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Buc-ee’s Pay-at-Pump Rule Prompts Gift-Card Confusion After Viral TikTok

The rollout to speed up busy sites has left some gift card holders unable to buy gas.

Overview

  • The company’s requirement that credit and debit users pay at the pump, which began March 1, 2026, still allows cash customers to prepay inside.
  • A TikTok by Florida driver Griffin McCarty shows him saying a St. Augustine clerk told him a Buc-ee’s gift card could not be used for fuel.
  • He says the pumps did not recognize his cards and that staff turned him away at the counter, after which he tore Buc-ee’s gear off his car and tossed a stuffed beaver.
  • Buc-ee’s had told customers in December 2024 that gift cards could buy fuel when paid for inside, which helps explain why some users expected that option.
  • Local coverage from the San Antonio Express-News and the Austin American-Statesman says Buc-ee’s has not answered questions about the policy, leaving how gift cards work under the new setup unclear.