The 10 Best Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases [Rewards and Cash-back]

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is estimated that each household spends more than $2,000 on gas purchases each year.¹ And with the current prices at the pump spiking, that amount can add up to a lot of travel rewards or cash-back.

There are plenty of credit cards that offer category spending bonuses for specific merchant types. Luckily, gas is a common bonus category for many different travel rewards credit cards and cash-back credit cards — not just gas reward cards.

We want to make sure you know which credit card will give you the best travel rewards and cash-back for every dollar you spend at the pump. If you’re only getting your basic standard reward earning rate on your gas purchases (such as 1 point per dollar) then this guide is for you.

Gas Station-branded Cards vs. Rewards-earning Cards

You’ve seen advertisements for gas station-specific credit cards when you fill up at the pump. These cards can offer some enticing rewards, but often they limit you to that specific gas station brand.

Limiting yourself to a specific gas station brand to earn extra rewards isn’t necessary, since many travel rewards and cash-back cards offer bonus points for gas purchases.

Gas station-specific credit card reward programs can also be much more restricting than other reward programs.

Some gas station-specific credit cards will offer you an immediate discount at the pump. Others will offer a rewards discount on a future purchase at that specific gas station brand, which could expire sooner than you anticipate.

Travel rewards cards and cash-back credit cards can give you the freedom to fill up the tank at any gas station, without limiting yourself to a specific brand, thus increasing the flexibility of how you redeem your rewards.

Let’s take a look at some of the best personal and small business credit cards that help you earn more flexible travel rewards and cash-back for gas purchases.

Bottom Line: You do not need a gas station-branded credit card to earn rewards. In fact, doing so could limit your ability to earn other, more flexible, rewards.

The 6 Best Personal Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases

Our featured cards come with a lot of earning possibilities, redemption options, and benefits. However, it’s time to focus specifically on how these cards compare when we look at rewards earned on gas station purchases.

Card Summary

We love travel rewards credit cards, especially when we can earn extra bonus points on regular everyday purchases, like gas. Here are a few recommended cards that earn flexible rewards on gas station purchases, as well as a few cards that earn great cash-back rewards:

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1. Chase Freedom Flex℠

While the Freedom Flex card and the Freedom Unlimited card are commonly considered cash-back cards, they initially earn rewards as flexible Ultimate Rewards points.

This is an important distinction because flexible rewards points offer redemption options that may deliver value far beyond the 1 cent per point option of redeeming Ultimate Rewards earned on the cards for cash-back.

Transferring Ultimate Rewards to premium Chase cards such as the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, or Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card can result in up to 50% more value when redeemed for travel via the Chase travel portal, or potentially even greater value when transferred to travel partners and redeemed for award flights or free hotel nights.

The Freedom Flex card offers quarterly bonus categories that earn 5% on select categories, up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter, which can include gas stations and merchants that may sell gas-branded gift cards.

The card also earns 5% back on travel through the Chase travel portal, 3% back at restaurants and at drugstores, and 1% back on all other purchases.

In addition, this product offers a 0% introductory APR benefit as shown in the table above, purchase protection, extended warranty, and no additional fees for authorized users.

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, according to our valuations, making it one of the most coveted points currencies.

If you earn 5% or 3% cash-back on a purchase and happen to also have an Ultimate Rewards credit card, you can convert your points to get a return on spending of 10% or 6%, respectively.

Points are redeemable for cash-back, gift cards, online shopping, charitable donations, and travel booked through Ultimate Rewards.

Our secret weapon for using Chase Ultimate Rewards points, though, is to transfer them to travel partners and book luxury flights and hotels for huge value.

Hot Tip: You may receive bonus earnings on purchases made inside the gas station’s convenience store. Additionally, you may be able to purchase gas-branded gift cards at other bonus category merchants such as office supply stores, supermarkets, or drugstores.

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

The Freedom Unlimited card earns 5% back on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5% back on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025, 3% back on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases. It also comes with a welcome bonus, which includes a 0% introductory APR benefit as shown in the table above.

The 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases includes gas stations because you literally earn 1.5% cash-back on any purchases not included in the bonus categories.

Remember, if you have an Ultimate Rewards credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can convert your cash-back rewards to Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1% to 1x points!

Also, the Freedom Unlimited card comes with travel insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, secondary rental car insurance, fraud protection, and authorized users for no additional fee.

This card is a good option to use anywhere that you don’t already earn a better bonus for your spending.

Hot Tip: Check out our comparison of these 2 popular Chase cards in our article that spells out all the benefits of each card.

3. Citi Premier^® Card

The Citi Premier card is a great travel rewards card that offers no foreign transaction fees and a flexible rewards program for a $95 annual fee.

This card also offers plenty of opportunities for you to earn extra bonus points quickly on everyday purchases, including one of the most generous broadly defined travel categories. To start off, you can receive a huge welcome bonus as a new cardmember offer.

You will earn 3x points on gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels. Everywhere else, you’ll get 1 point per dollar spent.

Beyond that, the card has an annual hotel savings benefit whereby you can get $100 off a single hotel stay of at least $500 (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through thankyou.com or 800-THANKYOU.

There are no foreign transaction fees or authorized user fees on the Citi Premier card.

Why We Like Earning Citi ThankYou Rewards Points

These points are part of the ThankYou Rewards program. We value these points at around 1.6 cents each, which translates to a return on spending of 4.8%!

ThankYou Points can be redeemed for travel using the Citi Travel Center, but they can also be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, and at select merchants for 1 cent per point.

But, the absolutely optimized way to maximize these points is to transfer your ThankYou Points to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs to add extra flexibility and value. For even more ways to redeem your points, check out our in-depth guide on the best ways to redeem your Citi ThankYou Points.

Bottom Line: The Citi Premier card offers so many options for earning bonus points, especially with its 3x bonus categories on gas, supermarkets, air travel, hotels, and restaurants. This card makes it easy to rack up points quickly!

4. Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

Cash-back credit cards can offer instant satisfaction since they are so easy to use and understand. You don’t need to save up a bunch of points to make a redemption, and you clearly benefit from the value of every point.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is our favorite personal cash-back card for gas station purchases.

To start with, this card earns an unlimited 3% cash-back on purchases made at U.S. gas stations. What’s very special about this structure is that the rewards on gas stations are uncapped — most credit cards with gas station bonus categories have very low bonus caps.

It also earns 6% cash-back on up to $6,000 in purchases per year at U.S. supermarkets and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. Also, expect to earn 3% cash-back on transit, too, including taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more.

All other purchases earn the standard 1% cash-back structure. Plus, enjoy a 0% introductory APR benefit as shown in the table above.

You can also start earning cash-back even before your card arrives! American Express sometimes provides an immediate credit card number when you are instantly approved, which can be used for digital purchases (including mobile payments and online purchases).

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card also offers the following statement credits:

• $7 back each month after spending $12.99 or more each month on The Disney Bundle
• $10 back each month on Equinox+

5. Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

Essentially a toned-down version of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card offers a cash-back rewards program that earns Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

This card provides some easy opportunities to earn extra cash-back on everyday purchases. You earn 3% cash-back on all purchases at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases each year).

The major difference between the 2 cards is that the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card has an increase in the amount of cash-back you earn in the same special bonus categories, but the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card has no annual fee. This card also earns 3% cash-back at U.S. online retailers (up to $6,000 in purchases each year).

Also, enjoy these statement credits:

• $7 back each month after spending $12.99 or more each month on The Disney Bundle
• $15 per month at Home Chef

Remember that you can add authorized users for no additional fee and take advantage of the purchase protection and fraud protection perks (rates and fees).

6. Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere card is available exclusively for Costco members. If you are not a Costco member, you can join before applying for this card. It could be worth it even if you don’t shop at Costco.

This card earns 4% cash-back on the first $7,000 in eligible gas and EV charging purchases each year. That’s up to $280 a year in earnings just on gas. After that, you’ll earn the standard 1% cash-back rate.

You will also earn 3% cash-back on all restaurant and eligible travel expenses worldwide, as well as 2% cash-back on all Costco purchases in-store and online.

There is no annual fee — you just need to be a Costco member, which starts at just $60 annually.

The only catch? Your rewards aren’t immediately available. Instead, your cash-back rewards will be issued annually as a cash rewards certificate when your February statement closes. You can then redeem the certificate for cash or for purchases at Costco.

There are no foreign transaction fees on this card, and it even includes purchase protection and access to Citi Entertainment.

Bottom Line: The Costco Anywhere card is one of the best cash-back credit cards for gas and EV charging purchases, earning 4% on the first $7,000 in purchases each year. The only downside is that you have to be a Costco member, and you have to wait up to a year to receive your rewards.

The 4 Best Business Cards for Gas Purchases

Owning a small business can involve a lot of travel on the road, which can add up to outrageous gas expenses. Luckily, small business credit cards usually like to add bonus reward categories to common business expenses.

Card Summary

Here are our picks for the best small business cards for gas purchases:

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1. American Express^® Business Gold Card

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 70,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Business Gold card is a travel rewards-earning card that earns 4x Membership Rewards points on the 2 select categories (up to the first $150,000 in combined purchases) where your business spent the most each month — and gas stations are one of those options.

There are 6 business expense categories that are eligible to earn 4x points per $1 spent:

• Airfare purchased from airlines directly
• Online, TV, and radio advertising purchased from U.S. media
• Select technology purchases of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions from U.S. providers
• Purchases at U.S. gas stations
• Purchases at U.S. restaurants
• Purchases for U.S. shipping

You will earn 1x points on all other purchases and for purchases made over the $150,000 cap on the 4x bonus.

The Amex Business Gold card is the only card in this entire guide with a special benefit called no preset spending limit, which means it doesn’t have a traditional credit limit like most other cards. Instead, your spending limit can adjust over time to adapt to your business’ needs.

Don’t be afraid to take this card with you on your international business trips, as the card does not charge foreign transaction fees (rates and fees).

You can add up to 99 total employee cards with no additional annual fees after the first employee card, which comes with a $50 annual fee (rates and fees).

Why We Like Earning American Express Membership Rewards Points

The Amex Business Gold card earns Membership Rewards points that offer plenty of options and flexibility to redeem your rewards.

Your Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for your business travel expenses by booking directly with Amex Travel or by transferring your points directly to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs.

In fact, they’re the most valuable points in our minds, worth around 2.2 cents each. If you earn 4x points on U.S. gas station purchases, that’s a whopping 8.8% return on your spending!

You can redeem Amex points for statement credits, merchandise, travel booked via Amex Travel, charitable donations, and gift cards. The most valuable redemption pathway, however, is to transfer your points to Amex travel partners and book some incredible award travel.

2. Wyndham Rewards^® Earner℠ Business Card

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card is a credit card that many business owners are unaware of.

But for gas station purchases, it offers an incredible 8x Wyndham Rewards points earned without any caps! In addition, it has a great welcome bonus and earns 5x points on advertising, marketing, and utilities. Beyond that, it earns 1x points per dollar.

Additionally, the perks at Wyndham are incredible — get an annual bonus of 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points after every account anniversary, automatic Diamond status, and the ability to redeem 10% fewer points for select redemptions. You can even match your Wyndham Rewards Diamond status to Caesars Rewards.

The card also offers extended warranty, zero liability fraud protection, cell phone insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and no-fee employee cards.

Why We Like Earning Wyndham Rewards Points

Wyndham Rewards points are best redeemed for free hotel stays. And with a valuation of 0.9 cents each, earning 8x points on gas is equal to a return on spending of 7.2%, which is fantastic.

For free night rewards, expect to redeem anywhere from 7,500 to 30,000 points per night, depending on the property you’re booking.

3. Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash card is a dynamic cash-back earning no-annual-fee small business credit card.

This card earns 5% cash-back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services.

Your small business will also earn 2% cash-back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year at gas stations and restaurants. That’s up to $500 per year!

All other purchases and purchases made over the anniversary year limit will earn 1% cash-back.

Hot Tip: Your card anniversary year is different from the calendar year and starts on your card approval date. This will continue to be your anniversary date as long as you have that specific card.

There are several opportunities to redeem points for great value since you are actually earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

In addition to cash-back, you can redeem your points for gift cards, travel, and more options via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Basically, each point is worth 1 cent.

If you currently have a premium Chase card, you could receive up to 50% more in value after transferring points to these cards and redeeming them for travel via the Chase travel portal.

Using these cards, you can also combine your Ink Business Cash card points with one of the premium Chase cards to take advantage of the ability to transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs and receive even greater potential value.

Do be aware that all Chase Ultimate Rewards earning credit cards (personal and business) fall under the Chase 5/24 rule.

4. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The Amex Blue Business Cash card offers a huge opportunity for earning cash-back, so much so that cardholders will earn 2% cash-back on all purchases up to the first $50,000 each calendar year, amounting to $1,000 in savings if you reach $50,000 in total spend.

After you max out your 2% earnings, you earn a straightforward 1% cash-back. Plus, you can leverage the 0% introductory APR benefit as mentioned in the table above to minimize your credit card interest for a short while.

You don’t need to remember to redeem your rewards with the Amex Blue Business Cash card — the cash-back you earn is automatically issued as a statement credit.

The Amex Blue Business Cash card also comes with great benefits and helps you easily add and manage additional employee cards as well.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are plenty of travel rewards and cash-back cards that can earn lots of bonus points on gas purchases. These cards can offer more earnings and flexible redemption options than gas-station branded cards.

And don’t forget that bonus-category merchants may offer gas-branded gift cards that could result in elevated earnings for those purchases. It can be easy to add a gas gift card to your weekly grocery purchase or when picking up a prescription at the drugstore.

Earning flexible rewards for your gas purchases, whether Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Citi ThankYou Rewards, can also result in a far better return for your rewards at redemption time.

Additionally, cash-back rewards earnings could directly offset the cost of gas. For example, earning 3% cash-back on gas purchases reduces the price of a $5.00 gallon of gas to just $4.85 — and that can add up over time.

The bottom line is that regardless of which travel rewards or cash-back cards you choose, you come out ahead by using a card that offers increased earning rates at the pump.

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards^® Earner℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.