Wawa Makes Change To Gas Payment Policy: What To Know Next Time You Go

NEW JERSEY - Wawa has made a change to its policy with regards to paying for gasoline with cash at Garden State locations.

Per a policy change that went into effect on June 2, all Wawa locations now require customers to specify ahead of time to their attendant how much they would like to set the pump for. If the total ends under the limit, change will be issued.

The store's staff confirmed to Patch that "too many drive-offs with people not paying" resulted in the policy change.

The policy for credit and other forms of payment are not being altered.

New Jersey remains the only state where it is illegal to pump your own gasoline. You are, however, allowed to pump your own diesel fuel in the state.

Earlier this year, a bill to allow self-serve options at New Jersey gas pumps resurfaced, thanks to Senator Jon Bramnick. The Republican hopeful nominee for Governor re-introduced bill S4303, titled the "Motorist Fueling Choice and Convenience Act."

The bill is similar to a previous version A3105, which was introduced in 2022 but failed to get through the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee

Wawa was started by George Wood under the name "Wawa Dairy" as a Delaware County, PA business in 1902, that bottled fresh milk products from certified Guernsey cows.

The first "Wawa Food Market," with its additional offerings like the stores of today, was started by George’s grandson, Grahame Wood, who opened the first store in Folsom, PA, on April 16, 1964. The first stores in New Jersey and Delaware opened by 1969, with locations now selling foods like hamburgers and fried chicken.

A 2024 study crowned Wawa as the nation's leading convenience store chain. The American Customer Satisfaction Index Convenience Store Study 2024 surveyed more than 5,700 customers.

"If you’ve ever been part of a Wawa versus Sheetz debate, then you know how seriously folks defend their favorite hometown convenience store," a news release on the study reads. "So, in the friendly spirit of competition, the ACSI also measured customer satisfaction at the regional level. Once again, the top players prevail."

Related:

• Wawa Named Nation's Top Convenience Store In New Study
• Wawa Planning 5 New Stores In NJ: Here's Where
• Man Dials 911 17 Times, Demands Police Bring Him To Wawa In East Windsor: PD