The short answer
Yes — you need a BJ's membership to buy gas. BJ's Gas is a members-only benefit, and the pump checks for an active membership before it will dispense. You scan your physical or digital BJ's card at the pump, or tap a BJ's One Mastercard, which clears the membership check and payment in one tap. If you've read that non-members can fill up at a higher price, that's an old policy — it no longer works that way.
BJ's gas is some of the cheapest around, so the obvious question is whether you can pull up and pump without paying for a membership first. Here's exactly how the pump gate works in 2026, what a membership costs, the truth about the "non-member" loophole you may have read about, and whether joining just for fuel actually pays off.
Do you need a BJ's membership to buy gas?
Yes. BJ's Gasis reserved for members, and the pump won't turn on until it confirms an active membership. That makes it the same model as Costco: the fuel discount is a perk of joining the club, not something open to the general public. The one place BJ's is more flexible than Costco is payment — once your membership is verified, you can pay with any major credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, not just a store-branded card.
You may have seen guides claiming that non-members can still pump at a higher "non-member" rate. That used to be true at some locations years ago, but it's no longer how BJ's operates — gas today is members-only, full stop. If a page is telling you otherwise, it's working from outdated information.
How the membership check works at the pump
As of early 2025, BJ's rolled out Tap & Pay at all 186 BJ's Gas locations across 21 states. There are two ways to get the pump going:
- Scan your membership card, then pay.Hold your physical or digital BJ's card up to the reader, then tap or insert any major card or use Apple Pay / Google Pay. This is the standard flow for everyone who doesn't carry the store credit card.
- One tap with a BJ's One Mastercard. The BJ's One and One+ Mastercards are linked to your membership, so a single tap handles the membership checkand the payment — no separate card scan.
Either way, a valid membership is doing the unlocking behind the scenes. For the full breakdown of what's accepted, see our BJ's gas payment methods guide.
What a BJ's membership costs in 2026
There are two membership tiers, and both include access to member gas pricing:
- Club Card — $60/year. The standard membership. Full club access and member pump prices.
- Club+ — $120/year. Everything in Club Card, plus an extra 5¢ off per gallon at the pump and 2% cash back on most in-club purchases (capped at $500/year).
Those rates took effect on January 1, 2025— BJ's first fee increase since 2018. BJ's also runs frequent sign-up promos (discounted first-year deals through sites like Groupon, and occasional free trial memberships), and it backs every membership with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so the real entry cost is often well under the list price.
Is there any way to get BJ's gas without joining?
Short of becoming a member, there's no reliable way to fuel up. The passes people ask about are for shopping, not the pumps:
- 1-Day Online Pass — lets non-members order on BJs.com (standard shipping only). It does nothing at the gas station.
- In-club 1-Day Shopping Pass — lets you walk the warehouse for a day, with a ~20% non-member surcharge on what you buy. It does not open the fuel pumps.
- Free trial membership— when BJ's is running one, a trial behaves like a full membership and does include gas. These come and go, so watch for open-house promotions.
If a friend or family member has a BJ's membership, the simplest move is to ride along and have them scan — but the discount is earned once per day per primary membership, so it's one fill-up per visit.
How much do members actually save?
Enough that the membership often pays for itself on fuel alone. BJ's pump prices typically run 10–25¢ a gallon below nearby branded stations, and members can stack more on top:
- Club+ takes an extra 5¢ off every gallon.
- The BJ's One / One+ Mastercard knocks 10¢ or 15¢ off per gallon at the pump.
- The Fuel Saver program banks another 10¢/gallon when you buy qualifying items in-club (redeemable within 30 days, up to 40 gallons).
A few rules to know: the everyday member discount can be earned once per day per primary membership, supplemental memberships are excluded, and all fuel carries a 2¢/gallon price floor regardless of discounts. You can see how today's BJ's prices compare where you live on our live price pages, and weigh the quality side in is BJ's gas good?
So is it worth joining just for gas?
For occasional drivers who'd only use the pump, the $60 fee can outweigh the savings. But if you fill up most weeks — especially with two cars — the per-gallon gap plus a BJ's One card can cover the membership within a couple of months, and everything after that is profit. If you already shop the club, gas is simply a bonus on a card you were going to carry anyway.
Membership fees, rewards rates, and store policies change — figures were last reviewed in June 2026. Always confirm current terms with BJ's. This site is independent and not affiliated with BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.
