Originally Posted by
BeerAndPoker
I have a Chase Business Card account it gets me 3% back all the time on gas purchases. I know their are better rewards out there through but many are only if you use that brand of gas station card at one of their locations so overall the card I have does the job for me giving me at least 1-4% back on whatever else.
If you have several locations around you of some gas stations and have no problem using their card then that is an option BUT if they are regularly priced higher then some other locations then it defeats the purpose of getting their card. My advice is to scout out prices from places close and when you got a sample size whether they are tag or lag on their pricing then you can make an informative decision.
The best way I can see would be to get a CC like above that gets a percentage in cash back & combine it with a program directly from a retailer like ESSO Extra Rewards. You get to double up by getting the cash back & accumulate points that are worth something anyway. If you are spending that much on fuel & other things @ the gas station, I think these points would actually amount to quite a bit.
I'm from Canada & don't even know if they have the ESSO program where you live but I know here they run promotions throughout the year for double & triple points @ certain times & they really add up during these times. All of this is assuming any station running this kind of program is both fairly convenient, widely available, & competively priced in the first place.
Also, as I'm sure you are aware, these cashback cards usually have a higher interest rate so carrying a balance would obviously be a bad idea & defeat the purpose.
Good luck & let us know what you decide on. It may end up being educational for all.
As a sidenote, I know some people who own their own business & have CC that earn points for travel. They use this card to buy absolutely everything they ever need whether it's personal or for their restaurant. They then make sure the balance is paid off every month & voila, they close the restaurant for a few months during the winter & travel wherever they want using the points they accumulate. It's almost like putting money away for vacations in a way you won't spend it. Pretty sweet deal & is something I considered doing myself.