September 17, 2011

Do gasoline receipts have to show the cost per gallon?

Dear Consumer Ed:   

I paid $4.099 per gallon for gas at this station today.  I paid $23 cash and received the correct amount of gas (5.611 gallons).  I asked a clerk for a copy of the receipt, but he said he could only give me a receipt that did not show the cost per gallon.  Is that allowed? 

Consumer Ed says: 

No, the price per gallon must be included on the receipt.  The Georgia Department of Agriculture issues and enforces regulations governing fuel sales in the state of Georgia.  The Department of Agriculture follows NIST Handbook 44, which requires fuel receipts to contain the following information:

  • The total volume of the delivery (the total amount of fuel sold);
  • The unit price (the price per gallon)
  • The total computed price; 
  • The product identity by name, symbol, abbreviation, or code number.

If a fuel provider fails to provide you with a receipt containing all of the information listed above, you may report the provider to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Fuel & Measures Division, at 404-656-3605.

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