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The information about the Capital One Cards has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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Editor: Barry Bridges | bbridges@bankrate.com
What you need to know about gas credit cards
Although gas prices have hit historic lows in the spring of 2020, experts predict increases across the country. Since transportation costs traditionally eat up well over 10 percent of the average household’s yearly expenditures, earning credit card rewards at the pump is always a smart move to help counteract these costs.
To help you get maximum value, Bankrate’s personal finance experts have chosen the top gas credit cards available from our partners. Our analysis also includes advice on the best way to choose (and use) the gas card that’s right for you.
Comparing Bankrate’s top gas credit cards
| Card Name |
Review score |
Best for |
| Citi Rewards+℠ Card |
4.6/5 |
Everyday spending |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express |
4.6/5 |
Families on the go |
| Discover it® chrome (not currently available) |
4.0/5 |
First-year cash back match |
| Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card |
4.8/5 |
Simplicity |
| Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card (not currently available) |
4.4/5 |
Bank of America customers |
| U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card (not currently available) |
4.5/5 |
Flexible cash back categories |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
4.6/5 |
Flexible rewards |
A closer look at our list of best gas credit cards
Citi Rewards+℠ Card
Why we rate it best for everyday spending
The feature that rounds up points to the next 10 on purchases makes the 2X ThankYou® Points you’ll earn on gas station and supermarket spending (up to $6,000 a year, then 1X points) plus the 1X points on everything else even more valuable.
The sign-up bonus is pretty small compared to other gas cards, but you’ll benefit greatly from the card’s lack of an annual fee and the 10% points back on the first 100,000 points you redeem each year.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Why we rate it best for families on the go
Unlimited 3 percent cash back on transit and at U.S. gas stations is a stand-out rate for busy cardholders always on the road. Commuting families will enjoy the massive 6 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1 percent) and on select U.S. streaming services. Plus, benefits like presale ticket access, roadside assistance and travel accident insurance are perfect for road trips.
Although there is a $95 annual fee, the $250 statement credit welcome bonus after spending $1,000 in your first three months and high-earning ongoing rewards will more than cover it.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
Discover it® chrome (not currently available)
Why we rate it best for first-year cash back match
Bustling commuters who don’t have as much time to cook regularly, like students, will find this card’s 2 percent cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1 percent) and unlimited 1 percent on all other eligible purchases a solid option.
Prospective cardholders who spend more than $4,000 a year in those categories could look to other cards for more generous earnings and spending caps, but simply maximizing the gas station and restaurant categories alone will earn new cardholders $160 counting the Cashback Match™ at the end of their first year.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
The information about the Discover it chrome has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why we rate it best for simplicity
The Quicksilver’s unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases, including gas, and benefits including Roadside Assistance and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver make this flat-rate card a reliable fit for drivers who prefer straightforward rewards. Plus, the $150 bonus after spending $500 in your first three months is within easy reach if you spend a lot of time driving.
Added benefits like 24-hour travel assistance mean cardholders have less to worry about on road trips.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card (not currently available)
Why we rate it best for Bank of America customers
You can make gas your 3-percent choice category with this card, which also earns 2 percent at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then 1 percent). In addition to these competitive cash back rates, Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can earn 25 percent to 75 percent more rewards on every purchase. To qualify for Preferred Rewards, cardholders must bank with Bank of America or have a Merrill account with at least $20,000 in assets.
With no annual fee and a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in your first 90 days, this card can really go the extra mile for BofA customers.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
The information about the Bank of America Cash Rewards credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card (not currently available)
Why we rate it best for flexible cash back categories
Frequent drivers who like selecting their bonus categories but want more travel benefits from their no-annual-fee card may enjoy aspects of the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card more than the similar Bank of America Cash Rewards credit card (not currently available). Although its 2-percent cash back rate at gas stations as a choice category is lower, the U.S. Bank Cash+ also carries Visa Signature benefits like 24-hour concierge service, access to exclusive events and discounts and upgrades on select travel. Overall, you can earn 5 percent cash back on two choice categories (up to $2,000 combined quarterly purchase limit), 2 percent on either gas stations, grocery stores or restaurants and 1 percent back on all other purchases.
The U.S. Bank Cash+ card’s $150 cash bonus when you spend $500 in your first 90 days is more easily attainable, and you don’t have to bank with BofA to maximize this card’s value.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
The information about the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Why we rate it best for flexible rewards
The diverse range of reward redemption options sets the Chase Freedom Unlimited apart from similar no-annual-fee, unlimited 1.5% cash back cards. Cardholders can redeem rewards for cash back, statement credits, gift cards and even on purchases at online retailers like Amazon.com.
Best of all, this card can be paired with other eligible Chase Ultimate Rewards cards to pool points. For drivers, the Chase Freedom® frequently earns cash back at gas stations through Chase’s rotating bonus categories.
Read our full review and find out how to apply.
The information about the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
What is a gas credit card and how does it work?
With a gas credit card, you’ll earn points, cash back or miles when you spend at the pump. Most tend to be no annual fee cards that accept fair to good credit, but not all.
General-purpose gas credit cards are simply credit cards that offer bonus categories for earning rewards at gas stations. For example, the Citi Rewards+ Card offers 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X). Gas credit cards, just like all other credit cards, can be either flat-rate or have rotating bonus categories.
Beyond the general-purpose gas cards that will earn your rewards at any station, no matter the brand, there are loyalty and co-branded gas cards.
Loyalty gas cards
Loyalty gas cards, or cards distributed by specific gas stations to promote loyalty (such as BP, Speedway or Chevron), allow cardholders to earn credits for gas and receive discounts on fuel.
According to a 2018 gas card survey by CreditCards.com, loyalty gas cards are declining in popularity. A survey by Market Force Information backs up this finding: 73 percent of survey participants said that the most critical factor in deciding where to fill up one’s tank is fuel price. Participation in loyalty programs came in at 10th.
Top 10 factors in deciding where to fuel
- 73%
- Fuel price
- 53%
- Good lighting (day or night)
- 52%
- Form of payment options
- 52%
- Fuel quality
- 49%
- Ease of getting in and out
- 47%
- Location has good perception of safety
- 39%
- Previous good experience at location
- 39%
- Location is nearby when “empty” light goes on
- 37%
- Speed to authorize payment
- 35%
- Participation in loyalty programs
Market Force Information
Loyalty gas rewards
We recommend general-purpose gas rewards credit cards over loyalty cards — you’ll be able to earn rewards at any gas station, rather than one specific branded station. Additionally, the ebb and flow of gas prices could make gas more expensive at the particular loyalty program’s station compared to other brands, in turn limiting your savings. You can learn more in our guide to gas rewards programs about how these loyalty offers stack up.
Brand loyalty gas rewards are generally free, so signing up at stations and convenience stores you frequently visit is a no-brainer. Though compared to a general rewards gas credit card, loyalty gas programs alone generally earn fewer rewards because you’re receiving a certain number of points or cents back per gallon instead of per dollar. To maximize your rewards, some loyalty programs like BPme (which recently replaced BP Driver Rewards) allow you to connect your debit or credit card to their app to earn points, which means you can earn loyalty rewards on top of your general-purpose credit card gas rewards.
Here are a few notable loyalty gas rewards to consider for your next fill-up:
| Rewards program |
Rewards rate |
Redemption options |
Caveats and bonus offers |
| BPme Rewards |
5 cents per gal. |
Gas discount. |
Throughout May, BPme Rewards members will have five cents off per gallon. To normally continue this discount, members must spend $100 on fuel each month. |
| Exxon Mobil Rewards+™ |
3 points (1 point = 1 cent) per gal., 2 points per $1 on eligible merchandise. |
Redeem for gas and store discounts starting at 100 points ($1 discount). |
Members can qualify for Premium Status and earn six points per gallon after purchasing Synergy Supreme+™ premium gasoline at least 3 times a month, totaling to at least eight gallons. |
| Speedy Rewards® |
10 points per gal., 20 points per $1 of eligible merchandise.
Additional Bonus Points on “special deal” items. |
Free select merchandise like select food, beverages and gift cards. Points can also be redeemed for 10, 25 and 50 cent per gallon gas discounts. |
N/A |
| Sunoco APlus Rewards |
Select APlus store merchandise will earn stackable discounts.
Partner grocery store loyalty cards also provide gas discounts. |
Gas discount. |
Discounted gas can’t exceed 20 gallons per transaction.
The maximum price of discounted gas is $0.019 per gallon.
Your discounts expire on the last day of the month after they were earned.
Via partner grocery loyalty programs, earning 100 Price Chopper® points earns five cents off per gallon, spending $100 at Redner’s Markets earns ten cents off per gallon and spending $50 at Shop ‘n Save® earns ten cents off per gallon. |
| Shell Fuel Rewards® |
5 cents per gal. stackable discount with Gold Status, 10 cents per gal. (for every $50) through card-linked dining purchases or 5 cents per gal. (for every $50) through other card-linked purchases at Clarks® and Jiffy Lube®.
Through the Fuel Rewards Network, Members can also earn gas discounts for online shopping purchases and a 5 cent per gal. (for every $50) discount for select travel purchases. |
Gas discount. Some marked Shell merchandise purchases provide 5, 10 and 25 cent discounts per gallon up to 20 gallons. |
Members begin at Gold Status but must purchase at least five gallons of gas at least six times over three consecutive months in order to keep their status. Otherwise, members will drop to Silver Status and earn a stackable three cents per gallon discount.
Eligible linked cards are available through Mastercard®, American Express® and Visa®. |
Co-branded gas cards
Co-branded gas cards are issued by a particular gas retailer and function like a normal credit card since they’re also branded with a card network, such as the BP Visa® Credit Card. Typically, you can use the card at more than just the issuer’s retail locations. For example, the BP Visa Credit Card earns rewards for spending at BP stations, eligible grocery stores, dining and travel and all other spending. With co-branded cards, you’ll receive a lot fewer features than a general-purpose gas rewards card, and they usually have some of the highest APRs.
When applying for a gas credit card or any retail card, it’s important to know whether you’re applying to a co-branded card or a private-label card since many gas retailers offer both. Like co-branded cards, private-label gas cards generally offer rewards limited to a select gas station, high interest rates and no/low annual fee. The main difference is that private-label cards aren’t branded with a network, so they can’t be used on purchases outside the respective gas retailer. Private-label cards may also offer lower rebate rates.
Although they both have a 29.99% purchase APR and a possible $10 monthly account fee, the private-label BP Credit Card only gets five cents off per gallon and 1 percent cash back on BP in-store purchases, as an example. The co-branded BP Visa Credit Card provides an all-around better value with its ten-cent discount per gallon, 3 percent cash back on eligible groceries and 1 percent on all other purchases. It’s good practice to link your gas credit card to the retailer’s rewards app to make these contextual cards more valuable; BP Visa Credit Card holders earn an extra five cents off per gallon through BPme, for instance.
Since telling loyalty, co-branded and private-label cards apart can be tricky with their nearly identical names, we’ve matched popular loyalty gas retailers to their consumer rewards cards so that it’s easier to explore your options:
| Gas retailer |
Loyalty gas program |
Private-label gas card |
Co-branded gas card |
| BP |
BPme Rewards |
BP Credit Card |
BP Visa® Credit Card
BP Visa Signature® Credit Card |
| ExxonMobil |
Exxon Mobil Rewards+™ |
ExxonMobil™ Smart Card |
N/A |
| Speedway |
Speedy Rewards® |
N/A |
Speedy Rewards® Mastercard® |
| Sunoco |
Sunoco APlus Rewards |
Sunoco Rewards Credit Card |
N/A |
| Shell |
Shell Fuel Rewards® |
Shell Fuel Rewards® Card |
Shell Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® |
How you can benefit from a gas credit card
If you drive a vehicle that runs on gasoline, you’ll benefit from a gas credit card — it’s as simple as that.
Gas credit cards are ideal cards for individuals who commute long distances, frequently run errands, love to take road trips or have a busy family. With gas rewards cards, you can earn better-than-average rewards on fuel purchases and can better protect against skimmers, or machines that steal and store your card information, than debit cards.
College students
College is often when young adults begin building their credit history, and a gas card is a perfect place to start.
Whether you commute to and from campus or spend time driving to a part-time job or internship, a gas credit card can help you earn rewards on your fuel purchases while building up your credit — just make sure you’re using your card responsibly and paying it off each month.
We recommend the Discover it® Student chrome (not currently available), which will earn you 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter), plus 1% cash back on everything else.
The information about the Discover it Student chrome has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Roadtrippers
If you have any road trips planned this winter, you’ll benefit from a gas card.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express will earn you 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit (covering tolls you may encounter on your trip) and 1% back on everything else.
How to choose a gas credit card
There are a variety of options when it comes to choosing a gas credit card. First and foremost, we recommend that you stick with the general-purpose gas rewards card that will earn you rewards at any gas station, no matter the brand.
Additionally, look for cards that offer no annual fee and perks for non-gas purchases. We’ve pulled together an example of two credit cards that we think would be good choices:
|
Discover it® chrome |
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card |
| Rewards structure |
2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter)
1% unlimited cash back on everything else |
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase |
| Spending example |
$1,000 * 4 quarters * 2% cash back * $0.01 = $80
$200 * 12 months * 1% cash back * $0.01 = $24 |
$1,000 * 4 quarters * 1.5% cash back * $0.01 = $60
$200 * 12 months * 1.5% cash back * $0.01 =$36 |
| Annual fee |
$0 |
$0 |
| Sign-up bonus |
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically. |
$150 when you spend $500 in your first three months |
| First-year value |
$208 (including year-end match bonus) |
$246 (including sign-up bonus) |
| Second-year value |
$104 |
$96 |
Spending example
Let’s take a closer look at the cash back you’d earn from the Discover it chrome and Quicksilver cards:
Discover it® chrome
Say you spent $1,000 each quarter at gas stations and restaurants combined (therefore maxing out the 2% category). Then, say you spent an additional $200 a month on purchases outside the 2% category. By the end of your first year, you’d earn $104 in cash back.
When you include the rewards you’d earn from Discover’s Cashback Match feature, you’d earn $208 in cash back by the end of your first year of card ownership.
Capital One® Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
If you spent $1,000 per quarter on gas with the Quicksilver card and $200 per month on all other purchases, you’d end up with $96 in cash back.
When you add in the first-year sign-up bonus you’d earn by spending at least $500 in your first three months, you’d earn a total of $246 in cash back by the end of your first year.
The bottom line
Although you’d earn more cash back your first year with the Quicksilver card, by year two the Discover it chrome will offer you more value.
Frequently asked questions about gas credit cards
What are fleet gas cards?
Fleet gas cards are business credit cards specifically designed to provide company vehicle gas and maintenance rebates. They primarily earn fuel discounts like private-label gas cards, but have detailed purchase monitoring benefits for better point-of-sale security (driver identification, where and when the purchase took place, exact cost, fuel efficiency, etc.) so business owners can prevent unauthorized purchases that may be possible with general business credit cards — like convenience store items. This means that unlike corporate cards that can earn rewards on a variety of expenses with most merchants, most fleet cards can only be used to make vehicle-related purchases with set retailers.
Some fleet cards may be co-branded rather than private-label so larger fleets can refuel at a wider variety of locations, but the monthly account fees, ongoing APR and discounts may remain the same depending on the retailer. Co-branded fleet cards usually charge a fee for out-of-network purchases. Companies that purchase large volumes of gas per month (in the thousands of gallons) may benefit from fleet cards that waive monthly fees and offer tiered discounts, but the common one- to five-cent discount may be not be worth the account fees for smaller fleets.
For example, both BP fleet cards charge the same $10 monthly account fee (waived if over 5,000 gallons purchased per month) and have a six-cent discount per gallon, but the BP Business Solutions Plus private-label card can be used at BP locations and the co-branded BP Business Solutions Mastercard® can be used at any fueling location that accepts Mastercard.
Here are a list of common gas retailers and their fleet card options:
- BP: BP Business Solutions Plus (private-label), BP Business Solutions Mastercard® (co-branded).
- ExxonMobil: ExxonMobil Business Fleet card (private-label), ExxonMobil Fleet National card (co-branded).
- Sunoco: Sunoco SunTrak® card (private-label), Sunoco Corporate card (private-label, limited fee option for small businesses), Sunoco Universal Fleet card (co-branded)
- Speedway: Speedway Business Fleet Card (private-label), Speedway Business Universal Card (co-branded), SuperFleet Mastercard® (co-branded)
- Shell: Shell Fleet Plus® (private-label), Shell Fleet Navigator® (co-branded), Shell Small Business™ (private-label, limited-fee option with no gas discount for small businesses)
What are some different ways to save on gas?
There are a few everyday ways to save money on gas purchases outside loyalty programs and gas credit cards, although those may be your most lucrative options.
Discount and map apps like GasBuddy
Using map apps on your phone can help you save by searching for nearby gas stations for the lowest prices. Apps like Waze can even list your closest options by preferred price, brand and gas type. In addition to tracking prices, the GasBuddy app’s Pay with GasBuddy™ feature lets you link a checking account to earn post-purchase discounts and rewards.
Other reward credit card bonus categories
Outside your cash back card’s gas category, can other categories earn rewards on gas purchases? Unfortunately, cards like the American Express Blue Cash Preferred that earn high rates at U.S. supermarkets likely won’t earn you rewards at grocery store-owned gas stations due to merchant category code (MCC) differences. Grocery store-owned gas stations like HT Fuel’s MCC (5542: gas stations/fuel/supplies) are different from the store’s MCC (5411: grocery stores/supermarkets/bakeries), meaning your credit card won’t count them in the same rewards category. Even most grocery store-branded credit cards — like the Harris Teeter REWARDS World Mastercard® — don’t usually offer gas rewards.
Luckily, several wholesale club credit cards offer gas rewards at their stations, like the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®’s 5 percent cash back on gas. We wouldn’t encourage getting a retail card for gas because of their high APRs and limited uses, but more versatile cards with an online shopping category could earn you gas rewards by buying gift cards. You may be able to purchase a gas station gift card online or in-store with your credit card, depending on the retailer (Harris Teeter notably doesn’t allow this, but Amazon does, for instance). Likewise, the Bank of America Cash Rewards card can earn rewards on gas gift cards online and the Blue Cash Preferred could earn massive cash back in-store with this method.
Use public transportation
If public transit is an option available to you, a household can save nearly $10,000 by taking public transportation and having one fewer car, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Plus, some cardholders can earn rewards on transit. Blue Cash Preferred holders earn unlimited 3% cash back on transit, including trains, parking, buses, tolls, rideshares and taxis.
Make sure your car is properly maintained
Simply keeping your engine tuned, tires inflated, replacing a clogged air filter and using the recommended grade of motor oil could improve your fuel economy by up to 6.6 percent. Maintaining all of these factors translates into saving up to twelve cents per gallon — more than most consumer gas loyalty reward programs will save you.
How we selected our list of top gas cards
Credit cards featured on Bankrate.com receive a score based on a 5-point scoring system. With individual categories such as gas credit cards, the analysis focuses on specific features relevant to that type of card, including:
Rewards rate
The highest-rated credit cards for gas purchases typically earn cash back or rewards points at a rate of 2 percent, 3 percent or even 4 percent for every dollar you spend on fuel purchases.
Versatility
The best gas cards offer rewards not just for filling up your vehicle but also for other types of everyday purchases, such as groceries.
Affordability
A truly outstanding gas credit card puts value front and center, meaning that it charges no annual fee (or a minimal fee).
Learn more about gas credit cards and thrifty travel
Fuel up on knowledge with more credit card resources from Bankrate:
Senior Editor Barry Bridges has been writing about credit cards, loans, mortgages and other personal finance products for Bankrate since 2018. His work has also appeared on websites including Nasdaq.com, Zillow.com and The Simple Dollar. He was previously an award-winning newspaper journalist in his native North Carolina. Send your questions about credit cards (and fantasy baseball) to bbridges@bankrate.com.
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