How to save 14% on your gas costs!

There is a way that you can save from 3% to 14% on gas purchases. This strategy requires no special gadgets or fuel additives and does not require you to change your driving habits or your car.

This method utilizes credit cards that offer rebates on fuel or other gas station purchases. The correct card can substantially lower your cost of gas. You save without having to do any maintenance on your car. This savings method costs nothing at all.

Gas companies still need to compete for your business. They don't compete on price so they have to use other methods. One method used from time to time is credit cards with rebates. The average card will rebate you 10% on your purchases at their stations. Included in those purchases are your purchases for gas. The 10% rebate is usually the first two or three months that you have the card and after that the rebate changes to 5% on your gas purchases thereafter.

For example currently BP has a credit card that will pay 10% for the first 60 days for BP gas purchases and 5% for BP gas purchases after 60 days. These cards generally offer 1% rebates on other purchases and can be used anywhere Visa or MasterCard is accepted.

The credit card explained above is specifically for BP branded stations. You can not have a rebate at other stations. Instead of a gas company card a general market card might be a good choice if you need to use many different branded stations.

Many card companies have cards that have rebate amounts for gas. For example: currently Discover Card has a Discover Gas Card. This card will provide you with a rebate of 5 per cent of the gasoline you purchase. This card also provides a 1 per cent rebate on other purchases.

Other companies that issue gas rebate cards are Chase and Citibank. Citibank has a gas credit card that provides a rebate of 6% for gasoline purchases for the first 2 months and then provides a 3% rebate thereafter. Chase has a program much like Citibank.

The credit cards that offer rebates only at specific branded stores and the general market cards have disadvantages and advantages. The credit card from the gas company pays the rebate only at the gas company's own stations. The general market card advantage is that you can use this card to buy fuel anywhere and you still get the rebate.

But, the advantage to the gas company card is that you receive a 10 percent rebate for the initial period where as the general market card does not pay that high.

So far we have discussed how to get a discount of 3 percent up to 10 percent. Even though 3% is good and 10% is better, how can you get a 14% discount? There is a method you can use to do that.

Pre paid gas cards or gasoline gift cards are sold at most gas stations. Usually these prepaid cards are discounted. You may have to wait for certain promotions but in general you can find one that is discounted. For example by spending $48 on a $50 gift card, you can use the card for $50 worth of gas but it only cost you $48.00.

That means you pay $48 for the card but the card allows you to buy $50 worth of gas. That is the same as getting a 4% discount. In most cases you must buy these prepaid cards at the gas outlet.

Now here is where the extra savings comes in. If you purchase the prepaid card using the gas company credit card during the initial period when you are getting a 10% rebate you will get a 10% rebate on the prepaid card.

If you purchase a prepaid card that provides a 4% discount, the $48 dollar card for $50 dollars worth of gas, you are adding to your savings.

You are getting a 10% savings on the rebate and you are getting a 4% savings on the prepaid card. In total you are getting a 14% savings!