Trying to find the cheapest gas stations in town is a smart way to save money on gas. But what if you could get gas for an even cheaper rate than what the sign shows at the station? Or, even better, what if you could get your hands on some free gas cards?
Guess what? It turns out that there are many legit, above-board ways you can get free gas cards and discounted gas.
In this guide, we’ll cover 12 different ways that you can do just that. So read on if you’re ready to start saving some serious bucks at the pump!
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How to Get Gas Cards Free
There are actually several different strategies you can use to get gas cards for free.
Answer Surveys or Complete Online Tasks
There are many survey sites and cash back sites that say they will allow you to earn points and later redeem them for free gift cards. However, sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between a scam site and a legit one.
Below, are two sites that we can guarantee you are the real deal and could help you get ahold of some free gift cards!
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a mega-popular website that rewards members with points called Swagbucks (SB). You earn SB whenever you complete online tasks, such as answering surveys, watching videos or using Swagbucks’ search engine.
Then you can redeem your SB for gift cards to over 140 brands, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and Sunoco.
You can redeem SB for some gift cards in increments as small as $3. But you’ll need at least $50 in Swagbucks to get any of the gas cards mentioned above.
2. Inbox Dollars
InboxDollars is Swagbucks’ main competitor. They give cash back for many of the same types of online activities.
InboxDollars has a smaller list of gift card merchants than Swagbucks. And their list does not feature any gas station cards.
Although, there are still ways you can redeem InboxDollars cash back toward slicing your gas bill:
- Walmart gift cards: Many Walmart superstores now include gas stations. So your Walmart card can double as a free gas card too.
- Amazon gift cards: These could, in turn, be used to purchase any gas card of your choosing on Amazon’s marketplace.
- PayPal gift cards: Can be used at any stores of your choice, including gas stations.
Redeem Credit Card Reward Points
Credit cards that give you a percentage of your purchase amounts back in points (sometimes called “miles”) can save you a ton of money. Maybe they could even help fund some free travel.
With credit cards, you have to be careful not to spend more than you can pay off each month. However, for those who handle credit cards responsibly, they can give you a ton of money back on everyday purchases.
One of the lesser-known ways to redeem the points that you earn with your credit cards is in the form of gift cards.
I have gotten dozens of free gift cards through credit card point redemptions. Here are a couple of popular credit card rewards programs that allow you to redeem your points for gift cards.
3. Chase Ultimate Rewards points
If you own a Chase Bank-branded credit card, then you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points every time you use your card.
Chase allows members to redeem their points for a large number of gift cards. You can choose from restaurants, hotels and retail store cards. Also, Chase offers Shell gasoline cards on their Ultimate Rewards redemption portal.
4. Discover Card Cash Back Bonus rewards
Discover’s “Cash Back Bonus” program allows cardholders to redeem their cash back rewards for gift cards once they’ve reached at least $20 in their account. Like Chase, Discover offers Shell gasoline as one of their gift card partners.
And what’s really awesome about redeeming Discover cash back for gift cards is that they automatically add $5 for free onto every gift card that you redeem!
Utilize Grocery Store Reward Programs
Many grocery store rewards programs will allow you to redeem your rewards points for a certain number of cents off per gallon at the pump. The more points you accrue, the more cents per gallon you can have taken off.
With each of these programs, you’ll need to redeem your fuel rewards at either the grocery store’s gas pumps or at specific gas stations that they’ve partnered with.
5. Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie’s rewards program is probably my favorite one when it comes to offering great savings at the gas pump.
- To start saving, you first need to join Winn-Dixie’s SE Grocer Rewards program.
- Then, once you’ve received your membership card, just swipe it at a Shell station gas pump (or other participating fuel stations) to activate their Fuel Rewards program.
This is where the real fun begins. Once you’ve activated “Fuel Rewards” on your SE Grocer Rewards membership, you will get:
- An automatic 5¢/gal off on every fill-up.
- An additional 5¢/gal off for every 100 points you accumulate.
But my favorite part about Winn-Dixie’s Fuel Rewards program is that each week participating brands give bonus cents off per gallon just for buying their products.
If you pay attention and work to take full advantage of Winn-Dixie’s program, it can save you amazing amounts of money at the pump. We regularly fill up our tank for over 50¢/gal off the regular price. Plus, on one fill-up we actually were able to get over $1 taken off per gallon!
6. Kroger
Kroger is the largest grocery stain in the U.S., so there’s a good chance that you have one near you. And if you do, then you can take advantage of their popular fuel points program.
I don’t like Kroger’s program quite as much as Winn-Dixie’s. But they could be a great option if you don’t have a Winn-Dixie near you or if you prefer to do your shopping at Kroger stores.
Here a few key features of their fuel points program:
- One fuel point for every $1 that you spend
- 2x fuel points on all gift card purchases
- 50 points on qualifying prescriptions
You can also earn points on Fred Meyer Jewelers transactions and on online orders that are shipped to your door. Keep in mind that to access your gas discount, you’ll need to fill up at a Kroger fuel station.
You can even significantly increase your savings temporarily by signing up for the Kroger Rewards World Mastercard, which will earn you an additional 25¢/gal off on every fill up for one full year.
Use Credit Card Cash Back on Gas Purchases
Earlier, we discussed how you could get free gas cards by redeeming credit card reward points. Another way credit cards can save you money on gas is by giving you a percentage back on all gas station transactions.
While most credit cards give at least 1% back on all purchases (and some even 2%), certain credit cards will give an even higher percentage of cash back on gas station purchases.
So if you are someone who spends a lot on gas each year, one of these rewards cards could save you a ton of money!
7. American Express Blue Cash Preferred© card
The Blue Cash Preferred© card gives 3% cash back for all gas purchases. This rate is the lowest of the four credit cards on this list.
Why is it listed first then? This card is at the top of the list because of a few advantages that it offers that the other cards can’t:
- You can apply for the card without having to join any other store or credit union.
- There is no spending cap on the Blue Cash Preferred© card’s 3% cash back that it gives on gas purchases.
- The Blue Cash Preferred© card offers a whopping 6% cash back on grocery store purchases (up to the first $6,000 spent). When you spend beyond that amount, the cash back rate on groceries down to 1%.
8. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card
Costco members who are eager to save money on gas may want to consider the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card. It offers 4% cash back on all gas for the first $7,000 spent.
Other features of this credit card, include:
- 3% cash back on restaurants and travel
- 2% cash back on all Costco purchases
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
9. Sam’s Club® Mastercard®
Not willing to out-done by Costco, the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® offers its members an even more impressive 5% cash back on gas, up to the first $6,000 spent.
The Sam’s Club Mastercard also gives 3% cash back on dining and travel and 1% back on all other purchases.
10. PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
The PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® card offers 5% back on all gas purchases, and there are no spending caps! This card also gives 3% back on grocery store transactions and comes with no annual fee.
Why was it not first on the list? There are two main reasons why this card may not be as attractive as the others listed above:
- You have to join a PenFed credit union to be eligible for this card.
- You are not able to redeem your points for cash back (only travel or gift cards). And the points may not be as valuable as you can find with other credit cards.
Buy Discounted Gas Cards
Have you ever gotten a gift card to a store or restaurant that didn’t interest you? Did you find yourself wishing there was some way to get the cash value out of the card?
Good news! That’s exactly what discount gift card sites do. By selling your gift card on these sites, you can get as high as over 90% of your gift card value back in the form of cash.
But these discount gift card sites can be a great deal for the buyers as well. You can find some gift cards at 15%, 25%, or even 50% off their face value. Discount gift card websites sell just about every gift card imaginable, including many from gas station brands!
11. GiftCardGranny
GiftCardGranny is the largest discount gift card website in the world. Name any brand, and there’s a good chance they have its gift cards for sale on their site. This includes many gas cards, including:
- BP
- Chevron
- Circle K
- Citgo
- Exxon Mobil
- Racetrac
- Sunoco
- Shell
And many more! In addition to their website, you can also access GiftCardGranny via their app on Android or iOS.
12. Raise
Raise is another popular discount gift card site. They feature a lot of the same gift cards that GiftCardGranny does.
I have found that their inventory seems to be a bit smaller than GiftCardGranny. So for less common gift cards (like gas cards), they may run out of stock more often.
Raise has included one interesting feature in its business model. It’s the ability to earn cash back (called Raise Cash) even on gift cards that you purchase at full price. Once you’ve accrued enough Raise Cash, you can use it to buy a gift card on their site.
Raise has a well-designed app for both Android and iOS. You can use it to buy and sell discounted gift cards. You can also use the app inside stores to spend the gift cards that you’ve purchased to pay for transactions.
Summary
When it comes to budgeting your money, your mortgage (or rent), car payment and insurance are all huge line items. They will typically be larger than your gas expenses. However, all of these are examples of fixed costs.
In other words, you can’t “consume” less of your house or receive any special “discounts” to make your mortgage payment any lower. For the most part, these expenses are what they are.
That’s why finding ways to decrease your recurring variable expenses, like gas, can make a big difference on your bottom line! And now you know 12 ways that you can do just that.
If you know of any other ways to get free gas cards or discounted gas, let us know on Facebook or Twitter!