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You may assume that gas credit cards are reserved for frequent travelers, but even if your daily commute is the extent of your driving, these cards can still pay off. Given that gas is a regular expense, it’s smart to earn rewards on such purchases. With spring and summer just around the corner, choosing the best gas credit card can help you accumulate valuable points, miles, or cashback on your fuel expenses, no matter the length of your journeys.
If your interest is piqued, here are some of the best credit cards for gas purchases.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Citi Premier® Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Best Credit Cards for Gas Purchases
Some of these rewards can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, or even to pay off purchases. Whether you’re gassing up for school, or work, running errands around town, or planning a road trip, there are several credit card options that can work for different lifestyles.
Here’s a list of the best gas credit cards for earning rewards to help you determine what option works best for you. As you may notice, many of the cards listed below also earn on everyday spending, such as on dining or groceries.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
While the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doesn’t have a specific benefit for gas purchases, it does earn 2x miles per $1 spent on purchases. That means you can rack up miles pretty quickly. You don’t have to activate categories. Earning 2x miles on purchases is automatic. Additionally, earn 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The Capital One Venture card is great if you don’t want to have to think about how many miles your purchase earns. It’s a flat-rewards card that works for all of your purchases. Plus, you can redeem your Capital One miles for travel. Cardholders also get a fee credit of up to $120 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
There is a $95 annual fee but no foreign transaction fee.
Although The Capital One Venture Rewards is considered one of the top credit cards for travel, it’s worth noting that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is also a good contender if you want to earn more for travel. Check out our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for more details.
New Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Bonus: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a great option if you want premium benefits, such as a fee credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, Capital One Lounge, and worldwide Priority Pass lounge access, and $300 back annually for bookings through Capital One Travel.
Cardholders also earn unlimited:
- 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
Plus, get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on the first anniversary.
Use the miles you earn to cover your travel expenses. This can include flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can also transfer your miles to several Capital One travel partners.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel, with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
This is one of the best Capital One credit cards.
The annual fee is $395, but there are no foreign transaction fees.
Citi Premier Card
The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you buy a lot of gas but also want to earn points on other purchases, look to the Citi Premier® Card.
You earn 3 points for every $1 spent on:
- Gas
- Supermarkets
- Restaurants
- Air travel
- Hotels
There is also a $100 annual hotel benefit. Cardholders can use the benefit after purchasing a single stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) through thankyou.com.
The card does come with a $95 annual fee.
New Citi Premier® Card cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This bonus is redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards when redeemed at thankyou.com.
Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
If this sounds like a good choice for you, check out the CardMatch™ tool, which is a free resource for finding personalized offers that best serve you. It can help you determine if the Citi Premier is a card you can get. Additionally, you may be offered a higher targeted signup bonus that isn’t available to the general public.
Also, visit our Citi Premier Card review post to read more about this beneficial card.
BP Visa Credit Card
The information for the BP Visa® Credit Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The BP Visa® Credit Card is more or less lauded as one of the best co-branded credit cards that features an actual gas station brand. If BP stations are prevalent in your area, this is certainly a credit card to consider.
Cardholders can enjoy 10¢ off per gallon on fuel purchases at participating bp and Amoco stations. They also earn 3% cash back on grocery store purchases and 1% cash back on purchases made everywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted (excluding bp and Amoco fuel purchases). Cash back comes in the form of a statement credit.
There is also a 30-day introductory offer that gets up to 30¢ off per gallon on fuel purchases (at participating locations) when you open a new account and download the BPme app.
The card comes with no annual fee.
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard
The information for the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re looking for a business card that earns rewards at gas stations, the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee card that earns triple cash back on select purchases (See Rates & Fees).
Cardholders can earn 3% cash back on select eligible purchases at:
- gas stations and EV charging stations
- office supply stores
- cell phone service providers
- restaurants
Additionally, earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Center.
Cardholders earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.
New U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® cardholders can earn $500 in cash back after spending $4,500 on the Account Owner’s card in the first 150 days of account opening.
Additionally, cardholders can enjoy an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses. Such expenses include FreshBooks or QuickBooks.
There are no limits on how much total cashback can be earned. Additionally, rewards won’t expire. Learn more in our U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard review.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Yes, there is a hotel credit card that can reward you big at the pump! The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card gives you a whopping 6x points for every eligible $1 you spend at gas stations in the United States. Cardholders also earn 6x points for each dollar of eligible purchases on their Card at U.S. restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets. You also earn 12x points per dollar spent on eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio, 4x points on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3x points on all remaining eligible purchases.
As far as hotel rewards programs go, Hilton Honors doesn’t always offer the best value for its points (so don’t get too excited over those six points — they don’t stretch that far). But if you’re already a member, are loyal to the brand, and know you stand to earn some points at the pump, this is one of the best Hilton credit cards to consider.
New Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card cardholders can earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. This offer ends on 01/08/2025.
The annual fee is $150 (See Rates & Fees).
Who Has the Best Gas Credit Cards?
As you can see, most of these gas credit cards allow you to earn on other purchases, not just gas. However, if you want to earn more and have further options, check out our list of the best miles credit cards that offer more flexibility. Most of these cards will reward you for everyday purchases, including gasoline (though they don’t have such high specialized bonuses).
Are Gas Stations Credit Cards Worth It?
Gas can be one of the larger expenses when driving to a travel destination. Many travel credit cards reward an average of 2 points per dollar spent on gasoline purchases.
But, it is possible to find credit cards with higher reward rates.
If gas rewards are important to you, the minimum reward rate should be 2% from your credit card, although any credit card will pay a minimum of 1%. For starters, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card earns 3x points at the pump, while the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5x points at the pump.
The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
American Express also offers Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express that earns:
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- Plus, 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 1% cash back on general purchases
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com at checkout.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express welcome bonus is the ability to earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Even better, there is $0 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) for the Blue Cash Everyday Card.
Better Than 2%
We know it is possible to choose a credit card that offers a baseline rate of 2%. But, it is very easy to earn more. In fact, it’s possible to earn up to 5% cash back on all gas purchases. One thing you might notice though is that some of these credit cards can be “somewhat” exclusive. They might require a one-time or annual membership fee to an organization to qualify for the rewards card.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5x points per $1 spent on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. It also earns 7x points per $1 spent on eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands. All other eligible purchases earn 3x points per $1 spent.
This is one of the best Hilton credit cards.
New The Hilton Honors American Express Card cardholders can earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. This offer ends on 01/8/2025.
If you are a loyal Hilton traveler, this could be beneficial for you. Otherwise, you may prefer a card with more flexibility. There is no annual fee to worry about either (See Rates & Fees).
Everyday Rewards
These reward cards do not require you to belong to a particular bank or club to earn high rewards, as most other gas reward cards do.
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns:
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 3% cash back on transit, including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% cash back on other purchases
Cash back comes in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com at checkout.
Plus, with their enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, cardholders who spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
The welcome bonus is the ability to earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express within the first 6 months. There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (See Rates & Fees).
Citi Rewards+ Card
The information for the Citi Rewards+® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Citi Rewards+® Card earns 2x points per $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year, then 1x points thereafter. It also earns 1x points per $1 spent on everything else. Plus, this is the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase, with no limits on how many points you can earn.
Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel Portal℠ through June 30, 2024.
New Citi Rewards+® Card cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in purchases with their card within 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
Your points won’t expire so long as your account remains active.
There is no annual fee.
Related: Best Citi Credit Cards
Chase Freedom Flex
The information for the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Chase Freedom Flex® has 5% quarterly rotating categories, and gas happens to be a rotating category. Once activated, earning 5% is capped at $1,500 in purchases each quarter.
The Freedom Flex usually has gas station purchases as a quarterly category once a year.
Cardholders can earn:
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1% back)
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
The Chase Freedom Flex has no annual fee, making this an easy card to earn points on and have it in your wallet. Check out our Chase Freedom Flex review to get a more detailed description of this card.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is a no-annual-fee card (See Rates & Fees) that is one of several cards letting you earn up to 5% back on purchases. Cardholders earn:
- 5% cash back on the first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories they choose. Categories include:
- Fast food
- TV, internet, and streaming services
- Cell phone providers
- Home utilities
- Department stores
- Electronic stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Movie theaters
- Gym/fitness centers
- Furniture stores
- Ground transportation
- Select clothing stores
- 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel, and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center
- 2% cash back on one everyday category, like Gas Stations/EV Charging Stations, Grocery Stores or Restaurants
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
To earn cashback, choose and activate the categories. Then, earn cash back with every eligible purchase. Cardholders can redeem their cash back anytime online.
New U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
Get cash back as a statement credit, a rewards card, or directly deposited into their U.S. Bank checking or savings account. Read more in our U.S. Bank Cash Visa Signature Card review.
Credit Union Rewards Cards for Gas Purchases (5%)
These two credit cards offer gas rewards of 5% and can be used worldwide. The only downside is that you need to meet certain eligibility standards to earn membership. If you are retired or active military personnel, reside in the service area, are employed by a qualifying employer, or relative to an eligible member, you can enjoy 5% cashback.
Fort Knox Federal Credit Union Visa Platinum Credit Card
The information for the Fort Knox Federal Credit Union Visa Platinum Credit Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Some might balk at credit union offerings because members must meet certain eligibility requirements or limited physical branches. But, this doesn’t mean that you cannot use them primarily for an awesome credit card program. Fort Knox FCU pays 5% on gas rewards and 1% on all other purchases in the form of a monthly statement credit with their Visa® Platinum Credit Card.
The reward payout is similar to the Chase Freedom credit cards that pay a 5% bonus on select categories. If fuel is one of your largest expenses, this can be a better offering because gas purchases constantly earn 5%.
To qualify for this card, non-members need to pay a one-time $15 fee (or $5 annually) by joining the American Consumer Council. The $5 fee is used to purchase one share at Fort Knox FCU.
Pentagon Federal Credit Union
The information for the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you like earning points, this is possible with the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card. You will earn 5x points per $1 spent at the pump, 3x points on supermarket purchases, and 1x points for everything else. Unredeemed points expire after 5 years. Also, the point redemption values are not as good as Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Thank You Points.
Warehouse Clubs (4%-5%)
Surprisingly, credit cards offered by wholesale buying clubs such as Costco or Sam’s Club not only offer discount prices for fuel but offer additional rewards to loyal members that also make purchases with the affiliated credit cards. In addition to gas rewards, these two credit cards also offer tiered rewards for other purchases as well.
Of course, these cards might only make sense if you regularly make purchases from a warehouse club.
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
The information for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi pays 4% cash back on the first $7,000 in eligible gas and EV charging purchases annually. Then, you’ll earn 1% after that. Users will not earn rewards from gas purchased at other warehouse clubs, supermarkets, or grocery stores.
Reading the terms and conditions can be a little confusing. It mentions that rewards will not be earned at convenience stores (what virtually every non-Costco gas station is).
Don’t be alarmed, you will almost certainly earn a reward when you “pay-at-the-pump.” Credit card companies have different classification codes for in-store purchases where you can also purchase drinks & lottery tickets and gas pump purchases where it is only possible to purchase gasoline or diesel.
This is a general practice for all gas rewards credit cards.
In addition to 4% gas rewards, cardholders also earn 3% cash back on restaurant & eligible travel purchases, 2% on all other Costco and Costco.com purchases, and 1% on everything else. Between the tiered reward payout and no annual earnings cap on all rewards, this is a good option.
Sam’s Club MasterCard
It’s not uncommon for non-warehouse credit cards to not offer gas rewards at clubs such as Costco, Sam’s, or BJ’s. That problem is solved, at Sam’s Club at least, with the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®. Cardholders can earn 5% rewards on the first $6,000 in gas purchases anywhere, each year (and 1% after that).
In addition to the 5% gas rewards, it’s also possible to earn 3% back on eligible purchases when shopping in-club or digitally through Sam’s Club when they use their Sam’s Club Mastercard and another 2% back from their Plus membership, for a total of up to 5% rewards on eligible purchases. They also earn 3% on dining and takeout purchases, & 1% cash back on all other purchases.
However, reward earnings have a limit of $5,000 per calendar year. There also isn’t an annual fee or foreign transaction fee.
Learn more: Gas Rewards Credit Cards
What About Gas Station Cards?
If you always purchase gas from a specific gas station brand, a branded gas station credit card can be a good option. For example, the ExxonMobil™ Smart Card rewards 6 cents per gallon. The Shell Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® knocks 10 cents off each gallon (up to 20 gallons).
If gas is $2 per gallon that is a rewards rate of approximately 2.5%, but only 1.6% when gas costs $3 per gallon. These reward rates are still better than several rewards cards. But, the above options offer better payouts and are more flexible.
Of course, you can also buy gas station gift cards at an office supply store with a flexible card. This way, you still earn points.
Summary
There isn’t a single “best” gas rewards credit card that fits the needs of every person. Most credit cards offer increased gas rewards as an incentive to attract or retain users that might already be using their products. For example, joining a credit union or warehouse club specifically to earn extra gas rewards might not be worth the hassle if you have a decent travel rewards card that earns 2% on gas purchases and higher payouts for travel purchases.
As a general observation, the credit cards with better gas rewards tend to reward shoppers who will also use the same credit card for grocery shopping. To maximize gas rewards, it might make sense to select one of the recommended credit cards above to purchase “household staples”. Then, use a travel card as your primary card for all other purchases.
Related articles:
- Which Dining Credit Card Do You Prefer? Here’s a list.
- Credit Cards for Grocery Purchases That Earn Rewards
- Credit Cards with Roadside Assistance
- Best Credit Cards with Free Hotel Nights
For rates and fees of The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, please click here.
And for rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, please click here.
Johnny Jet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Johnny Jet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
About the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa, points are only worth 85/100ths of a cent, so 5X is valued at 4.25%.
The card has had a recent refresh, too, adding 5X for EV charging stations, 3X (2.55%) for restaurants & streaming/internet, and the grocery category also includes Target and Walmart.