The best credit card for gas purchases

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of travelers are electing to drive instead of fly. If you take frequent road trips, have a long commute, or spend a lot of money on gas for any reason, getting the right credit card can save you a ton.

If you’re new to credit cards, it’s important to remember to always pay your credit cards in full and on time to help build a great credit score. You can use sites like MyBankrate to check your credit. While your credit score will generally give you a good idea of your odds for approval, it is only one of several criteria most banks use in reaching a final decision.

We’ve rounded up some of the top-earning rewards credit cards for gas station purchases for a multitude of situations. Whether you have a good credit score, limited credit or want a card with other rewards categories, there should be a card for you on this list.

Best gas credit card

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for earning Amex Membership Rewards points
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for cash back
• Citi Premier® Card: Best for earning Citi ThankYou points
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Best for Costco members

The information for the Costco Anywhere Visa has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The best card for gas purchases

The Platinum Card® from American Express

With the Amex Platinum card you can earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. You’ll also earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new card at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined eligible purchases, during your first six months of card membership. That’s an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases.

The Amex Platinum’s benefits include (terms apply):

• 5x Membership Rewards on airfare (booked either directly with the airline or through Amex Travel; on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year as of Jan. 1, 2021)
• 5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
• One point per dollar on everything else
• Terms apply

The card has a $550 annual fee, which is not waived (see rates & fees). If you use the perks and credits, you’ll easily come out ahead and find the Amex Platinum’s annual fee worth it.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

With Chase Freedom Unlimited, you can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You also can combine the points you earn with other eligible Chase cards, which helps you save money on travel.

The main Chase Freedom Unlimited benefit is the ability to earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases (including gas!), with no minimum redemption amount.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee.

If you don’t want to bother with bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a great way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

If you’re a big spender at gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, check out the Blue Cash Preferred ® Card from American Express. The card is currently offering a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months of card membership.

The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 (see rates and fees), but for those who spend a lot at supermarkets and at gas stations in the U.S., it should be easy to offset this fee with the following rewards:

• 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases; 1% thereafter
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and transit
• 1% cash back on other purchases
• Terms apply

You’ll also get a number of benefits to help cover eligible purchases made with the card, like extended warranty, return protection and purchase protection.

When my laptop’s keyboard stopped working a few years ago, I remembered that I had coverage through Amex. I submitted the repair bill and they covered the entire cost of the repair of a few hundred dollars.

Here’s our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred card.

Citi Premier Card

With the Citi Premier card, you’ll earn flexible Citi ThankYou points that you can redeem for cash or travel. This is a great card to carry if you spend a lot on both gas and travel.

If you apply for the card now, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. That’s worth $600 in gift cards when redeemed through the thankyou.com.

The card has a $95 annual fee and you’ll get the following perks:

• 3x Citi ThankYou points per $1 spent on at gas stations, airfare and hotels
• 3x Citi ThankYou points per $1 spent at restaurants and supermarkets
• 1x Citi ThankYou point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees

There are a few ways you can redeem Citi ThankYou points:

• Transfer points to these airline partners
• Book travel through the Citi ThankYou Travel Center
• Redeem for cash, gift cards and other merchandise through the Citi ThankYou website

Check out our review of the Citi Premier card here.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi

If you frequently shop at or buy gas from Costco, you might want to consider the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi. The card has no annual fee if you have a paid Costco membership.

The card does not have an intro bonus, but you will get the following perks:

• 4% cash back on eligible gas worldwide, including gas at Costco (applies to the first $7,000 per year, then 1% thereafter)
• 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
• 2% cash back on all purchases from Costco and Costco.com
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

This card is great for buying gas from Costco. Gas prices at Costco are typically a bit cheaper than most other gas stations around my area. So when I buy it there, not only am I getting cheaper gas, but I’m also getting a nice 4% cash back rewards rate!

Note that the cash back is only provided as an annual credit-card reward certificate on your February billing statement, redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses. So if you end up closing your account before the credit posts, you could be losing the entire years’ worth of rewards.

Methodology

When determining which of the best credit cards for gas makes sense for you, consider the following:

Bonus offer: Earning a hefty welcome bonus is one of the easiest ways to rack up loads of rewards. So it’s important to consider the value of each card’s bonus to ensure you’re getting the biggest bang for your (buck) spending.  

Minimum spending requirement: Earning an intro bonus requires that you spend a certain amount on your new card within a certain timeframe. So, be sure you can meet those requirements because some card’s requirements are bigger than others. 

Ongoing bonuses: This is a key factor in deciding between cards. Especially if you’re looking for a card that earns a lot in a particular category, like gas purchases. If you spend a lot on gas, be sure to select a card that earns a bonus on those purchases. 

Benefits and perks: These can make a difference, as it’s incredibly important to match a card’s benefits to your needs and spending habits.

FAQs about cards for gas

How to choose the best credit card for gas

Take a look at the methodology listed above. When deciding between cards, consider things like the value of the welcome bonus, ongoing earnings, benefits and perk, etc.

What’s the credit score needed for a gas rewards card?

It depends on which card you’re applying for. Each issuer has different criteria when it comes to whether or not they’ll approve you for a rewards card. Some cards require a higher credit score than others. 

How do gas credit cards work?

It’s simple. Just swipe your card at the pump and reap the rewards. The goal is to find a card that fits your spending habits and financial goals and to make the most of the rewards you earn. 

How much can you save with a gas rewards card?

Using a card that earns rewards on gas purchases doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re saving on those purchases, specifically. But the rewards you earn will help you save on other things (like travel!) in the future. And you can also consider earning cash back to be saving, in a sense. Because earning cash back is essentially like earning a discount after the fact!

Bottom line

If you’re earning less than an equivalent of 3% back at gas stations, you’re using the wrong card. Any of these top credit cards for gas purchases can help you save money or earn lots of bonus miles and points.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for earning Amex Membership Rewards points
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for cash back
• Citi Premier® Card: Best for earning Citi ThankYou points
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Best for Costco members

Did I miss your favorite gas card? Let us know which cards you enjoy using for gas purchases.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred Card, please click here.