Best Gas Credit Cards

Some reward credit cards have bonus categories that rotate every three months, instead of providing a set amount throughout the year. These cards will usually have gas stations as one of the categories.

The best rotating reward card for gas is the Discover it® Cash Back (Review), which has no annual fee. The truly impressive thing about this card is the Cashback Match, which doubles all the cash back you earn in your first year.

• 5% cash back on the first $1,500 spent per quarter (then 1%), in categories that rotate throughout the year, which often include Gas
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Cashback Match: New cardmembers get double the cash back earned in the first year (awarded after the first year)

Take note that you must manually activate your 5% cash back rewards every quarter, and you won’t earn at the 5% rate until you do. This is as simple as logging in and clicking “Activate.” You can activate months in advance, so be sure to do so.

As you can see, you would get 5% cash back on gas purchases from April through June in 2019. Although this only lasts for a few months, you’ll have other categories throughout the year in which you can earn rewards.

A good strategy could be to buy gift cards for your favorite gas stations during the three months in which you’ll earn 5% cash back at gas stations. Then you can use those gift cards to fill up your tank throughout the year, having already earned your 5% discount when you originally bought them.

• Free FICO Credit Score: Track your FICO Score 8 over time, based on your TransUnion credit report.
• Social Security Number Alerts: Get notified if your SSN is found on any thousands of risky websites.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: See Terms for See Terms (for transfers made in the first 90 days), then See Terms
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card (Review) has an interesting rewards program with four different categories, most of them related to travel.

• 3X points per dollar for:
  • Gas stations
  • Restaurants
  • Travel
  • Eligible streaming services
• 1X point per dollar on all other purchases
• 20,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
  • Value: $200
  • Return on spend: 20%

Your points will be worth 1 cent each, so you’ll be earning the equivalent of 3% cash back in the categories above. You can redeem in a variety of different ways, like statement credits or for travel expenses, but you’ll only get a maximum of 1 cent per point.

This is a relatively new card offer, primarily aimed at travelers but also featuring the streaming services category. The eligible streaming services are:

• Hulu
• Netflix
• Apple Music
• Pandora
• Sirius XM Radio
• Spotify Premium

3% cash back is about as good a deal you’ll find for streaming services, although more cards will probably start including this as a category.

The Propel card is pretty good for gas alone, but the other bonus categories make it much more useful. Depending on your spending habits, it might be the right card for you.

• Entertainment Access: Get special offers and access to presale tickets for big events.
• Free Credit Score: Check your FICO Score 9 for free whenever you’d like, based on your Experian credit report.
• Cell Phone Protection: Pay your cell phone bill with this card to get coverage against damage and theft, up to $600 with a $25 deductible.
• Shopping and Travel Protections: Including Purchase Protection, Extended Warranties, Worldwide Inconvenience Insurance, and Travel Accident Insurance.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% Intro APR for 12 months (for transfers made in the first 120 days), then 14.49%-24.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $0

For many people, modern life requires a constant flow of gas and groceries, and so you may want a credit card that’s good for both. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Review) fits the bill quite well, offering a lot of cash back at U.S. supermarkets and a competitive rate at U.S. gas stations too.

• 6% cash back for:
  • U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000, then 1%)
  • Select U.S. streaming services
• 3% cash back for:
  • U.S. gas stations
  • Transit
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• $250 statement credit for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months

• Amex Offers: Discounts or extra cash back at a changing selection of retailers, like Starbucks, Uber, Hulu, and many more.
• Complimentary ShopRunner Membership: Register with ShopRunner for free two-day shipping and returns at select online retailers.
• Entertainment Access: Exclusive discounts to dining events, concerts, sports, and shows.
• Shopping and Travel Protections: Like Extended Warranties, Return Protection, Global Assist Hotline, and others.
• Purchase APR: 0% on purchases for 12 months, then 13.99% - 23.99% Variable (Rates & Fees)
• Annual fee: $95

• Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
• 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
• 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
• Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.99% to 23.99%.
• Plan It® gives the option to select purchases of $100 or more to split up into monthly payments with a fixed fee.
• Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
• $95 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

The Hilton Honors American Express Card (Review) is designed for travelers who frequently stay at Hilton properties. It has no annual fee (Rates & Fees).

• 7X Hilton Honors Bonus points per dollar for eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
• 5X Hilton Honors Bonus points per dollar at:
  • U.S. restaurants
  • U.S. supermarkets
  • U.S. gas stations
• 3X Hilton Honors Bonus points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
• 80,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months

You’ll need to redeem your points through the Hilton Honors system. That’s not a bad thing because it has quite a few options like free night stays, vacation packages, and resort-specific services.

The value of your points will vary depending on how you redeem them. It will depend on the particular hotel, time of year, location, etc. But if you take 0.6 cents per point as the valuation at the low end, the 5X points at U.S. gas stations will provide a cash back equivalent of at least 3%.

This is a solid deal for a card with no annual fee. And you’ll be earning at least 11.4% cash back when making purchases from Hilton at the 19X rate. But this is a travel credit card designed for people on the move who often find themselves in Hilton hotels (at least occasionally), and it won’t be very useful otherwise.

• Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status: Includes a 20% point bonus, room upgrades when available, late checkout, and more.
• Fast track to Gold status: Upgrade to Gold Status by spending $20,000 or more with the card in a given year.
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Register with ShopRunner for free two-day shipping and returns at select online retailers.
• Entertainment Access: Exclusive discounts to dining events, concerts, sports, and shows.
• Shopping and Travel protections: Including Purchase Protection, Extended Warranties, a Baggage Insurance Plan, and more.
• No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
  
• Annual fee: $0

• Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
• No Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

The Discover it® chrome (Review) isn’t the most impressive card, but for some people it could be a great option to earn rewards for gas spending — particularly during its first year.

• 2% cash back on the first $1,000 spent per quarter (then 1%) at:
  • Restaurants
  • Gas stations
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Cashback Match: New cardmembers get double the cash back earned in the first year

So in your first year you’ll end up getting a 4% cash back equivalent on gas and at restaurants, and 2% back everywhere else. While the original deal is not very rewarding, the offer to double the cash rewards makes this quite a valuable card during the first year of use. With the $1,000 limit per quarter, that means you can potentially earn a total of $160 cash back on gas in that first year.

The Discover it Chrome loses much of its appeal after the first year, when the rewards drop to the normal rates. At that point it becomes a pretty average cash rewards credit card.

You can actually get two copies of the Discover it Chrome at the same time (or any other Discover card, like the Discover it above). You’ll need to wait 12 billing cycles to apply for the same card again, however. That would let you earn 4% cash back on gas for another year, for a potential of $320 in cash back from gas over those two years.

• Free FICO Credit Score: Track your FICO Score 8 over time, based on your TransUnion credit report.
• Social Security Number Alerts: Get notified if your SSN is found on any thousands of risky websites.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: See Terms for See Terms (for transfers made in the first 90 days), then See Terms
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0

People with limited or bad credit have a harder time being approved for regular cards. Secured credit cards offer a different way forward. They’re easier to get for people with poor credit, but require a refundable security deposit at the start to fund their credit limits.

Most secured cards come don’t offer any rewards, and some have annual fees. But the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Card is a bit of an outlier, with terms that seem to belong more to a regular rewards card. This card requires a security deposit of $300 to $4,900 when you’re approved.

• Free FICO credit score: Track your FICO Score 8 over time, based on your TransUnion credit report.
• Security deposit: $300 to $4,900

• 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, home improvement/furnishings
• 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
• After you spend $2,500 in the 3% and 2% categories, you’ll earn 1% cash back until the quarter ends
• Security deposit between $300-$4,900 is required to open your account upon approval
• Bank of America will periodically review your account and return your security deposit if you qualify
• 3% foreign transaction fee
• No annual fee

Once again, Discover provides the best gas rewards credit card for students. Take a gander at the Discover it® Student chrome (Review).

College students are typically new to credit, with limited or no credit history. This makes getting that first credit card tough. Student credit cards are designed with this in mind, and often come with less favorable terms to reflect that. But Discover breaks the mold by offering a student card that is actually pretty good.

• 2% cash back on the first $1,000 spent per quarter (then 1%) at:
  • Restaurants
  • Gas stations
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Cashback Match: New cardmembers get double the cash back earned in the first year (awarded after the first year)

The Discover it Chrome for Students has most of the features of the regular Discover it Chrome, with the same rewards program and Cashback Match. But it also provides some extra credit for students who excel in college, and has a different intro APR offer.

• $20 Good Grades Reward: Get $20 cash back for every year that your GPA is 3.0 or higher, for up to five years.
• Free FICO Credit Score: Track your FICO Score 8 over time, based on your TransUnion credit report.
• Social Security Number Alerts: Get notified if your SSN is found on any thousands of risky websites.
• Purchase APR: See Terms for See Terms, then See Terms
• Balance Transfer APR: See Terms for See Terms (for transfers made in the first 90 days), then See Terms
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0

USAA offers a variety of credit cards for military members and their families. The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card (Review) is one of the most rewarding, and with no annual fee it’s not a bad choice for gas purchases.

• 5% cash back on the first $3,000 spent per year (then 1%) at:
  • Gas stations
  • Military bases
• 2% cash back on the first $3,000 spent per year (then 1%) at:
  • Grocery stores
• 1% cash back for all other purchases

That 5% cash back is a relatively high offer, although it’s limited to the first $3,000 you spend in those categories every year. That means you can only earn a maximum of $150 per year in those categories, but if you’ll stay under that limit this could be the right card for you.

USAA cards come with a variety of useful benefits specifically designed for military members and their families. So even if you’re not getting the best rewards program, you might like the other features enough to value this card very highly.

• Special active duty rate: 4% APR for eligible balances for members who are on active duty, until one year after they have completed active duty.
• Specially trained customer service: Dedicated, military-specific customer support to provide assistance before, during, and after deployment.
• Shopping and Travel Protections: Such as Travel Assistance Services and Identity Theft Resolution Services.
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0

• Earn 5% cash back on your first $3,000 in gas and military base purchases annually on these categories combined
• Earn 2% on your first $3,000 on supermarket purchases per year
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
• USAA membership is available to active and former military and their eligible family members

Costco members have a special advantage with the Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi (Review), which is actually one of the better gas credit cards. This card has no annual fee but requires a Costco membership to apply, which is at least $60 annually.

• 4% cash back on eligible gas worldwide, including gas at Costco; up to $7,000 per year (then 1%)
• 3% cash back on:
  • Restaurants
  • Eligible travel purchases
• 2% cash back on all other purchases from:
  • Costco
  • Costco.com
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

So this card provides 4% cash back on gas throughout the entire year — quite a high rate compared to most cards. In general, gas rewards credit cards don’t offer any bonus categories for wholesale clubs, like Costco. So this card is one of your only options for earning rewards for gas at Costco.

The 4% rewards rate will be limited to the first $7,000 spent each year, but the limit is quite a bit higher than most of this card’s competitors. That will provide a maximum of $280 cash back per year if you use it all.

The other spending categories are pretty good as well. The 3% cash back for restaurants and travel is on the upper end compared to most cards without annual fees. And the 2% back at Costco will be a welcome bonus for any member.

• Just pay with the Costco Visa: Your credit card will be counted as your membership card when making Costco purchases.
• Shopping Protections: Like Purchase Protection and Extended Warranties.
• Annual fee: $0 (Costco membership required, a minimum of $60 per year)
• Open-loop card: You can use this card anywhere Visa is accepted.

• Discover one of Citi’s best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
• 4% cash back on eligible gas for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
• 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
• 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
• Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
• The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 15.24%. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion.

The Sam’s Club® Mastercard® is an obvious choice for anyone who is already a Sam’s Club member. This card is available if you have a Sam’s Club membership, which costs a minimum of $45 annually.

• 5% cash back on eligible gas, including at Sam’s Club; up to $6,000 per year (then 1%)
• 3% cash back on:
  • Dining
  • Travel
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• $45 statement credit after opening an account online and making a purchase of at least $45 from samsclub.com with it on the same day

The 5% back you’ll get on gas is a great rate, about as high as it usually ever gets for credit cards. And the $6,000 limit means you’ll be able to earn up to $300 cash back per year on gas, though most people don’t spend that much on fuel.

If you spend $900 on gas in a given year you’ll earn $45 in rewards, enough to offset the minimum Sam’s Club annual membership fee. And if you spend $2,000 on gas you’ll earn $100, enough to offset the Plus membership fee. And that doesn’t even factor in the cash back rewards you’ll earn from the dining and travel categories.

If you’re already paying for a Sam’s Club membership you might as well get some good rewards too. Since this card can be completely free to use as long as you avoid interest and fees, it should be a welcome addition to your wallet.

• Just use your credit card: The Sam’s Club Mastercard also functions as your membership card.
• Shopping and Travel protections: Which might include Price Protection, Extended Warranties, and Travel Assistance Services
• Annual fee: $0 (Sam’s Club membership required, a minimum of $45 per year)
• Open-loop card: Use this card anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

• 5% cash back for gas in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including gas at Sam’s Club; only on the first $6,000 per year, then 1%
• 3% cash back for dining and travel expenses
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Get a $45 statement credit if you open your account online and make a $45 purchase at samsclub.com on the same day
• Cap of $5,000 in cash back rewards per year