Man Goes To The Shell Gas Station. Then He Realizes The Pumps Have 2 Different Prices

A BMW driver at a gas station was confused when he spotted two different prices for the same grade of fuel.

Is the unidentified Shell gas station ripping customers off—or is there another, reasonable explanation?

TikTok user @shotsdenn documented the discrepancy in a recent clip that has thousands of views as of this writing.

“Check this out,” he says, turning the camera toward two neighboring pumps.

Premium fuel with a minimum 93-octane rating was listed at $5.16 per gallon on one pump. On the pump beside it, the same grade appeared to cost $5.76—a difference of 60 cents per gallon.

“What’s going on here?” he captioned the video.

Why Were The Prices Different?

The video confirms that both pumps advertised gasoline with a minimum 93-octane rating. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Fuel Rating Rule, gas stations must post the octane rating for each grade sold at the pump. That supports @shotsdenn’s basic observation: Both prices appear to apply to premium gasoline.

What the clip does not reveal is whether the two purchases carried the same conditions. The camera stays closely focused on the price displays, leaving out any signs or labels explaining whether one pump was intended for cash customers, credit-card users, or members of a station rewards program. Shell, like many gas stations, offers a fuel rewards program.

A cash-versus-credit difference is one possible explanation. The Federal Reserve says gas stations may designate separate pumps or islands for cash and credit purchases and display the appropriate price on each one.

That could explain why two neighboring pumps showed different prices for the same octane level. It would not necessarily mean the station was charging customers arbitrarily; one display might have reflected a discounted cash price while the other showed the regular credit-card price.

Rules governing those differences can also vary by state. Florida statute, for example, generally prohibits stations from posting different prices for the same grade and quality of gasoline drawn from a common supply. But the law specifically allows price differences between cash and credit purchases, as well as between self-service and attendant-operated pumps.

Another possibility is that one pump was displaying an incorrect or outdated price. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 2026 Handbook 44, which provides model standards used by weights-and-measures regulators, requires customers to deliberately select the applicable unit price when a dispenser offers multiple prices.

Ultimately, the video is too narrow to determine whether the 60-cent difference was a disclosed discount, a membership price, a mistake—or something else entirely.

Via email, a Shell spokesperson told Motor1 that prices vary for a variety of reasons, such as fuel rewards and discounts.

"In some cases, eligible discounts can be combined, which may explain the price difference shown in the video," Shell's spokesperson added. "For example, a customer receiving a 30-cent-per-gallon fuel rewards discount on their third fill and fueling on race day could receive a total discount of approximately 52 cents per gallon."

Gallery: 2026 BMW i3 50 xDrive First Edition

7

Source: BMW

Viewers Offer Their Own Explanations

Viewers did not reach much of a consensus about what the pumps were showing.

One person suggested the lower price may have been tied to a rewards account left active by the previous customer.

“If you have rewards you get cheaper gas…it’s from the last person who pumped,” they wrote.

Another viewer appeared unconvinced that the discrepancy was unusual, asking, “Is this a joke? Do you not understand why it’s dif”—though the comment seems to cut off before the person finishes the thought.

The small comment section leaves the mystery unresolved. Without a wider view of the pumps or more information from the station, it remains unclear whether the price difference came from a rewards discount, payment method, or display error.

Motor1 contacted @shotsdenn via TikTok direct message. Shell did not immediately respond to an inquiry sent via online contact form. We’ll be sure to update this if either replies.

 

 

 

 

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motor1.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The Motor1.com Team