St. Paul Island's new gas station is open 24/7 but no longer takes cash or checks

The city gas station on St. Paul Island is now open around the clock, up from five hours on weekday afternoons. But its pumps take only debit and credit cards.

The City of St. Paul switched on the payment system at its newly built station Tuesday, the city announced. Cash and checks are no longer accepted.

Until now, the station's published hours were 1:30 to 6:30 pm on weekdays, with Saturday hours added in summer, and it closed on city holidays. An earlier version of the city's fuel page listed cash, checks, cards on file at the City Cashier Office and accounts as accepted payment.

Now customers start the pumps at a payment terminal inside the station building, where instructions are posted. The city's bulk fuel operators are on hand this week during business hours to show people how it works. Card information the city kept on file for station purchases will be destroyed by the end of next week, the announcement says.

Gasoline is listed at $8.38 a gallon and diesel at $8.76, plus taxes, under the city's rate schedule effective Aug. 24. The schedule also lists a $35 fee for a declined card or bounced check.

The city runs a bulk fuel storage facility with 1.8 million gallons of tank space and sells gasoline, diesel, marine diesel and heating fuel to residents, visitors and vessels, its fuel services page says. Fuel arrives by barge about twice a year. An August delivery of heating fuel cost the city about $7.55 a gallon.

The payment change covers only the gas station. Heating fuel can still be paid for with cash, checks or cards at the City Cashier Office, and marine fuel at the dock is still sold on city accounts only.