Best Credit Cards for Gas

On the face of it, gasoline expenditures may not contribute significantly to your regular budget. However, if most of your day is spent on the road, whether as a commuter, a traveler or a road-tripper, the money you spend on gas can quickly add up. 

The nationwide surge in gasoline prices means it can even add up significantly to break your budget. For instance, according to AAA, the average national gas price per gallon is currently $4.98. If you drive 1,188 miles per month in a typical U.S. car that gets a little over 24.5 miles per gallon (mpg) of gas, your monthly gas expenditure will amount to over $241. That's 1,188 divided by 24.5 mpg of gas and multiplied by $4.983. 

The implication is that as a minimum wage earner that puts in 8 hours daily, a little less than five of your productive workdays in a month goes into gas. Minus weekends, there are roughly 21 workdays in a month. As the gas goes into the tank, your hard-earned dollars go down the drain. One smart way to cushion and minimize your monthly expenditure on gas is leveraging a credit card that offers you the best returns on gas station purchases.

For instance, a credit card that gives you at least 3% cash back on every dollar you spend at the pump and other perks can go a long way. So, as rewards cards go, this might be the perfect option many of you frequent drivers out there.

Unfortunately, picking an ideal fuel card purchase can be tricky. Often restrictions exist regarding what qualifies as a service station. Most issuers don't include gas purchased at supermarkets, superstores and wholesale clubs like Costco, BJ and Sam's. While gas-station-branded cards may seem like a great alternative, you're better off with general reward cards as they offer more value. In addition, you're not tied to one gas station brand.

To help you make a more informed choice, Benzinga put together a list of some of the best credit cards for gas in various categories and attributes. 

Best for Gas Station, Streaming Services and Grocery Stores: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is an excellent credit card option if you want to maximize rewards on everyday purchases. A fantastic sign-up bonus and unlimited cash back on important categories like U.S. gas station purchases, transit, U.S. supermarkets and select U.S. streaming services reinforce its status as top-tier cash back credit card. The 3% cash back on gas stations and local transit (including buses, tolls, trains and ride-shares) can quickly add up. 

So if you're a commuter who often takes public transport or drives to work, it can be a great way to rack up cash backs. Families and people who enjoy home-cooked meals can leverage the massive 6% cash back rate on U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000) to chock up dollars through grocery shopping. Furthermore, suppose you're a movie lover. In that case, you can take advantage of the 6% cash back on select streaming platforms (like Hulu, Netflix, Spotify and ESPN+ ) to accumulate dollars by streaming movies on major. 

If you love streaming movies, commuting or grocery shopping, American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is the way to go. Although the annual fee may seem prohibitive, it poses no problem if you target a $30 weekly expenditure on groceries alone.

Best for Bonus Categories: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card

Suppose you want a more robust reward rate than the regular 1.5% flat-rate cash back card and flexibility to choose your preferred bonus category. In that case, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal for you. The card allows you to select one of six 3% cash back bonus categories, including gas, online shopping, dining, drugstores, travel, home improvement and furniture stores. And each month, you're allowed to swap out your choice. It’s an incredible feature that offers you a lot of control over a range of everyday expenses. 

For instance, if you figure that your schedule will put you more on the road in a particular month, you can choose gas as your category for that month. You can change that in subsequent months, depending on your need. Combined with the 2% cash back for supermarkets or grocery stores, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card stands out as the best over different categories of everyday expenses. However, the $2,500 spending limit can be problematic, especially for big spenders.

Best for Rewards or Cashback: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi offers the right mix of lucrative reward rates to help Costco loyalists streamline everyday expenses. The stellar 4% (capped at $7,000 annually) cash back on eligible gas purchases is one of the best gas station deals you can get. What makes this deal awesome is that you don't have to purchase gas at one of the numerous Costco service stations to enjoy the bonus reward. You can fuel your tank anywhere and still get it.  

The 3% cash back on restaurant expenses and eligible travel purchases and 2% reward on all other purchases at Costco or Costco.com reinforce its status as a cash back giant. Additionally, the card offers 1% on every additional purchase. The snag is that, despite not charging annual fees, you need a Costco membership to enjoy the cashback. Depending on your preferred hierarchy,  membership fees range from $60 to $120 monthly.

Best for Travel, Road Trips and Hotel Points: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is one of the three customer-focused cards designed for road trippers and travelers who enjoy staying at the Hilton Hotel. 

As a cardholder, you're eligible for six bonus points for every dollar you spent filling up your tank at any U.S. gas station while on the road. And should you decide to spend a night in one of the Hilton brands, after a long day of travel, you earn 12 bonus points per dollar for your lodging expenses. When you rack up $15,000 in expenses through the card in a calendar year, you get a free weekend night reward that you can use in any Hilton location. International travelers will especially find the zero foreign transaction fees helpful—terms apply.

Other features include:

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months
• Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors Card
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
• 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and at gas stations
• Earn 4X Points for each dollar on online purchases
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases

You also get:

• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year to earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year
• Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment is required. Terms apply

You can accumulate the points over time and, once redeemed, use them to pay for future gas or hotel expenses. 

Best for Big Gas Spenders: Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card's lucrative rewards program stands out among other competitors. The credit card offers a lavish monthly 5% bonus for categories (up to $500) where you've made the most purchases. The offers cut across multiple categories, including gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, select travel, select transit and several others. 

The implication is that in contrast to other cards that require you to manually select your preferred reward category monthly, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card automatically applies the highest cashback rate to your most-used category. Therefore it is your best bet if you're looking for a low-maintenance card with an incredible and competitive cashback offer. And the welcome bonus kind of serves as icing on the cake with a low spend threshold and lucrative reward in the form of ThankYou Points. The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card will help you rack up cash back if you're a big gas spender.

Best for GM Rewards: My GM Rewards Card™

When you use the My GM Rewards Card™, you get a robust welcome bonus and collect points on your purchases that can go toward the lease or purchase of a GM vehicle. There’s no annual fee, and you can even use the card overseas with no foreign transaction fee.

Yes, there is a 0% intro APR that expires based on the issuer’s current guidelines, but it gives you time to earn rewards without paying interest. This is especially helpful because you’re combining your regular gas purchases with your desire to save for a new vehicle. This, then, is the perfect card to use for gas purchases.

This is the sort of card you use when you want to put your rewards towards your biggest goals in life. It can also help you if you’re planning on buying vehicles for your children or shuffling vehicles in your family and shopping with GM. Business owners might also do the same to earn rewards towards their business fleet vehicle purchases.

Best Overall: U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card

The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card offers an extensive list of cash back options that make it stand out. 

You'll find the 3% gas cash back beneficial if you're a regular commuter or road tripper. This extends to EV charging points, assuming you drive an EV. It is one of the few cards in the market that offers cash back for EV charging points. Gas, office supplies, cell phone services and software subscriptions comprise daily or monthly small- to medium-sized business expenditures. 

Therefore by leveraging this card, such businesses can earn cash back and minimize overhead expenses. The 5% cash back on prepaid hotels is a great deal for individuals and business travelers. It's one of the highest in the market. Combined with the 3% restaurant cashback, the cashback can significantly pile up. However, you'll have to pay fees for transactions overseas.

Ultimately the card is ideal for both individuals (especially those that are always on the road and love eating out) and businesses that need to offset expenses on gas, office supplies and cellular services. It is, therefore, the best overall card on the list since its bonus rewards can beneficially serve individuals and businesses alike.

Types of Credit Card for Gas

Three main types of gas credit cards are available in the open market. The best gas credit card is more than a logo on plastic. Cardholders need to know that they are getting all the best options and perks, but which type of loyalty program or fuel station card is best. et's review them.

General-Purpose Credit Cards

General-purpose credit cards typically offer an all-in-one bonus reward for gas credit utility. The rewards could be in the form of cash back or points returned per dollar spent. 

The card reward program doesn't pay much emphasis on a particular spending category. Instead, rewards are typically spread out over different spending categories, allowing flexibility in your credit card usage. 

Loyalty or Private Label Gas Credit Cards

Loyalty gas cards (private label cards) are proprietary credit cards issued by a few mega gas station chains to foster customer loyalty. Such cards offer generous savings and rewards for purchases made at their location. For instance, the ExxonMobil™ Smart Card offers massive gas rewards, but is that right for you? Are those stations near your home or where you work?

In addition, you earn 30 cents per gallon for the first two months of account opening. Generally, private label gas credit cards allow cardholders to earn free credits in-house and make gas purchases at a discount.

Co-Branded Gas Credit Cards

Co-branded gas credit cards result from a partnership or a collaboration between gas merchants and regular credit card issuers. Typically such cards combine the Premium service offering of the partner gas station with the original issuer's benefits. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi falls in this category.

Should You Get a Credit Card for Gas?

Suppose you're a road tripper, a commuter, or a regular traveler. That means, on average, a significant part of your monthly expenditure goes into gas. Getting a gas credit card, therefore, makes sense. In contrast, you don't need a gas credit card if you're a remote worker or seldom drive. 

Generally, before getting a credit card, you need to conduct a constructive analysis of your monthly expenses and identify the categories where you spend most. You should consider getting a gas credit card if your maximum expenditure falls into the gas category. But before proceeding, you also need to decide if private-label gas cards or the others will serve you better. 

Generally, if you always get your gas from a specific company, private label cards will be preferable. Furthermore, getting a hotel credit card that'll earn you bonus points or miles on gas purchases might be ideal if you travel a lot.

While getting a gas card, keep the following pros and cons in mind.

Pros

• Cost-saving benefits 
• Offers rewards in the form of cash back or bonus points at gas stations 
• Little or no annual fees
• Usually doesn't require high credit scores

Cons

• Not flexible, compared to other types
• Tied to one company or brand
• Sometimes challenging to redeem rewards

Considerations With Gas Credit Cards

When you make a fuel purchase and wish you had a gas card, you need to consider all the little things that come with these cards. Yes, the fuel price you get might not be all that different at any particular station, but what goes on with these cards behind the scenes?

Credit Approval: You must be approved before getting a gas card, and there’s no way to know how large your credit line will be. Check the general credit range for these cards and consider how much you realistically need before applying.

Perks: Can you get a free car wash with your new card? Can you get special prices on diesel fuel? What is the rewards rate? Are certain items excluded from the program? Can you apply your rewards as a statement credit? All these little things add up when choosing a card for any purchase, but especially when you’re a captive customer at a gas station.

Intro APR: If you can get a solid intro APR, you will save a lot of money when you first open the card. This could be especially helpful if you’re traveling soon. This intro rate can also help with purchases in the convenience store.

Choose a Quality Gas Card Today

Credit cards for gas offer rewards in the form of bonus points or cash back when you use the credit card for gas stations purchase or other eligible purchases. You can also earn cash back on transit, depending on the card type. Cashback and bonus points can be redeemed as a statement credit, direct deposit (to U.S. Bank savings, checking or money market account) or checks. For instance, 5,000 points for a $50 check by mail, $50 statement credit or $50 deposit to your savings bank account. 

Furthermore, you can redeem bonus points for other rewards like miles for travel, gift cards or Shop with Points at Amazon. Always remember that the redemption rate varies. You can get additional information about rewards activation or redemption by visiting your card issuer's online website or contacting the customer support team. Using this information, you can get more rewards in your pocket and plan for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions