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Erika's Picks for Best Gas Credit Cards
- Best overall:
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card - Best for gas and groceries:
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express - Best for businesses:
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card - Best for no annual fee:
Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® - Best for military:
More Rewards American Express® Card - Best for bad credit:
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card
Gas is a major expense for most of us. The average American spent $3,120 at the pump in 2022 — an uptick of more than 45% from 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That jump was attributed to people going back to the office post-pandemic, as well as increased gas prices from the Russia-Ukraine War.
Although overseas conflicts and labor trends are outside your control, you can control how you pay for gas and the amount of money you earn back each time you fill up.
Best Overall
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
Rewards Rate
- 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked from Altitude Rewards Center
- 4x points on travel and gas stations/EV charging stations on your first $1,000 each quarter (excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs)
- 2x points for groceries, dining, and streaming services
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$0 for the first year; then $95
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a great general rewards card that has accelerated rates in common everyday categories, like groceries, dining, streaming services, gas, and EV charging stations.
Your rewards can be redeemed for travel, merchandise, statement credit, or straight-up cashback.
It also has other benefits that give it even more value, particularly if you’re a frequent traveler. Highlights include four annual passes to any of the 1,500+ airport VIP lounges, trip delay coverage, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What makes the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card the best overall gas credit card is its high rewards rate on gas purchases: an unlimited rate of 4x points — the equivalent of 4% when redeemed for cashback.
At that rate, you’ll earn back your annual fee if you buy about $200 worth of gas per month, and you’ll likely earn a lot more back than that overall based on the card’s long list of other accelerated rewards categories.
Best for Gas and Groceries
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Rewards Rate
- 6% cashback on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and on select streaming services
- 3% on U.S. gas station and transit purchases
- 1% on all other spending (cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout)
Welcome Offer
Earn $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first six months
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)
Like gas, groceries are another category where we spend a staggering amount of money each year. This makes a credit card like the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express worthwhile for those who clock a lot of hours both on the road and in the kitchen.
That said, keep in mind that the Blue Cash Preferred’s flashy 6% cashback rate on groceries only applies up to the first $6,000 you spend at the supermarket each year. Once you pass that $6K mark, your rate will drop to 1% until the start of the next calendar year.
If you spend a lot more than $6,000 on groceries each year, you should consider other cards that offer accelerated rewards rates on groceries without any annual spending limits.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is one of the better cashback cards out there, especially for families.
If you spend heavily at supermarkets, have a lengthy commute, or use public transportation, the cashback can really add up, helping you to put some of your hard-earned money back in your wallet.
Best for Businesses
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Rewards Rate
- 5% on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in U.S. Bank’s Travel Rewards Center
- 3% at gas and EV charging stations, restaurants, office supply stores, and on cellphone service
- 1% on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn $750 in cashback after spending $6,000 within 180 days
Annual Fee
$0
For no annual fee, the Triple Cash Rewards card is a pretty solid cashback card for business owners.
Not only does it earn you unlimited rewards on gas spending, but you'll also earn at an accelerated rate in other common business categories, like restaurants office supplies, cellphone services, and hotels and rental cars (when booked through U.S. Bank's Travel Rewards Center).
The card also has other benefits for small business owners, including an annual $100 statement credit for software subscriptions (like FreshBooks or QuickBooks).
All information about the U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
While lots of business credit cards have enhanced cashback rates for gas, many of them limit the purchase volume that earns at the enhanced rate.
The Triple Cash Rewards card, however, earns cashback on unlimited gas spending. This can be a game-changer for small businesses that have particularly high gas consumption, like shuttle or courier services.
Best for No Annual Fee
Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard®
Rewards Rate
- $0.10 per gallon (up to 35 gallons) at participating Shell stations
- 10% Shell rebates on up to $1,200 of Shell non-fuel purchases annually
- 2% Shell rebates on your first $10,000 worth of dining and grocery purchases made annually
- 1% Shell rebates on all other qualifying purchases
Welcome Offer
Save $0.30 per gallon (up to 35 gallons) on your first 5 Shell fuel purchases made by 4/30/25 (apply by 12/31/24)
Annual Fee
$0
If Shell is your gas station go-to, then you'll want to add the Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard to your wallet. It has a high earning rate on Shell gas and non-fuel purchases, as well as on dining and groceries.
With this card, you don't earn rewards, but rather rebates, which are applied directly as a statement credit.
Once approved for the card, you're also enrolled into the Fuel Rewards® program with Gold Status. This scores you savings of $.05 per gallon (up to 35 gallons) on fuel purchases made at participating Shell locations in the U.S.
All information about the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard offers the best savings among all the major chain gas stations’ credit cards.
The card’s regular gas savings rate works out to about 2.9% when taken as a percentage of $3.50 — the average price of gas per gallon in the U.S. as of August 2024, per AAA.
And you can also earn back on purchases made outside of Shell stations, unlike some competing fuel stations’ credit cards.
Best for Military
More Rewards American Express® Card
Rewards Rate
- 3x points for gas, groceries, restaurants, and transit
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 30,000 points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days; $98 Walmart+ membership statement credit
Annual Fee
$0
Current service members and veterans of the U.S. armed forces, as well as their family members, are eligible to join Navy Federal Credit Union and apply for its products, including any of its credit cards — like the More Rewards American Express® Card.
Its rewards rate is simple, with one elevated category that covers the most common necessities: gas, groceries, and transit. Plus, it has no annual fee.
All information about the More Rewards American Express® Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The card’s lucrative rewards structure earns points in the holy trinity of purchase categories: groceries, restaurants, and gas. Points are worth $0.01 each when redeemed for a statement credit, making them similar to cashback.
Aside from earning points galore, the More Rewards Amex also comes with no foreign transaction fees, no cash advance fees, and no balance transfer fees.
Best for Bad Credit
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 3% cashback in category of your choice
- 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
- 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
None
Annual Fee
$0
With the Customized Cash Rewards Secured card, you choose one purchase category for earning 3% back — among the available options are gas and EV charging stations. Other options are online shopping (including cable, internet, phone plans, and streaming), dining, travel, drug stores and pharmacies, and home improvement and furnishings.
The 3% category is flexible. It can be changed once each month, which is useful if you have a big upcoming purchase — like a long-haul flight, a pricey gadget, or a nice piece of furniture — and you want to temporarily switch from gas.
You’re required to make a security deposit of at least $200, but you may qualify to have your deposit returned to you if you demonstrate responsible payment habits.
All information about the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
No matter your credit score, you can earn a lot of money back on gas purchases with the Customized Cash Rewards Secured card.
It's fairly uncommon for a secured credit-builder card to offer rewards, so the fact that this card offers up to 3% cashback — and in the category of your choosing — is pretty noteworthy. You can build up your credit profile while also saving a bit of money on your biggest regular expenses.
Bottom Line: How To Choose a Gas Credit Card
When choosing the gas credit card you want, consider things like the annual fee, whether you prefer to earn cashback or rewards points, and the purchase categories where you typically spend the most (aside from gas).
You may decide that you want multiple credit cards — one that you use primarily for gas and one that rewards you for other purchases, like travel or dining. Just keep in mind that if you have several credit cards for different categories, you want to make sure the benefits outweigh any fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
The easiest gas credit card to get is one of the many secured gas credit cards out there, like the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Card, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, or the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit.
Each of those cards offers cashback for gas purchases, and they’re available to applicants with low credit scores, provided you can make a deposit.
If you want an unsecured card, a credit card that’s issued by or co-branded with a particular fuel station chain — like Shell, Mobil, or Chevron — may have more lenient credit score requirements than a standard unsecured gas credit card.
If you don’t mind paying an annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express both offer impressively high rewards rates on gas purchases.
If you prefer not to pay an annual fee, or you don’t have a high enough credit score to qualify, there are several no-annual-fee gas credit cards to choose from. Consider getting a card that’s issued by or co-branded with your preferred chain of fuel stations, like the Shell Rewards Mastercard.
