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 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.

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.

The best Wawa fleet card is the Wawa Universal Fleet Fuel Card because it’s accepted anywhere WEX cards are accepted, not just Wawa gas stations. You can use the Wawa Universal Fleet card at 95% of all U.S. retail fueling locations.

Currently, Wawa only offers two fleet cards, the Universal Card and the standard Wawa Fleet Card.  The Wawa fleet cards do not offer any discounts on gas. Instead, they simply provide your drivers with a way to pay at the pump, and give you the ability to monitor spending. In light of that, there are better fleet cards out there that can help your company save on every gallon of gas when your drivers fuel up.

Wawa Fleet Cards for 2020:

Wawa Universal Fleet Fuel Card: Accepted at 45,000 service merchants nationwide, including 550+ Wawa locations.

Wawa Fleet Card: Accepted at 550+ Wawa locations in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Both Wawa fleet cards provide detailed monthly reports on your vehicle fleet’s activity. They also have security features that let you monitor drivers’ behavior and spot unauthorized spending. The Wawa Fleet cards even allow you to choose whether you want to revolve the credit balance or pay in full each month.

If you’re not managing a fleet of drivers and just want to save on Wawa gas, check out the Wawa credit card. You’ll save 25 cents per gallon the first 2 months, and 5 cents per gallon after that. It also has a $0 annual fee and accepts applicants with fair credit.

There is no Chevron gas card for bad credit. The Chevron and Texaco Gas Card, which can only be used at Chevron and Texaco, requires a minimum of fair credit. And the Chevron and Texaco Credit Card, which can be used anywhere Visa is accepted, requires at least good credit.

So if you have bad credit, your best alternative is a rewards card for bad credit like the Discover it Secured card. It gives 2% cash back up to $1,000 spent each quarter in combined gas station and restaurant purchases.

The first step in getting a gas card is to check your credit score because it will tell you what types of gas cards you are likely to qualify for. People with good or excellent credit can pick from the best overall credit cards with gas rewards, including cards that work anywhere Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover is accepted. People with lower credit scores may be limited to gas cards that work only at one chain of gas stations.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of possibilities, you can compare their rewards and fees to find the best deal. When you find the right gas card for you, you can apply for it online, over the phone, or by mailing an application. You can usually apply at the gas station, too.

Here’s how to get a gas card:

1. Check your credit score. Your score will give you a general idea of which gas cards offer high odds of approval.
2. Consider committing to a specific gas-station chain. If always getting the same brand of gas is convenient for you, using that gas station’s credit card could provide extra savings.
3. Compare cards based on estimated earnings. Calculate how much each card would save you, based on the rewards it provides on the types of purchases you plan to make as well as any fees you’re likely to incur.
4. Apply. You can apply online, by phone or with a paper application. In some cases, you can apply inside the gas station.

It’s important to take personal preference into account when shopping for a gas card. For example, do you always fill up at the same station? Could you easily commit to a single chain? The answers to those questions will help lead you to the right type of gas card for your needs.

Co-branded gas credit cards partnered with a certain chain can be used anywhere if they are on one of the major credit card networks: Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express. But they will only provide maximum rewards on fuel purchases at affiliated gas stations. Many gas stations also offer cards that are not on a major network and can only be used at chain they’re affiliated with. Plus, plenty of credit cards that are not tied to any gas station chain still offer good rewards on gas.

The best fleet fuel cards with discounts are the Comdata Fleet Card and the Fuelman Commercial Advantage Fleet Card, which can save drivers 10-15 cents per gallon. The best fleet fuel cards also allow you to set limits on the cards, so you can control when your drivers can use them and how much can be spent.

Best Fleet Fuel Cards with Discounts:

Comdata Fleet Card – save up to 15 cents per gallon, accepted nationwide, and you can set custom spending limits.

Fuelman Commercial Advantage Fleet Card – save up to 10 cents per gallon, accepted at 50,000+ gas stations, and you can set gallon and spending limits.

Comdata Universal Mastercard – save up to 6 cents per gallon, accepted at 20,000+ locations, and you can set spending limits.

Fuelman Advantage Platinum Mastercard – save up to 6 cents per gallon, accepted everywhere Mastercard is accepted, and you can set custom spending limits based on the vehicle or the driver.

BP Business Solutions Universal Mastercard – save up to 6 cents per gallon, accepted at all BP and Amoco gas stations, and you can set spending and usage limits.

The best fleet fuel cards with discounts allow your drivers to automatically save on gas every time they fuel up. Fleet cards usually provide the discount at the pump, so there’s no complicated redemption or cash rebate process.

By the way, fleet fuel cards give cardholders access to the wholesale price of fuel, which is why the cards give a maximum amount you can save, rather than a straight discount. Your exact fuel savings will vary based on the wholesale market price of gas at the time.

Also keep in mind that only fleet managers can be approved for fleet fuel cards. So if you’re looking to just save on gas every time you personally fuel up your car, check out the best gas credit cards.

When it comes to fleet gas cards, I think the Sunoco card has the best earning rate - 3 cents per gallon if you purchase 6,000 gallons or more in a month. You can't really beat that and it might be your best option if you like their fuel. You can check it out here.

The best unsecured gas card for bad credit is the Credit One Bank Platinum Visa because it gives 1% cash back rewards and has a decent APR for bad credit, at 17.99% - 23.99% (V). Unsecured gas station cards for bad credit are hard to come by. Gas is something that almost everyone buys, so many consumers are attracted to cards with rewards for fueling up. But most cards with gas rewards require excellent credit. While some options exist among secured cards, which require a deposit equal to your credit line, there aren’t many unsecured gas cards that cater to bad credit.

There are a few unsecured gas credit cards that only require fair credit (a score of 640+). One example is the ExxonMobil Gas card by Citibank, which offers some rewards, such as 6 cents off every gallon of Synergy gasoline. But if your credit is bad, it’s best to stick to cards that advertise bad credit acceptance.

Here are the best unsecured gas cards for bad credit:

• Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit: Bad credit accepted. First year fee of between $0 and $75, with a $300 minimum credit line. Annual fee of up to $99 after that. 17.99% - 23.99% (V) APR, based on creditworthiness. 1% cash back on select purchases.
• NASCAR Credit Card from Credit One Bank: Bad credit accepted. Annual fee between $0 and $99. 1% cash back rewards on select purchases and double cash back at the NASCAR.com Superstore. 17.99% - 23.99% (V) APR, based on creditworthiness.
• First PREMIER Bank Mastercard: Limited credit accepted. Annual fee between $75 and $125 for first year. $45 to $49 after that. 36% APR.

The best unsecured gas cards for bad credit might not offer too many rewards for fuel purchases. But with bad credit, you should be focused on paying your bill in full and rebuilding your credit. Late fees and finance charges could outweigh any rewards if you don’t. And if you pay for the gas on time, that positive information will improve your credit score when it’s reported to the credit bureaus.

Secured cards can build credit just as well as these unsecured gas cards for bad credit. And some give better benefits. For example, there’s the Discover it Secured Card. It requires a minimum deposit of $200. But you can use the card at gas stations and it also offers 2% cash back on restaurants and gas and 1% on all other purchase. Or, consider the Capital One Secured Mastercard. There’s a $0 annual fee and you get an initial credit line of $200 for a deposit of $49, $99 or $200, based on your creditworthiness. You can also get access to a higher credit line after paying on time for 5 months, with no additional deposit.

Both of these cards are available to people with bad credit, report to credit agencies and can help build your credit while paying for fuel.

There are several gas-station credit cards available to people with fair credit. Like store cards tied to major retailers, gas-station cards can only be used at the gas-station chains they’re affiliated with. A general-purpose rewards credit card for fair credit could be an option, too, depending on your creditworthiness and the available offers. Sometimes, even credit cards available to people with bad credit offer extra rewards on gas purchases.

Below, you can check out a handful of the most notable credit card offers for people with fair credit who want to save money on gas.

Best gas cards for fair credit:

Discover it® Secured

Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card

Shell Gas Card

ExxonMobil Gas Card

Walmart® Store Card

When you have fair credit, finding a good credit card to use for gas purchases is one thing. Putting yourself on the path to better deals in the future is another. To make the most of any credit card, you need to pay the bill on time every month. This will help your credit score improve, enabling you to qualify for one of the best overall gas rewards credit cards before too long.