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Gas and gas station purchases are among the most popular credit card rewards categories. That’s no surprise, as most Americans rely on gas-powered cars to get around and are always searching for ways to save money on gas.
Many general-purpose cash back credit cards include gas or gas station purchases as a regular rotating category, while others feature permanent cash back on gas buys. But finding the best gas credit card isn’t always as easy as it appears.
Best Gas Credit Cards for U.S. Drivers
When deciding which card best fits your needs, pay special attention to any spending caps, brand restrictions, and time limits that could eat into your earning power.
Read each card’s fine print to get the lowdown on any exclusions or restrictions. For instance, most general gas credit cards that offer cash back at “all U.S. gas stations” specifically exclude warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco, which sell discounted gas and have their own cash back rewards programs.
And pay special attention to interest rates, which can sometimes be higher than those of non-rewards credit cards.
1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
3% Cash Back at U.S. Gas Stations; 6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets and on Select U.S. Digital Media Services
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The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has one of the best gas rewards programs around: 3% unlimited cash back on purchases at all U.S. gas stations, with no spending caps or other restrictions. You also earn 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases up to $6,000 per year and 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. Plus, you get 1% cash back on all non-gas and non-supermarket purchases, with no limits.
However, there’s a $95 annual fee after the first year, when the introductory annual fee is $0 (see rates and fees page). Cash back accrues as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases on your card in the first 6 months of account opening, up to a maximum of $200 back. Plus, earn $150 back after you spend at least $3,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. Cash back accrues as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
- Key Fees: There’s a $95 annual fee after the first year (when the introductory annual fee is $0). Foreign transactions run 2.7%.
- Introductory APR: There is a 0% purchase APR for 12 months. After that, regular variable APR applies (currently 13.99% to 23.99%), depending on creditworthiness and prevailing interest rates. See rates and fees page.
See our American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card Review for more information. Find out how you can apply for this card here.
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2. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
4% Cash Back on Gas Purchases
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The Costco Anywhere Card has a generous gas benefit: 4% cash back on the first $7,000 in gas purchases each year. This rate applies on gas purchased at all U.S. gas stations, not just Costco filling hubs.
Above the $7,000 spending threshold, gas purchases earn unlimited 1% cash back. Eligible restaurant and travel purchases earn unlimited 3% cash back worldwide, and Costco purchases earn unlimited 2% cash back in-store and online. All other purchases earn unlimited 1% cash back.
If this card has a drawback, it’s the de facto $60 annual fee for regular cardholders. Like all warehouse stores, Costco charges an annual membership fee, and you won’t qualify for this card without agreeing to pay it. That said, Costco membership promises deep savings for frequent shoppers, so this is one credit card annual fee that pays for itself without much trouble. A foreign transaction fee waiver sweetens the pot further.
- Sign-up Bonus: This card has no sign-up bonus.
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee with a paid-up Costco membership, which costs $60 for a standard (Gold Star) membership and $120 for a premium (Executive) membership, plus applicable sales tax (if any). There is no foreign transaction fee. Balance transfers cost the greater of $5 or 3% of the transferred amount, and cash advances cost the greater of $10 or 5%.
- Introductory APR: There is no 0% APR introductory promotion.
- Other Perks: Other fringe benefits include complimentary rental car loss and damage coverage on rentals paid in full with the card and limited purchase protection on eligible items.
See our Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card Review for more details. If you’re interested in the nearly identical business version of this card, check out our Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card Review. Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.
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3. U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
4X Points on Travel and Gas Station Purchases; Great Sign-up Bonus
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The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card (see rates & fees) earns 4 points per $1 spent on eligible gas station purchases, making it one of the best credit cards on the market for frequent road trippers. It also earns 4 points per $1 spent on eligible nongas travel purchases too.
Grocery store and grocery delivery, restaurant dining, and streaming purchases all earn 2 points per $1 spent, double the 1-point-per-$1-spent baseline.
Although there is an annual fee after the first year, the blow is softened by an up to $100 application fee credit for TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry® members (once every four years) and up to $30 in annual credits against streaming service purchases (such as Netflix and Spotify®). Plus, points don’t expire once earned.
- Sign-up Bonus: Spend $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening to earn 50,000 bonus points, worth $500 when redeemed for travel, merchandise, cash back, gift cards, and more.
- Key Fees: The annual fee is $95 after the first year. There is no foreign transaction fee.
- Introductory APR: There’s no 0% APR introductory promotion.
- Other Perks: Get up to $30 in annual statement credits against purchases of eligible streaming services, including Netflix and Spotify®, and up to $100 in statement credits against your TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® application fee once every four years. Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card and look forward to up to $600 in cell phone protection coverage if your phone is lost or stolen.
- Terms and Conditions Apply: See rates & fees.
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4. Citi® Double Cash Card
Up to 2% Cash Back on Gas Purchases
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Citi Double Cash has a two-tiered cash-back program that rewards cardholders who pay their balances in full each month with 2% cash back on all purchases, including gas.
Here’s how it works. You’re guaranteed to earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases that post to your Double Cash account, provided your account remains in good standing. But you’ll only earn the extra 1% cash back (for a total of 2% cash back on all eligible purchases) when you pay off your balance in full.
If there was ever a reason not to carry a balance from month to month, this is it. Just be warned that cash back expires after 12 months of account dormancy, meaning a 12-month period with no purchases or redemptions.
Citi Double Cash has some other perks worth noting, including a 18-month 0% APR balance transfer promotion and special access (such as presale tickets) to thousands of events.
- Sign-Up Bonus: There’s currently no sign-up bonus on the Citi Double Cash Card. Check back for updates.
- Redemption: The minimum redemption is $25.
- Introductory APR: 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months. Thereafter, regular APR applies (currently 13.99% to 23.99% variable, depending on creditworthiness and prevailing rates).
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.
See our Citi Double Cash Card review for more information. Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.
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5. BP credit cards
Earn $0.10 Off Every Gallon* at Participating bp and Amoco Stations With the BP Visa® Credit Card; Earn $0.05 Off Every Gallon* at Participating bp and Amoco Stations With the BP Credit Card
BP has two fantastic credit cards for drivers who regularly fill up at bp and Amoco fuel stations: the BP Visa® Credit Card and the BP Credit Card.
The BP Visa® Credit Card earns $0.10 off every Gallon* (with no Gallon* restriction and no limit) at participating bp and Amoco stations after a 30-day introductory offer period that delivers up to $0.30 off every Gallon(*,†) at participating bp and Amoco stations when you open a BP credit card account and download the BPme app.
This card earns nicely on non-gas purchases too: 3% cash back* on grocery store purchases and 1% cash back* on purchases made everywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted, excluding bp and Amoco fuel purchases.
The BP Credit Card earns $0.05 off every Gallon* (with no Gallon* restriction and no limit) at participating bp and Amoco stations and 1% cash back* on non-fuel purchases made at bp and Amoco stations.
Cash back paid as a statement credit. Everyday Rewards cents off per gallon offer cannot be combined with 30-day introductory offer.
Here’s what else you need to know about these cards:
- 30-Day Introductory Offer: Get up to $0.30 off every Gallon(*,†) at participating bp and Amoco stations for the first 30 days when you open a BP credit card account and download the BPme app.
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee.
- Introductory APR: None.
- Other Perks: Enjoy $0 fraud liability and ATM cash access, subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.
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*Subject to credit approval. Cents Off Per Gallon Rewards on purchases made at participating bp and Amoco locations are taken automatically at the pump. After the introductory offer period: BP Visa Credit Cardholders will receive a discount of ten cents ($0.10) per gallon in fuel purchases; BP Credit Cardholders will receive a discount of five cents ($0.05) per gallon in fuel purchases. Cash Back Rewards earned on qualifying purchases will be posted to your account as a statement credit within two billing cycles. Account must remain open, be in good standing and not become delinquent at the time the statement credit is applied. See the Rewards Program Terms for details on earning rewards and the bp and Amoco Station Finder for participating locations at bp.com/gas-station-finder.
† Available at participating bp and Amoco locations. Immediately upon registration in BPme Rewards Program, members will receive $0.05 off per gallon of fuel purchased at participating bp and Amoco locations during the month of registration and the immediately following month (the “Registration Period”). During each month following the Registration Period, members will continue to receive $0.05 off per gallon of fuel purchased at
participating bp and Amoco locations during each calendar month, provided members have spent a minimum of one hundred dollars ($100) on bp and/or Amoco fuel during the immediately previous month.
The BP Visa Credit Card is issued by Synchrony Bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.
6. Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card
5% Cash Back on Gas Purchases During 1 Quarter per Year (On Average); Great Sign-up Bonus
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Chase Freedom Flex is a general-purpose cash back credit card that offers 5% cash back on purchases up to $1,500 in quarterly rotating categories (5% and 3% cash back in several other categories, including non-gas travel, dining, and drugstore purchases). Notably, there’s no annual fee.
You can redeem for checks, statement credits, direct deposits, purchases through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal, and purchases made directly with participating retail partners. There’s no redemption minimum.
While gas and gas stations aren’t always part of the 5% club, Chase Freedom Flex and predecessor Chase Freedom has historically included at-the-pump gas or gas station purchases (covering all U.S. brands, in both cases) in at least 1 of its 4 annual 5% bonus rotating categories.
In other words, you can expect your Chase Freedom Flex card to pay 5% on gas purchases roughly 3 or more months out of the year. Bear in mind that you need to manually activate your 5% cash back categories before the middle of their expiration month.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn $200 bonus cash when you spend $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. This benefit does not include grocery purchases at Target or Walmart.
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is a flat 3%.
- Introductory APR: There is a 0% purchase APR for 15 months. After that, regular variable APR applies.
- Regular APR: Once the introductory promotion ends, variable regular APR applies, currently 14.99% to 23.74% APR.
- Other Perks: Enjoy complimentary, limited-time benefits with Chase partners like Lyft and DoorDash.
See our Chase Freedom Flex Card Review for more information. Find out how to apply for this card here.
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7. U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard®
3% Unlimited Cash Back on Gas, Cellular, and Office Supply Purchases
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The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard® is another no-annual-fee business credit card meant for small business owners. With unlimited 3% cash back on at-the-pump gas, cellular, restaurant, and office supply purchases, it’s an on-the-go business owner’s dream – and eliminates worry about sticking to spending limits.
Like the Ink Business Cash Card, this card is only for business owners. If you don’t own your own business, look elsewhere. To maximize the gas benefit, order additional credit cards (at no extra charge) for your field employees.
- Sign-up Bonus: For a limited time, earn $500 bonus cash when you spend at least $4,500 in eligible purchases during the first 150 days your account is open.
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee. Foreign transactions cost 3% of the transaction amount.
- Introductory APR: There is an intro 0% balance transfer and purchase APR for 15 billing cycles. After that, variable regular APR applies, currently 13.99% to 22.99%.
- Other Perks: You can get an unlimited number of employee cards (tied to the same account) at no additional charge. Plus, earn an annual statement credit worth $100 against eligible recurring software subscription purchases, such as FreshBooks and QuickBooks.
Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.
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8. Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
2% Cash Back on Up to $25,000 in Gas Purchases; Up to 5% Cash Back on Other Spending Categories; Business Users Only
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Chase Ink Business Cash is a business credit card with a very generous gas reward: 2% cash back on combined gas station (in-store and at the pump) and restaurant purchases, up to $25,000 per year. You can redeem for statement credits, direct deposits, checks, and Ultimate Rewards purchases, starting at a $20 minimum.
Ink Business Cash’s rewards don’t stop there. The card also offers 5% cash back on office supply and communications purchases (cellular phone, landline, Internet, and cable TV services), up to $25,000 per year. All other purchases earn 1% cash back, with no spending caps or earning limits. Other perks include a nice sign-up bonus, no annual fee (which is somewhat unusual for a business card), and relatively low APR.
Remember that the Ink Business Cash card is meant for business financing. If you don’t own your own business, you likely won’t qualify for this card.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn $750 bonus cash back when you spend at least $7,500 in qualifying purchases within 3 months.
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee. Foreign transactions cost 3%. Balance transfers cost the greater of $5 or 5%, and cash advances the greater of $15 or 5%.
- Introductory APR: 0% on purchases for 12 months. After that, regular variable APR applies (currently 13.24% to 19.24%).
- Other Perks: Extended warranty protection extends warranties lasting less than three years for an additional year at no additional charge.
See our Chase Ink Business Cash Card Review for more information. Find out how to apply for this card here.
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9. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
6X Points on U.S. Gas Station Purchases
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The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is arguably the best hotel credit card for gas rewards. If you frequently travel for business and have a long commute to the home office, or need to cover an extensive sales territory by car, this is the card for you – provided you can find a Hilton property on the road.
All eligible U.S. gas station purchases earn unlimited 6 Honors points per $1 spent. So do U.S. supermarket and U.S. restaurant purchases. Qualified purchases at Hilton properties earn a whopping 12 points per $1 spent. Eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations earn 6 points per $1 spent. All other purchases earn 3 points per $1 spent.
Award night redemptions start as low as 5,000 points per night at the lowest-tier Hilton properties, so you can treat yourself to a free stay after as little as $834 in gas spending. If business takes you abroad, you’ll make out well with no foreign transaction fee here.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 130,000 bonus Hilton Honors points when you spend at least $2,000 during the first 3 months your account is open. That’s worth up to 26 free nights when redeemed for award stays at the lowest-tier Hilton properties.
- Key Fees: The annual fee is $95. There’s no foreign transaction fee. See rates and fees page.
- Introductory APR: There’s no introductory APR promotion.
- Other Perks: This card comes with a slew of benefits for frequent travelers, including a free weekend award night every year in which you spend at least $15,000, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status as long as your account remains in good standing, and up to 10 free visits to participating Priority Pass airport lounges (enrollment required).
See our American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card Review for more information. Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.
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10. Citi Premier® Card
3x Points on Gas Station Purchases; No Foreign Transaction Fees
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The Citi Premier® Card is a travel rewards credit card with a great gas benefits. That’s because cardholders earn earn 3 points per $1 spent on gas station purchases, as well as 3 points per dollar spent on other air travel and hotel purchases, restaurant purchases, and supermarket purchases. All other eligible purchases earn 1 point per $1 spent.
Redeem your points at Citi’s ThankYou® portal, where you can buy airfare and other travel items, gift cards at major merchants, apparel, electronics, statement credits (your best bet if you’re looking for a cash equivalent), direct purchases with retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, and much more. Redemption minimums vary by redemption method. Another perk: no foreign transaction fee.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you make at least $4,000 in purchases with your card within the 3 months of opening your account.
- Key Fees: The annual fee is $95. There’s no foreign transaction fee.
- Introductory APR: There’s no intro APR.
See our Citi Premier Card Review for more information. Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.
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11. Citi Rewards+SM Card Review
2X Points on Gas Station Purchases, Up to $6,000 in Category Spending Per Year
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The Citi Rewards+ Card earns 2 ThankYou points per $1 spent on eligible gas station purchases, up to $6,000 in annual combined category spending. Supermarket purchases also earn 2 points per $1 spent and count toward the $6,000 spending cap for bonus point earnings.
Above the annual cap, all purchases, including gas station purchases, earn unlimited 1 point per $1 spent. Citi Rewards is the only card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase, every time.
Like ThankYou points earned through Citi Premier, you can redeem for pretty much anything at the ThankYou portal, and you can shop with points at major merchants like Amazon and Best Buy as well.
- Sign-up Bonus: For a limited time, earn 20,000 bonus ThankYou points after you spend at least $1,500 in eligible purchases during the first 3 months your account is open, That’s enough to redeem for $200 in gift cards.
- Key Fees: There’s no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%. The cash advance fee is the greater of $10 or 5%.
- Introductory APR: Enjoy 0% APR on purchases (from date of account opening) and balance transfers (from date of first transfer) for 15 months. After that, variable regular APR applies (currently 13.49% to 23.49% variable, depending on creditworthiness and prevailing interest rates).
See our Citi Rewards+ Card Review for more information. Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.
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Final Word
Since most American households own at least one car, and gas is therefore a necessary expense for most people, it’s no surprise that gas is such a popular credit card rewards category.
On the other hand, even the most committed drivers spend money on plenty of things other than gas. If you drive often, by all means, sign up for one of the gas rewards credit cards. However, consider pairing your gas card with a general-purpose rewards card that offers cash back on a wider range of purchase types – or all purchases, regardless of type. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards and Citi Double Cash are great examples of generous general-purpose cards.
And before you submit your gas credit card application, make sure you’re actually going to use it enough to make it worthwhile. Consider how much you drive and what type of car you own, which merchants accept the card, whether you’re allowed to use it at grocery store or warehouse club gas stations, and the regular purchase APR. Always read your card’s fine print, and check for changes regularly after you start using it.
Finally, if at all possible, pay your balance in full each month. If paying in full is a challenge, opt for a low APR credit card instead.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this rates and fees page.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express, please visit this rates and fees page.
Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: moneycrashers.com