Best Gas Credit Cards

Final Verdict

The best gas credit card does more than offer rewards on gasoline purchases. It should provide additional perks and rewards so that you can also use it for everyday spending. Our choice for the best gas credit card is the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard. This airline credit card earns valuable miles on gas, dining, and American Airlines purchases. It offers travel benefits to avoid checked bag fees, provides priority boarding, and discounts on in-flight purchases. Plus, you can earn 50,000 miles when you spend $2,500 in the first three months after opening your account.

Compare the Best Gas Credit Cards

Editorial Picks for Best Gas Credit Cards

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Best Overall

In addition to earning bonus miles on gas purchases, this card also waives checked bag fees and provides priority boarding. The first year's annual fee is waived so you can try its benefits free for 12 months.

Read the Full Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard Review.

Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus Card

Best for Hotels

Cardholders receive automatic Platinum elite status and exclusive discounts when booking reservations with Wyndham. A bonus of 7,500 points each year that you renew the card.

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card

Best for Rewards Points

Offers one of the highest rewards on gas purchases with no annual fee. Includes a 0% APR promotion on balance transfers for 12 months with a low standard rate after the promo expires.

Read the full PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature Card Review.

Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card

Best for No Annual Fee

Earn 3x points on a variety of spending categories with no caps on spending. Your cell phone is protected against damage or theft when you pay your bill with the card.

Read the full Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card Review.

Costco Anywhere Visa®

Best for Wholesale Clubs

Costco members have exclusive access to this gas credit card that offers generous rewards at any gas station. You'll also receive bonus cash back on dining and travel without any foreign transaction fees.

Read the full Costco Anywhere Visa Review.

Marriott Bonvoy Business™American Express® Card

Best for Business Gas Rewards

Includes automatic elite status and the ability to earn higher status based on spending. Additional cards are available for employees at no extra charge.

Read the full Marriott Bonvoy Business™American Express® Card Review.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Best for Cash Back

Try the card's benefits free for 12 months with the first year's annual fee waived. You'll receive 6% cash back on an average of $500 per month in grocery purchases in the form of a statement credit.

Read the full Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Gas Credit Card?

A gas credit card allows a cardholder to earn points, cash back, or discounts on gasoline purchases—either with specific gasoline retailers or at any gas station, depending on the type of card.

How Do Gas Credit Cards Work?

Gas credit cards work just like any other credit card in your wallet, except that they offer additional rewards when making purchases from a gas station. These cards typically have a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express logo on them and can be used anywhere those cards are accepted. The rewards earned are typically cash back, airline miles, or hotel points and can be redeemed in a variety of ways.

These are the differences between points, cash back, and discounts that you may earn with your gas credit card:

• Points: Points are often flexible rewards that can be redeemed in a variety of ways, such as hotel rooms, products, or cash back.
• Cash back: When your card earns cash back, it can be spent however you choose. Redemptions typically are credits to your statement, deposits to your bank account, or a check that is mailed to your billing address.
• Discounts: Some rewards are limited in scope and may only be redeemed towards future purchases. Discounts may require that you spend a certain amount per transaction before the discount becomes eligible.

The best credit cards for gas include:

• Bonuses for spending on gas
• Additional rewards for other categories that matter to you
• No annual fee or benefits that justify the fee
• 0% APR promotional offer
• Reasonable standard APR on purchases

Are Gas Credit Cards a Good Idea?

Having a credit card that offers bonus rewards on gasoline purchases is a good idea for people who drive a lot. Rather than getting a gas card that is limited to one gas station brand, having a gas credit card that rewards you no matter where you buy gas is the better choice. When the card offers additional benefits and bonus rewards for other categories, you can maximize your spending to earn valuable cash back, points, or miles.

What Credit Score Do You Need for a Gas Credit Card?

The credit score required to get approved for a gas credit card varies based on the bank and which card you choose. Each of the cards on this list requires at least a good credit score (670+), while some require excellent credit (800+). None of the best gas credit cards on our list are geared towards those with bad or fair credit. If your credit needs work, it is best to focus on improving your credit score before applying for one of these gas credit cards.

What Are the Different Types of Gas Credit Cards?

Gas credit cards come in two main types: co-branded cards that are offered by partnering banks and oil companies and general rewards cards from the major card issuers. Co-branded gasoline credit cards offer rewards or per-gallon discounts on gas purchases from specific chains, such as BP or ExxonMobil. By contrast, general rewards credit cards with a gasoline rewards component allow cardholders to earn points or cash back wherever they buy gas. In addition to gasoline-related rewards, general rewards credit cards typically offer bonus rewards on other purchase categories or at least pay a base rate on all other purchases, making them a better all-around deal for the consumer.

How Should You Use a Gas Credit Card?

Whether you're using a general rewards card with a gas rewards bonus or a co-branded gas credit card, it's important to put all your eligible gasoline purchases on that card. It’s also imperative to pay your balance in full each month, as the interest rates these cards charge can often dwarf any rewards you'll earn.

For the average American, gasoline purchases account for more than 3% of annual household spending, or slightly more than $2,000 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the right rewards card, this spending can be leveraged to potentially save hundreds of dollars a year. Gas prices tend to rise and fall with supply and demand and geopolitical forces, but commuting costs are always an unwelcome part of most people’s monthly expenses. Gas credit cards can help offset part of the pain of getting to and from work or add to the pleasure of vacation road trips.

So, whether your gas rewards credit card gives you a discount of a certain number of cents off per gallon, a fixed percentage in cash back, or bonus points on the total when you fill up your tank, remembering to use it consistently at the pump will yield the most value. And, if your rewards card provides bonus earnings on other categories of spending (like groceries or travel), it could work as your primary card for all transactions. To maximize the value of a gas card or any rewards credit card, it’s important to shift as much spending as possible from cash, check, and debit card transactions to the rewards credit card. That way you can earn some level of cash back or points on every transaction.

What Is the Best Way to Compare Gas Credit Cards? 

Most major gasoline retailers have signs or even take-one applications in their stations for their co-branded credit cards, and credit card issuers often send out or advertise promotions for their own gas rewards cards. So you're likely to have any number of cards to choose from.

To know whether you might qualify for a particular card, it's useful to know your credit score, and there are free resources online where you can obtain it. Most rewards credit cards require good or excellent credit, but there are options for those with fair or even bad credit.

Once you have an idea of which cards you could probably qualify for, consider your buying habits. Do you patronize a particular gas station brand more than the others? If so, that company's co-branded card could make sense for you. That's especially true with major companies like ExxonMobil or Shell, which have large national footprints and are likely to have stations wherever you travel. But compare your potential savings with that card to what you might get with a general rewards card that's less restrictive in where you can use it. Bear in mind, though, that some general rewards cards that offer generous bonus cash back or points exclude gasoline sold at big box warehouse stores like BJ’s, Costco, or Sam’s Club. Others restrict their bonus rewards to U.S. gas stations only.

Ultimately, the best way to compare cards is to run the numbers on how much you could earn based on each card's rewards program and the amount of money you typically spend on gas each year.

How Can You Maximize Gas Rewards Earnings?

The best way to maximize your earnings on a gas rewards card is to always use it when you buy gasoline or any other related purchases that qualify for bonus rewards. If you're using a co-branded gas card that provides rewards only at a specific retailer, try to patronize that retailer as often as possible.

If you have a general rewards card that provides bonus cash back or points on gasoline category purchases, you're free to fill up anywhere—but make sure you know if the card excludes the gas pumps at certain major retailers, such as Walmart or Costco. General rewards cards typically make a good primary card to use for all your purchases and often include bonus rewards for other spending categories like groceries or dining. So, beyond maximizing rewards on gas purchases, a general rewards card can optimize earnings across multiple spending categories, resulting in greater rewards in total.

Who Is Best Suited for a Gas Credit Card?

Gas credit cards are best suited for people who spend a fair amount of money each month on gas, such as anyone with a long daily commute. Because gas credit cards often have other rewards with them, consumers will want to find a card that provides maximum benefits between gas and other spending categories that they use most.

Methodology

We reviewed the credit card options across the industry to identify those that offer additional perks and rewards when purchasing gas. Each card was analyzed to gather data points on annual fees, interest rates, earnings power, one-time bonuses, benefits, and more. These data points were then assigned a score so that we could compare different cards to select the best gas credit cards for each type of customer. We continuously monitor credit card websites for changes so we can update our rankings and provide the best advice for our readers.

To see the rates and fees for the featured American Express cards please see the following links:

• Marriott Bonvoy Business™American Express® Card rates and fees
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express rates and fees