Best Gas Credit Cards

The best gas credit cards can take a bite out of your travel bills this summer.  One of my tips earlier this week on preparing for a roadtrip was to take a gas saving credit card along with you.

I’ve gotten some questions about the best ways to take advantage of gas rewards cards and how to choose the best gas cards so today I’ll look at the top gas credit cards and one day next week I’ll answer a variety of questions about the best way to use them.

Blue Cash from American Express

The Blue Cash card is one of my favorite all around rewards cards; below is a snapshot of our cash back earned year to date from our card.

American Express has updated the card so you no longer have to spend a minimum amount to earn the higher cashback.  They actually have two versions, the Everyday card and  the Preferred Card.  The Blue Cash Everyday has no annual fee and pays 2% cash back at the pump, the Blue Cash Preferred charges an annual fee and pays 3% back on gas.

Since it pays a high cash back rate on groceries and drugstore purchases in addition to the gas rebates, the Blue Cash card is a great option for a gas credit card.

Anyone can use the two cards above to earn gas rewards; now I’m going to look at two other options that are great gas credit cards if you qualify for them.

PenFed Platinum Cash Back Rewards Card

The PenFed Visa Platinum card offers 5% cash back on gas purchases so it’s a great gas credit card if you qualify for it.  It also pays 2% for supermarket purchases and they pay out your cash back every month.

PenFed offers several different credit cards to members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and some government workers.  I go into more detail on who can qualify in my review of PenFed rewards credit cards. If you can get the PenFed Visa Platinum card, it’s one of the best gas rewards cards.

True Earnings from American Express

The True Earnings Card from American Express and Costco earns you 3% cashback on gas purchases for the first $3000 annually (1% after that).  You can also get 2% cash back at restaurants and 2% on travel; but unfortunately you need to be a Costco member to have a True Earnings card.

If you already have a Costco membership then True Earnings is a good card but if you’re not, does it make sense to become a member simply to get the card?  It really depends on what you would buy at Costco and if the savings would make up for the annual membership fee.

American Express is running a True Earnings promotion where you get a $25 statement credit after your first purchase, which can help offset the cost of membership. Whether you already are a Costco member or decide to become one, the AmEx True Earnings card is good gas credit card option.

Other Gas Rewards Cards

The next two cards all offer a 5% cash rebate on gas but there are some limitations on when you can earn the 5%.

The Discover  card has offered 5% cashback on gas in the past.  This card has a revolving rewards structure where different categories of purchases earn you cash back at different times of the year.  Keep your eye on the rewards categories to see if you can save any when you use your Discover  card.

With the Chase Freedom card, you also earn 5% cashback on gas in the summer months.  Comparing Chase Freedom vs Discover , both cards have a similar revolving rewards program and they both offer their 5% cash rebate in the summer. Probably the other most widely used categories would be drug store purchases in the spring and grocery purchases in the winter with the Chase Freedom card.

Gas Rewards Summary

So here’s a summary list of all the gas credit cards we’ve covered.  I’ve indicated the different rules each one has about earning maximum gas rewards:

• AmEx Blue Cash Preferred – 3%
• PenFed Platinum Rewards (qualified members) – 5%
• Amex True Earnings (Costco members) – 3%
• Chase Freedom (summer months) – 5%

This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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