It Pays to Use Cash at the Gas Pump

You may want to stop at the bank before filling up your gas tank.

Gasoline is expensive nowadays, but its even pricier for customers who pay using plastic.

At some gas stations on Long Island, credit card customers are being charged nearly a $1 more per gallon than those who use cash. A spokeswoman for Long Island Gas Retailers Association recently told Patch that gas station owners have the right to set a different price for customers paying with debit/credit, instead of cash.

Luckily, the price difference isn't as severe in Malverne and West Hempstead. The USA station located on Hempstead Avenue, across from Crossroads Farm, in Malverne charges an extra 12 cents per gallon if you pay with cash. A few other pumps tack on an additional dime per gallon to their prices, while others treat cash and credit card customers the same.

During a time when everyone is tightening their belts, even a few extra cents on every gallon you pump can put a big dent in your monthly budget. So to help you make every penny count, we traveled to your local gas stations to see which ones will make you pay more for pulling out a credit card.

(Hempstead Avenue and Ocean Avenue, Malverne)

OK Petroleum (Westminster Road and Hempstead Avenue, West Hempstead)

(Hempstead Avenue, West Hempstead)

 (Nassau Boulevard, West Hempstead)

The following stations charge the same price to cash and credit card customers.

Mobil (Hempstead Turnpike and Nassau Boulevard, West Hempstead)

Mobil (Hempstead Turnpike and Westminster Road, West Hempstead)

Do you use cash or a credit card when purchasing gas? Vote in our poll.

Would you change your method of payment if local stations started charging credit card customers an extra dollar per gallon? Tell us in the space below.