Via Million Mile Secrets reader @blujkts on Twitter, you can save money on gasoline this summer when you fill up at select gas stations and pay with your Bluebird card.
From now until September 8, 2014, you’ll save money at some Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations when you pay with Bluebird. But the deal is only valid in certain states, and the amount you’ll save varies, up to 15 cents per gallon.
How Does It Work?
Link: Walmart’s Great Gas Rollback
Link: Great Gas Rollback Gas Station Locator
Link: Sign-Up for a Bluebird Account
You’ll save up to 15 cents per gallon when you use your Bluebird card to pay at the pump at participating Walmart or Murphy USA gas stations in certain states. To find gas stations that have the discount, enter your zip code on the promotion page and a list of nearby locations will come up.
Remember, this deal isn’t available in all states. And the amount you’ll save varies.
The terms and conditions say you have to pay at the pump to get the discount but I haven’t tested this yet.
You’ll save 15 cents per gallon in:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Tenneesee
- Texas
- Virginia
But you’ll only save 5 cents per gallon in Florida, and 3 cents per gallon in Minnesota and Oklahoma.
Is This a Good Deal?
If you can find a participating gas station nearby, maybe. Saving a few cents a gallon can definitely add up over a whole summer.
Otherwise, you’re much better off paying for gas with a credit card that has gas stations as a bonus spending category. You’ll save the extra step of having to load your Bluebird at Walmart, and the points you earn could be more valuable than the gas discount through this promotion.
For example, the Chase Freedom card earns 5 points per $1 you spend on gasoline in the 3rd quarter of 2014. And the Chase Ink Bold and Chase Ink Plus always earn 2 points per $1 you spend at gas stations. The great thing about gas stations is that they sell more than just gas – you can buy snacks, gift cards, and automotive supplies too and earn bonus points!
Let’s assume a gallon of gas costs $3.50. With this promotion, you’ll save up to 15 cents per gallon.
But lets say you use a credit card, like the Chase Freedom (which has a limited time sign-up bonus), when it earns 5X points per $1 spent on gas (coming up in the 3rd quarter of 2014!). This gets you 5 Ultimate Rewards points (5% cash back or 5 cents) per $1 you spend. So you’ll get 17.5 cents per gallon ($3.50 cost per gallon x 5%). That’s a better deal.
However, if you use a card that gives you 2 points (2% cash back) per $1 you spend such as the (no longer offered) Chase Ink Bold and Chase Ink Plus cards, you’ll only get 7 cents back per gallon ($3.50 cost per gallon x 2%). If you value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.5 cents per point, that’s still only 10.5 cents per $1 spent on gas.
Also, depending on how you use your points, they could be worth much more than 1 cent each if you transfer them to hotel and airline partners.
Note: In some areas, there are 2 prices at the pump: credit and cash or debit. The credit card price is always higher. If this is the case for you, you’ll have to do the math to figure out if the points back on gas using a credit card is greater than the savings using this promotion and a debit card.That said, if you don’t have a credit card that earns bonus points on gas, you’ll save money using your Bluebird through this deal. As long as you can find a participating gas station nearby!
Bottom Line
You can save up to 15 cents per gallon at select gas stations in certain states when you pay with your Bluebird card.
Only some states are participating, and you might only get a discount of 3 to 5 cents per gallon in certain states. But a few cents is better than nothing.
I prefer using credit cards that have gas stations as a bonus spending category. It’s easier than going to Walmart to load your Bluebird with gift cards. But if you don’t have a credit card that gives you extra points on gas, this could be a good deal.
Thanks for the heads-up, @blujkts!