How to save 14% on your gas costs!
There is a strategy that can save you 4 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent or even 14 percent of your gas purchases. If you are a smart consumer you can save a lot of money.
There are a number of alternatives that will result in savings. Among the best is the use of credit cards that offer rebates. By using the right cards you can lower your costs without having to change your driving habits or do any special maintanance on your car.
Many gas companies offer credit cards that pay rebates on gas purchases. The typical card will rebate you 10% on your gas purchases for the first two or three months and then rebate you 5% on your gas purchases thereafter.
For example, a credit card currently being offered that has such a program is a BP card. The BP card will pay 10% on purchases including gas, at their BP branded stations for the first two billing periods. The rate becomes 5% thereafter.
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.
Generally most credit card companies have gas rebate plans. One such company is Discover Card. They currently issue a Discover Gas Card. This credit card will provide a rebate of 5 per cent of your gasoline purchases. The Discover card generally gives you a 1 per cent rebate on other items you purchase.
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 advantage to using a general market card as opposed to a gas credit card is that you can use the general market credit card to buy gas at any station and get the high rebate. The gas company card only pays you the high rebate at the gas company's own stations.
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.
Many gas stations sell pre paid gas cards or gasoline gift cards. Many times these prepaid cards will offer a discount. In some cases for $48 you can purchase a $50 gas card
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.
If you can buy the prepaid or gift card with the credit card issued by a gas company card during the initial period when there is a 10% rebate on that purchase and if you can find it and buy it at the gas card company station then you have earned a 10% rebate on the $48.00 you spent on the card.
Then if you are buying a prepaid card that gives you a 4% discount, the $50 dollar card for $48 cost, you are compounding your savings.
You are getting a 10% rebate on the prepaid card purchase using the rebate credit card and you are getting a 4% savings by purchasing the prepaid gift card. Therefore the total you are getting is 14%. The 10% savings + the 4% savings or 4+10=14. Now you have just saved yourself 14% on your gas purchase.
Scott Siegel has written a 143 page manual of automotive industry insider secrets on saving fuel and money at the gas pump. Visit us to learn how you can Increase fuel economy . Find out how to save fuel and money.
Feel free to grab a unique version of this article from the lower gas costs Articles Submission Service
About the Author
Rating: Not yet rated