ARCO Credit Card
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 shows why it’s not always the best deal. Despite what some people claim, this credit card is NOT a scam (Arco is not doing anything illegal). That being said, it’s not a good way to save money, here’s why…
Paper, Not Plastic
Now this is a huge inconvenience for many. They do not accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit 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 always 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 The Same Formula Of Gas?
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 unsubstantiated rumors I have heard and read from various sources.
A car dealer informed me not to use their gas in my car, which is a German sports car. He alleged that if I’m going to use it, I should put an octane booster in right before filling up the tank. Is this true or not? I have no clue, but that is what I was told.
What he was referring to, I believe, is what I read elsewhere about ethanol. I read a post about how ethanol is commonly added to gas – the blogger suspected the gas ARCO uses might have above-average ethanol concentrations – still meeting the legal requirements, but more than the average amount added. Again, I need to mention this is what he said and he did not present any proof of this claim. These rumors 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. Because these rumors about quality are just that – rumors – I would NOT rely on them when choosing where to buy gas.
“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.
Last but not least, something else to consider is that ARCO is BP company… are they a company we really want to support right now? I don’t think so.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Arco uses the same gas as all other stations. Gas stations/companies actually trade fuel between each other. If there is an Acro that is low on fuel, well they will buy it from their competitors. Chevron is the only station that does not do this. Chevron is Chevron .Everyone else will trade between each other.
I used Arco in my 1991 vehicle and have not had problems with it since I bought it. It now has 200 thousand miles and runs great.
ARCO is owned by BP so we shuold boycott them for what they have done in the gulf
ARCO credit card is scam.I was told no fees when I applied charged $20 every month in fees. I had a charge in my account when I was out of state and when inquire customer service said valid charge somebody used my card while I am out of state. They are robbing people in the name of save $45 cents.
I tend to use cash a lot at Arco for two reasons. One is because over the period of a year I lost about $1,000 to overdraft fees at $25 a pop due to not tracking my account. So by withdrawing $80 every week when I get paid I know I’ll have gas money for the week. I also use cash cause I didn’t want to pay the 45 cent fee for debit. I recently got the Arco card but like others have expressed there can be a delay in the charge going through and sometimes that has caused my account to overdraw too. Mostly I just stick to the cash.
But the station near my house that I use most of the time has started closing at night, probably to save money by cutting the night persons hours. They have it set up where the automated payment machines only accept cards at night cause no one is there to give change. I mostly use my card when there’s no attendant. I have to fill up anywhere from 2-3 times a week. When I used to use my debit card all the time what I would pay every month in debit fees would be anywhere from $4-5. But considering the money comes out pretty quick after a fill up it’s nice to know there won’t be an overdraft cause the money is taken the same day, usually within hours after filling up.
Have always used Arco in every car and truck I’ve owned. For about 6 months, 7-8 years ago, I switched from Arco to Safeway gas because Safeway would give a discount of a few cents for using the member card. At the time I was driving a 1978 3/4 ton F250 it was a Camper Special, 1 ton suspension with dual gas tanks holding 30+ gallons of gas and getting probably less than 10 miles to the gallon. This truck was built like a mini tank weighing in at 5,000+ lbs or over 1.5 tons. I was filling both tanks about once a week and wanted to save every penny I could. Anyway, after about 6 months of using Safeway gas the engine was running rough. I took it to a dyno shop to have it tested. The guy detirmined there was carbon build up on one of the heads and said it was from the gas. He gave me a couple bottles of an additive to put in with the gas to clear out the carbon. I immediately switched back to Arco and didn’t have anymore problems. I also have never used Safeway gas since. Like someone else said above it’s possible the gas system could be contaminated at a particular station. But Arco works for me and has for many many years, so why switch.
I drive 100+ miles a day, mostly to and from work and for work. I work a nightshift 35 miles from my house and than when I get off work in the morning I start my 2nd job as Traffic Flagger. As a flagger I have to drive my own vehicle sometimes 50+ miles on the clock and depending where I am when I get off work it could be 60+ miles to get home. Than repeat the next day. On my time off 2-3 times a month I also take long day trips to go hiking and biking, and sometimes those are even more driving than what I do during the week for work. My last car was an ’07 Focus that I had for 2 years and put 62,000 miles on it, average of 31,000 miles a year. It would have taken the average person 4 years to put that many miles on a car and I did it in 2!! I didn’t even remember to change the oil regularly and the car ran awesome! But, I totaled it, with over 73,000mi on the engine, and had to let it go and got this Caliber.
I tend to do a lot of freeway driving, and use my cruise when I can, so that helps cut down on wear and tear. But still with as much as I drive if there was a problem with Arco’s gas I would know it.
Geez, give it a break people. Just use cash
and everyone’s happy. No charges, no credit or debit cards to get lost or stolen and no ID.theft. I’ll type this real slow you’ll understand; Give yourself a break. Just use cash.