Never Pay for Gas With Cash - Words to the Wise

Paying for gas with cash is a lot like throwing some of your money right out the window every single time you fill up. And with gasoline prices as high as they have been lately, it's even worse than ever. But there is good news - savvy consumers have been taking advantage of gas rewards credit cards to take a significant discount off of their gasoline costs each and every time they fuel up and you can too!

Common Incentives for Gas Credit Cards

Clearly the best thing about paying for gasoline with gas rewards credit cards is the money you ultimately end up saving. Some of the best brand specific gasoline credit cards offer 5% cash back rebates (with no total limits) on the total of each and every fill up you pay for with the card. With gas prices at $3.00 per gallon, that's the same as saving 15 cents per gallon at the pump just by paying with your gas card - it's that easy. There's also a variety of gas rewards cards available that offer 3% rebates on any fuel purchases you make anywhere. Some even offer 1% back on all purchases, gas or not.

Rewards Grow Fast for Road Warriors

Using current figures, paying with a rewards gas card will save commuters, road warriors, and even some business card holders hundreds of dollars every year. The rewards grow fast indeed and the best part is that versus paying with cash or a standard credit card, it's essentially all free money - icing on the cake.

Carrying Cash is an Increased Risk Factor

These days, it's probably not advisable to carry any significant amount of cash around. Let's face it - it's just too easy to lose (or have stolen, for that matter). If you misplace your purse or wallet, you can pretty much be assured that any cash within is as good as gone. On the other hand, if a credit card winds up missing, it's just a simple phone call and everything is taken care of. Cash is just not worth the extra risk factor when compared to carrying a credit card.

Keep Track of Expenses Better

Another extra bonus of using a gas credit card to pay for all fuel purchases instead of using cash is receiving clear, detailed statements every month. Keeping excellent records can only help those working with a budget and those who like to keep precise tabs on their finances. When spending cash, one category starts to blend with the next one and before you know it, keeping track of everything becomes practically impossible. Gas cards used exclusively for the purchase of fuel eliminate a major slice of this expense tracking problem.

Paying With Cash Takes More Time

Last but not least, consider how many times you fill up your car every year. Let's assume it's once a week. Now let's say that each time you pay with cash it takes an extra 5 minutes to go inside, wait in line, pay for your purchase, and get change. That comes out to almost 5 hours per year of your life that you can have back starting right now just by paying at the pump with a gas credit card instead of cash!