Gas Credit Cards

Most gas rewards credit cards require good or excellent credit for approval. You even need at least fair credit to get a gas card that can only be used at a certain gas-station chain. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.

If you want the convenience of paying at the pump (especially important when it’s cold out or you’re in a hurry), you can simply open a secured credit card. Secured credit cards offer nearly guaranteed approval, given that you are required to place a refundable security deposit which acts as your spending limit. Plus, some secured cards offer rewards from time to time.

The best fuel card for small business is the U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard® because it offers 3% cash back on fuel purchases at any station. That 3% rate applies up to $200 spent on each fill-up, with amounts above that yielding 1% back. The U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard® card has a $0 annual fee.

Best Fuel Cards for Small Businesses

• U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard® - Best overall
• Shell Small Business Credit Card - Best fuel store card
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi - Best for wholesale shopping
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Best for introductory 0% APR
• Business Advantage Cash Rewards Credit Card - Best cash back

Some people might assume that the best fuel cards for small businesses are just those partnered with a certain gas station chain. But those cards restrict fuel purchases that earn rewards to affiliated stations. Many general-purpose business credit cards offer gas rewards that are at least as good, while letting you make purchases anywhere.

The best credit card for gas and groceries is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. It gives 6% cash back on $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per year and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, plus 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back on transit expenses, and 1% back everywhere else. New cardholders can also earn a $300 statement credit for spending $3,000 during the first 6 months of card membership.

Best Credit Cards for Gas and Groceries

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

6% back on $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per year, and 3% back at U.S. gas stations. $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 after. $300 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back on transit, and 1% everywhere else. Good credit required.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

2% back at Costco, and 4% back on gas. No annual fee, but the card is only available to people with a Costco membership, which costs $60+. 3% on restaurant and travel purchases, and 1% everywhere else. Excellent credit required.

Amazon.com Credit Card

5% back at Whole Foods for Prime members (3% back otherwise), and 2% back on gas, restaurants and drugstores. No annual fee, but Prime costs $99 a year. 1% back everywhere else. $50 gift card when you get approved. Good credit required.

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card

5% back on gas, and 3% back on groceries. No annual fee. $100 statement credit for spending $1,500 in the first 90 days. 1% back everywhere else. Excellent credit required. And anyone can join PenFed.

SunTrust Cash Rewards Credit Card

5% back on $6,000 in gas and groceries the first 12 months (2% back after that). No annual fee. 1% back on all other purchases. Excellent credit required.

Ultimately, the best credit card for gas and groceries is Amex Blue Cash Preferred. But since gas and groceries are some of the most common expenses, it's a popular combination, and there are options for every credit level. For example, Capital One QuicksilverOne is good for limited credit. And the SunTrust Secured Credit Card works for folks with bad credit.

Chase Sapphire Reserve gas purchases don’t qualify for bonus points, unfortunately, because they aren’t part of the travel category. Gas is an everyday purchase, according to Chase. So you’ll earn just the standard 1 point per $1 spent on gas purchases, while things like airfare, hotels, cruises and taxis get you 3 points per $1. Your $300 annual travel credit won’t cover the cost of filling up at the pump, either, even if it’s for a road trip.

Still, every point you earn from Chase Sapphire Reserve gas purchases is worth 1.5 cents in travel. You only get 1 cent per point when you redeem for cash back and gift cards.

These travel purchases earn Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus points:

• Transportation: Airlines, cruises, taxis, buses, ferries, limousines, trains, car rental, Uber, Lyft
  

• Accommodations: Hotels, motels, timeshares, campgrounds, vacation rentals such as Airbnb

• Booking: Travel agencies, travel booking websites

• Miscellaneous: Tolls, parking garages/lots

All these types of purchases get you 3 points per $1 spent. Unfortunately, gas is not among them.But just because you won’t earn bonus points on Chase Sapphire Reserve gas purchases doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. You don’t even need to look far.

The Chase Freedom Cardoffers 5 points per $1 spent,up to a combined $1,500 per quarter, in rotating bonus categories. Gas was one of those categories from January-March 2019 (along with tolls and drugstores). The categories changed after March,but gas may return in the future. It’s been a category every year since 2012.

Plus, if you’re willing to consider other issuers, you’ll find plenty of cards with lasting bonus rewards on gas. One of the best cards for gas rewards is Citi ThankYou Premier, which gives 3 points for every dollar you spend on travel purchases, including gas. Also, Blue Cash Preferred from American Expressgives 3% cash back on gas purchases, while the Blue Cash Everyday card offers 2% on gas.

The Valero gas card can be used for fuel purchases at Valero, Beacon, Diamond Shamrock Shamrock gas stations and Circle K stores.

Unfortunately, it is a store card (not on a network like Visa or MasterCard). So you can only use it at those specific gas stations.

It is issued by DSRM National Bank (the initials stand for Diamond Shamrock Refining and Marketing), which was a unit of Diamond Shamrock before it was acquired by Valero.

You can use your Walmart credit card for gas at Walmart, Murphy USA, Sam’s Club, and Walmart Neighborhood Market stations. And if you have the Walmart Mastercard, you can use it to buy gas at any station.

Here’s where you can use your Walmart credit card for gas:

• Walmart: 1,100+ stations
• Murphy USA: 1,400+ locations in the South and Midwest
• Sam’s Club: 500+ stations
• Walmart Neighborhood Market: Some stores with stations
• Stations Accepting Mastercard: Only applies to the Walmart Mastercard

You can also use your Walmart Store Card at Walmart.com, but you won’t be able to buy gasoline there.

If you do buy gas using your Walmart Credit card, you’ll get some great rewards. If you fill up at Walmart or Murphy USA, you’ll get 2% of everything you spend back as a statement credit. And if you use your card for gas anywhere else, you’ll still get 1% back as a statement credit. You’ll get these statement credits each month for the purchases you made during the month.

Your Shell card's acceptance depends on what card you own, so to say.

The Shell Drive for Five Card is a credit card that can only be used at a Shell gas station or convenience store, while the Platinum Select MasterCard can be used for credit purchases anywhere in the world where MasterCard is accepted.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred gas rewards are decent. It gives you 1 point per $1 spent at gas stations. 

If you're a frequent traveler and want great gas rewards, the Citi Premier Card is a better option. It offers 3 points per $1 spent on travel, including gas stations.

And you can check out WalletHub’s Editor’s Best Gas Credit Cards if you’re interested in earning fuel rewards.

Most major gas station chains (like BP, Exxon, Shell, Texaco, Gulf, and Murphy USA) will accept American Express, but you may find a handful of independent gas stations that will only accept Visa/Mastercard/Discover. That happens because American Express charges the merchants higher processing fees.

Just about all gas station credit cards can be gas credit cards with instant approval. When you can apply online, it’s almost always possible to receive instant approval (or denial). But issuers never guarantee an instant decision. You’re likely to receive one if you apply for one of the easiest gas cards to get. And in general, your chances for instant approval are high if you apply for a card where your credit score exceeds the minimum required.

But issuers consider many factors on an application, such as income, number of recent credit inquiries, past bankruptcies and more. So it’s always possible an issuer will need more time to come to a decision. And the approval process may take longer if the issuer cannot immediately verify the personal information on the application.

Best Gas Credit Cards for Instant Approval:

• Discover it® Secured Credit Card
• Walmart® Store Card
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
• BP Credit Card
• Shell Credit Card

Again, just about any gas credit card offers instant approval. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get it. Factors that will increase your likelihood of getting instant approval for any credit card include: a high credit score, a high income, and completely correct and up-to-date information on your credit card application.