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Nearly every gas station out there accepts credit cards. There is a notable exception however: Only select ARCO gas stations accept credit cards. Here’s a quick breakdown of which gas stations accept which credit cards.
Most major gas stations accept credit cards
At most major gas-station chains, you can use your credit card — whether it’s from Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover.
A notable exception is ARCO. ARCO only allows you to pay for gas using your debit card or cash — not your credit card. This long-standing policy helps the company save on credit card processing fees.
Recently, the chain has experimented with accepting credit cards at select locations. As of January 2021, only select ARCO stations in Washington, Oregon, Fresno and Las Vegas accept credit cards. The ARCO website doesn’t list these locations, so give your local ARCO a ring ahead of time if you need to pay with a credit card.
Credit cards accepted at major gas stations
Accepted at
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
Debit cards
Chevron
ExxonMobil
Shell
ARCO*
76/Phillips 66
7-11
BP/Amoco
Costco
Kwik Trip
Circle K
Wawa
*Credit cards are accepted at select ARCO locations.
Consider these credit cards for use at gas stations
When choosing a gas credit card, look for a product that offers bonus rewards on fuel. Your ideal card might also offer elevated rewards for other categories that you spend heavily in. To see the full list of cards that earn accelerated rewards on gas, visit our guide on gas rewards credit cards.
The cards below highlight some options if you’re looking to earn extra points at the pump.
Not necessarily. Many “everyday” rewards cards include gas as a category in their offered rewards, usually around 3% back on your gas purchases. The main advantage to getting a gas-specific rewards card is higher earning rate on those gas purchases. The tradeoff is you’re usually restricted to certain gas stations, or there’s an earning cap on your maximum gas rewards each year.
Bottom line
No matter where you go, you shouldn’t have a problem using your credit card to fill up your tank. To make sure you earn the most rewards on your pit stops, compare the best gas credit card options available and pick one that best suits your needs.
A gas credit card offers bonus rewards or discounts on fuel purchases.
Not all gas cards have signup bonuses, but many do. A general rewards card usually offers significant rewards after you meet a spending requirement. A gas-station card typically offers steeper discounts on fuel for an initial period.
With fair credit, you have a better chance of being approved for a gas-station card — a card issued by a major gas chain such as Chevron/Texaco or ExxonMobil. For a general-rewards card, you’ll have better odds with a good to excellent credit score.
Steven Dashiell is a credit cards writer at Finder. He's worked on 250 Finder articles and counting, helping readers embrace and maximize credit cards. Backed by nearly a decade of research and reporting experience, Steve's work can be seen on Debt.com, CreditCards.com and Lifehacker.
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