Gas discount cards, why don't more people use them?

[sidney7]

I'm not saying this is any massive improvement to ripoff prices, but when there's a simple and free way to save 5% or 10% at gas stations, why aren't more people doing it? I has opened up a gas rebate card last fall and knew about them but I guess either people don't know about them or they would rather drive across town to save a few pennies a gallon than use something like this haha.

I was reading reviews looking for a credit card for my sister (needs one for college this fall) and I wonder why more people don't take advantage of these things? Seems to me if you can get discounts that are both free and effortless, why not. I don't know I guess some people just think credit cards are evil. I guess to each their own.

But what would help most of all is AFFORDABLE hybrids!

[disneysteve]

I don't have a credit card that is specifically for gas rebates, though 2 of my cards often run 5% specials for gas. My AOL Visa has been doing it since the first of the year and Discover will be doing it July 1-Sept. 30. And yes, I always make sure we pay with the card that is doing the promo.

I've thought about getting a dedicated gas card but haven't really wanted to bother with another credit card.

Remember, getting a credit card for this purpose (or any purpose) is only a good deal if you pay the balance in full each and every month, and lots of people don't do that.

[anonymous_saver]

I don't have one b/c I don't have a car. I love public transit!

[maat55]

Discounts!!! Better yet, why isn't everyone riding bicycles for a month. That would get the prices down.

[MonkeyMama]

We get 3% back on gas with our credit card. Find it simpler than carrying another card just for gas.

Likewise we get 3 cents - 25 cents off per gallon at our grocery stores anyway. These stations are way cheaper than ones that offer discount cards, even before the discount. I haven't seen any of the discount stations offering rebates cards. So economically I don't think it makes sense to get a gas station loyalty rebate.

As far as generic credit cards with gas rewards, gas is probably the smallest line item of our entire budget. I rather get 3% back on everything than save 10% on gas.

I guess it is something to possibly research with rising gas prices. In the past it just didn't make any sense for us.

[braxton]

I've never heard of 5-10% back on gas rebate cards. Where can I get this from?

[disneysteve]

I've never heard of 5-10% back on gas rebate cards. Where can I get this from?

Discover Open Road Card Overview :: Discover Financial Services

Here's one.

[jeffrey]

Here are several that are available:

Gas Rebate Credit Cards

[Daylily]

Discover Open Road Card Overview :: Discover Financial Services

Here's one.

That is only good for the first $100 charged each pay cycle. It works out to getting $60 a year. It's not 5% on ALL your gas charges.

[disneysteve]

That is only good for the first $100 charged each pay cycle. It works out to getting $60 a year. It's not 5% on ALL your gas charges.

True. Thanks for pointing that out. Still useful for a lot of people. I don't spend $100/month on gas personally, so it would be 5% on all of my gas purchases.

[aida2003]

I'm happy enough we stopped using two CC's because it's just a hassle to track four cards each month. Now we use VISA and AmEx which offers 5% on gas and supermarkets. It's good enough, IMO. If we added some gas cards, it might become a hassle again and if they restrict what gas stations to use then it's even worse.

[eisor]

Our church is doing a monthly money saving meeting. In a planning meeting I had made the suggestion to use a credit card that gives a % back for gas purchases. Someone mentioned that not everyone has their credit in line to qualify for one and even if they do some people don't have the discipline to pay credit cards off each month.

[noppenbd]

Also, getting a card that is tied to a specific brand of gas (BP, Exxon, etc) is not as versatile since that particular brand may not be the cheapest in every neighborhood, so the value of your cash back is reduced by the higher nominal price.

[sounderella]

Tagging on to what Nopp said, down here the gas stations that have their own card tend to be higher than the others. I usually get my gas from Ingles who offers .03 off a gallon. Right now they're offering .10 off a gallon for every $100 you spend in groceries. So I go there and use my Chase Visa rewards card and get 3% back. Walmart also offers .03 off at their stations if you fill up using their gift card. Also, some gas stations offer discounts if you pay with cash. I usually see these more on the interstate.

[disneysteve]

More and more stations in our area have switched to charging more for credit card purchases. I hate that because I know they aren't really allowed to do it, but they all get away with it. Some are charging an extra 8-10 cents per gallon to pay with credit.

If you have a credit card that gives you 5% back, it still works out, though. With gas at $4.00/gallon, that is $.20 back per gallon. Still beats paying the lower cash price.