Best Credit Cards for Gas

Gas rewards run from 2% to 5% — warehouse cards lead, but no-fee cards pay 3% at any pump. EV drivers: charging counts too, on most cards.

Gas is one of the few spending categories where the best rate — 5% — requires a warehouse membership, while excellent 3% options work at any pump with no annual fee. And if you drive electric, most “gas” bonuses now explicitly include EV charging. Here’s how the options stack up on real numbers.

Key takeaways

  • The Sam’s Club Mastercard pays 5% on gas anywhere (up to $6,000/year); the Costco Anywhere Visa pays 5% at Costco pumps and 4% elsewhere (combined $7,000/year) — both require a paid membership, no annual fee on the card itself.
  • The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards pays 6% on gas in year one, then 3%, as your chosen category — no membership needed.
  • No-fee 3% options at any pump: Blue Cash Everyday, Blue Cash Preferred, Wells Fargo Autograph, and Citi Custom Cash (5% if gas is your top category).
  • Most gas bonuses now include EV charging — check the card’s terms for the exact wording.
  • Card facts verified September 2026; membership prices and card terms change, so confirm before applying.
Adult plugging in an electric vehicle at a modern charging station holding an abstract credit card

How we compare

Methodology

  • Assumptions: Rankings use a $2,400/year fuel spend profile ($200/month — near the US household average), assume the cardholder pays in full monthly, and count membership fees (where required) against rewards.
  • What we scored: fuel earn rate and caps, membership cost drag, pump universality (any station vs. club pumps only), EV charging inclusion, and foreign transaction fees.
  • What we didn’t test: We did not fuel up on these cards or verify merchant coding firsthand. Figures come from issuer pages and established publishers, opened and verified September 2026.

Best overall: warehouse cards (5%)

Sam’s Club Mastercard — 5% cash back on gas (and EV charging) at eligible stations anywhere Mastercard is accepted, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. No annual fee on the card; a Sam’s Club membership is required (Club $60/year, Plus $120/year per NerdWallet’s May 2026 data). The killer detail: the 5% isn’t limited to Sam’s pumps — it’s any gas station. On $2,400/year of fuel, that’s $120 back against a $60 membership: $60 net, before the card’s 3% dining and other perks.

Costco Anywhere Visa (Citi) — 5% on gas at Costco and 4% on other eligible gas and EV charging, on a combined $7,000 per year, then 1%. No annual fee with a paid Costco membership (Gold Star $65/year, Executive $130/year). The higher combined cap ($7,000 vs. $6,000) favors heavy drivers, but the 5% only applies at Costco pumps — everywhere else it’s 4%. Rewards arrive as an annual certificate each February (redeemable for cash via transfer on $300+ or for in-store merchandise), which is clunkier than Sam’s monthly loading.

Which wins? If you already hold one membership, use that club’s card — the membership is a sunk cost. Choosing fresh: Sam’s 5%-anywhere is simpler and better for most drivers; Costco’s higher cap and 4%-elsewhere rate win for very heavy drivers loyal to Costco. Note both cards also pay 3% on dining.

Best no-membership: BofA Customized Cash

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards lets you choose gas as your bonus category: 6% cash back in year one, then 3%, on the first $2,500 in combined quarterly purchases in your choice category plus grocery/wholesale spending. No annual fee, no membership, and it earned The Motley Fool’s 2026 award for Best Credit Card for Gas. A $200 cash bonus after $1,000 in spending in the first 90 days sweetens the first year.

The math: $2,400/year at 6% = $144 in year one, then $72/year at 3% — with no membership fee dragging on either. For non-warehouse members, this is the highest gas rate available, and you can switch the category monthly if your spending shifts. The $2,500 quarterly combined cap is generous enough that normal drivers never touch it.

Best no-fee everyday: 3% gas cards

Several strong cards pay 3% at the pump with no annual fee and no membership:

  • Blue Cash Everyday (Amex) — 3% at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000/year (then 1%), no annual fee. Also 3% at U.S. supermarkets and on U.S. online retail — a strong no-fee trio. See how it fits a broader wallet in our best no-annual-fee cards.
  • Blue Cash Preferred (Amex) — 3% at U.S. gas stations with no stated cap in the gas category (the $6,000 cap applies to groceries), plus 6% at U.S. supermarkets. Worth it if you also want the grocery rate; check Amex’s current annual fee.
  • Wells Fargo Autograph — unlimited 3x points on gas stations (plus restaurants, travel, transit, streaming, phone plans), no annual fee, no caps. The points-leaning alternative.
  • Citi Custom Cash — automatic 5% when gas is your top spending category, up to $500 per billing cycle, no annual fee. The highest no-membership rate, but capped at $25/month in bonus rewards — best for moderate drivers.
  • Discover it Chrome — 2% at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined quarterly purchases, 1% elsewhere, no annual fee, plus the first-year Cashback Match. A quiet value pick for light drivers.
  • Discover it Cash Back — 5% in rotating quarterly categories whenever gas is featured (activation required, quarterly cap), no annual fee.

Best for points: Chase Sapphire Preferred (3x)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on gas and EV charging — including at Costco — with its $95 annual fee. That last detail matters: most grocery/gas bonuses exclude warehouse clubs, but Chase explicitly includes Costco gas at 3x. For points collectors, 3x transferred to United, Southwest, or Hyatt at ~1.5–2 cents per point is a 4.5–6% effective return at the pump — the richest fuel earn rate for anyone playing the transfer game. The card’s broader 3x on dining, streaming, and online groceries plus a $100 annual hotel credit round out the $95 fee case.

Car keys, road trip map, sunglasses, and an abstract credit card on a warm white surface

EV charging: what counts

Most modern “gas” bonuses explicitly include EV charging — the Sam’s Club Mastercard, Costco Anywhere Visa, Sapphire Preferred, and BofA Customized Cash all cover it in their published terms. Two things to verify on your card:

  1. Home charging doesn’t count. Electricity billed by your utility codes as a utility, not fuel. Only public charging stations code as fuel/EV charging.
  2. Network coding varies. Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, and ChargePoint generally code as EV charging or fuel, but a station inside a parking garage or hotel can code as parking or lodging instead. Check your first few charges in the card app.

If you charge mostly at home, skip the gas-card hunt for that spending — a flat 2% card on the utility bill is the honest play. For the rest of the driving budget, our rewards rate guide shows how to compute what each option really pays you.

Frequently asked questions

What credit card gives 5% back on gas?

The Sam’s Club Mastercard (5% at any gas station, up to $6,000/year, membership required) and the Costco Anywhere Visa (5% at Costco pumps, 4% elsewhere, on a combined $7,000/year, membership required). The Citi Custom Cash pays an automatic 5% when gas is your top monthly category (up to $500/cycle), no membership needed.

Is a warehouse club credit card worth it just for gas?

On $2,400/year of fuel, Sam’s 5% earns $120 against a $60 membership — $60 net, plus 3% dining and other perks. If you’d hold the membership anyway for shopping, the gas rewards are nearly pure profit. If not, a no-membership 3% card keeps more of the savings.

Do gas credit cards work for EV charging?

Most current ones, yes — Sam’s Club, Costco, Sapphire Preferred, and BofA Customized Cash explicitly include EV charging in their fuel bonuses. Home charging billed by your utility does not count; only public charging stations.

Why did my gas purchase only earn 1%?

Common causes: you exceeded the card’s annual or quarterly cap, you paid at a warehouse club pump excluded from a supermarket-style bonus, or the merchant coded as something other than a gas station (some truck stops and marina fuel docks code differently). Check the transaction category in your card app.

Should I get a gas-specific card or just use a 2% flat card?

At $200/month, the gap between 2% ($48/year) and 5% ($120/year) is $72 — worth a dedicated card if it’s no-fee or the membership pays for itself elsewhere. Below ~$100/month in fuel, the flat 2% card is simpler and the dollar gap is small.

Gas rewards aren’t static either: warehouse clubs adjust caps, issuers refresh quarterly categories, and EV charging keeps getting folded into “gas” bonuses. Check this fall’s card changes before locking in a gas strategy for next year — a small tweak can move $50+ a year.

This article is for education, not financial advice. Earn rates, caps, and membership prices change; verify current terms on the issuer’s site before applying. Kevin Park and Reward Radar don’t provide personalized financial recommendations.

Sources: NerdWallet — Costco vs. Sam’s Club (5%/4% gas rates, caps, membership prices, updated May 2026); Motley Fool — best credit cards, Sept 2026 (BofA Customized Cash 6%/3%, $2,500 cap, Best Gas award; Discover it Chrome 2%; Discover it 5% rotating); American Express Blue Cash Preferred page and Blue Cash Everyday page (3% gas rates, caps); Motley Fool — best travel cards, Sept 2026 (Sapphire Preferred 3x gas/EV incl. Costco, $95 fee; Autograph 3x gas); Citi Custom Cash press release (5% top category, $500 cap). All opened and verified September 2026.