Aussies have rated APCO as the top brand in Canstar Blue’s latest petrol and service station ratings, with the brand rated five stars for customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities, variety of products available, and overall satisfaction.
Our review compares petrol & service stations on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which petrol & service station they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 2,201 Australians for their feedback on the petrol & service station(s) they’ve refueled a motor vehicle at in the last month.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
APCO was rated five stars for customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities, variety of products and overall satisfaction, with four stars for price of petrol.
APCO is a locally-owned independent fuel chain that offers a variety of services, including fast flow diesel, a 24/7 café with trained baristas, a hand car wash, automatic car wash, laundromat, dog wash, and a truck stop and drop-off and collection. However, these facilities vary between locations.
APCO Convenience, APCO IGA Express and APCO IGA can be found across Victoria and in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
Puma Energy was rated four stars for all categories, including price of petrol, customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities, variety of products and overall satisfaction.
A relative newcomer to the Aussie fuel market, Puma Energy is a company that also owns various ‘independent’ service stations such as Ausfuel, Gull and CCG networks. There are now more than 270 service stations and unmanned sites nationwide, with services such as car wash, showers, toilets, restaurants and takeaways also available (depending on location). It also has an expansive fuel card system and supplies fuel to various mining sites across the country.
In Western Australia, Puma has a partnership with RAC, and offers club members a 4c per litre discount on fuel. In Queensland, Puma has a similar partnership with RACQ, offering members the same 4c per litre discount on fuel.
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Costco was the only brand to be rated five stars for price of petrol, while also rating four stars for appearance and overall satisfaction, three stars for convenience and customer service, and just two stars for facilities and variety of products.
Known for all things ‘bought in bulk’ and American, Costco is proving a real hit with Australians who like a bargain. Paying an annual membership fee of $60 will open up a world of discounts on all manner of foods, drinks and household items, as well as fuel. When Costco’s service station in North Lakes – north of Brisbane – first opened in 2014, motorists were lined up around the block to get the taste of cheaper fuel. It was a similar scenario across other sites in Australia. Costco offered generous per-litre discounts on its fuel at the opening, and now offers incentives for Costco members to save at the pump. So, in one trip, you can buy your jumbo-sized tub of Nutella and then fill up on discounted fuel. There are currently 11 Costco fuel locations in Australia.
Liberty was rated four stars for all categories, including price of petrol, customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities, variety of products and overall satisfaction.
Liberty describes itself as a ‘competitive fuel alternative’ in a fuel market dominated by several large, multi-national corporations. Not only does Liberty supply independent fuel retailers, but it also runs its own-branded service stations across the country, with a particular focus on regional areas.
Liberty says it’s able to continuously supply fuel at competitive prices because it buys from different refineries (mostly Australian) and claims to be one of the largest wholesalers in Australia. There are a number of locations available around Australia, with a store locator available online to help you find the closest option.
Shell was rated four stars for customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities and variety of products, with three stars for price of petrol and overall satisfaction.
It’s quite rare to find a service station that isn’t connected to a grocery or convenience store these days, but there are still a huge number of Shell-branded servos across Australia. Known for sponsoring various motorsports leagues around the globe, Shell is perhaps one of the largest fuel companies in the world, known for its ‘V Power’ high-performance 98-octane fuel. With well over 700 locations Australia-wide, Shell’s Motorist app lets you see special offers, track your loyalty card points and transactions, and helps you find your nearest Shell station.
Metro Petroleum was rated four stars for price of petrol, with three stars for all other categories, including variety of products, facilities, convenience, appearance, customer service and overall satisfaction.
Founded over 40 years ago, Metro Petroleum boasts a large network of over 200 locations – and is one of the largest independent fuel stations in Australia. It offers a comprehensive fuel card system akin to that of larger retailers, as well as a range of bulk-buy discounts. And just because it’s independent, doesn’t mean it lags behind the big guys, with car washes, convenience stores and all the facilities you’d expect with any large fuel station also available at select locations.
7-Eleven was rated four stars for variety of products available, facilities, convenience and appearance, with three stars for customer service, price of petrol and overall satisfaction.
Competing against the juggernaut of the big two supermarkets, 7-Eleven’s partnership with Mobil brings many of the same features and discounts you have come to expect from a modern servo. Perhaps most noteworthy is its fuel price ‘lock-in’ app. You can download the My 7-Eleven app for free and find out best fuel price in your area, based on what’s identified by the app. You can then lock this price in for seven days and use it at any 7-Eleven petrol station. This can be especially useful with the wild fluctuations many Aussies experience at the bowser. You get the same great fuel Mobil is known for with 7-Eleven’s network of convenience stores – and yes, Slurpees.
Woolworths Caltex was rated three stars for variety of products, price of petrol and overall satisfaction, with four stars for facilities, convenience, appearance and customer service.
Not to be confused with regular old Caltex service stations, Woolworths’ fuel locations also use Caltex fuels but aim to give you that ‘Woolies experience’ by offering other services such as car washes and groceries at the majority of locations. Woolworths Caltex (soon to be EG Australia) has over 500 locations across the country, and with its well-known shopper docket discount program. Using the Everyday Rewards card program, customers also get one point for every dollar spent. Beyond that, customers can get access to Caltex’s range of fuels, including the Vortex range.
Please note: Caltex Woolworths is currently being phased out and now transitioning to EG Australia, although you’ll still be able to use your Everyday Rewards card at participating sites.
United Petroleum was rated four stars for price of petrol, convenience and facilities, with three stars for variety of products, appearance, customer service and overall satisfaction.
United Petroleum was established in 1993 in South Australia and later expanded to service all other states. Claimed as being one of the largest independent fuel retailers in the country, United sells all manner of fuels, with a lot of locations even having the high-performance E85 fuel. Customers can also benefit from its many reward and fuel cards. United has over 500 locations nationwide and is known for providing ‘quality fuels at competitive prices’, often undercutting the bigger retailers by a cent or two per litre.
BP was rated four stars for customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities and variety of products, with three stars for price of petrol and overall satisfaction.
British Petroleum, or BP as it’s more commonly known, is a stalwart of the Australian fuel landscape. It has an extensive fuel card system, which has previously won our customer satisfaction award for Small Business Fuel Cards. For consumers, it’s perhaps best known for its presence in huge roadside truck stops and for its BP Ultimate 98-octane premium fuel. It has more than 1,400 locations across the country.
Coles Express Shell was rated four stars for customer service, appearance, convenience, facilities and variety of products, with three stars for price of petrol and overall satisfaction.
Differing from normal Shell service stations in that Coles owns the spot, with Shell supplying the petrol, Coles Express is well known for its 4c per litre discounts whereby shoppers who buy their groceries at a Coles supermarket can then get discounts at the pump. They can also scan their Flybuys rewards card to accumulate points and buy many of the same groceries available in a regular Coles store. Coles Express Shell is one of the most expansive fuel stations in Australia, with nearly 700 locations all up, with some offering car wash services.
Ampol was rated four stars for convenience and facilities, with three stars in all remaining categories, including variety of products, appearance, customer service, price of petrol and overall satisfaction.
Ampol boasts a strong presence in Australia, since the Australian Motorists Petrol Company, which later became Ampol, was established in 1936. Caltex/Ampol is known for its ‘Vortex’ series of 98-octane fuels which have an engine-cleaning additive – along with rust and foam inhibitors – to keep your engine ticking along nicely. You might see a bit more of Ampol out and about, with Caltex revistalising the brand over the past few years, although the brand itself isn’t a stranger to Aussie roads.
Caltex was rated four stars for facilities and convenience, with three stars for variety of products, appearance, customer service, price of petrol and overall satisfaction.
Currently in the middle of a roll-out between the Ampol brand, Caltex still has a number of locations available around Australia for motorists to fill up at, with Caltex offering the Techron technology to help clean engine parts, keeping you running smoothly. Caltex also offers the CaltexGo app, allowing you to get exclusive fuel discounts and offers, including a 4c per litre discount on any fuel or diesel fill-up when you scan the app in store, although some terms and conditions apply.
Price may not entirely dictate where you decide to fill up your car, but there’s no doubt that we’d all like to pay a little less at the pump. The portion of Aussies who believe the cost of fuel has placed a major strain on their finances has increased over the years, with 47% of respondents affirming in our latest survey.
Nearly one in three motorists (31%) said they were willing to drive further if it meant saving money with a similar number (31%) having an app that allows them to monitor fuel prices. Although 34% of respondents said they usually stick to refuelling at the same service station, regardless of price.
Getting a good deal on petrol is made more complicated by pricing cycles, with the cheapest days to buy often varying between cities and even suburbs. To help you find a cheaper price the next time you’re running on empty, the ACCC updates its price cycle website on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, although also states that which days are the cheapest for petrol can change from cycle to cycle. But it may be best to find out which stage of the price cycle you’re in.
In our latest ratings, Costco was the only fuel retailer to receive five stars for price. All other retailers scored between three and four stars.
While this is a helpful, high-level, guide to costs, it should be noted that fuel prices can and will vary between individual service stations – sometimes just a short distance apart.
Keeping an eye on petrol prices in your area is certainly a smart move. But your decision on where to fill up could also come down to personal preference.
Picture credits: VGstockstudio/shutterstock.com
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
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