Posted on Monday, 31st August 2009 by CreditCardGuru
Is an ARCO credit card really a good deal or just questionable marketing? As a resident of Southern California, there are quite a few ARCO gas stations around here. Their motto is “straight up gas” and they claim to be an average of 5 to 10 cents cheaper per gallon than other stations. But my review which follows exposes the facts. The card is not a scam, but it also is not a good way to save money…
Paper, Not Plastic
Now this is a huge inconvenience for many. They do not accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express cards for payment. Besides cash, you can pay with a debit card. But the kicker is that they charge a “convenience fee” of 45 cents to do so.
So let’s do the math. Let’s say they truly are 5-10 cents less for every gallon (they’re not but I’ll discuss that in a moment). If you bought 10 gallons and saved 5 cents per gallon, that would equal 50 cents total. Now if you paid with your debit, that would mean hypothetically you only saved 5 cents. If you have an ARCO gas credit card though, they do waive this fee.
Is It Lower Quality Fuel?
First of all, I need to be careful what I’m about to say so I don’t get sued by ARCO. I am in no way claiming their fuel is lower quality. Rather, I am merely mentioning a few unsubstantiated rumors I have heard from various sources.
A car dealer informed me not to use their gas in my car. She claims that it is is “watered down” and if you’re going to use it, you should put an octane booster in right before you fill up the tank - otherwise the fuel injector will wear down faster.
Regarding the above statement, she doesn’t mean literally that water is used to dilute its concentration. What she was referring to, I believe, is what I heard from another person about ethanol. He said that ethanol is commonly added to gas. However he said that concentration should not exceed 10%. He told me he suspects the gas ARCO uses might be higher ethanol concentrations - still meeting the legal requirements, but more than the average amount added. Again, I need to mention this is what he told me and he did not present me with any proof of this claim. These rumors about quality may very well not be true at all. Also, if ARCO sees this and would like to set the record straight, they can email me and I will gladly update this post if needed.
“Regular” Stations
So how much more do the “other” stations cost? Well I’ve kept an eye on the discrepancies constantly over the years. There are “name brand” stations around me such as Shell, 76, and Chevron and I would say on average they only run 5 to 7 cents more. Being that there are cards that save 3 to 5% (notice that’s percent, not cents) per gallon, that would mean if it were $3 gal., I would be saving 9 to 15 cents. That’s much more than what I would be saving at ARCO even if I paid with cash there.
Ad: So is an ARCO credit card going to save you money? It doesn’t look like it. You can save 5% at every gas station using a good cashback credit card card instead.
Tags: arco credit card, arco credit cards, arco gas credit cards
Posted in Reviews | Comments (17)
September 1st, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I no longer use Arco gas. I use to and had a number of problems with my engines. Stopped using it and my car went back to normal.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I’m pretty sure it was their fuel that ruined my new truck.
September 6th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
We don’t have this gas station where I live.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I’m not standing up for any gas station but i’ve been using arco gas in my 1993 Suburban (195,000 miles)and it still runs as good as the day i got it. Doesn’t use oil and have had no engine problems.
September 26th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
You guys are morons do you even know how gasoline works?
Unless your car specifically needs a higher octane it wont make any difference, newer cars have a timing sensor which delays the spark so lower octane will work.
Using Premium gasoline in a car that doesn’t require it doesn’t give you any boost, it will just cost you more.
Fuel cant me watered down since just like the food industries there are regular test being done to insure that they follow regulation.
Also the best way to pay is cash, using a credit card introduces service fees to a store, plus it should just be good habit to use cash when possible, this is why everyone is struggling with the economy, they spend money they don’t have like idiots. Out of sight out of mind.
October 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I read that Arco’s higher ethanol content is good for the environment but lowers mpg. Track for yourself and see if it’s worth it for you.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Arco Scam
I signed up for what I thought was a “free debit card” to save the .45 fee. I was assured there there wasn’t an annual fee, but, I chose a preferred
card there was a $24.99 fee. I declined.
I was then directed to apply online again choosing the free debit card. I got my card and tried to activated and contacted customer service for assistance. I was assured it was free and no annual fees. The rep helped me activate the card and was good to go.
I checked the bank I had linked the free debit card to and discovered I had been debited $24.99 for the card! I called Arco and was told I could cancel the card but the fee was non-refundable.
I explained I had not used the card yet and they agreed but still refused to make a refund. The rep suggested that I keep the card open and cancel it before it expired in 12 months.
To make matters worse the account I linked it to was overdrawn….my point being had I been aware that I was being charged a fee, I would never have authorized a charge that would but my account into a negative balance…I am not a stupid person…This reeks of bait and switch!!!!!!
Has this happened to you?
December 4th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
I use Arco gasoline as well as the debit card…I not only save on the gas price, I also dont ever pay the convenience fee or any fee for that matter.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
i read somewhere that arco doesn’t use middle-eastern oil, so that if you want to make a minute contribution to peace in the world (logic too convoluted to follow) then arco is the brand to choose. having read the above comments regarding whether or not arco is ripping us off on their debit cards i have come to the conclusion that trying to ferret out the truth regarding any oil company’s business is certainly going to be difficult and probably going to be impossibe.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
First, I have no axe to grind for or against any one fuel supplier.
The idea that ARCO gasoline is ‘watered down’ or somehow lower in quality is absolutely ludicrous. While every fuel retailer has it’s own additive mixtures, the fuel is the SAME. If you want to see this for yourself, go to a refinery and watch the various branded fuel hauling trucks come and go, all getting their fuel from the SAME PIPE.
Anyone who says their engine was ruined by using ARCO fuel is either crazy or it was caused be a particular retailer that had a contaminated storage tank/delivery system. This can happen anywhere, with any brand.
December 15th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I have been using ARCO since 20 years in about 5 diferent cars that range from BMW, F-150, Ranger, Sentra, and Tercel. I never had a problem. I also was not charged a fee for the Arco debit card. I also use the Arco debit card whenever I go to the grocery store etc. the points accumulate and contribute to more savings as a credit gets applied to the debit card that you then can apply when using it at the gas pump. There’s about 1 day delay from when I use the Arco debit card until the charge comes through to my bank account. Then again - I know how to manage my money and dont’t drain every penny out of it so that a charge of 24.99 would overdraw me. I don’t have a lot of money but I always leave 50.00 security in my bank account. Sometimes yearly dues come through that I forgot about (i.e. AAA membership, NRA, AMA membership). This way I don’t overdraw. I never had a problem and I have the card ever since they offered it.
January 10th, 2010 at 6:47 am
Wow…lot of misinformation going out here about gas quality, especially the guy saying Arco gas ruined his truck, I think everyone knows that was a stupid statement. And Marco, he finishes his rant by saying “I am not a stupid person”, but previously said $25 overdrew his account…in my book, if $25 overdraws your bank account, you’re not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
I’m in the construction business and my truck was repo’d last year. We had a WAMU credit card with a $4500 limit we hardly used, then Chase canceled it because we paid off our bill monthly and had this one negative. ARCO declined me for their stupid debit card because we’re weren’t good enough for them, but now ARCO isn’t good enough for my entire family. Let’s ALL boycott them because they’re moronic, unethical and mercenary. They can stick their little “card”
January 20th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
By the way, don’t tell us about ARCO gas. Lynda worked for Unocal for 23 years. They claim to be as good as the best, but I left out the part about their being liars as well.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:15 am
1. Been using ARCO fuel in Oregon and Washington for more than two decades and have never had any problems. I typically drive trucks or 4X4s…rigs that take 30+ gallons to fill. The 5-10 cents lower cost per gallon is real and makes a real difference for someone like me.
2. I don’t use credit cards for personal transactions…swore off them years ago. I use debit cards exclusively. The ARCO debit card works just like my bank debit card, but as mentioned above it does take an extra day or so to show up. No big deal if you know how to balance a check book and track your money.
3. If you got denied an ARCO debit card because of your credit history…don’t blame ARCO. Blame HSBC, the bank that issues the debit card.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:22 am
One other note regarding ‘cash back’ credit cards. There is typically a yearly fee associated with them. Do some very careful math before signing up. Most people do not buy enough gas for the cash-back bonus to negate the yearly fee.
Nobody, especially a bank, gives you money for free. Your best bet is to swear off credit cards altogether…but that’s an argument for another forum.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
i have been purchasing arco gas for years. My Porshe,Ford Expedition, Chevy Tahoe, including my boat with a chevy 454 motor ext…
great gas, never a problem.
The debit mastercard card is free, and no 45cent charge.
I use that one.
the mastercard/ credit card is a $24.99 charge.