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

• Best Overall: U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard®
• Best Fuel Store Card: Shell Small Business Credit Card
• Best Initial Bonus: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Best for Cash Back: Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Best for Costco Members: Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi

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 20% cash back on Amazon.com purchases for the first 6 months (up to $200 back), 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% back on all other purchases, earned as statement credits. New cardholders can also earn a $150 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months of card membership.

There are plenty of other options to choose from, as well. You can see the complete list of the best credit cards for gas and groceries below.

Best Credit Cards for Gas and Groceries

• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best overall for gas and groceries
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Best for Costco members
• Amazon.com Credit Card: Best for Whole Foods Market purchases
• PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card: Best for gas
• SunTrust Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for excellent credit
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for fair credit
• SunTrust Secured Credit Card: Best for bad credit

Ultimately, the best credit card for gas and groceries is the 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.

Yes, Chase Sapphire Reserve gas purchases, along with any other purchases, get you 60,000 points once you’ve spent $4,000 within the first 3 months. Gas purchases will also count toward earning you Annual Travel Credit. A statement credit of up to $300 will be applied to your account as reimbursement for eligible travel purchases and, up to December 31^st 2021, gas station and grocery store purchases count as well.

Aside from the initial bonus and the Annual Travel Credit, gas purchases don’t qualify for bonus points, unfortunately, because they aren’t part of the travel or dining category. Gas is an everyday purchase, according to Chase. So you’ll earn just the standard 1 point / $1 spent on gas purchases, while things like airfare, hotels, cruises and taxis get you 3 points / $1 (once you’ve earned the Annual Travel Credit). You also get 3 points / $1 on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout.

Here’s what Chase Sapphire Reserve gas purchases get you:

• Initial spending bonus: You get 60,000 points for spending $4,000 (gas purchases included) in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Annual Travel Credit: You get a statement credit of up to $300 as reimbursement for travel purchases and up to December 31^st 2021, gas station and grocery store purchases also count toward earning you travel credit.
• 1 point / $1: Gas purchases, along with any purchase outside the travel or dining categories will earn you 1 point / $1.

You don’t need to look too far for extra bonus points on your gas purchases. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5%, up to a preset amount spent per quarter, in rotating bonus categories that require activation. Gas is regularly featured as one of those categories.

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 the Citi Premier® Card, which gives 3 points / $1 spent on gas and other categories.

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® Store Card for gas at Walmart, Murphy USA, Sam's Club, and Walmart Neighborhood Market stations. And if you have the Capital One Walmart Rewards® 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: 1,500+ locations in the South and Midwest
• Sam's Club: 500+ stations
• Walmart Neighborhood Market: Some stores with stations
• Any Stations Accepting Mastercard: Only applies to the Capital One Walmart Rewards® 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. While gas purchases for the Walmart® Store Card are limited to these locations, you can use your Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® for gas anywhere else, and 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
• 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.