Is Sam's Club Gas Cheaper, and Does It Cover the Membership? (2026)

Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Mirabelle Chew, ShopBack US

In the US, Sam's Club gas is sold at member-only prices that Sam's Club promotes as low, and it covers the membership only if you buy enough of it. Sam's Club's join page lists Club at $60 a year and Plus at $120 a year, both with member-only fuel prices. At an illustrative 10 cents a gallon saved, 600 gallons a year covers Club. The Sam's Club Mastercard's 5% back in Sam's Cash on gas, on the first $6,000 a year according to Synchrony, can cover it faster.

ShopBack US is a free app and website that returns part of what you spend at partner stores as cash you can withdraw. Sam's Club is a ShopBack US store: if you join online or order on samsclub.com, start on ShopBack's Sam's Club page and cash comes back after the order is confirmed. Join ShopBack US for free.

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Is Sam's Club gas cheaper, and does it cover the membership cost?

Sam's Club promotes its member-only gas as low priced, but the pump price is set club by club, so how much cheaper it is depends on your local club and the stations near it. Sam's Club's own join page promotes "Low Gas Prices" and lists member-only fuel prices for both tiers. What it does not publish is a fixed discount per gallon, and fuel prices move daily.

That makes the membership question a simple division: fee divided by cents saved per gallon equals the gallons you need each year. The table uses Sam's Club's published fees and illustrative per-gallon savings.

Saving per gallon (illustrative)	Gallons a year to cover Club ($60)	Gallons a year to cover Plus ($120)
5 cents	1,200 (about 23 a week)	2,400 (about 46 a week)
10 cents	600 (about 11.5 a week)	1,200 (about 23 a week)
15 cents	400 (about 7.7 a week)	800 (about 15.4 a week)
20 cents	300 (about 5.8 a week)	600 (about 11.5 a week)

A household that fills one 15-gallon tank a week buys about 780 gallons a year. At 10 cents saved, that is $78, which covers Club with $18 to spare. At 5 cents saved, it is $39, which covers about two thirds of Club. Two cars or a long commute move the numbers fast.

The quick test: for two weeks, note the Sam's Club price and the price at the station you would otherwise use. Multiply the average gap by your yearly gallons. If the result beats the fee, gas alone pays for the membership.

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Sam's Club gas price and gas price 2026: how to check it

Sam's Club sets fuel prices per club, so the only reliable "Sam's Club gas price" is the one shown for your club on the day. Look it up in the Sam's Club app or on samsclub.com for your club, then compare it with two or three stations on your usual route.

For 2026, a few things hold regardless of the daily price:

• Fuel prices are a member benefit. Sam's Club's join page lists member-only fuel prices for Club and Plus alike, so the Plus upgrade does not change the pump price on that page.
• Your gallons matter more than the cents. A 10 cent gap is worth $78 a year to a one-tank-a-week driver and about half that to someone who fills up every other week.
• The card can count for more than the pump price. According to Synchrony, the Sam's Club Mastercard earns 5% back in Sam's Cash on gas anywhere Mastercard is accepted. At an illustrative $3.00 a gallon, 5% is 15 cents a gallon, which may be more than the pump gap itself.

We do not quote a current price here, because it would be wrong at most clubs by the time you read it.

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Sam's Club Plus membership: does it change the gas math?

Plus costs $60 more than Club, and on Sam's Club's join page it does not list a different fuel price, so Plus is a decision about your in-club and online spending, not about gas. According to the join page at the time of writing:

Benefit	Club ($60/year)	Plus ($120/year)
Member-only fuel prices	Included	Included
Instant Savings	Included	Included
Scan & Go and free curbside pickup	Included	Included
Two membership cards	Included	Included
Sam's Club Mastercard access	Included	Included
2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases	Not included	Included
Free shipping on orders over $50	Not included	Included
Free delivery from the club on orders over $50	Not included	Included
Early shopping hours	Not included	Included
Pharmacy, optical, tire and battery center savings	Not included	Included

The Plus upgrade pays for itself at about $3,000 a year of qualifying in-club spending, because 2% of $3,000 is $60, the price gap. Sam's Club's terms may set limits on what earns Sam's Cash, so check them before you upgrade. If your main reason to join is gas, Club is usually the cheaper starting point.

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Sam's Club credit card rewards and offers in 2026

The Sam's Club Mastercard is where gas can pay for the whole membership. According to Synchrony, which issues the card, at the time of writing:

Feature	Sam's Club Mastercard (per Synchrony)
Gas	5% back in Sam's Cash anywhere Mastercard is accepted, on the first $6,000 a year, then 1%
Sam's Club purchases	3% for Plus members, 1% for Club members
Dining and takeout	3% back in Sam's Cash
Everything else	1% back in Sam's Cash
Annual fee	$0
Other	Doubles as your membership card; accepted at Sam's Club and Walmart

The gas math on the card alone:

• $1,200 of gas a year at 5% earns $60, the Club fee.
• $2,400 of gas a year at 5% earns $120, the Plus fee.
• The 5% applies to the first $6,000 of gas a year, so the most it can earn on gas is $300 a year.

Because the 5% applies at any station that takes Mastercard, the card still works when a nearby station beats the Sam's Club pump price. Applicants not approved for the Mastercard are considered for the Sam's Club Credit Card, which does not earn Sam's Cash, according to Synchrony. A store card only saves money if you pay the balance in full.

Using the Sam's Club Mastercard and ShopBack on the same order

On a samsclub.com order started from ShopBack, you can usually pay with your Sam's Club Mastercard and still get ShopBack's cash, because the card's Sam's Cash comes from the card program and ShopBack's cash comes from ShopBack. Some payment methods, codes and product categories can affect eligibility, so check the merchant's terms on ShopBack's Sam's Club page before you check out.

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Sam's Club official deals and the cheapest way to shop there

Sam's Club's own savings tools are listed on its join page, and they work the same for Club and Plus members.

• Instant Savings. Sam's Club's featured markdowns, applied at the register or online.
• Member-only fuel prices. The gas benefit this article is about.
• Scan & Go. Check out with your phone in the club and skip the line.
• Free curbside pickup. Order ahead and collect without paying for delivery.
• Bonus Offers. Member offers listed for both tiers on the join page.
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Listed for both tiers, which lowers the risk of trying Sam's Club's own Member's Mark items.

Sam's Club cheapest way to save money: tips for US members in 2026

• Start with Club. Upgrade to Plus only once your yearly in-club spend is near $3,000.
• Track two weeks of pump prices. It turns "is it cheaper" into a number for your area.
• Put gas on a card that pays on gas. The Sam's Club Mastercard's 5% on the first $6,000 a year is the biggest single gas lever listed on Synchrony's page.
• Share the membership. Both tiers include two membership cards, so a second driver in your household fills up on the same fee.
• Join and order online through ShopBack. ShopBack's Sam's Club page lists New Membership as its own category at the time of writing, and eligible samsclub.com orders earn too.

Category line. Other warehouse and bulk stores US shoppers compare include Costco, BJ's Wholesale Club and Walmart, Sam's Club's parent company, and Target for everyday basics.

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Sam's Club cashback through ShopBack: an essential step before you join or order

For stores like Sam's Club, and for booking sites like Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda and Expedia, going through ShopBack is an essential step before you book or check out, so you pay less on the same booking or order. ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order.

Be clear on what it covers: fuel bought at the pump is not an online order, so ShopBack does not apply to it. What ShopBack US does cover is a new membership started online and eligible samsclub.com orders.

1. Sign in to ShopBack US on the app or website.
2. Open ShopBack's Sam's Club page and check the live rate, categories and exclusions.
3. Tap through and join, or shop, on samsclub.com in the same session. ShopBack's page asks you to accept cookies on samsclub.com so the purchase can be recorded.
4. After the order is confirmed, cash comes back to your ShopBack account, ready to withdraw.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. On a $120 Plus membership at an illustrative 5%, $6 comes back, so the effective price is $114. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page.

Which cashback sites list Sam's Club? Many US cashback and shopping sites list Sam's Club, and their rates, categories and exclusions change often. On ShopBack US, the live rate and terms for Sam's Club are on one page, so check it on the day you join or order.

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A worked year: does gas cover the fee?

Here is one illustrative household, using Sam's Club's and Synchrony's published figures.

1. The household joins Club for $60 through ShopBack's Sam's Club page. At an illustrative 5%, $3 comes back, so the effective fee is $57.
2. It buys 780 gallons a year (one 15-gallon tank a week). At an illustrative 10 cents saved per gallon, the pump gap is worth $78.
3. It pays for that gas with the Sam's Club Mastercard. At an illustrative $3.00 a gallon, that is $2,340 of gas, and 5% back in Sam's Cash is $117.
4. Total gas value for the year: $78 at the pump plus $117 in Sam's Cash, or $195, against a $57 effective fee.

Without the card, the same driver still clears the Club fee on the pump gap alone. A driver buying 300 gallons a year at a 10 cent gap saves $30 and would not cover Club on gas alone, though the card's Sam's Cash could close the gap. Your own result depends on your club's prices and your gallons.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Sam's Club gas cheaper, and does it cover the membership cost?

Sam's Club sells fuel at member-only prices and promotes low gas prices on its membership page, but any gap with nearby stations changes by location and day. Whether it covers the fee depends on gallons: at an illustrative 10 cents a gallon saved, 600 gallons a year covers the $60 Club fee and 1,200 gallons covers the $120 Plus fee. The Sam's Club Mastercard's 5% back in Sam's Cash on gas, on the first $6,000 a year, can cover the fee faster.

What is the Sam's Club gas price today?

Sam's Club fuel prices are set per club and change often, so check the price shown for your club in the Sam's Club app or on samsclub.com, and compare it with two or three stations on your usual route. Sam's Club's join page lists member-only fuel prices for both Club and Plus members.

How much does a Sam's Club membership cost in 2026?

According to Sam's Club's join page at the time of writing, Club membership costs $60 a year and Plus membership costs $120 a year. Both include member-only fuel prices, Instant Savings, Scan & Go, free curbside pickup and two membership cards.

How many gallons do I need to buy to cover the Sam's Club fee?

Divide the fee by what you save per gallon. At an illustrative 10 cents a gallon, the $60 Club fee needs 600 gallons a year, about 11.5 gallons a week. At 5 cents it needs 1,200 gallons, and at 20 cents it needs 300. Check the real gap at your local club before you decide.

Does Sam's Club Plus give better gas prices?

Sam's Club's join page lists member-only fuel prices as a benefit of both Club and Plus. What Plus adds is 2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases, free shipping and free delivery from the club on orders over $50, early shopping hours, and pharmacy, optical and tire and battery center savings.

How much does the Sam's Club Mastercard earn on gas?

According to Synchrony, the issuer, the Sam's Club Mastercard earns 5% back in Sam's Cash on gas anywhere Mastercard is accepted, on the first $6,000 a year, then 1%. It also earns 3% on Sam's Club purchases for Plus members (1% for Club members), 3% on dining and takeout and 1% on other purchases, with no annual fee.

Can the Sam's Club Mastercard pay for the membership by itself?

It can if you buy enough gas on it. At 5% back in Sam's Cash, $1,200 a year of gas on the card earns $60, the price of a Club membership, and $2,400 earns $120, the price of Plus. The 5% rate applies to the first $6,000 of gas a year, which caps it at $300 a year, according to Synchrony.

Can I get cashback through ShopBack on Sam's Club gas?

Not on fuel bought at the pump, because ShopBack works on online orders started from ShopBack. Where ShopBack US helps is a new membership started online and eligible samsclub.com orders: open ShopBack's Sam's Club page first, then join or check out in the same session, and check the live rate and exclusions on that page.

Which cashback sites list Sam's Club?

Many US cashback and shopping sites list Sam's Club, and their rates, categories and exclusions change often. On ShopBack US, the live rate, the New Membership category and the exclusions are on ShopBack's Sam's Club page, so check it on the day you join or order.

Is Sam's Cash the same as cashback?

No. Sam's Cash is Sam's Club's own reward, spent at Sam's Club. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

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Key takeaways

• Sam's Club lists member-only fuel prices for both Club ($60 a year) and Plus ($120 a year).
• Gas covers the fee when cents saved per gallon times yearly gallons beats the fee: 600 gallons at an illustrative 10 cents covers Club.
• The Sam's Club Mastercard earns 5% back in Sam's Cash on gas on the first $6,000 a year, per Synchrony, so $1,200 of gas on the card matches the Club fee.
• Plus is a decision about in-club spending (about $3,000 a year to break even), not about the pump price.
• Before you join online or order on samsclub.com, go through ShopBack's Sam's Club page so the same order costs you less.

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Related reads

• Best gas credit cards in the US for 2026
• Costco Executive vs Sam's Club Plus vs BJ's perks
• Costco vs Sam's Club vs Walmart for groceries in 2026
• Best US credit cards for grocery and gas in 2026
• 5 cashback mistakes US shoppers make in 2026

Check ShopBack before you join or check out at: Sam's Club · Walmart · Target

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About this article

Membership prices and benefits come from Sam's Club's join page. Card earn rates, the $6,000 gas cap and the annual fee come from Synchrony's Sam's Club Mastercard page. Per-gallon savings and the $3.00 gas price are illustrative, because Sam's Club sets fuel prices per club and they change daily. Cashback rates change often, so this article points to the live rate on ShopBack's Sam's Club page instead of quoting it.

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Fuel prices, membership fees, card rewards and cashback eligibility vary by location, issuer and time and are subject to change. Check the terms on samsclub.com, Synchrony's site and ShopBack's Sam's Club page before you join or buy. This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.