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 Edge 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 Edge Cash Rewards card has a $0 annual fee.

Some people might think that the best fuel cards for small businesses are those partnered with a certain gas station, like the Shell Business card. But those cards restrict fuel purchases that earn rewards to specific stations too.

Many general business credit cards offer rewards at least as good, while letting you make purchases anywhere. For example, the American Express SimplyCash Plus Business card gives 3% cash back in the spending category of your choice, including fuel purchases.

Here are the best fuel cards for small businesses:

• Best overall: U.S. Bank Business Edge Cash Rewards World Elite. Unlimited 3% cash back on single gas purchases of $200 or less (1% on purchases in excess of $200); cell phones and accessories; and office supplies. $0 annual fee. Excellent credit required.
• Best fuel store card: Shell Small Business Card. Pay at the pump at more than 14,000 stations. No personal guarantee needed for businesses open for at least 3 years and with more than $1 million in annual sales. $0 annual fee. Good credit required.
• Best for office supply rewards: SimplyCash Plus Business Card from American Express. 3% cash back on the spending category of your choice, including fuel purchases. 5% back on up to $50k in telephone and office supply purchases per year. $0 annual fee. Good credit required.
• Best for wholesale shopping: Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card. 4% cash back on fuel purchases, up to $7,000 annually; 1% after. 3% on restaurants and travel and 2% at Costco. $0 annual fee. Excellent credit required.
• Best for introductory 0% APR: Chase Ink Business Cash. 2% cash back on first $25k per year on fuel and restaurant purchases. 5% on first $25k spent on office supplies and phone/internet/cable. $0 annual fee. Good credit required.
• Best cash back: Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard. $200 cash back for spending $500 in the first 60 days. 3% cash back on fuel and office supply purchases, up to $250,000 spent annually. 2% back at restaurants. $0 annual fee. Excellent credit required.

The best fuel cards for small business are more flexible that you might realize. In addition to the cash back and rewards that come with fuel and business-related purchases, all the cards give at least 1% cash back or 1 bonus point/mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. You’ll be able to use your fuel card in a pinch for emergencies or other unexpected expenses and earn additional cash back or rewards in the process.

The best credit card for gas and groceries is the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express. There’s no annual fee, and you’ll earn $200 back for spending $1,000 during your first three months of card membership. You also get 6% cash back on $6,000 spent at supermarkets per year, 3% at gas stations and eligible department stores, and 1% everywhere else.

And if you shop online or at wholesale clubs, the Amazon and Costco credit cards are both strong options. The Amazon Visa offers 5% back at Whole Foods for Prime members (3% if you don’t have Prime), and 2% on gas. With the Costco Visa, you’ll get 2% back at Costco and 4% back at gas stations. But if none of those are quite right for you, there are other options available.

Here are the best credit cards for gas and groceries:

• Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express: 6% back on $6,000 spent on groceries per year, and 3% back on gas.
  No annual fee. $200 for spending $1,000 within three months of opening your account. 3% back at eligible department stores, 1% everywhere else. Excellent credit required.
• Costco Anywhere Visa: 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, 2% at Costco and Costco.com and 1% everywhere else. Excellent credit required.

• Amazon Visa Credit Card: 5% back at Whole Foods for Prime members (3% otherwise), and 2% back on gas.
  No annual fee, but Prime costs $99 a year. 5 points per $1 at Amazon.com for Prime members (3 for non-members), and 1 point per $1 everywhere else. $50 Amazon gift card when you get approved. Good credit required.

• PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card: 5% back on gas, and 3% back on groceries.
  No annual fee. $100 statement credit for spending $1,500 in your first 90 days. 1% back  everywhere else. Excellent credit required. Anyone can join PenFed with a one-time $17 donation.
• SunTrust Cash Rewards Credit Card: 5% back on $6,000 in gas and groceries the first 12 months. 2% back on gas and groceries after that.
  No annual fee. 1% back on all other purchases. Excellent credit required.

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
• Walmart® Store Card
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Marathon Credit 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.