ARCO is an oil company based in La Palma, California. This company is known for providing gasoline at lower prices compared to other national brands.
It has done so for many years and has maintained this through various ways, such as not accepting credit cards. A recent survey by ARCO showed that consumers who purchase gas from this company tend to save up to $0.05 to $0.10 per gallon.
We will discuss why exactly ARCO gas is cheaper than other gases and whether it is suitable for your car.
Only Cash
For one, ARCO does not accept credit cards as a mode of payment, and you can only pay in cash. It prevents you from paying extra credit card processing fees.
When using ARCO, you can save up to $0.30 per credit card transaction that you could have been carrying out. So, ARCO gas costs you less just because you are paying cash.
Debit Card Processing Fee
ARCO charges you a $0.45 fee per transaction if you use a debit card to pay. Also, if a customer uses a debit card, they are more likely to get more gas because of the processing fee, which benefits ARCO in selling more gas per customer.
ARCO claims that customers buy more gas using debit cards than at other gas stations. For this reason, ARCO offers a lower price than other gases.
Is ARCO a Top Tier Gas?
Yes, ARCO has met Top Tier standards like other major brands in the market. ARCO also offers their TOP TIER gas that contains clean, high-quality additives to keep your engine performing at its peak and sludge-free.
All ARCO’s gasoline grades are treated with a mix of detergent additives approved for use. These are also known to benefit your car engine rather than ruin it.
A Top Tier gasoline brand like ARCO also ensures that the gas maximizes fuel efficiency.
ARCO is a retail brand with a Top Tier license in countries like Mexico, Canada, and the US. A team of auto manufacturers first developed Top Tier gas as a fuel blend that would allow cars to operate at their optimal potential.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) conducted a study that found that all those vehicles using Top Tier Gas faced fewer issues in performance. The cars had 19 times fewer carbon deposits on their intake valves, injectors, and combustion chambers than other gasoline.
Furthermore, the study concluded that Top Tier gases have a cleansing effect on the car engines rather than the opposite.
Is ARCO Gas Bad For Your Car?
ARCO is a branch of Marathon Petroleum Corporation; another Top Tier licensed brand, which clarifies that just because ARCO is cheaper does not mean it is not good for your car.
Furthermore, ARCO was the first oil company to introduce EC-1 in 1989, a reformulated gasoline that can reduce air pollution by 15%. The gas also contained MTBE, an organic compound known to reduce ozone.
However, MBTE is no longer used in gasoline because it causes water pollution.
In conclusion, ARCO gas is not harmful to your car. It is a quality gas that saves you money, and because it is a Top Tier brand, it ensures that your car functions to its full potential.
You can pay more with another brand if you still have reservations about ARCO gas.
Also, Know: Is Arco Gas Good for Your Car?
Is Chevron Better Than ARCO?
Many companies tend to convince you that their gasoline is better than others; however, this is rarely the case with ARCO.
All gas contains detergents that keep the fuel injector clean, so it is better not to jump at expensive brands before checking your options. Chevron is one such brand.
These brands do not have much difference if they have the same ethanol and octane rating blend as ARCO. You would only be wasting money buying more expensive gasoline for your car.
Also, all gas companies must carry out regulations in the US so their gasoline meets the federal laws. Any company producing gas that refuses to meet the requirements cannot sell it in the country.
Moreover, if you are looking for gasoline with higher detergent additives, you can purchase gasoline from Top Tier brands. The best part is that ARCO and Chevron are on the list of Top Tier brands.
A chemical engineer performed a statistical study where he drove the same car but with different gas each time, namely ARCO and Chevron. He concluded that both gases give the same mileage per gallon performance. Hence, both brands do not have any significant or notable differences in quality apart from their costs.
Why Do Some Gas Stations Have Cheaper Gas?
There are multiple reasons why some gas stations sell cheaper gas than others. A primary reason could be competition. If you are selling gas in a region and your competitor begins to sell gas right next to you or in the same area, you must change tactics.
Lowering your gas prices, in this case, would help you attract more customers. Also, gas stations that do not have competitors nearby usually charge more.
In some cases, gasoline companies tend to strike up a good deal with their suppliers, which gives them gas at a lower price. It can also lead to the company selling cheaper gas.
If the gas station is farther away from the supply point, it would cost more for the gas to get to the station. The higher delivery charges can cause the gas station to charge its customers more than usual.
Another reason could be brand name and image. If a gas station sells branded gas, it would be more expensive because people are usually loyal to a brand they like.
Lastly, if a gas station is near or part of a supermarket, it might charge you less, assuming that you would shop from the supermarket that it might have a contract with already.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ARCO gas is cheaper because the company has better business strategies to attract customers. Also, its affordability does not mean it is bad for your car.
Compared to other expensive brands like Chevron, both companies do not have that much difference in performance and quality.
