A gas credit card offers its cardholders rewards, benefits, discounts or other perks related to the purchase of gasoline using the card. Though gas credit cards may be co-branded with gas station or fuel provider brands and offer specific rewards connected to those brands’ loyalty programs, gas credit cards may also include non-co-branded cards with high-yield rewards for purchases made on gas. In other words, a gas credit card may refer to cards not associated with a fuel brand.
Gas credit cards are different from fleet cards, which may act similarly to business credit cards for gas but are unlikely to offer the extra benefits fleet cards do, such as wholesale pricing and fleet-management or tracking tools.
How Do Gas Credit Cards Work?
Gas credit cards work the same way any other credit card may work at the pump: You simply swipe, insert or tap your card, enter a zip code or required identity verification, wait for authorization and pump your gas. The other terms associated with the account are typically the same as any other card: You’ll need to pay your bill on time before the due date. We recommend always paying in full to avoid interest charges.
Gas credit cards typically offer users either rewards or savings on gas generally or rewards on gas purchased from a specific station chain or brand. Some cards offer rewards as part of a rewards program, where a redemption of some sort is required or made automatically each month or year. Others may simply discount the purchase of gas at the pump or show rebates on the card account’s statement.
Types of Gas Credit Cards
There are two types of gas credit cards: Those that only work for a specific chain of gas stations and those that are on a major payment network (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and provide rewards for gas purchases regardless of the specific gas station.
Gas station credit cards are only accepted at the stations affiliated with the company co-branding the card. They may also provide rewards or discounts on your gas or convenience store purchases. Credit cards on a payment network are accepted virtually anywhere and offer rewards on bonus categories, including gas.
General-Purpose Gas Credit Cards
Cards such as the Citi Premier® Card don’t associate with a specific gas station or fuel brand and are thus referred to as general-purpose. Cards like these typically offer at least bonus rewards on purchases made on gas, but often also include other bonus categories.
Loyalty Gas Credit Cards
Other cards earn rewards specific to branded loyalty programs. These rewards are often redeemed for merchandise at gas station convenience stores or toward additional fuel purchases. Co-branded gas credit cards like it typically don’t make our list of the best credit cards for gas due to a lack of additional benefits and their lack of ability to compete with gas cards offering rewards on gas no matter your fill-up station.
How Much Can I Save With Gas Cards?
Many of the best gas cards offer an additional 3% to 4% cash back on your gas purchases, with a few offering more than that with an annual cap on spending. Some cards, usually co-branded gas cards, offer further discounts on gas purchases. Cards that earn points may offer more value, but only if you can use the points in an effective way.
