Best Gas Cards for Personal Use (2025): Top Fuel Cards Compared

Paying too much at the pump? Based on our 2025 review of five leading personal gas cards, scored on fees, pump rewards and everyday cashback, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card is best for most households, thanks to a strong 3% rebate at all US gas stations, plus appealing discounts on everyday categories like transit (3%), groceries (6%) and more.

The downside is that there’s an annual fee after the first year, whereas the Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard gives you $0.10 to $0.12 back on every gallon you buy without any annual fees attached. Below, we compare the top options and show how to stretch every fill-up further (see our commercial fuel cards for business-oriented options).

The 5 Best Gas Cards for Personal Use in 2025

For an overview of the best gas cards for personal use (often called fuel cards) check out the table below. For a more detailed review, keep reading.

1. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card

Best gas card for personal use at all US gas stations

Quick Roundup

If you’re looking for an all-round gas card that offers a healthy discount on fuel and discounts on other purchases, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card could be a great option.

This card makes our top five list because it offers significant cash back on gas and gives you 3% back on transit, 6% back on groceries and 6% back on subscriptions to music and entertainment streaming services, podcasts, YouTube and more.

What Do We Like About the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card?

We appreciate that the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card offers 3% cash back on gas at all US gas stations, providing flexibility regardless of where you can fuel up. Additionally, the card’s broad rewards categories, including 6% cash back on groceries and streaming services, make it a versatile option for everyday spending.

How Could the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card Be Improved?

While the card provides solid rewards, the $95 annual fee after the first year could be a drawback for some users. Additionally, the cash back on groceries is capped at $6,000 per year, which might limit the card’s appeal if you have higher yearly grocery expenses.

How Does the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Compare?

If you buy gas at lots of different stations, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred is the most versatile pick here. It earns 3% at US gas stations wherever you fill up, and it adds real everyday value with 6% at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) and 6% on select streaming. That mix is something the brand-locked Shell, BP and Exxon cards don’t offer.

The trade-off is the annual fee after year one. Equally, when pump prices are low, a flat cents-off card can sometimes beat 3% on fuel alone. Compared with Citi Custom Cash, Amex is steadier (always 3% on gas); Custom Cash can out-earn it at 5% only when gas is your top category and you stay under the monthly cap.

2. The Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard From Citibank

Best gas card for personal use at Shell gas stations

Quick Roundup

The Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard might be perfect for you if you want a gas card that offers discounts on fuel and fuel-related purchases and you’re already a fan of Shell gas stations. This card made our list because it offers a healthy discount ($0.10 per gallon forever) on gas, as well as rebates on other gas station purchases.

Redeeming rebates earned on your Shell card is both simple and automatic. Rebates are applied as a statement credit against purchases made with your card in future billing cycles.

What Do We Like About the Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard?

The Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard is an excellent option for those who frequently fuel up at Shell stations, offering substantial savings of $0.10 per gallon on all Shell fuel purchases. The 10% rebates on non-fuel Shell purchases can also add significant value for loyal customers.

How Could the Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard Be Improved?

The primary limitation of this card is that the benefits are restricted to Shell stations, which might not be ideal for those who refuel at a variety of gas stations. You can view a map of Shell’s 13,447 stations in the US to check if that coverage suits you, as Shell has fewer stations in Mountain West states like Colorado and Utah, compared with others.

Additionally, most of the discounts come in the form of rebates rather than immediate savings, which might be less appealing to some users.

How Does the Shell Fuel Rewards Mastercard Compare?

Shell’s card is best if you mostly use Shell and want simple, predictable savings. You get a straight $0.10 per gallon discount (up to 35 gallons per purchase) and you can stack value with Shell’s own loyalty program and in-store rebates.

Where it falls behind is flexibility. If you switch brands often, the value drops. For instance, BP’s $0.15 everyday discount beats Shell’s $0.10 on pure per-gallon math. Versus Exxon, Shell is flatter ($0.10 on all grades), while Exxon is a touch better for premium buyers but similar for regular fuel.

If you care more about groceries, streaming or mixed-brand fueling, a percent-back card like Amex or Citi will usually do more for you.

3. The BPme Rewards Visa Card

Best gas card for personal use at BP and Amoco gas stations

Quick Roundup

If you frequent BP and/or Amoco gas stations, then the BPme Rewards Visa could be the perfect option to help you save money and stress on your next fill-up. The BPme card is worth considering due to its significant gas savings—$0.15 per gallon forever—and because it rewards you for both grocery and dining purchases.

What Do We Like About the BPme Rewards Visa Card?

The BPme Rewards Visa Card stands out for its generous $0.15 per gallon savings at BP and Amoco stations, making it one of the most rewarding options available. The additional cash back on groceries and dining adds to its overall value, especially for those who frequent these establishments.

How Could the BPme Rewards Visa Card Be Improved?

The main drawback of the BPme Rewards Visa Card is the lack of discounts or benefits at non-BP or Amoco stations, limiting its usefulness for those who don’t have easy access to these locations. In total, BP operates 7,574 US stations in 32 states.

Its coverage is much less extensive than Shell’s in terms of pure area covered in the US. You can find out where BP gas stations are located using its finder tool but, as the image above indicates, coverage is lighter in parts of the Mountain West and West Coast.

Expanding the card’s rewards to include other gas station brands would make it more competitive, given this limitation, but this exclusivity to the card brand’s own stations isn’t unusual for gas cards.

How Does the BPme Rewards Visa Compare?

BPme is the strongest ongoing cents-off deal in this lineup for regular fuel, with $0.15 per gallon every day. If you live near BP/Amoco, that headline rate can outsave Shell’s $0.10 and Exxon’s $0.10 on regular, and you still get extra earn on BP non-fuel, groceries and dining.

With BP, the catch is coverage. As discussed, BP’s footprint is thinner in parts of the Mountain West and West Coast, so it’s less forgiving if you travel or move. Compared with Exxon, BP is usually better for regular gas, while Exxon can edge it for premium users. If you can’t count on BP being nearby, a percent-back option is safer.

4. The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+ Credit Card

Best gas card for personal use offering consistent per-gallon savings

Quick Roundup

The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+ Credit Card could be an excellent option if you frequent Exxon or Mobil gas stations. With it, you’ll save not just on fuel ($0.10 or $0.12 per gallon) but also on non-fuel purchases (up to $1,200 per year) like drinks, snacks, car washes and more, to make your drives cheaper and more enjoyable.

What Do We Like About the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+ Credit Card?

The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+ Credit Card offers consistent per-gallon savings, which is one of the highest per-gallon offerings among fuel cards. The ongoing 5% cash back on non-fuel purchases at Exxon and Mobil stations adds value beyond just fuel savings, too.

How Could the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+ Credit Card Be Improved?

A key limitation of this card is that its savings are solely for Exxon and Mobil stations, which may not be convenient for everyone. Albeit, it has 12,000+, which is more than BP, and almost on a par with Shell.

And while its initial savings are appealing, after the first month the rates drop significantly, making the long-term benefits less attractive compared with some other options.

How Does the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+ Card Compare?

Exxon Mobil’s card suits drivers who regularly use Exxon or Mobil, and especially those who buy premium. You get $0.10 per gallon on regular, mid-grade and diesel, and $0.12 on Synergy Supreme+ premium, plus 5% back on convenience-store and car-wash purchases (up to an annual cap). The nationwide network is broad, which makes the savings easier to capture.

The limitation is the same as other brand cards: if you stray from Exxon/Mobil, the value evaporates. Versus Shell, Exxon is stronger for premium ($0.12 versus $0.10), though, while compared with BP, it usually trails for regular gas ($0.10 versus $0.15).

If you want rewards beyond the forecourt or you mix brands, Amex or Citi will likely deliver more consistent value.

5. The Citi Custom Cash Mastercard

Most versatile gas card for personal use

Quick Roundup

The Citi Custom Cash Mastercard offers 5% cash back on gas (up to $500 per billing cycle), but only if you use the card primarily for fuel purchases. If gas isn’t your highest-spend category, then you’ll still get 1% cash back on gas (and 5% on whatever your highest category is).

What Do We Like About the Citi Custom Cash Mastercard?

The Citi Custom Cash Mastercard is particularly versatile, offering 5% cash back on your highest-spend category each month, which can be gas if that’s where you spend the most. This flexibility makes it a strong option for those who have varying monthly expenses.

How Could the Citi Custom Cash Mastercard Be Improved?

The card’s main downside is that if gas isn’t your highest spending category, you’ll only earn 1% cash back on fuel purchases. This limitation could reduce the card’s appeal for those who want consistent gas savings every month. Expanding the 5% category to include multiple categories simultaneously would make it an even more attractive option.

How Does the Citi Custom Cash Mastercard Compare?

Citi Custom Cash is the flexible option that can be brilliant one month and just okay the next. When gas is your highest spend category, it earns 5%, up to $500 in a billing cycle, which can outpace Amex’s 3% and even beat cents-off cards when prices are high. There’s no annual fee and it works at any station that takes Mastercard.

The flip side is reliability. If groceries, dining, or another category edges out gas in a given month your pump spend drops to 1%, and the $500 cap limits heavy drivers.

Compared with Amex, Citi can be richer on gas in the right months, but Amex is more predictable overall and much stronger for supermarket and streaming rewards.

What To Look For in a Great Fuel Card

When researching the best gas cards for personal use, you should consider their network coverage, discount structure, rewards and card fees. We take a closer look at these below.

Network coverage

Consider how many gas stations will accept the card and where. Specifically, look for cards with coverage in your area, broad national coverage or that have partnerships with stations you use frequently.

Discount structure and rewards programs

How large is the discount on fuel offered by the card? Some fuel cards offer discounts of a few cents per gallon, while bank-affiliated cards often give a percentage (often between  2% to 5%) back at the end of a billing cycle.

Some cards offer rewards programs alongside or in place of discounts. You could earn points, cash back, travel rewards, statement credits or other rewards on your fuel purchases. Check if the card you’re interested in has a rewards program, understand how it works and see if the rewards align with your spending habits.

Introductory offers

Many credit cards advertise a welcome offer for new applicants who meet certain spending thresholds using the card, usually in the first three, six or 12 months of card ownership. These offers are generally in the form of cash back or points. For example, you could receive $250 or 30,000 points when you spend $2,000 or more in the first three months.

Credit card fees

Determine if the card has an annual fee, transaction fees or foreign currency conversion fees. Annual fees can range from $100 to $500 or more, while transaction fees can range from 0% to 2.85%. Currency conversion fees can range from 0% to 3%, depending on the card.

These fees might not sound significant, but they can add up quickly, so be aware of them before you sign up. Albeit, some cards waive fees if you meet minimum spending requirements. And, as you can see from the cards we recommend here, most have no annual fee at all (the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card has a $0 intro for the first year, then $95).

Security features

Choose a card with robust security features, like a security chip, a PIN and the ability to disable or cancel it from anywhere. Also, ensure the card provider uses secure servers to store your information, offers end-to-end encryption and provides account recovery options.

Customer support

The card you choose should have helpful and accessible customer support. You should be able to access it 24/7 by phone, email, live chat or website contact form. Ideally, it will also have a mobile app.