Further petrol station boycotts could be on the cards to protest against the high cost of fuel.
Fuel pump. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
About 40,000 people responded to a Facebook event which asked motorists to stay away from all petrol stations for a day, until midday today.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealanders are being fleeced.
However, the fuel companies disagree.
They blame a lower New Zealand dollar and higher overseas crude oil prices for the rise in petrol.
Boycott co-organiser Julia Roche believed fuel companies were playing a game with motorists.
She said she would keep the pressure on.
"A lot of people have said that they think targeting one certain brand for a while - so that's something that we'll look into after this," she said
Ms Roche said many people were on a budget, and every time petrol goes up in price, something has to go, sometimes groceries.
She said discrepancies in prices between different regions was also a major problem.