Lessen the Pain at the Pump: Earn Travel Points or Cash Back with the Best Gas Credit Cards for October 2023

So, gas prices are especially awful right now, huh?

18 months ago, a service station near Beverly Hills was on the news because it sold gas for $6.15 a gallon.

Here’s what I found on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles — and this gas station isn’t exactly in Beverly Hills.

How can you save some money or earn some travel rewards while getting fleeced at the gas pump?

Several credit cards offer decent savings on gas purchases. Heck, you may already have one.

Best Gas Credit Cards for October 2023

Our credit card affiliate partner, CardRatings, has pages devoted to several different categories such as gas rewards, travel rewards, and cash back rewards.

I mined those pages and came up with this list that I hope helps you use a card to earn you back a few bucks when filling your car with gas.

So here’s what you may want to use to pay for gas during October 2023.

Whatever Card You Already Have That Requires a Minimum Spending Figure

There’s a chance you already hold a card that’s best for you right now.

Maybe there’s a new Ink Business Cash® Credit Card in your wallet. Perhaps you took advantage of its huge bonus offer and still need to reach its minimum spending requirement so you can land the bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. (The Ink Cash is actually one of the cards we like for gas purchases. More on that in a minute.)

Or you have a fancy Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or its business counterpart and are chipping away its early spend bonus.

Or perhaps you’re chasing a retention call offer.

You get what I’m saying. But if you’re looking for a new card, check out these options:

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns unlimited 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. (Cash back is earned in the form of Blue Cash Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed toward statement credit.) Terms apply.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express also earns:

• 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% cash back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more)
• 1% Cash Back on other purchases.

Other features and benefits include:

• Awards Earned: Cash back is earned in the form of Blue Cash Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed toward statement credit.
• Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full Terms apply.
• Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $95. (See rates and fees. Terms apply.)
• Where Can You Learn More and How to Apply? Visit this page to discover more about the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Here’s why the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card should be on your radar: it has a $0 annual fee and earns 2% cash back (2X Chase Ultimate Rewards®) at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year on these two categories). Plus, it earns 5% cash back/5X on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year on these two categories: on internet, cable, and phone services (i.e., your cell phone and cable internet bills) and at office supply stores.

“Just two percent?!” you might shout at us. “That’s it?!”

Consider that those two points can become more valuable with certain other Ultimate Rewards cards.

• You can transfer your Ink’s points to a Chase Sapphire Reserve® card and redeem them for a 50% bonus when purchasing travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel.
• Or send some over to a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Card: you can redeem them at 25% through Ultimate Rewards travel.

Plus, the current welcome offer is pretty tasty, too.

American Express® Business Gold Card

The card_name features an interesting earning structure.

Cardholders earn 4X American Express® Membership Rewards® points on the two (2) select categories where their business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1X Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.).

U.S. gas stations is one of those categories! (Superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations.) The others are:

• Airfare booked directly with airlines (through January 31, 2024)
• U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• Online, television, and radio advertising made from U.S. media providers
• Purchases directly from U.S. electronic goods retailers or software and cloud system providers
  • superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations
• U.S. shipping service: courier, postal, and freight (through January 31, 2024)
• Transit purchases
  • includes trains, taxi cabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
• U.S. wireless telephone services charges

1X is earned for other purchases.

So, if spending money at U.S. gas stations is one of your top two expenses on the card_name in a given month, you’ll earn 4X points on those purchases for that cycle.

Other important information:

• Awards Earned: American Express® Membership Rewards® points
• Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full Terms apply.
• Annual Fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees.)
• Where Can You Learn More and How to Apply? Visit this page to discover more about the card_name.

Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card

PenFed’s card_name is a great option, too. It earns 5X points on gas paid at the pump and EV charging stations.

• Awards Earned: Points that can be redeemed cash or “travel, merchandise, gift cards, and other exciting items.”
• Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full Terms apply.
• Annual Fee: annual_fees
• Where Can You Learn More and How to Apply? Visit this page to discover more about the card_name.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card

This is a pretty solid card.

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card earns 4% back for each dollar spent at gas stations.

It also earns:

• 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center.
• 4X points on travel, gas stations, and EV charging stations.
• 2X points on streaming services. Plus, a $30 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max, and more.
• 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, and dining.

(All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)

Citi Custom Cash® Card

The card_name earns 5% cashback on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle up to $500 spent. Gas stations is one of them! The others are Restaurants, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.

(All information about the Citi Custom Cash® Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)

Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier® Card earns 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels. (All other purchases earn 1X.)

(All information about the Citi Premier® Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)

Top of the Tank with These Ideas, Too!

Here are a few other tips to keep in mind.

Check for Credit Card Statement Credit Promotions (Amex Offers, etc.)

Credit card companies occasionally run promotions offering statement credits when you use one of their cards to pay for gas. Like, spend $50 on gas and receive a $5 statement or something like that.

We’ll keep our eyes open and blog anything that looks decent.

Sign Up for Gas Rewards Programs

You’ve probably already done this. But if not, register for your local gas stations’ rewards programs.

For example, we do a lot of grocery shopping at Ralphs, which is a Kroger chain store. Kroger teamed up with Shell for their Fuel Points program.

Final Approach

Expensive gas is here to stay indefinitely. Luckily, there are several rewards credit cards that ease the sting a little bit. Maybe you already have one that helps you earn points or cashback — so you can take a trip or just save some money in general.

Which cards are you using to pay for gasoline purchases?

See Rates and Fees for the card_name
To see rates and fees for the card_name, please visit this link. Terms apply.

 

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