Amid soaring living costs, America’s biggest convenience-store chains quietly overcharge consumers

Guardian investigation: 7-Eleven and Circle K stores often fail to honor advertised prices – charging more at pump and register for gas, snacks, and other items Marco Cruz pulled off a four-lane road into the parking lot of a Circle K convenience store in McAllen, Texas , 12 miles north of the US-Mexico border .

It was 1. 20am on a mild November night in 2025, and Cruz was looking for a bedtime snack after a day of visiting family and friends. He grabbed a pack of beef and jalapeño cheese sticks from the shelf, where they were priced at $3. 99. At the counter, though, they rang up at $4. 19. Cruz asked the cashier to charge him the lower…