There’s no way around it – putting gas in your vehicles is an extremely expensive part of any
budget. Whether you’re commuting long distances to work, drive for a living, or even own a fleet
of vehicles for your business, those fuel costs add up awfully fast.
The good news is that you can ease some of those costs with a credit card geared towards
those who frequent the gas pumps. Between welcome bonuses, at-the-pump savings, and
additional rewards, you can bite back at the high cost of gas – at least a little bit.
Citi Premier Card
Quite simply, the Citi Premier Card is one of the best when it comes to gas rewards. You’ll get
anywhere from 1 to 3 points for every dollar spent, including the top rate for all fuel purchases.
There’s also an 80,000 point (up to $800 value) welcome bonus if you spend at least $4,000 in
the first three months.
The only downside is that this card comes with a $95 annual fee and a slightly higher than
average APR, ranging from 19% to 27%. However, if you don’t regularly carry a balance, you
should easily be able to recoup enough points to cover the annual fee – and then some. The
points never expire and there’s no maximum earning limit.
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
Not all the best credit cards are offered by traditional banks. A credit union is also a great place
to manage your money, including getting a credit card through one. This card is the PenFed
Platinum Rewards Visa Signature card. It’s offered by the Pentagon Federal Credit Union. Don’t
worry though, you don’t actually need to be in the military to become a member.
This card offers five points for every dollar spent at gas stations (as long as you pay at the
pump). It’s also not tied to any particular gas chain, so you can fill up anywhere and still earn the
points. You’ll also earn 3X the points on groceries, restaurants, and certain entertainment bills
like cable/satellite TV and streaming services.
There’s no annual membership fee and a 15,000 point welcome offer for spending $1,500 in the
first three months (approximately $150 in value). The interest rate is a variable 16.49-to-17.99%.
That’s fairly low, as far as credit cards are concerned.
Citi Custom Cash Card
The Citi Custom Cash Card is perfect for anyone who sees their largest monthly expense
change from time to time. That’s because it offers 5% cash back on whichever category you
spend the most on every month. If it’s gas, then great. But if it happens to be groceries, dining,
or travel in a particular month, you’ll still earn a lot. All other categories earn a blanket 1%
cashback.
This card boasts no annual fee and a fairly standard APR range of 17% to 27%. There’s also a
$200 cash back welcome bonus for spending $1,500 in the first six months. The 15-month intro
APR of 0% on both purchases and balance transfers is also extremely attractive.
The only real downside is that there’s a limit on the points you can earn – up to $500 in
spending for the top category, every month. There’s also a 3% foreign transaction fee, which
doesn’t make it a great card for traveling.
PNC Cash Rewards Visa
The PNC Cash Rewards Visa is a great all-around rewards card. However, it certainly
specializes in paying for gas. That category earns a top-tier 4% cashback. The card also
rewards 3% back on dining and 2% back at grocery stores. All other purchases earn 1% back.
The only downside is that the high cashback rates only apply to the first $8,000 in annual
spending.
Still, with a $0 annual fee and a standard APR range of 16.24% to 27.24%, the PNC Cash
Rewards card is a great choice for anyone logging a lot of miles on their vehicle.
There’s a meager (but still welcome) $100 welcome bonus for spending $1,000 in the first three
billing cycles. There’s also a 12-month 0% APR period.
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards Elite Mastercard
This last card caters directly to anyone who owns or runs a business that involves plenty of
driving. Or having multiple drivers using a small fleet of vehicles, even. The U.S. Bank Business
Triple Cash Rewards Elite Mastercard offers 3% cashback on gas purchases of $200 or less. It
also offers 3% back on restaurants, cell phone service, and office supplies. All other purchases
get 1% back.
All of that for no annual fee and a 17-to-26% APR range. There’s also a $500 welcome bonus
for spending $4,500 in the first 150 days. Other introductory perks include a 0% purchase APR
for 15 months and a decent 0% balance transfer offer.
You can also get 5% back on hotels and car rental, but you have to book them directly through
the card’s Travel Rewards Center. It’s a slightly annoying condition, but not a major concern.
