- Earns cash back at gas stations, restaurants, and convenience stores.
- Link any credit card to earn both in-app cash back and credit card rewards.
- Great way to get a rough estimate of gas prices near you.
The Best Gas Saving Apps of 2024
![gas app](/personal-finance/static/844696f46e62507a44b6f70ed9e2d65d/8ae18/gas-app.jpg)
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One of the most agonizing credit card swipes nowadays happens at the gas station. The amount of money you pay for the privilege of getting from point A to point B is likely putting a dent in your wallet.
Gas apps can help cut your fuel costs. From earning rewards on your gas station purchases to helping you pinpoint the cheapest nearby pump, gas apps are a no-brainer (and largely effortless) way to save money on a necessary purchase. Here are seven of the best gas apps to maximize your savings.
Upside gives you a percentage of cash back that varies by location. Within the app is a map that shows you prices for nearby gas stations, along with each stationโs unique cash back offer.
Upside can alert you when youโre close to a high-return opportunity. Using the app, finding gas stations offering 10ยข or more per gallon is not particularly difficult.
You can scan your receipt with the app or link your credit card to get paid. Youโll tap on the gas station you want to use, pay with your linked card, and then tap the โIโve paidโ button in the app.
Upside will deposit cash into your rewards account. You can redeem your cash back as a direct deposit to your bank or PayPal account or for gift cards.
GasBuddy is primarily known for its crowdsourced, up-to-date gas prices nationwide. Itโs super handy for quickly scanning your immediate area. It even gives you the option to add your destination so it can find gas stations along your route.
GasBuddy also has the power to award cash backโbut youโll have to opt for and use the free GasBuddy card at the pump. It works similarly to a debit card in that youโll need to link a bank account to use it. You can increase your earnings by enrolling in a paid membership.
Waze is a crowdsourced navigation app. Besides getting you to your destination, users can report things like crashes, speed traps, cars on the side of the road, andโyou guessed itโgas prices.
Waze does one thing that many of the best apps do not: It works outside the U.S. There are some exceptions. Germany, for example, doesnโt allow Waze to show gas prices But for the most part, Waze is hard to beat for finding cheap gas during international travel.
As a side note, the Waze app partners with Shell and ExxonMobil to allow you to pay for your gas in-app after youโve pulled up to the pump at select gas stations.
Fuelio is a go-to solution for finding cheap gas. It crowdsources prices similarly to GasBuddy but has comparatively few users, meaning the prices may not be as current.
But Fuelio makes up for this with other features, such as the ability to manage vehicle expenses by category (think tolls, repairs, parking fees, etc.), track your fuel consumption, and receive automatic reminders when itโs time to service your card. If driving is a big part of your job, youโll love the appโs organizational features.
Frequent Shell customers should consider joining Fuel Rewards. The program provides an automatic discount that varies based on your status.
When you sign up, youโll receive automatic Gold status. This gives you 5ยข off per gallon whenever you fill up. But if you fill up 12 times in three months (minimum 10 gallons per visit), youโll receive Platinum statusโwhich offers 10ยข off per gallon.
Fuel Rewards also partners with popular brands like T-Mobile and Bank of America to accelerate savings for customers of those brands through various promotions.
For BP and Amoco customers, BPme Rewards offers two enticing features. First and most straightforward, youโll receive a discount of 5ยข per gallon just for joining. Once youโre at the gas station, youโll open the app and indicate which pump you plan to use. Then, after you pay, youโll instantly see savings of 5ยข. You can even pay in-app.
Beyond thatโand more intriguingโis the Price Match feature, which scans competing gas stations within a two-mile radius. If the app finds a cheaper price, it will attribute an additional 5-cent savings per gallon. In other words, you can save up to 10ยข per gallon with BPme Rewards. Just note that youโll have to pay 99ยข monthly to be eligible.
Speedy Rewards is a less straightforward loyalty program that earns points instead of cash back. Youโll earn 10 points per gallon at the pump and 20 points per dollar spent in-store.
You can redeem your points for gift cards, food, fuel discounts, and more. And the value you receive per point depends on how you use them. For example, a $10 Speedway food and merchandise card costs 7,900 points (a value of 0.12ยข per point), while a $25 Amazon Gift Card costs 30,000 points (a value of 0.083ยข per point).
Perhaps more relevant is the potential fuel discounts. A 10ยข discount per gallon requires 1,750 fuel points. If you were to fill up a 12-gallon car, youโd save $1.20โgiving you a value per point of 0.06ยข per point. Thatโs not great. But Speedy Rewards has many other benefits, such as every fifth car wash free, every seventh pizza slice free, easy savings with partners, and more.
Title | Best for |
---|---|
Upside | Cash back |
GasBuddy | Finding cheap gas |
Waze | International travel |
Fuelio | Tracking expenses |
Fuel Rewards | Shell customers |
BPme Rewards | BP/Amoco customers |
Speedy Rewards | Speedway customers |
We chose the best gas apps according to price, utility, and return rate. We also considered the accuracy of apps that claim to offer real-time prices at nearby gas stations. Finally, we chose gas station apps for the most widely-available fuel brands.
Choosing the best gas app for your situation requires assessing your spending habits. For example, if youโre loyal to one chain of gas stations, you might want to use its proprietary app. If youโre traveling internationally, find an app that helps you to save money outside the U.S.
These apps are generally free, so thereโs no harm in experimenting to see which one best suits your lifestyle.
Gas apps can have many purposes, such as locating the cheapest nearby gas stations, helping you efficiently plan a stop at a gas station along your route, or offering bonus rewards by linking your credit card in-app.
Because each app has a unique purpose, you may elect to use more than one app at once to maximize your fuel savings.
Gas apps implement several features that can enhance the security of your commute.
Several services allow you to pay in-app, providing an additional layer of security for your payment. Gas stations are notorious for credit card skimmers and other scams that can steal your credit card information. Paying in-app effectively neutralizes this threat.
Some apps also offer the ability to help you out of a bind in the event that you need roadside assistance. For example, Waze touts a Roadside Help option that sends an SOS to your friends or other app users. You can even pinpoint the exact issueโbe it a flat tire, a dead battery, or otherwise.
Finally, navigation apps can help you prepare for the unexpected, such as traffic or obstacles.
Some driving apps specialize in helping you find alternative fuels like EV charging stations and hydrogen stations. This is a critical feature for those with more โeco-friendlyโ vehicles. Alternative fuel stations arenโt nearly as prevalent as gas stationsโmeaning itโs wise to plan your next fill-up as early as possible.
Apps like the Fuelio can also track your driving habits to help you figure out a more efficient way to drive. By analyzing Fuelioโs simplified timeline of your commutes, you can learn to keep your gas consumption to a minimum.
If youโre not into gas apps, there are other ways to save money at the pump. However, combining these strategies with a gas app can help you to save even more.
Many credit cards reward you for gas purchases by offering bonus cash back or travel rewards points. These bonus categories are (usually) automatic, with no need to enroll or enter your payment information into an app.
For example, the Blue Cash Preferredยฎ Card from American Express earns 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. This is an excellent return that, for anyone who spends a meaningful amount of money on fuel, could translate into hundreds of dollars in savings each year.
You may be able to buy gift cards to specific gas station brands for less than theyโre worth.
There are a few ways to achieve this:
Again, using more than one of these strategies at once may be possible.
Membership wholesale warehouses such as Costco and Samโs Club typically sell gas for considerably less than regular gas stations. However, memberships incur an annual fee. If you can justify the price tag by saving on shopping, the extra cheap gas is an excellent bonus.
Gas apps serve many purposes. They can give you a return on spending, find you the most efficient route to your destination, and send an alert when you need roadside assistance. They can also track and analyze your behavior.
Using multiple gas apps in tandem can amount to considerable savings, even if you donโt spend thousands of dollars annually on fuel.
Gas prices listed in gas apps are generally accurate, as they often depend on crowdsourcing. Many millions of users can input the price they paid to keep the information current.
Gas apps are typically free to download and use.
Depending on the gas app youโre using, you may need to create an account to use it. However, some apps, like GasBuddy, donโt require an account.
GasBuddy tends to have the most accurate gas prices, as millions of users report current prices daily.
Gas apps are available for both iOS and Android. If an app is available for one, itโs likely available for the other.
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