Gas and auto: three cards against a bill you cannot avoid
AutoZone, Pilot Flying J and Chevron and Texaco, from $5. Small category, and the one where the payout is most reliably spent.
Three cards, all from $5. If you drive, this is the category where a payout is guaranteed to get used — nobody has ever forgotten to buy fuel.
What is on the wall
- Chevron and Texaco — fuel at either brand's stations
- Pilot Flying J — fuel, plus the shop and food at travel centres
- AutoZone — parts, oil, batteries and tools
Fuel cards go straight onto the pump
You redeem the code, and the balance is used at the pump or paid at the counter depending on the station. The one thing worth checking is whether the card is accepted at the pump itself or only inside — that varies by location and it is the difference between a thirty-second stop and a queue.
AutoZone is the one to save for
Parts are lumpy: nothing for months, then a battery or a set of brake pads. A $100 card — the cap — covers most routine replacements outright, and AutoZone lends tools free with a deposit, which a card can cover too.
It is also the card that saves the most money in absolute terms, because the alternative to a part you fit yourself is a garage bill several times the price.
Fuel prices and timing
A fuel card is denominated in dollars, not gallons, so it buys less when prices are high and more when they are low. Cards do not expire, so there is no penalty for holding one until a cheaper week — a small thing, but it is free.
Three brands, from $5.
See the gas and auto cards