The best cards for gas purchases were chosen due to welcome bonuses, earnings rates, redemption opportunities and other perks. That said, what is best for the majority of families might not be right for you. Do your research before deciding which cards will best help you maximize your gas purchases.
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Gasoline is one of the items that everyone needs, but that you might not regularly think about depending on how often you fill up. However, those weekly trips to the pump add up. The average household spends nearly $2,000 a year on gas. Whether you traverse Route 66 or go no further than the grocery store, here are our favorite cards to use at gas stations.
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Show Summary +
- Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Earning Travel Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card: Best for Quarterly Category Bonuses
- Discover it® Miles: Best for Warehouse Shoppers
- Capital One® Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Variety of Category Bonuses
Featured Card
Best for Earning Travel Rewards
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus
Custom Welcome Bonus Text
Annual Fee
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Regular APR
15.99% - 24.99% (Variable)
Credit Score
Excellent, Good (700 - 749)
Best for Earning Travel Rewards
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure
Website
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Pros
- Pro 1
- Pro 2
- Pro 3
- Pro 4
Cons
- Con 1
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- Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus after you spend $3000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through May 2020.
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
- No foreign transaction fees
- Capital One cardholders get access to premium experiences in dining, entertainment and more
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 after that
Long Welcome Bonus Text
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Featured Card
Best for Quarterly Category Bonuses
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
Welcome Bonus
Earn 75,000 Bonus Points
Annual Fee
$95
Regular APR
17.99% - 24.99% Variable
Credit Score
Excellent/Good (700 - 749)
Best for Quarterly Category Bonuses
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
On Chase's
Secure Website
On Chase's Secure
Website
Frequent business travelers who are loyal to Marriott Bonvoy hotel brands will love this card's generous perks and rewards.
Pros
- Generous signup bonus
- High redemption value for rewards points
- No blackout dates and points never expire
Cons
- Only frequent travelers can justify the $125 annual fee
- No non-travel points redemption options
- No intro APR offer
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- An additional Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 6,900 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
- 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.
- 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster.
Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card!
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Credit Card
Credit Card
Best For
Credit Score
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
Best for Earning Travel Rewards
Excellent, Good
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Custom Welcome Bonus Text
Best for Quarterly Category Bonuses
Excellent/Good
$95
Earn 75,000 Bonus Points
Best for Variety of Category Bonuses
Excellent, Good
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
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Methodology
How to Pick a Credit Card for Gas Purchases
With so many choices, finding the best combo of credit cards for your needs can be overwhelming. Before applying, consider your options. Here are some questions to ask:
- Are you trying to maximize earnings or redeem rewards? Some cards offer generous sign-up bonuses but are not the best for actual category bonuses.
- Will your benefits offset the annual fees? Annual fees eat into your rewards. Think about your annual spending to make sure you will earn enough rewards or cash back to offset the fee. If you won’t, it makes more sense to get a card with a lower or no annual fee.
- Will you use the card’s benefits? Some cards come with benefits such as an annual travel credit or airport lounge membership. Before applying for a new card, think about your actual usage patterns. Does this benefit actually have value to you?
- How easy are points to spend? Some cards have sign-up bonuses or great earnings rates, but when it comes to redeeming the points, they fall flat. If you don’t have the time to research individual programs, you might prefer a cash-back or flexible rewards card.
Other cards to consider
A no annual fee alternative to the Citi Premier card is the Citi Rewards+℠ Card. It offers a less attractive 2 ThankYou Points per dollar on gas. The Citi Rewards+ does have a fun feature in which every purchase rounds up to the nearest 10 points. This means even purchases under a dollar will earn 10 points.
An alternative to the Discover It card is the Chase Freedom® credit card*. The Chase Freedom also offers bonus categories that rotate every quarter. It could be a more compelling option if you collect Ultimate Rewards points. Here is our review of the Chase Freedom.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, please visit this page.
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First Published: Aug 13, 2020, 5:22am
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Long Welcome Bonus Text
Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card!
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