Most Americans spend $2,000–$3,000 per year on gas. If you're putting that on the wrong card — or worse, a debit card — you're leaving $60–$150 in pure cash back or travel points on the table every year. Pair a strong gas card with a travel rewards card, and you can fund an international trip just from everyday spending.

Here's exactly which cards to use and how to stack them for maximum value.

The Two-Card Strategy (Why It Works)

No single card dominates every spending category. The optimal move is to hold:

A gas-specialist card — earns 4–5% on fuel
A travel rewards card — earns 2–5x on airfare, hotels, and dining

The two cards cover your biggest spend categories without category overlap. Gas goes on Card A, flights and hotels on Card B, and you earn at the highest possible rate on both.

Best Cards for Gas Rewards

Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi — Best for Costco Members

Gas earn rate: 4% on eligible gas purchases (including Costco gas), up to $7,000/year, then 1%

Annual fee: $0 (requires Costco membership, $65/year Gold, $130/year Executive)

Cash back rate on gas: 4% = $80–$120/year for average drivers

Costco gas is already 10–30 cents/gallon cheaper than surrounding stations. Stack 4% cash back on top, and this is the single best gas card available if you have access to Costco. The rewards are issued annually as a certificate redeemable in February — a quirk, but not a dealbreaker.

Other earnings: 3% on restaurants and travel, 2% on Costco purchases, 1% everywhere else.

Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express — Best for Families

Gas earn rate: 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations

Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)

Sign-on bonus: $250 statement credit after $3,000 spend in 6 months

The real draw is 6% cash back on U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/year) — unmatched anywhere. If you're spending $400+/month on groceries, the card easily earns back its fee. Gas at 3% is a meaningful bonus for a card you'd carry anyway.

Good for: Families that split spending between groceries and gas as primary categories.

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® — Best for Gas-Only Focus

Gas earn rate: 5x points on gas at the pump ($0.05/gallon equivalent)

Annual fee: $0

Membership: Requires PenFed Credit Union membership (open to anyone online)

For pure gas rewards with no fee, this is the benchmark. 5x points on gas with a $0 annual fee is hard to beat — the Costco card only wins if you're a heavy Costco shopper. PenFed points are worth 0.85–1.0¢ each, making this effectively 4.25–5.0% back on gas.

Limitation: Dining and travel earn at 3x — solid but not elite. You'll want a second card for everything else.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards — Best for Flexible Earners

Gas earn rate: 3% on your choice category (can select gas and EV charging), or use online shopping, dining, etc.

Annual fee: $0

Boosted rate for Preferred Rewards members: 3.75–5.25% on the chosen category

BofA Preferred Rewards is a stealth multiplier. If you keep $100,000+ in combined BofA/Merrill assets, you earn 75% more rewards — making 3% effectively 5.25% on gas. If you're already banking with BofA or have a Merrill investment account, this card is exceptional.

Best Travel Rewards Cards to Pair

Chase Sapphire Preferred® — Best for Flexible Points

Annual fee: $95

Travel earn rate: 5x on Chase travel, 3x on dining, 2x on other travel

Points value: 1.25–2.0¢ through transfer partners (United, Hyatt, Singapore Airlines, etc.)

Sign-on bonus: 60,000 points (~$750 in travel via Chase portal)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the most recommended starter travel card for a reason. Ultimate Rewards points are the most flexible in the industry, transferring to 14 airlines and hotels at 1:1. Use them for premium cabin flights or Hyatt hotels — where points hit 1.5–2.0¢ — and your effective travel earn rate exceeds most cash back cards.

Pair with: Costco Visa or PenFed for gas. You cover gas at 4–5% and travel at 5x with two no-overlap cards.

Capital One Venture X — Best for Lounge Access + Simplicity

Annual fee: $395

Travel earn rate: 10x on hotels and car rentals via Capital One Travel, 5x on flights via Capital One Travel, 2x on everything else

Sign-on bonus: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months

Annual credits: $300 Capital One Travel credit + 10,000 bonus miles on anniversary

The Venture X makes 2x miles on all spending — eliminating the need for category optimization. For someone who finds card strategy tedious, this is the simplest setup: Venture X for most purchases, PenFed or Costco for gas only.

Companion benefit: Priority Pass lounge access for cardholder + 2 guests. For frequent travelers, this alone is worth $200+/year.

Amex Gold — Best for Dining-Heavy Travelers

Annual fee: $250

Travel earn rate: 4x at restaurants worldwide, 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/year), 3x on flights

Annual credits: $120 dining credit + $120 Uber Cash + $100 Resy credit

The Amex Gold is technically almost free after credits ($250 - $120 dining - $120 Uber = $10 net). For travelers who spend heavily at restaurants, the 4x rate on dining makes this a serious travel card — Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta, Air France, ANA, and others at 1:1.

Pair with: Costco Visa for gas (3% on restaurants is irrelevant if Amex Gold is in wallet for dining anyway).

Side-by-Side Comparison

Card	Gas Rate	Best Travel Rate	Annual Fee	Best For
Costco Anywhere Visa	4%	3% travel/restaurants	$0 + membership	Costco members
Blue Cash Preferred	3%	3% travel	$95	Families
PenFed Platinum	5x points (~5%)	3x travel	$0	Gas-focused earners
BofA Customized Cash	3–5.25%*	Varies	$0	BofA Preferred Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred	1x	5x Chase Travel	$95	Flexible points
Capital One Venture X	2x	10x hotels/cars	$395	Simple premium rewards
Amex Gold	1x	4x dining/grocery, 3x flights	$250	Dining-heavy travelers

*BofA rate with Platinum Honors (≥$100k assets)

Real-World Annual Earnings Example

Let's say you're a couple spending:

$3,000/year on gas
$5,000/year on dining and travel
$8,000/year on other purchases

Scenario A: One generic 2% card

Total earnings: $320/year in cash back

Scenario B: PenFed (gas) + Chase Sapphire Preferred (travel/dining)

Gas: $3,000 × 5% = $150
Travel/dining: $5,000 × 2.5–5x points (est. $125–$250 value at 2.5¢)
Other: Use Sapphire at 1x, est. $80
Total: $355–$480/year in value (before sign-on bonuses worth $600–$900)

Scenario C: Costco Visa (gas) + Amex Gold (dining)

Gas: $3,000 × 4% = $120
Dining: $5,000 × 4x MR points (est. $175 value at 1.75¢)
Groceries: Amex Gold 4x
Total: $295–$425/year (but Amex Gold credits offset fee nearly completely)

The combo strategy beats single-card spending by 15–50% annually, and when you factor in sign-on bonuses in year one, it can exceed $1,000 in value.

Gas Reward Pitfalls to Avoid

Don't count on warehouse club rates if you rarely shop there. Costco's card requires buying a membership. If you only fill up gas there but don't shop, do the math: is $65/year in membership worth the 4% gas rate vs. PenFed's 5% at any station for free?

Watch the $7,000 cap on Costco's gas category. Beyond $7,000/year in gas spending (about 2,000+ gallons), the rate drops to 1%. Heavy commuters may cap out and lose the 4% benefit partway through the year.

Avoid gas station co-branded cards. Shell, BP, and Chevron cards offer discounts of 5–10 cents/gallon — but that's it. They have no flexibility, no sign-on bonuses, and earn nothing at restaurants, travel, or groceries. You're better off with a universal rewards card every time.

How to Pick Your Combo

Follow this decision tree:

Do you shop at Costco regularly? → Costco Visa + Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold
Do you hate annual fees? → PenFed Platinum + Discover it or Citi Double Cash for everything else
Do you have $100k+ at BofA/Merrill? → BofA Customized Cash + Capital One Venture X
Do you fly frequently and want lounge access? → Any gas card + Capital One Venture X or Amex Platinum
Are you optimizing for Hyatt redemptions? → Any gas card + Chase Sapphire Preferred (World of Hyatt transfers)

Planning Trips Funded by Your Rewards

The real payoff is when gas and dining rewards convert to free flights or hotel nights. Once you know which program your points are in, Faroway can help you find the best destinations to use them — searching which cities offer the best award availability for your points currency, and building a full itinerary around your budget and travel style.

For example, if you've accumulated 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points from a year of Sapphire Preferred + PenFed combo spending, Faroway can help you figure out whether that's better used for a business class flight to Tokyo, a week at a Hyatt in Bali, or a weekend in NYC — then build out the trip around your answer.

Bottom Line

The gas-and-travel combo strategy isn't complicated, but it requires holding two cards intentionally. Pick a gas specialist (PenFed for no fee, Costco for Costco members), pair it with a travel card that earns well on flights and dining (Chase Sapphire Preferred for flexibility, Venture X for simplicity), and run the math annually to make sure you're maximizing your categories.

The goal: every gallon of gas, every dinner out, and every flight books should be earning you toward your next trip. Ready to start planning that trip? Faroway builds personalized itineraries using AI — just tell it where you want to go and it handles the rest.

Best Credit Cards for Gas and Travel Rewards (2025 Combo Guide)