Arco now accepting credit cards

[y_p_w]

I remember way back when Arco stopped accepting credit cards. They had some commercial showing their own credit card being destroyed by a wrecking ball. They claimed that they could save money by not accepting credit cards. Now I do remember a local Arco station where the franchise owner elected to accept credit cards at the same price as cash or debit. I went a few times to other locations when they generally accepted debit cards, but there might be something like a 35-40 cent fee, although that was often made up with lower prices.

More recently I've seen some Arco stations that accepted credit cards (and generally debit at the same price now) - typically at a 10 cent premium over cash. However, now it seems to be official that they accept credit cars. I saw a commercial on local TV advertising it, although I'm not sure if this might just be a regional thing.

 

[dishdude]

I stopped at an Arco a few years ago not realizing they played these games, ended up leaving with no fuel. I don't have time to play these games, I won't be back.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

They closed our local Arco today. Turning into a Chevron. Pretty odd, it was always busy. Maybe Arco isn’t doing well?

 

[daves87rs]

Pretty sure Arco will be gone soon sadly….

 

[TmanP]

Lots of Tesoros (and some other stations too) were converted to ARCOs in Minnesota a couple years back. These weren't any more likely to have split credit/debit pricing than any other station (it's not common here at all). These ARCOs aren't really "different" like the ones you have out west - they're very similar to your run of the mill Shell/BP/Mobil (quite nice to terrible, with a wide spectrum of quality), and little changed in the transition from Tesoro save the graphics and the addition of TT gas. I've gotten fuel at a few (they're primarily a couple hours plus north of me) and had no qualms, but they didn't have much distinction over other brands in the midwest, as they do out west (substantially cheaper than Chevron, etc.) as ours tended to be priced at the market rate (and the midwest/plains market lacks a wide gas price spectrum between stations/brands).

 

[y_p_w]

Arco is kind of oddball because of how BP bought them and then sold them off, but apparently kept the ampm brand. And then re-licensed the Arco name back in some markets. So it's not consistent.

I found this map of the different regional markets for Arco. I think the ownership and licensing is different in each region.

 

[RooflessVW]

I stopped at my first Arco near Victimville CA a few years ago. Saw they took no credit cards, thought to myself "how stupid," and went across the street.

 

[Big E]

I have not used Arco in years because of the no credit card thing.

 

[RAR]

Here in northern Minnesota we got an ARCO not long ago. Nothing different about it in price or anything. Still the same operation inside so probably just a seller of the ARCO branded fuel. It takes credit cards with no problem.

I’ll use them if I need to, but I tend to use the local Shell simply because I get a 5 cents discount per gallon - might as well save a little.

Where I am, we have the ARCO, Tesoro, Cenex, Shell, and BP… and whatever Walmart sells now. Walmart used to be the lowest in the area, and were even lower if you got and used a loaded gift card for 5 cents off, but no longer.

 

[Zee09]

Arco left here 40 years ago
How can you sell gas without taking cc's?

 

[Rmay635703]

Arco left here 40 years ago
How can you sell gas without taking cc's?

like every other place that refuses cards by being cheaper than places that do

I remember back when Aldi, Woodmans, dollar stores, Scratch and dent and most restaurants refused plastic . Some of our odd gas stations did as well.

Here It wasn’t that long ago and many of those places still don’t unless you have a Discover Card. Some of those stores now charge a buck if you want to use any type of card or force you to use an atm. I’ve commonly seen $20 minimum purchase signs at many small businesses and can report if you pay by card at such a place whether you buy a pack of gum or something that’s $19.98 you will pay $20 for it if using a card

For many smaller businesses the cost of cards especially fraud is higher than any loss in business

 

[Zee09]

like every other place that refuses cards by being cheaper than places that do

I remember back when Aldi, Woodmans, dollar stores, Scratch and dent and most restaurants refused plastic . Some of our odd gas stations did as well.

Here It wasn’t that long ago and many of those places still don’t unless you have a Discover Card. Some of those stores now charge a buck if you want to use any type of card or force you to use an atm. I’ve commonly seen $20 minimum purchase signs at many small businesses and can report if you pay by card at such a place whether you buy a pack of gum or something that’s $19.98 you will pay $20 for it if using a card

For many smaller businesses the cost of cards especially fraud is higher than any loss in business

Here I don't see it. I am no fan of credit cards but I am no fan of station traffic jams where people walk in to pay for gas, get coffee and shoot the breeze while their cars clog up the pumps.

None of that is worth saving pennies.

 

[Rmay635703]

Here I don't see it. I am no fan of credit cards but I am no fan of station traffic jams where people walk in to pay for gas, get coffee and shoot the breeze while their cars clog up the pumps.

None of that is worth saving pennies.

We have unmanned stations where the bills go in like a coke machine and you get a receipt with a code for your “change”

 

[Kira]

So a company resisted involvement with credit cards.
Then the progression to "the cashless society" bled enough customers away to where the they changed policy.
Simple, no?
Judging by this thread the varying ARCO managements could offer lower prices (YAY), a punitive fee for cc use (BOO) or access to a fee ATM.
I'm guessing that people without bank accounts and those who wanted to save money were ARCO's customer base.
Anyone using an ATM has a bank account so a obtaining a cc wasn't too distant a reach.

Time lost and having to walk into the building to pay contributed to this headline development.

 

[atikovi]

How can you sell gas without taking cc's?

Guess you haven't been to a Freestate station?

 

[Zee09]

Guess you haven't been to a Freestate station?

No not in this area

 

[ripcord]

Huh, the Arco's around here have always taken plastic.

 

[y_p_w]

Huh, the Arco's around here have always taken plastic.

When it was still Atlantic Richfield, Arco decided that they would discontinue the use of credit cards nationally in 1982. Since then they've merged and now it's like three different marketing entities using the same name. Also - when they discontinued credit cards, it was back when most only accepted their own credit cards and not Visa/MC/AMEX/Discover/etc.

ARCO, STRESSING PRICE, TO END CREDIT CARD USE (Published 1982)

www.nytimes.com

The Atlantic Richfield Company, convinced that price has become more important to gasoline buyers than service, said today that it will stop accepting purchases on its credit cards on April 15.​

​

Arco, with 3 million accounts, ranks seventh among the nation's gasoline purveyors in number of credit card accounts. Amoco, with 7 million accounts, and Exxon, with 6.5 million, head the list.​

​

In doing away with credit card sales, the nation's eighth-largest gasoline retailer said it will be able to cut its wholesale price to distributors and dealers by nearly 3 cents a gallon. That is the amount that the company said its 3 million credit cards have been costing to service.​

 

[y_p_w]

So a company resisted involvement with credit cards.
Then the progression to "the cashless society" bled enough customers away to where the they changed policy.
Simple, no?
Judging by this thread the varying ARCO managements could offer lower prices (YAY), a punitive fee for cc use (BOO) or access to a fee ATM.
I'm guessing that people without bank accounts and those who wanted to save money were ARCO's customer base.
Anyone using an ATM has a bank account so a obtaining a cc wasn't too distant a reach.

Time lost and having to walk into the building to pay contributed to this headline development.

I think most debit cards these days also have an MC/Visa feature although it's kind of weird when they're used what gets accessed first. At Costco, the use of any Visa debit card is a debit (and not a Visa transaction) requiring a password.

I do remember seeing an Arco station in Carson City, NV that had the lowest prices outside of Costco. And a line for cash that took about 8 minutes. But even today I think a lot of people will still be using cash since they charge more for credit.

 

[4WD]

Arco left here 40 years ago
How can you sell gas without taking cc's?

We all use iPhone apps at Exxon or Mobil and get the points that way …