Gas Credit Cards: Which Options Are Best For RVers?
There is no doubt that gas prices will be a hot topic and conversation subject for all RVers now and into the summer camping season. If you have had some sticker shock while gassing up recently, you are not alone.
One way to ease the pain at the pump is to use a credit card specifically for purchasing fuel. No matter what size RV you drive or tow or what fuel you fill up with, you are bound to find a benefit from using a gas credit card.
Gas credit cards are not specifically just for gas, but they do offer rewards or discounted prices on fuel. These cards are usually under the same common accounts offered by Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover, but they offer cash back or travel rewards from any pump purchase.
There are gas station-specific credit cards as well. While it may be tempting to apply for a gas card for your favorite gas station, these cards are not the best value. In addition, if you tend to travel far from your particular region, you may not find the same stations around the country.
However, there are a few benefits to having a station-specific card. If you have not-so-great credit, it is sometimes easier to be approved for this type of card since you will not be able to use it in other retail stores. Also, this type of card is a nice way to stay organized and on top of just your fuel purchases.
It is worth it to note that many station-specific gas credit cards do tend to have much higher interest rates than regular credit cards with rewards. Just be sure to pay off your card in full every month to reap any benefits.
In the lineup below, we list some of the best overall credit cards for fuel as well as the best station-specific cards.
Best card for cash back rewards: Citi Custom Cash Card
If you just want plain cash back for eligible purchases, one card seems to stand out. Across the board, one of the best cards for getting cash back on your gas purchases is the Custom Cash Card from Citigroup. Not only does this card offer 5% back on your highest spending category each month, but it does not have an annual fee. The 5% cash back arrives if you spend up to $500 per month in your top category. Other purchases receive 1% cash back.
Best card for overall rewards: Costco Anywhere Visa
If you have a Costco Wholesale membership and prefer to gas up at their stations, this card can’t be beat. The Costco Anywhere Visa offers 4% cash back on eligible Costco gas up to the first $7,000 per year. The rewards continue with 3% back on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% on all purchases from Costco and costco.com, and 1% cash back on other purchases—all for an annual fee of zero dollars. Costco has over 800 locations around the U.S., so you are bound to find a location in most metro areas.
Best Mastercard: Sam’s Club Mastercard
If you prefer to shop at Sam’s Club instead, the Sam’s Club® Mastercard might be one of the best Mastercards available. Since Sam’s Club has a lower annual fee than Costco, these benefits might even be a better deal if you can meet the eligible requirements.
The Sam’s Club® Mastercard offers 5% cash back at eligible gas stations, including gas stations at Sam’s Club, up to $6,000 per year. Other rewards include 1% back at Sam’s Club and samsclub.com and 3% back on eligible dining purchases. The Sam’s Club card also does not have an annual fee.
Best gas card for diesel drivers: EFS Fuel Card
If you drive a diesel pusher or diesel tow vehicle, the prices sting just a bit more. However, there is a credit card specifically for diesel purchases. The EFS fuel card by TSD Logistics Trucking Company offers discounts for diesel fuel. The program can save you around 40 to 60 cents per gallon of fuel.
You will need to apply and be approved for the program through the TSD website, but once you have the card, you will pay just a little over the wholesale rate that TSD Logistics pays. The one hitch is that you will need to fill up in the commercial truck lines rather than the regular lines.
Best gas station gas card: ExxonMobil Smart Card
With over 12,000 locations in the U.S., you are bound to find an ExxonMobil station during your travels. If you happen to have the ExxonMobil™ Smart Card, you can also save up to 12 cents per gallon on Synergy Supreme+ premium gasoline or 10 cents per gallon on other Synergy fuel grades. New cardholders can also earn 30 cents off each gallon for the first two months after their account opens. This card also has no annual fee.
Best campground card: Good Sam Rewards Visa Credit Card
This list would not be complete without a card that is put out by one of the largest RV organizations in the world. Good Sam Club not only has over 2,000 campgrounds and RV parks, but they also have a generous rewards credit card.
The Good Sam Rewards Visa® Credit Card offers points for purchases at their campgrounds, private campgrounds, and eligible gas stations. These rewards can be redeemed for Good Sam memberships, restaurant meals, purchases at retail locations, and best of all, gas station gift cards.
Eliminate RV fuel anxiety by planning every fuel stop in advance, before your RV trip begins. By using RV LIFE Trip Wizard to plan your trips in detail, you’ll know exactly when and where you will need fuel for your RV or truck. You can also vet those fuel stops with satellite and street view to make sure you can get in and out safely, and back on the road.
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Everyone misses the Phillips 66 program.
25 cents off per gallon if you link to bank. 15 cents if just linked to a card. Great app easy to use well maintained. Also 76 stations in california (Why anyone would go to, ahh never mind) and Conoco stations.
Been using for a year, great
The Costco Citi card gives you 4% back on fuel from almost any gas station, they call it eligible. So Sam’s Club gas you only get 1%. The 4% is good on the first $7000 then it’s 1% after that.
I have the sams Mastercard and it offers 5% on fuel upto a certain amount at almost all gas stations. Costco does not sell diesel.
Incorrect. Sams is 5% at any gas station up to $6,00 in spend. Costco is 4% at any gas station up to $7,000 spend. Both drop to 1% after limit is reached.
If you live in a state with stores in the Kroger family, you can earn up to $1.00 off per gallon on 35 gallons at one time. We usually save up enough gas points every month to save $35 on one 35 gallon fill up. Fewer gas points used can still result in a good discount.
Check out, The Mudflap app! This is one of the best discount Diesel fuel systems out there.
Good Sams is in this group? Guess you never shopped GS and other RV suppliers, GS will be the highest. I used GS in the past and after 3 back experiences GS will not get my money again.
Example 1 ordered new love seat fro the 5W while it was on sale. Non available nation wide even though advertised, I have to order but have to pay the cost of the order. Paid and waited months, where is my Loveseats? Some where between here and China (not Covid) about 2015. Finally they are in I go to pick it up and the part manager says I need to pay more, they are not on sale and the price has increased from the date I ordered. ??? I ordered and paid in full at that time now you ant more money? BS get me the store manager, he finally talks to us both and finally tells parts manager to load my Love seat.
Example 2 I but a new satellite systems from GS. A few months latter I can’t get it to function, hours with satellite support and they tell me the receivers gone bad. That it back to GS where I bought it, I have all paper work with me that says 1 year warranty. Again the parts manager (different store) says sorry 30 day on electronic. I call the satellite company that tells me that GS is a distributor for them at they need to replace the bad receiver, 2nd trip and I tell them what I was told. Here we go again get me the store manager. He has the parts guy test the receiver, dead. The manager tells him to replace it then they tell me they have none in stock, I need to come back in a couple days when they get a shipment. Trip 3 and I finally have a replacement.
Example 3. blow out does $1500 damage take it to GS. Parts manager? talks to my insurance who want pictures with the estimate. He takes pictures and says it’s a single day job, good order parts and when they are here I’ll be here at opening and go to town for the day. I tell him I have a $500 deductible want that now? No. I wait 4 weeks and call any idea when my parts will be here? We can’t order parts w/o money. What the heck!!! I get on line find the parts for $250 plus shipping and did the repair myself in a couple hours. Two stores in two states and every time it was “managers” I was dealing with, wonder why I will not use GS for anything?
EFS is not a credit card. Your bank account is debited a few days after using it for the full amount after discount purchase.
You can use the Costco CITI Card at ALL eligible gas stations , not just at Costco. It provides 4% back on the first $7000 of purchases per year and 1% back after that.
Citi Custom Cash Card – “The 5% cash back arrives if you spend up to $500 per month in your top category.”
This is nonsense: if you’re on a single trip in your RV, you’re going to hit that limit in no time at all. Better to have a card that gives you an annual limit not a monthly limit. Sam’s Club annual limit of $5000 is far better.
That $500 is not a limit. Once you spend $500 in any one category, you get 5% back. If you only charge $499, you get 1%
Not sure why you say Diesel pushers using Diesel prices will sting more. Where I live Diesel is the lowest priced fuel in the summer. Besides it has more BTU per gallon.
Circle K gives $0.10 a gallon discount with no $500 purchase required
I have a PenFed card that gives 5% on all at the pump purchases. The reward is given as a statement credit every month, automatically. Gas or diesel.
Since you mentioned the Good Sam Visa card for possible discounts, a related free credit card is the Pilot/Flying J RV credit card. Discount is the same as the Good Sam card, but no Camping World or Good Sam Club membership required.
Thanks, some items were nice to know
Pentagon Federal Credit Union has a gas rewards card and you get 5 cents off every gallon of diesel or gas when you swipe at the pump.