Save Money on Gas with these Hacks
Tl;dr: Gas is expensive. Check out our favorite ways to save at the pump!
My oldest memory of getting gas was my parents asking the attendant at the full-service corner station to put $10 in the tank, at a rate of 88¢ per gallon. Those were the days. If you share my distress at modern gas prices, read on for our list of ways to ease that distress. In keeping with the theme of the site, they are sorted by laziness (i.e. in reverse order of the amount of effort necessary to get the savings).
Set-and-forget
Use the right credit card. Check out our list of the best credit cards to use on gas purchases here.
Get an automatic discount at Shell stations. One of my favorites. Just add your credit card to the Fuel Rewards app and get a discount every time you pump at a Shell station.
Pay cash
Yeah, this is a credit card site, but you can often save 10¢/gallon just by paying cash, which is pretty easy if you have it on hand.
Find your offers.
Check your Amex, Citi, or Chase app for offers at gas stations, like this recent example from Amex. Don’t forget about SimplyMiles, if you have a Mastercard.
How lazy this is depends on how much effort you put into keeping track of which cards have which offers from which stations. But it only takes a minute or two to search your offers every now and then and make sure you activate any gas offers. You can also use Cardpointers to just activate them all to make sure you don’t miss out.
Pump where you shop.
Costco members can enjoy discounted gas at Costco stations, while grocery store chains like Safeway and Giant offer rewards for shopping that can be redeemed for discounts at their (or affiliated) gas stations.
Register and enter your phone number at the pump.
While Shell will recognize your payment card, other fuel rewards programs offer discounts or rewards simply by entering your linked phone number at the pump. These include ExxonMobil and Citgo.
Use the app as at the pump.
Several chains allow you to connect their app to a checking account. While you won’t earn any points, you can save up to 10¢ per gallon. These include Valero, Circle K, and Rotten Robbie. Others, such as Speedway and Flying J, offer rewards when paying through the station’s app.
Remember, that savings is 10¢ per gallon, not per dollar. As long as prices are under $5 per gallon, the 10¢ savings will be equal to or better than 2% cash back. If you have a card like the 5%-earning Citi Custom Cash, though, you would be better off using the card as long as prices are over $2/gallon.
GasBuddy has a similar program that is not tied to any specific chain, and claims to work at 95% of US stations.
If you have a Walmart+ membership (basically free if you have an Amex Platinum card), you can also save quite a bit at the pump using their app.
Find the right station.
Finally, if you plan a bit in advance, you can save money by searching for the cheapest gas in advance. Google maps allows you to easily check gas prices in your area or along the route you are traveling, and GasBuddy has a similar feature.
When we have time, we often use Upside, which offers (sometimes large) discounts at certain gas stations. You simply “claim” the offer in the app then pay with your linked credit card. You get your normal credit card points, along with cash back. The cash goes into your Upside account and can be redeemed by transfer to your bank account or for gift cards.
Use our referral link to earn 15¢/gallon on your first fill-up.
Conclusion
Gas may be expensive, but opportunities for discounts, rewards, and cash back abound if you know where to look for them.