What To Know Before Going For A Refill On Your Drink At Buc-Ee's

Buc-ee's is known as one of the best gas stations and convenience stores you can stop at for snacks like beef jerky in 13 flavors (though there are some Buc-ee's foods you should avoid) and drinks, among other things. But if you're hoping to cut down on single-use waste by refilling your own washable, extra-large cup, you might be surprised by the questionable policy in place. As it stands, based on customers' experiences shared across the internet, it's more expensive to refill a reusable vessel than it is to buy Buc-ee's largest styrofoam cup.

If you bought the largest size styrofoam drink cup at the gas station, the price was about $1.09 at the end of December 2025, according to TikTok. While it appears the price of the largest styrofoam cup has increased to $1.19 in 2026,  it's still quite a leap in price to simply use your own cup. The cost to refill your own washable cup was most recently listed as $1.99, according to Reddit. Earlier last year, it was just $1.19, according to TikTok in September 2025, and $1.29 according to Facebook in July 2025. While the price seems to be fluctuating quite a bit and possibly changing between locations or states, there's a larger issue when the price of a refill is more expensive than buying a single-use cup.

While it might seem illogical to charge more for a refill in a reusable cup, the larger issue with this policy is the customer behavior it encourages. Because it is more expensive to get a refill rather than simply buying a new cup, this Buc-ee's policy is inadvertently discouraging customers from reusing their refillable cups. It could even encourage customers to buy the largest styrofoam cup only to pour their drink into their own mug and immediately toss the single-use cup. Ultimately, it's easier to create unnecessary waste with this pricing model. 

Though it's unclear what the largest size cup is that you can refill at Buc-ee's for $1.99, it's worth asking or trying to refill a cup that's larger than the 42-ounce, $1.19 styrofoam cup to stretch your dollar without contributing to unnecessary waste. Besides, you're going to want plenty of whatever your go-to beverage is to wash down all of those most popular snack picks at the convenience store.