There was a 20-20 show (or maybe it was 60 minutes) i watched a year or so ago, when gasoline prices were going through the roof. I was surprised to learn that only like 2-3cents a gallon is the profit that the gas station actually makes. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/PainAtThePump/story?id=1998179 http://www.slate.com/id/2100546/

according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. the average profit per gallon was in 2005 4q 2.7 cents on a markup of 12.7 cents per gallon

There are so many variables involved, its difficult to give a correct answer. Gasoline prices are taxed by each individual state, the u.s. government and local tax. once you calculate each individual per centage for each government, add the costs to pay employees, pay the rent and so on, it gets involved. I have observed three service stations, on the same stretch of road, with three different gas prices. odd? no. they state its because of the overhead each station must pay. like, rent at one station may be higher than another. Its difficult to calculate, like i said, because of the variables involved. Just look for the cheapest. its all the same.

I believe the stations can make anywhere from 30-40 cents per gallon, it's really the "company" that own the gas station, so If it's an Arco owned, and operated and leased to a dealer, the dealer makes a certain amount on the fuel, let's say .10 to.12 cents max on the gallon at what ever the fuel is set by the actual "company" or Jobber, or Distributor; the rest goes to the "company" that owns the equipment, land etc. So if the dealer has the prices increased he/she "dealer" has to always add or increase his share of the pie, at .10 cents-.12 cents, if he get's too greedy, and can't sell volume, he wont make the rent, or make his profit, now the trick is for the dealer to purchase the actual gas station; now his profit is slighlty larger, where some oil corp, can give you extra incentives when you purchase the actual gas station up to .05 cents per gallon, more than anything the dealers buy the brand name recognition. Would you pump arco over shell, at the same price being paid at the pump? you'll choose shell, at the same price, who wants junk in their gas tanks, I dont. If it's a gas station owned by a dealer or dealer owned, you'll mostlikely pay .15 cents lower for the price of fuel. So if it's dealer owned look for the sites that ask for cash-only those sites generally are about .15 cents cheaper, due to high charges on the credit card fees,from the point of sale (POS) the oil companies control that, and it's another way to make 15K per month on credit card usage fees, and that number is reduced to the dealer from his profits. Dont feel sorry for these dealers they make money on you either way on the fuel, credit cards, your gas cards with the apr, 20-25% apr. Your paying like 4.50.-6.00 per gallon with financing. Late fee's, why do you think the goverment charges so much tax, and so much for the environmental clean-up, they dont care about the land, they care about getting paid!!! They know the money comes from the major oil corp, not from the dealer. Pump Mobil, or Shell or 76. But to answer the question generally .30 cents if the dealer owns the business and equipement;land. If they dont, and just lease the franchise, they make abot .10 cents. 300,000 gallons x.10 cents, you do the math. ( if dealer, and running for a corpor. that controls the price per fuel) 400,000 gallons x 30 cents, ( Technically if you own gas station now, you can go from 3.28 a gallon (corp set price on fuel), to let's say 3.11 per gallon, and it's a brand name, you should be able to increase your volume by at least 100,000 per month.) So the rest is profit, minus all the other shananagans. C5,C10 info on gas stations are very very very, very high, in the million for most gas stations. Remember the oil corp. make their money on the gas, the dealer makes money on the -car wash -.10 cent more or less on fuel - mini mart( subway,what ever franchise is there) - water sales -tobacco, all you people who keep feeding us second hand smoke. they are making 40% profit. Go to costco, and buy your cigarrettes. -all the other junk they sell in the store. If you wish to purchase a gas station, I can help you. fastrefi@hotmail.com

Not much. Between the oil companies and the gas station owners the government is the one who makes the most money without lifting a finger as most states have over 40 cents per gallon gas tax. By taxigringo.

you guys don't pay much anyway for gas(Petrol)

Gas stations gross about 25% on a gallon of gas. My uncle owned a gas station more than 50 years ago when gas was on $0.20 a gallon and he made $.05 gallon then. Back then gas stations could supplement their income by doing repairs, selling oil, sell tires, etc. They did not sell cookies and soda, unless in a vending machine. My uncle chose not to do repairs, but only to sell gas, and he made a comfortable living selling just gas. So basically, on $4 /gallon gas, stations are GROSSING $1 profit. This does not take into consideration how much more they make on old inventory when prices are rising. And this is one of the main reasons it takes so long for prices to fall. Stations don't want to lose out on what they paid for gasoline, so they wait until their old inventory is gone before lowing their prices. This also doesn't take into consideration, the station's expenses like rent, employees earning $6-8 hour, electricty, etc. But consider that the average gas station also sells lottery tickets which net them 5%. Again, this may not seem like much, but consider that the average lottery vendor sells a minimum of $10K week on lottery tickets (they have to or state will remove them) and they have another $500 /week profit stream. This $2K month helps to pay their expenses too.

Gas stations make their profit on the crap you buy when you go into pay for your gas like candy bars, drinks etc.

Probably depends a lot on how much the gas is going for at the delivery. The profit to me has to be based on the surrounding stations so you can sell your gas. So, locations I believe is a big factor on what the seller can make per gallon. Cities got to keep the prices close to other stations, Country Stations could probably charge more because of less competition.

This is a good subject, Gas companies ie. gas stations make there profit on the merchandise you buy from them not all on fuel.The more the barrel goes up the less the gas station makes after tax and delivery fees,the lower the barrel the more the margin goes up for the gas company. the gas companies do not have all the control on gas pries like folks think they do,that is the oil company and the good old government, I know for a fact that when gas prices were almost $5.00 a gallon that the gas station was losing .3 a gallon at gas prices today at 3.19 a gallon they are making .9 a gallon and i have good insight too this matter, also if you think the gas station makes money then why when gas hit 4.85 a gallon did more then 5000 gas station go out of business,

Back in the 1960s a gas station made around 17 to 20 cents per gallon for gasoline. This is why there were individual stations on almost every corner. Today from what I have read in several places only the larger corporations have stations with the station making between 1.5 to 2 cents per gallon. They make their profit on the sales of items to drink or eat. They sell gasoline only as a convenience to draw in costumers. Taxes, and corporations make the profits from gasoline not the managers of the "convenience store" as they are know as today.