Gas Station C-Store Margin Calculator

Gas stations make profit at C-store register; fuel is often loss-leader.

Monthly gallons

Fuel margin / gal

C-store revenue / mo

C-store margin %

Ancillary / mo

Monthly operating cost

Monthly profit

$14,950

Fuel margin $

$37,500

C-store gross

$61,200

How the math works

Profit = fuel × margin + c-store × margin + ancillary × ~45% margin − operating.

150k × $0.25 + $180k × 34% + $25k × 45% − $95k = $37.5k + $61.2k + $11.25k − $95k = $14.95k/mo.

How to Use

Enter monthly gallons dispensed.
Enter fuel margin per gallon.
Enter C-store revenue per month.
Enter C-store margin %.
Enter car wash + ancillary revenue.
Enter operating cost.
Read total monthly profit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fuel margin reality?

Gross fuel margin: $0.12-0.40/gallon wholesale-to-retail. Credit card processing fees: $0.08-0.12/gallon. Net fuel margin: $0.04-0.28/gallon. High-volume stations (300k+ gallons/month): skinnier margin, higher volume. Low-volume (80-120k gallons): fatter margin, lower volume. Fuel is often break-even or loss-leader; profit made inside. $1.5-3M annual gallons × $0.12 net = $180-360k.

C-store margin structure?

C-store merchandise gross margin: 28-42% (vs grocery 20-25%). Cigarettes: 8-14% margin (dollars, not %). Beverages: 35-50%. Snacks: 30-45%. Beer/wine: 25-32%. Prepared food/coffee: 45-65%. Lottery: 5-6%. Typical well-run C-store: $1.2-2.5M annual sales × 32% margin = $384-800k gross profit. Drives far more than fuel dollars in most stations.

Site profitability?

Well-performing site: $300-800k EBITDA/year. Margins: fuel + C-store + car wash + ancillary. Operating expenses: labor 18-25%, rent 6-10%, utilities 4-6%, insurance 2-3%, maintenance 3-5%, fees 5-8%. Credit card processing alone: 2-3% of revenue. Net margin: 8-18% of gross revenue. Cap rates on QSR-style gas/C-store: 5.5-7.5% corporate tenant, 6.5-8.5% franchise.

EV transition risk?

Gas station economics threatened by EV adoption. By 2030: 15-30% of new car sales EV (California 50%+). Fuel volume decline starts 2026-2030 mainstream. Sites pivoting: C-store focus, EV charging add-on, QSR pad (Raising Cane's, Starbucks). EV fast charging: $200-500k capex per 4-charger station, $100-250k annual revenue at utilization. Early EV revenue partially offsets fuel decline.