave it showing for longer, typically 3 to 5 working days. If you fill up for £60, you pay £60; the extra £60 is only held, not taken. Our UK payment guide covers the hold, contactless, Amex and receipts in more detail.

The practical point: make sure you have at least £120 available on a debit card, or the pre-authorisation may fail.

Can I scan my phone at a Costco petrol station?

Not to pay. Costco UK says mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are not accepted at the pump.

For the membership scan, we could not find any Costco UK page that says the pumps accept a digital membership card on your phone. Costco's fuel Q&A only describes scanning "a membership card." In the US, Costco members can scan the digital card in the app at the pump, but that is a different system and we can't confirm it applies here. Until Costco UK says otherwise, bring your plastic card. If you only have a phone, ask an attendant before you queue.

Which fuels does a Costco petrol pump sell?

Costco UK sells three grades, branded Kirkland Signature. Costco's Kirkland Signature fuel page names them as Unleaded, Premium Unleaded 97 and Premium Diesel. Its Q&A gives the octane ratings as 95 for regular unleaded and 97 for premium. All 22 forecourts in our data list the same three fuels.

UK price listings such as Yep Savings show Costco's unleaded as E10 and its premium unleaded as E5, which is why we show them as Unleaded and Super Unleaded on our station pages. There is no separate standard diesel: the only diesel on the forecourt is Premium Diesel. Today's prices are on the Costco diesel price page and the UK hub. More on the diesel in Costco diesel in the UK.

Costco says it adds "the same levels and formula of fuel additives to both unleaded petrol grades." It advises using the octane rating in your owner's manual. If your car runs on E10, the premium grade is optional. Our Costco fuel quality post compares the grades with Shell V-Power.

What colour is the petrol nozzle at Costco?

On most UK forecourts, unleaded nozzles are green and diesel nozzles are black. That is a habit across the industry, not a legal rule, and we could not find a Costco UK source that confirms its nozzle colours. Don't rely on colour.

What is required is the label. Since 2019, every UK pump and nozzle has had to carry a fuel code, and the AA explains the shapes: a circle means petrol and a square means diesel. Your car's filler cap or flap usually carries the same symbol. Match the two before you lift the nozzle. UK drivers are advised to check the grade on the pump rather than relying on the nozzle's colour.

If you do put the wrong fuel in, don't start the engine. Tell an attendant and call your breakdown provider.

Who is allowed to use the pump?

Only members with an active card. Costco's Q&A says "Only members with valid membership cards may purchase fuel at Costco." Our guide to who can fill up at a Costco petrol station in the UK covers the rules in more detail, including partner cards and the app card.

You must be 16 or over to operate the pump. Costco says children should not pump fuel or get out of the car while you refuel, because the forecourt is busy and children are often below the line of drivers' mirrors.

Costco also asks drivers not to use a mobile phone while refuelling. It says phones won't ignite fuel vapour, but talking on one can distract you.

Can you fill a jerry can at a Costco pump?

Yes, if it is an approved container. Costco's Q&A says containers must conform to the Petroleum-Spirit Regulations 1982 and Petroleum Regulations 2014, which allow plastic containers up to 10 litres and metal containers up to 20 litres. Take the container out of the car and put it on the ground before filling, so it is earthed against static. Our post on filling gas cans at Costco in the US and Canada covers the rules there.

Why did the Costco pump reject my card?

The common causes:

• Expired or inactive membership. The scan checks your membership is active. Renew online or at the warehouse membership desk.
• Contactless or a phone wallet. Costco lists Chip & PIN cards only. Insert the card and enter your PIN.
• Not enough funds for the hold. The £120 pre-authorisation can fail on a debit card with less than that available.
• A worn card. A scratched barcode on your membership card or a damaged chip may not read. Try again, then ask an attendant.
• Your bank blocked it. Some banks flag fuel pre-authorisations. The number on the back of your card is the place to check, as Costco itself suggests.

If none fits, ask an attendant on the island before you leave the queue.

Tips for a quicker first visit

• Have both cards out before you reach the pump. Membership card in one hand, payment card in the other.
• Know your fuel cap side. The small arrow next to the fuel gauge symbol on your dashboard points to it. The long hoses reach either side, but pulling up with the cap on the pump side is quicker.
• Use the front pump. Stopping short at the back pump when the front is free holds up the car behind.
• Pay attention to the attendants. At busy times they direct cars to free pumps.
• Avoid the obvious peaks. Reviews of busy sites such as Sheffield mention long queues at weekends. We have no queue data, so if you can, try a weekday instead.
• Move off once you've finished. If you need to check the receipt or tidy up, pull forward out of the lane first.

Quick checklist before your first Costco fill-up

• Forecourt is open and you've checked today's price (is Costco fuel cheaper?). Use Costco petrol near me to find the closest one.
• Plastic Costco membership card.
• A Chip & PIN debit or credit card, plus your PIN.
• At least £120 available for the pre-authorisation.
• The right fuel for your car: E10, E5 or B7.
• Engine off, phone away, and follow the attendants.

For the wider picture of how Costco fuel works in the US and Canada, see our step-by-step guide to getting fuel at Costco.