July 2008
Best gasoline cards
Below are some of the most generous gasoline credit cards, listed in alphabetical order. Our data come from CardRatings.com,
as of early May 2008, and our own research.
Getting a 3 percent rebate on your gas is like knocking 12 cents off every $4 (gasp!) gallon. But make sure you know where the card allows you to earn rewards. Many give lower rewards for purchases at wholesale clubs such as Costco or discounters like Wal-Mart, where you may find the lowest gas prices, card or no card.
Getting a 3 percent rebate on your gas is like knocking 12 cents off every $4 (gasp!) gallon. But make sure you know where the card allows you to earn rewards. Many give lower rewards for purchases at wholesale clubs such as Costco or discounters like Wal-Mart, where you may find the lowest gas prices, card or no card.
| Gas card | Reward basics | Drawbacks | Recent APR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase PerfectCard MasterCard | 6% on gas purchases for the first 90 days, 3% on gas thereafter, 1% on all other purchases. | Maximum 3% monthly rebate is $15. | 10.99% to 19.99% |
| Discover Open Road | 5% on gas and auto maintenance, up to 1% on all other purchases. | 5% rebate applies to first $100 in purchases per month and you must spend $3,000 on other purchases annually to earn 1%; otherwise, 0.25 to 0.5% back. | 10.74% to 18.74% |
| Shell Platinum Select MasterCard | 5% back on Shell gas, 1% back elsewhere given as Shell credit. | $20 annual fee after the first year, waived if you made nine or more Shell purchases in the previous year. | 12.99% |
