Our Picks: Best Gas Cards Summary
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is designed for business owners who spend on gas and other everyday purchases. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $25,000 in combined purchases annually at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. You also earn 2% cash back on up to $25,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. All other purchases earn 1% cash back, with no cap on earnings, and the card charges no annual fee. See our full review.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: The Hilton Honors American Express Card earns five points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. gas stations, and you can earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. See our full review.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: For gas station purchases, cardholders earn 3% back, though gas bought at superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs doesn’t qualify. Cardholders also receive 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in yearly purchases at U.S. supermarkets and 1% thereafter. See our full review.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Cardholders also earn up to $250 – Here’s How: Earn up to $150 back when you shop with PayPal. Earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases when you use your new Card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $150 back. Plus, earn $100 back as a statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. See our full review.
Discover it® chrome
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: The Discover it chrome card offers 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, on up to the first $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. All other purchases earn unlimited 1% cash back and cash back can be redeemed at any time, in any amount. Discover also matches all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year automatically, with no cap. There’s no annual fee for this card. See our full review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 5% cash back on travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases, including gas station fill-ups. You can redeem cash back in any amount, and cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. New users can nab an earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases, plus the card offers a from account opening on purchases, then a APR of 18.74% to 27.49% variable. See our full review.
Citi Rewards+® Card
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: With the Citi Rewards+ Card, you can earn two points per dollar at gas stations and supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending each year and then one point per dollar spent thereafter. All other spending earns one point per dollar, including spending in bonus categories after you hit the relevant limits. The Citi Rewards+ Card also rounds up to the nearest 10 points on all spending. New cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com. See our full review.
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: With the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, earn 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 each year and then 1% thereafter. You’ll also earn 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% on all purchases from Costco and Costco.com that fall outside the higher-earning categories, and 1% on all other purchases. Cash back is provided as an annual credit card reward certificate and is redeemable for cash or merchandise at Costco Wholesale, and the card charges no annual fee with a Costco membership. See our full review.
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: Businesses can earn 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and a $125 Amazon gift card when opening an account. See our full review.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Why this is one of the best gas credit cards: The Bank of America Cash Rewards card lets you pick one category to earn 3% cash back – including gas. Grocery store and wholesale club purchases get 2% back. You’ll also receive a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. See our full review.
Some gas credit cards provide perks for one brand, while others offer more flexibility. Co-branded cards are linked to a fuel retailer. Some co-branded cards are backed by a network such as Visa, which means you can use them for more than just gassing up, but others are closed-loop cards that can only be used with the relevant retailer. And you can purchase virtually anything with a regular rewards credit card, which may come with bonus earnings for gasoline.
Types of Gas Credit Cards
- Offer savings on purchases with a single brand.
- Typically apply a discount between 3 cents and 10 cents per gallon at the pump or as a statement credit, according to American Express. The Shell Fuel Rewards Card from Citi, for example, reduces your price at participating Shell stations by 10 cents per gallon on up to 35 gallons each time you fill your gas tank.
- Earn bonus discounts, in some cases, for new cardholders.
Co-branded gas cards backed by a network such as Visa
Regular rewards credit cards with bonus earnings for gas
- Usually charge lower interest rates than co-branded cards.
- Present potential for better benefits than co-branded gas cards.
- May deliver an additional rebate if the card has an introductory offer available to consumers who meet a spending requirement.
In addition to these credit cards, brands may also offer free rewards programs that provide discounts on gas, even when you pay with cash. These are simply loyalty programs and are not linked to your credit score.
What Credit Score Do You Need to Get a Gas Credit Card?
The credit score varies depending on if you’re choosing a co-branded gas card or a credit card with gas rewards. Credit cards with gas rewards will generally require a score around 670 or higher. On the other hand, co-branded gas cards are normally easier to get, with many having more flexible credit requirements. Besides credit scores, these cards will also take into consideration your income level.
Which Gas Card Is the Easiest to Get?
While most cards have a similar application process, a co-branded card would be the easiest gas card to get, as it has more flexible credit score requirements. Credit cards with gas rewards generally require higher credit scores and incomes.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Gas Credit Cards?
If you’re trying to decide whether to open a gas card, think about your spending habits and preferences. People who drive a lot or who always buy the same brand of gas will usually get the most bang for their buck from a gas credit card.
Pros
- Various reward options. General rewards cards that require good to excellent credit tend to offer 3% or 2% cash back on gas purchases. Cards that earn points may deliver as many as five points per dollar spent on gas. You may be able to redeem rewards for statement credits, bank deposits, gift cards, hotel stays, online shopping and more.
- Discounts on gas purchases. Many of the cards help you save money right at the pump. With a co-branded card, you’ll be able to get discounts while fueling up at specific stations.
Cons
- Cap on earnings. Some gas reward credit cards come with earning caps that limit the amount of bonus rewards you can earn in a year. Once you reach your limit, you’ll typically start getting only 1% back for gas purchases.
- High APR. Gas credit cards can have APRs that top 24%. You’ll need to pay your balance in full every month to avoid the high interest charge.
Here’s how you can evaluate gas cards to make the right choice:
- Does the card charge an annual fee? Any fees will eat into the value of your rewards.
- How much can you earn in rewards? Does the card offer an introductory rewards rate, such as 10 cents back per gallon for the first 90 days and then 3 cents back after that?
- Will you have reward caps? Caps could be quarterly or yearly. Track your gas spending to see how any cap will affect your earnings. You can check the card’s terms and conditions or contact customer service for clarification on spending caps.
- Where can you earn rewards? Can you earn rewards only at one gas station or chain? Can you get rewards for purchases at restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers?
- Does the card offer an introductory APR? Can you get a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for at least a year and then a low interest rate when the offer expires?
- What are rewards worth? Is one point worth 1 cent, or less? Do you need to have a certain amount of rewards before you can redeem them? How can you redeem your rewards?
- Does the card have membership requirements? Will you have to join a credit union or warehouse club, for instance, to get the card? This can take time and money.
Alternatives to Gas Credit Cards
- Use an app. Using an app like GasBuddy can help you find cheap gas. Gas stations change their prices all the time, so this app will help you locate the station with the lowest price at the moment.
- Grocery store rewards. By signing up for a fuel points program at your nearby grocery store, you can save up to $1 a gallon.
- Pay cash. Some gas stations offer a lower price to those who pay with cash.
- Join a loyalty program. Take part in a fuel rewards program at your local gas station and save money when you make qualified purchases.
U.S. News has been helping consumers make money decisions for decades. For our Best Gas Credit Cards list, we considered overall issuer satisfaction ratings, gas rewards earning rates, annual fees, APRs and sign-up bonus values. Satisfaction data is based on an annual nationwide survey.
The cards on our Best Gas Credit Cards list earn bonus rewards and discounts for filling up your tank – points that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, merchandise and more. Most cards include additional categories, so consider how much you can earn on gas purchases combined with other spending – then choose the best card to help you maximize rewards.