jacobsta811

If you are going the Chase Ink 2UR/$ way, you need to do a couple of things:
1) Apply in person, in a Chase Branch, 70,000 signup bonus UR. That is for the Ink Plus only, which is the one you want anyway as the cap is 50k/yr for the ink plus (and ink bold) vs 25k/yr for the Ink Cash
2) Have your wife come with you, and apply separately for her own card, IE two separate accounts. That way you double your 2UR/$ to $100,000/yr in gas spend.

dcpilgrim

Old amex blue is 5% after the first $6500, but capped at $400/charge. I'd grab a few cards to spread it around. Flexperks could be another contender. 2X on the most used category points *can* be redeemed for flights for 2 cpp, so potential 4% yield.

MDtR-Chicago

Is there a thread that discusses this? I've never noticed any problems. (tho I don't check the statements carefully.)

This is an important point and something that is debated quite frequently on FT.

My personal common sense interpretation is this:

The IRS guidance is that credit card rebates are treated as a reduction in the cost basis of the purchase. That's why rebates on personal charges are not subject to income tax. If you buy $50 in gas for your car and earn $2.50 in rebates, it's like you paid $47.50 for the gas - but since you are not claiming a deduction for the gas, the IRS does not care.

However, for a business expense, the cost basis does matter. The IRS would likely have an issue, in an audit, with claiming a $50 deduction for something for which you paid a net of $47.50.

There are differing opinions on if the IRS does actually care in practice, but the theoretical guidance seems rather clear to me.

For the OP, buying thousands of $ of fuel, the rebate could be significant. It's not hard to imagine this being a topic of conversation at an audit.

That being said, a 5% cash rebate is far easier to value than 3 MR or 2 UR. It would probably be the taxpayer's burden to prove what those points are worth - likely compared to the retail price of whatever they bought. If they were used to buy a first class flight with a retail price of $10,000, that could be quite the tax bill.

skitch23

I'm confused about this as well. I have never had any issues getting 5% CB on purchases at the pump.... that said, I've never received 5% on purchases from inside the store. Maybe that is hamhead's problem? He needs to use the card outside at the pump itself, not inside with the cashier.

Not sure why the OP would dismiss a straight 5% CB card, but to each his own. The 5% CB gets deducted automatically at the end of each month so it would be easy to figure out net gas costs for tax purposes (if he's worried about the rebates as discussed above).

vagrants

At least on Chase Freedom, it won't give points on Marina/etc./type fuels; that's why I mentioned. The OP said he/she won't be using Shell/BP/etc.

Why don't people read before making recommendations? Didn't OP say he/she burned the AMEX 10 years ago or something & recent application got denied; thus, still blacklisted?

vwks2006

I do have a question -- maybe more like a comment. I saw the BCP was mentioned as a strong frontrunner for the best option. Why not the Blue Cash? 5% on gas stations total (excluded the first 6.5k spend) is pretty dang excellent.

Edited to add that I just saw the lone suggestion on the last page. Yes, capped at 400, but how hard is it to stop the pump at 400 and then start it again with fresh swipe.

Either way, now that Amex is out of the question guess it's neither here nor there.

cloudsurfer1

If this is something you really want to do, add him as an authorized user on your account. It will still help him on his rating.

MaxVO

Looking back over the past year, I ended up with the most gas savings from using the AmEx Blue Cash -- often around 20%!!! This is due to their various sync offers for which I met the spend requirements by buying gas gift cards.

Nomoneyinmybank

AMEX Blue FTW. Chase Ink Plus and Chase Ink Bold next (each card capped to 50k spent on fuel)

payeco

PenFed Cash Rewards. Others have said it's picky about pumps but this hasn't been my experience. Maybe it depends on where you do most of your traveling. It's gotten the full 5% at every station I've used it at in the northeast corridor from DC to Boston. For saving on gas alone I think the PenFed card is the best one out there since there is no waiting for cash back until next months statement or meeting a minimum or 'dollar amount blocks' to redeem cash back. With the PenFed card cash back is automatically applied to your statement at the end of the month no matter how much or how little you earned.

aGeist

This was my first credit card and I have a 40k limit with PenFed.

But with the Amex BC it never leaves the sockdrawer. It is connected to an Exxon Speedpass which registers as a pump (even in store) but Exxon stations are expensive.

sbguy55

OP, you must verify that whatever fuel depot you're using actually falls under the gas category. From experience, it's not always the case. The Arrival Plus would work great in this case as it does not matter.

darthbimmer

Just wanted to say, though I've never driven a truck for a living and probably never well, I've found this whole thread informative. FlyerTalk at its best. ^

Now I'll keep an eye out for people listing "Pilot/Flying J myRewards" in their affiliations at the left!

MakingMoves

What's the best fuel cards for Canada right now?

mhdena

Since an Amex is out for the OP, Citi Premier gives 3x points for travel, including gas.

(Earn 3X ThankYou Points on Travel including Gas, 2X ThankYou Points on Dining Out and Entertainment, and 1X ThankYou Points on Other Purchases)

Of course with an Ink(s) buying Shell cards at Office stores (5x or 5%) would be another way to go.