Do any of you guys have cards for gas stations or credit cards you use for gas to get a % back? I've always used Citgo for the last 10 years, but the last station around my area just switched on Sunday. The 5 cents off a gallon was nice until they discontinued that a few years ago. I've been thinking of going with Sheetz (3 cents off/gal, tons of stations in PA) but keep seeing ads on TV/radio for credit cards give cash back on gas. Was wondering if anyone here knew of any good ones or knew about minimum balances for % back and such on credit cards. I generally put all my gas on a card then at the end of the month just pay it all off at once, easier for me than keeping track of it on my debit card.
I get 5 cents off per gallon on Murphy Gas if I use a Walmart card and 3 cents off Kroger gas with a Kroger card. If there was a Kroger closer than 55 miles away, I would do less business with Murphy, as a church group I know gets a 5% rebate on all Kroger purchases. Cheap Gas Finder - Find Best Gas Prices - Cheap Gas Locations Kroger - In Store - Fuel Saver Rewards
Hi andrew13-- I use USAA's World MasterCard, which is giving me 3% back on all fuel until this August, I think. I stack it with Kroger's 10 cents off per gallon deal if you buy $100 worth of food the month prior, when possible. I would advise against using a debit card at the gas pump as it's one of the most vulnerable places where your card's info can get swiped. I had that happen myself a couple months ago and was shocked to see that they had spent $4700 at a Jamacian nudist resort. Luckily, it was on the credit card, so the bank cancelled the whole thing. A debit card doesn't have that kind of liability protection, though - you're out at least $50 regardless.
Costco + Amex is THE BEST. Costco carries the cheapest gas and AmEx gives you 3% cash back. Be warned though, the lines are Costco-esque: long. When I'm sitting in my car waiting in line I literally feel like I'm about to ride Autopia at Disneyland or something.
Fry's/Kroger's 10 cents per $100 spent in the store is the best deal around here. It's hard not to spend >$100 per week for groceries, meaning I always have at least a 10 cent discount. Besides, they're the cheapest fuel within 14 miles of my house anyway, even without the discount. Then we charge our fuel to our Hilton HHonors VISA card and get free night stays when we need them via those points. It's a win-win situation.
Unfortunately for me, even though I'm a Costco member and have their Amex card, I currently go nowhere near a Costco w/a gas station and sometimes their prices aren't the best either. I usually use a Fidelity Amex card that gets me 2% cashback on all purchases. Some cards like https://creditcards.chase.com/freedom/Activate.aspx and https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/cashback-bonus/earn-cashback.html (busted right now) sometimes offer 5% cashback on gas.
My Chase card gives me 1% on all purchases and 5% back on different items at certain quarters of the year. In other words, 5% for gas for 3 months, 5% for groceries for three months, etc.
If this is about saving the most money on gas, I wouldn't tie myself to one gas station promotion/card. There's a lot of Krogers around me, and I could get a discount with Shell stations with my Kroger card. However, I've noticed there's quite a dichotomy in gas prices at any given moment. *Usually* in Atlanta I've found that Quiktrip is the cheapest when comparing other stations in the area. In some areas, if you drive just several blocks, you'll see a 10 cent difference between the same chains. When I drive and visit relatives/friends in NC, there's usually a particular Racetrac that's the cheapest. However, there's been quite a few times recently where a particular BP or Exxon actually has the cheapest gas. With fluctuating gas prices, it seems like it's best to shop around then to be loyal/tied to just one brand. Especially now that a lot of credit cards/debit cards are offering cash back that wouldn't just apply to one brand. I would first check your current credit cards/debit cards to see what they offer (I have one checkcard through my bank that does offer some rewards, as well as my credit card).
