Best credit cards for gas for December 2024 #CashNews.co

Like many Americans, you probably spend more time than you’d like waiting to fill up your car at the gas station each week. Not only is pumping gas a chore, but it’s also expensive — especially with gas prices consistently rising over the past year. Luckily, the right credit card can help you offset rising prices by earning rewards at the gas pump. Plenty of great cash-back and rewards credit cards offer competitive perks on gas station spending and other common everyday budget items.

Potential annual gas rewards: $67

Why we like it: Amex’s Blue Cash Preferred Card offers some of the best cash-back rates on many common budget items with great returns at the gas pump, one of the highest rates available today at supermarkets, plus streaming, transit, and more.

Because the Blue Cash Preferred Card does have a $95 annual fee after the first year, do the math to ensure your bonus category spending is enough to outpace the card’s cost. That’s possible given Americans’ average annual spending today, though — and even more so if you’re shopping for yourself and a partner or family. For example, if you spend $500 at U.S. supermarkets each month (maxing out the 6% rate), you’ll earn $360 cash back each year in this category alone.

Read more: See our picks for the best American Express credit cards

Potential annual gas rewards: $67

Why we like it: This cash-back card can be a great option for rewards at gas stations and supermarkets, with a bonus category for online shoppers. If you supplement a lot of your monthly household shopping with Amazon.com or other online retailers, this can be a great way to make sure you’re getting rewarded in a not-so-common category.

Just note each of the three Blue Cash Everyday 3% rewards categories comes with an annual spending cap of $6,000. If you don’t spend more than $500 per month at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, or shopping with U.S. retailers online, this shouldn’t be a concern. But if you have a much larger budget, you may want to look for a cash-back card with unlimited rewards in your top spending categories.

Read more: Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card review

Potential annual gas rewards: $82

Why we like it: As a rotating category card, gas rewards are usually only available for one quarter of each year. But at a 5% return, you can get a lot of value even over a short period and potentially come out ahead compared to other cards with lower rewards year-round. There is a $1,500 combined quarterly cap on 5% categories, and you must remember to activate rotating categories by the deadline each quarter.

But the Freedom Flex has plenty to offer outside of gas station rewards. Ongoing 3% cash back on dining and at drugstores can help you maximize other regular spending throughout the year, and 5% back on Chase Travel purchases offers an easy way to get rewarded for any upcoming trips, especially if you don’t already have a dedicated travel credit card.

Related:
2024 Chase Freedom bonus categories
See our picks for the best Chase credit card

All information about Chase Freedom Flex has been collected independently by Yahoo Finance. Chase Freedom Flex is no longer available through Yahoo Finance.

Potential annual gas rewards: 8,932 points, which are worth up to $89 if used to book flights through Amex Travel

Why we like it: If you’re a business owner who frequently drives to client meetings or site visits, a gas rewards card can help you make the most of this common business expense. And at 4x points per dollar, there aren’t many business credit cards that reward gas station purchases as highly as the Amex Business Gold. You’ll earn the 4x rewards on your top two eligible categories each month (based on transactions posted to your account, up to $150,000 spent per year). So, if gas is not consistently one of your highest expenses, you may want to strategize how you can maximize categories for the best return.

Unlike many of the cards on our list, the Amex Business Gold earns Membership Rewards points, not cash back. Before you opt for this card, make sure the redemption options make sense for you. While you can redeem your Membership Rewards for statement credits and to cover charges, those redemptions are much less valuable than using points to book flights through Amex Travel or transferring to travel partners. It’s wise to read all the details of your rewards agreement before applying for any new business or personal rewards credit card.

Related:
American Express® Business Gold Card review
See our picks for the best business cards

Potential annual gas rewards: $82

Why we like it: Like other rotating category cash-back cards, you won’t earn 5% on gas purchases year-round. However, over the past several years, Discover has offered 5% rewards at gas stations for at least one quarter. Whether you’re a commuter student or like to take weekend trips off-campus with friends, those rewards are likely to earn you a solid return. With this card, you must activate your quarterly rewards before you can begin earning, and you’ll get 5% on the first $1,500 spent in eligible categories.

As a student, you may be able to more easily qualify for the Discover it Student Cash Back card and begin building a great credit score for the future. In addition to rewards, there’s a 0% introductory APR for new purchases for the first six months. After you graduate and establish a regular income, you can also call to see whether you qualify for a credit line increase.

Overall, Discover it Student Cash Back is a solid pick for students, with no credit score required to apply and no annual fee. You can earn cash back on your spending while building your credit score with good credit habits like paying your balance on time and keeping your utilization low.

Related: Discover it Student Cash Back review

Potential annual gas rewards: $112

Why we like it: As an alternative to rotating cash rewards, you can use a customizable cash-back card to tailor the categories where you earn most to your spending. Even with Citi Custom Cash’s $500 monthly spending cap on 5% rewards, you can potentially earn more than with nearly any other gas rewards cash-back card option today.

To earn the full 5% rewards, you don’t need to track or opt into spending categories each month — Citi will automatically determine where you spent most and allocate your rewards. You can also benefit from the card’s introductory 0% APR on both new purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months.

Because your highest spending category is automatically pulled from your transactions over the month, this is also a solid choice if gas isn’t always one of your biggest expenses. If you have a large home improvement store purchase one month, for example, you might dedicate your 5% rewards towards that. This card can be a great option for anyone looking for more flexibility in where they maximize rewards.

Read our full review of the Citi Custom Cash Card

Potential annual gas rewards: 6,699 points, worth up to $67 in cash rewards

Why we like it: The Wells Fargo Autograph is one of the only cards on our list with no spending cap limiting the rewards you can earn at gas stations — or on any eligible categories. With six spending categories that all earn 3x points on each dollar you spend, there are plenty of ways to maximize your purchases with this card, especially since there’s also no annual fee.

Be aware that your rewards are earned as points within the Wells Fargo Rewards Program. You can redeem your points toward purchases you make with your card, for travel through Wells Fargo, new purchases with select merchants, credit to a Wells Fargo account, and more.

With a Costco credit card, members can earn 4% cash back on gas and electric vehicle charging — up to the first $7,000 spent per year, then 1%. For no annual fee (except Costco membership cost), you’ll also earn 3% cash back on restaurants and travel, 2% cash back on all other purchases at Costco and Costco.com, and 1% cash back on other spending.

Unlike regular cash-back cards, you’ll get the rewards you earn with the Costco Anywhere Visa as a rewards certificate once per year, which you can redeem for purchases you make at U.S. Costco warehouses. Our estimated annual gas rewards you can earn with this card is $89.

This Bank of America card offers 3% cash back in a category of your choice, 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Available choice categories include gas and EV charging stations, online shopping, dining, travel, and more.

Earning 3% back on gas makes this a great gas station credit card. However, there’s a cap on the elevated earning rates each quarter: You can earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in your choice category and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited may not have a specific category for gas station rewards, but this flexible cash-back card can still reward you on your spending. For no annual fee, you can earn 5% cash back on travel through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, you can earn an extra 1.5% back in each of these categories during your first year.

We estimate your potential annual return on gas station purchases with a Chase Freedom Unlimited card at about $34. First-year cardholders with boosted 1.5% rewards may earn $67 — before the rate goes back down in the second year.

As another business credit card option for gas station purchases, we like the Ink Business Cash — especially since it charges no annual fee. To start, you’ll earn $750 in bonus cash back if you spend $6,000 within the first six months of account opening. For ongoing rewards, get 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services. Also get 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% back on other purchases.

For the spending caps, Chase tracks your annual spending by account anniversary, not calendar year. We estimate the Ink Business Cash’s annual return on gas station spending at $45.

Your annual gas rewards savings depend on how much you spend filling up your car’s fuel tank each year.

To come up with our rewards predictions for the cards above, we used average consumer gasoline spending data. Based on that, we expect you can save around $50 to $100 annually using a card that earns 3x/3% or more at gas stations — and that’s before accounting for any other rewards categories or spending.

Starting from the average, you can use your own spending to determine which card offers the best savings for you.

If you have a long commute or take regular road trips, you may want to prioritize a card with no annual cap on gas rewards, for example, so you can ensure you maximize that spending year-round. On the other hand, if you spend closer to the national average (about $160 to $250 per month) on gas, you might be fine with a spending cap in exchange for a higher rewards rate up to that max.

Credit card issuers can have different standards for “gas” or “gas station” rewards categories, so it’s always important to read the terms of any new card before you apply.

Gas stations, for the purpose of rewards, usually means retailers that sell gasoline for cars, which you can either buy at the pump or purchase inside with an attendant. Boat marinas, as well as gas pumps at supermarkets, superstores like Walmart, and wholesale clubs like Costco may not count toward your gas rewards, but it often depends on how the transaction is coded by the merchant when you buy.

Some issuers also offer the same bonus rewards for both gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations. If you have an electric vehicle, look for this specifically within the terms of your card — if it’s not listed, you may not earn boosted rewards at EV charging stations.

Finally, look for any requirement of “U.S. gas stations” within your rewards agreement. Say, for example, you plan to rent a car on a vacation abroad and want to use your card to earn rewards internationally. Before doing so, make sure your card earns gas rewards worldwide (and don’t forget to check potential foreign transaction fees, too).

For our list of best gas credit cards, we primarily looked at general rewards credit cards that offer solid perks on gas station purchases. For most people with variable expenses and average spending on gas, we believe a more general rewards option can help maximize overall spending.

If you’re a regular at a particular gas station for its convenience or competitive gas prices — and you also spend a significant amount on filling up your gas tank each month — you may also consider a retail gas card offered by your preferred gas station chain.

However, there are restrictions to know, compared to more general rewards cards. For one, you’re more likely to earn rewards as discounts per gallon of gas than cash back or points: 5 cents off per gallon, for example, compared to 5% cash back on your overall purchase. Some retail gas credit cards (like store credit cards) are also limited to purchases with the gas station, so you can’t use them for any other regular spending.

Finally, while any credit card today is likely to have a very high interest rate, retail cards are notorious for raising those rates even higher. It’s important to pay off your balances in full anytime you can, but if you must carry a balance, you’ll accrue interest much more quickly with a variable APR of over 30%. Always read the card terms before you apply to understand your interest obligations.

Top gas credit cards can help you earn valuable cash back, points, or miles on all your fuel purchases and other eligible purchases at gas stations. This could be useful if you drive a lot for work or everyday errands. It could also make sense if you frequently use car rentals when traveling.

The best gas credit cards offer elevated rewards for making purchases at gas stations. These could include buying fuel or items inside a gas station, such as gift cards, food, and beverages. For frequent travelers, road trippers, RV enthusiasts, and anyone who drives a lot for work, gas credit cards are useful tools for earning rewards on purchases you already make.

Our recommended credit cards with gas rewards include:

While we haven’t found a card that consistently offers 5% back for gas purchases, some cards come close.

The Citi Custom Cash Card offers 5% cash back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to $500 per billing cycle, then 1%) and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Gas stations are an eligible category for earning up to 5% each billing cycle, making the Citi Custom Cash an excellent credit card for gas.

A card like the Chase Freedom Flex may also fit the bill, but only for part of the year. With quarterly rotating categories, gas purchases may offer 5% back for up to three months at a time.

We started with dozens of credit cards available today that offer specific gas station rewards to create our list of the best credit cards for gas. To narrow down the options, we set a few guidelines.

First, we only ranked general (not co-branded) rewards credit cards with gas rewards categories. This helped us find the cards we think are most relevant to the largest range of people. While co-branded cards from superstores with gas stations or with specific gas retail chains may be great options for some, cash-back and rewards cards that offer gas rewards in addition to other categories are often more useful to a broader number of cardholders.

To that end, each eligible card we ranked had to earn more than 2% or 2x rewards in the gas category, narrowing down options to the cards we believe go above and beyond when it comes to gas rewards. If rewards at the gas pump aren’t a big priority for you, there are plenty of cash-back credit cards and even travel credit cards with 2x rewards on gas station purchases. But we wanted to find cards for spenders looking to specifically maximize gas — in addition to their other regular purchases.

From there, we rated each of the cards on our list using criteria centered specifically on gas rewards (potential earnings, gas rewards percentage, etc.) as well as more general details (annual fee, APR, introductory offer, issuer transparency, etc.).

We used consumer expenditure data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine how much the average spender could save each year on gas. Based on an average of the past four years of available data (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) totaling $2,233, we determined how much you could earn with each card — accounting for spending caps, rotating categories, and other terms. For cards with customizable categories, we assumed gas would be the category of your choice or the highest spending category.

Our final list is made up of the cards that both score the highest in our ranking and earn the greatest potential annual rewards on gas station purchases.

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

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