Gas rebate credit cards

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Gas rebate credit cards became popular in the United States as gas prices rose and people looked for ways to save. Shell is often credited with launching the first gas rebate card in 1992, offering 3% back on gas. About a year later, the rebate at Shell stations rose to 5%.

The main idea is simple: you get back a portion of what you spend on gas. The savings are usually shown as a rebate, and many cards apply the discount every month—making the benefit easy to see, rather than waiting for a yearly payout like some other cashback programs.

Credit card issuers commonly advertise an average APR around 3% for new gas rebate cards. Because fraud is a concern, many programs limit how much gas you can buy at the pump with the card to reduce abuse.

There have been fraud and error incidents related to gas cards. A notable gas card glitch in 2009 caused a large incorrect charge on a card, highlighting how system errors can affect users.