Looking for Easy Fuel Cards to Get?
Let's face it. Gas isn't getting any cheaper. Prices never seem to let up, and unless you have retained personal investments in oil companies, the price per barrel will continuously burn a hole of unfathomable depths into your pant-lined pockets.
The solution?
Fight back with cards that give back.
We independently review 5 of the easiest fuel cards to get within Canada so you can confidently decide which one gives you the greatest return on purchases for your lifestyle.
Tired of Paying for Those Ridiculously High Gas Prices?
Sitting in the car, stuck in traffic, and you see your dashboard flicker followed by that notorious ding. Time to refuel.
It's an unfortunate fact, but let's face it – all of us who commute, be it in our own vehicle or by sharing carpooling responsibilities, have to do it.
Some of us do it every week, and some of us do it more often than that. Gas ain't cheap, and it's not going to get any better.
But there are ways you can lessen the load. So enough chit chat and let's dig right in.
In This Article
Credit Cards
If you're looking for a great gas rewards credit card, then look no further than the CIBC Dividend Platinum Visa.
Here's just some of the great perks that come with the CIBC Divedend Platinum Visa:
- 4% cashback on all gas purchases
- No limit to the amount of rewards earnings you can acquire
That's a pretty nice pair right there. It's also at the top of our list for highest regular earn rates across the board.
More importantly, cashback earn rates in fuel categories rarely, if ever, offer as much as 4% with (stay with me now because this is the kicker) low annual income requirements.
With a minimum annual income requirement of only $15,000, this puts it in reach for individuals that might otherwise not be approved, making this card one of the easiest fuel cards to get in its category.
Do You Have a 720 Credit Score or Higher?
Your credit report does, however, need to reflect your creditworthiness as being in the "good" range, and if your score is floating around 720 or higher, you will have a great chance at being approved.
Cards in the same category, such as the CIBC Dividend Platinum Visa, come with an annual fee, and ordinarily, CIBC would charge a cardholder a $99 yearly fee.
However, they are waiving this fee for the first year for all qualifying applicants.
This rebate offer applies to new applicants only, so if you already have a CIBC credit card, you can still enjoy the cashback (and other card benefits) but without the first year rebate.
- Low Annual income requirements of only $15,000
- For the first year annual fee of $99 is waived
At 4% cashback, with no annual fee for the first year and the extra savings you could easily get by linking your CIBC account to your Journie rewards gas card, makes this not only one of the best CIBC gas cards available but possibly one the best overall in low-income requirement categories.
Consider linking up your Journie Rewards Gas Card to any CIBC Visa or Chequing/Savings account for up to 10¢ per litre on rewards gas on up to 100 litres of fuel.
For a limited time, BMO is offering its No-Fee Shell Cashback MasterCard with a $50 welcome bonus on top of an already terrific introductory Cashback earn rate of 1% every all purchases.
Do You Usually Fill Up at Your Local Shell Gas Station?
If you do a lot of your refuelling at Shell gas stations or its partners, you will find a great deal of value with this BMO Cashback Mastercard, especially one with these kinds of perks wrapped up in a tidy $0-annual-fee package.
Lets start with those earn rates:
- 1.5% CashBack rewards on every $1 you spend at Shell locations within Canada
- 0.5% CashBack rewards on every $1 you spend on all other purchases at accepted Mastercard locations
Here's one viable scenario:
Madison spends $2000 every month on many purchases, including gas at her neighnourhood Shell station and charges it to her BMO Shell Cashback Mastercard.
Here's the breakdown:
Madison earns $3 in cashback every month from Shell - $200 x 1.5%
Madison earns $9 in cashback every month from all other purchases - $1800 x 0.5%
All things being equal Madison earns a total of $12 every month and $144 per year without changing any of her existing spending habits!
Way to go Madison
These are the basic calculations, but you can adjust the values to suit your own spending needs.
BMO Shell Mastercard Benefits Included
Of course, it also comes with all of the standard Mastercard features.
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty Insurance
- Mastercard Contactless, Tap & go
- Apple Pay
If you’re a student in school or new to the country, this card is a great starter. It will build up your credit score while earning some extra cash on the side.
Perhaps you, like us, are just the type of guy or gal who fancies a-rockin' road trip; or you often find yourself in the car with the windows down, getting some fresh air to clear your head.
Either way, wherever or whenever, the BMO Shell Cashback MasterCard is the perfect companion.
Here’s another great $0 annual fee AIR MILES credit card from BMO that lets you rack up those frequent flyer points while filling up at Shell gas stations all across Canada.
- Welcome Bonus of 950 AIR MILES
- $0 Annual Fee
- 3 AIR MILES for every $25 you spend at Shell and other AIR MILES rewards merchants
- 1 AIR MILES for every $25 you spend at all other merchants
Now technically speaking, this isn’t a gas card in the traditional sense but keep reading to find out how you can apply your hard-earned reward miles towards gas purchases.
Welcome Home Honey.
For a limited time, BMO is offering a warm welcome bonus of 950 AIR MILES as long as you spend $1000 within the first three months. 800 of those air miles will appear on your BMO monthly statement and the other 150 Air miles will appear on your separate air miles collector statement.
This is equivalent to approximately $100 in Air Miles cash.
You will need to submit your application between August 17, 2020 -December 16, 2020, for this offer to be valid.
Zero, Zilch, Nada.
Keeping in mind that this card comes with a standard rate of 19.99% for purchases, you’ll want to pay down your balance entirely every month before the interest-free period ends.
This period is usually between 21 and 25 days from when you make your purchase, but check the BMO fine print when you receive your card in the mail to be certain.
If you don’t pay down your balance every month to $0 dollars then you will quite possibly be offsetting any rewards earned through your purchases and cancel out any potential savings. If you’re the type of spender who tends to carry a balance on your card you’d be better off applying for a low-interest rate credit card instead.
Did BMO Change Its AIR MILES Earn Rates?
Starting in November BMO will be switching things up a bit with regards to how this no fee BMO Mastercard will accumulate rewards AIR MILES.
| Before Nov 2020 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| AIR MILES Merchants | $20 = 2 Miles | $25 = 3 Miles |
| All Other Merchants | $20 = 1 Mile | $25 = 1 Mile |
Swipe left for more info
Previously for every $20 spent at Shell and other AIR MILES partners, you would be awarded 2 AIR MILES, and for every $20 spent at all other merchants he would be awarded 1 AIR MILE.
Now with BMO‘s updated earn rates, for every $25 you spend at Shell gas stations and other affiliated AIR MILES rewards partners you’ll receive 3 AIR MILES, and for all other purchases not on this list, every $25 you spend will award you 1 AIR MILE.
This works out great for those who more frequently shop at AIR MILES partners which includes the likes of Shell, Sobey's, Rona and LCBO. There are currently over 1200 AIR MILES partners to choose from.
Need Some Wheels?
With this card, you’ll also receive big discounts when renting cars from Alamo and National car rental locations across Canada.
With 25% off when charging your rental contract to your Shell BMO MasterCard furthered by the AIR MILES accumulated from such purchases, you get a doubling of value from transactions at these merchants.
Even though rental sales have been down for the greater part of the year due to the effects that COVID-19 has had on most of the nations travel plans, when things start picking up again (and they already have a little bit, despite this expected 2nd wave and growing concerns among Canadian citizens and residents) you’ll be prepared with your BMO AIR MILES MasterCard to get your “drive on" for less.
With the CAA Rewards Mastercard from National Bank, you can earn CAA dollars which you can redeem for anything from within the CAA catalogue, which is available online.
If you’re an existing member with CAA you can earn points that much faster by linking up your CAA National Bank Rewards Mastercard to your existing CAA account. Furthermore, if you have an existing Petro Points card, you can contact Petro Points customer service and provide them with your CAA number to link the accounts together.
Link Your Cards Together for Accelerated Earnings
This will also allow for accelerated earnings by giving you 20% more Petro Points when filling up at any Petro Canada stations. This includes not only purchases made at the pump but extends to in-store transactions for things like snacks, drinks, auto supplies and pretty much everything else in-store at the station.
You can link CAA to Petro Points in one of two ways:
- Go to the Petro Points CAA Online Portal Page
- Call this number 1-800-668-0220 to contact a Petro Points Customer Service Representive
If you’re not familiar with CAA’s rewards program I’ve got news for you. You’re gonna love it!
Here’s How to Earn CAA Dollars
- Every $100 that you spend on your CAA national Bank MasterCard earns you 1 CAA dollar.
- Every 1 CAA dollar is equivalent to 1 Canadian dollar.
- This gives you an earn rate of 1% since $100 spent allots you $1 in return.
Here's How to Accelerate Your Earnings
The CAA Rewards MasterCard is not only one of the easiest fuel cards to get, it’s also one of the easiest to accumulate points.
If you make purchases at participating merchants be it online or at any brick and mortar CAA-approved store you will be eligible for an additional 1%, effectively doubling your cashback earn rate for a total of 2%.
Teaser list of CAA partners. Go directly to CAA's webpage for full list.
- Entertainment
- Cirque du Soleil
- Toronto Zoo
- Cineplex
- Owl Rafting
- CN Tower
- Niagara Falls Adventure Pass
- Dining
- Montana's
- Harvey's
- Swiss Chalet
- Milestones
- Fionn MacCool's
- Marble Slab Creamery
- DIY and Electronics
- Home Depot
- Rona
- Dell
- The Source
- Staples
- Delux Paints
- Automotive and Rentals
- Petro Canada
- Alamo
- Enterprise
- National
- Pods Storage
- Napa Auto Parts
Don’t Pause Your Life During COVID-19. Stay Safer. Shop Online.
This is especially convenient during these trying times. Most people are apprehensive to shop in highly populated areas like grocery, home improvement and even automotive facilities.
It’s highly important that we respect each other‘s boundaries during this pandemic and online shopping is a great oppurtunity to maintain distances and slow the spread.
Having access to a diverse online catalogue from which to spend your well-earned CAA dollars makes this adjustment to the new normal just a tad easier.
Some of the Drawbacks.
Interest Rates
With the purchase interest rate being a touch on the high side at 20.99% we wouldn’t advise cardholders to carry a balance. Not only for the momentous accumulation of charges by the lender but as well because carrying a balance tends to devalue any rewards earned, offset by interest payments.
Travel Insurance
The travel insurance included is a bit thin. The accident portion of the coverage is decent with up to $1,000,000 to pay for medical expenses. There is baggage insurance delay of up to $100 per day for a maximum of 3 days but the card is lacking trip cancellation, hotel arrangements and reimbursements for delayed flights such as food and sleeping accommodations.
However, for a no annual fee, low annual income requirement rewards card, expecting perks similar to those included on a Visa Platinum or World Elite Mastercard is just Saturday morning silliness.
Cash Advance and Balance Transfer Rates
Sadly, cash advances and balance transfers topple the purchase APR at a yearly rate of 22.9%. Of course in personal and medical emergencies, cash advances can be a lifesaver, though tread lightly if needed.
Limited Time Balance Transfer Promo of 0.9% for 9 months!
With that being said, for every cloud there is indeed a silver lining.
National Bank is offering a great promotional balance transfer rate, albeit for limited time. Upon approval, applicants with acceptable credit scores will be granted a transfer rate of 0.9% APR available for the first 9 billing cycles with each transfer no less than the minimum $250 per transaction.
The PC Financial MasterCard is a terrific no-annual-fee rewards credit card that offers a tiered accumulation of points for those who get most of their groceries at Loblaw‘s branded stores as well as for those who fill up their tanks at Esso or Mobil gas stations.
Photo Courtesy of Gladiator © 2020
In addition, points can also be earned through products purchased at all Shoppers Drug Mart locations due to its ties through the acquisition of the Canadian pharmaceutical chain giant in early 2014.
Earning points is a no brainer. It’s as simple as swiping, tapping or entering your PIN from your PC Financial MasterCard or PC Optimum points only card
Needless to say, all the calculations are handled automatically and all your points accumulated show up on your monthly statements or otherwise accessible via the mobile app.
If you download the PC Optimum Mobile App you can keep track of your points running total and any recent transactions made with either your PC Finacial Mastercard or PC Optimum points-only card.
For every 1000 points, you earn you are rewarded $1 in redeemable earnings which you can use towards free items at pretty much all the same establishments where you earned the points, to begin with.
Earn rates differ depending on where you are using your card.
Earning Points at Loblaws Branded Chains
At participating Loblaw’s run grocery stores – all stores under the Loblaws branded umbrella – you’ll earn 10 points for every dollar you spend. This means that after spending $100 you'll earn 1000 points giving you an earn return rate of 1% for every dollar you spend at these merchants.
Shoppers Drug Mart and Esso or Mobil gas stations will award you an even better earn rate than Loblaws branded grocery chains.
Earning Points at Shoppers Drug Mart
At Shoppers Drug Mart locations you’ll receive 25 points for every $1 that you spend. That means for every $40 that you charge to your PC Financial Mastercard while at Shoppers Drug Mart you will earn 1000 points giving you one dollar.
This translates into a 2.5% earn rate return.
Earning Points at Esso and Mobil Gas Stations
Esso and Mobil stations are a bit more interesting since they are always fluctuating depending on the price of gas.
For every litre of fuel, you will earn 30 points. During the time of writing this review, the current rate of "regular 87 octane gas" is hovering around a dollar and slightly less in many provinces. There's no better time to capitalize on rewards earned by fuelling up at Esso and Mobil.
If you were driving, let's say, a Ford Fusion with a tank size of about 62L and filled up with regular gas in Nova Scotia –where the average price per litre is 95.7 cents– it would cost you just under $60 ($59.33 more accurately) to fill up an empty tank.
At 30 points per litre, this would earn you 1,860 PC optimum points at an earn rate of approximately 31.34 points per dollar. (If gas tipped over the dollar mark per litre your earn rate would be slightly less than 30 points per dollar
If you’re one of those people whom calculations make your head spin you can think of it this way: If the price of gas were exactly $1 per litre then your earn rate would be exactly 30 points per $1.
However, since the price of gas in Nova Scotia is slightly lower at 95.7c/litre, your rewards earn rate has a slightly elevated value in comparison.
You would have to spend just under $32 ($31.90 more accurately) to get to 1000 points. This would translate to just over 3% earnings in rewards at approved gas stations.
Not bad huh!
You Could Be Earning PC Points on Travel Purchases
Most Canadians have put their travel plans on hold and for good reason with the seemingly never-ending worldwide pandemic. That being said, if you were planning on taking a trip, perhaps one necessary for business (or when the pandemic starts winding down within the next year hopefully) you’ll be able to earn 20 points per dollar when booking through PC travel.
Even though the cash advance/balance transfer APR is substantially steep, similar to the CAA Mastercard, PC financial is offering a promotional rate of 0.97% for 6 months for applications received before December 31, 2020.
PC Financial Limited Time Balance Transfer Promo of 0.97% for 6 months!
PC financial is offering a promotional balance transfer rate of 0.97% for 6 months. To qualify applications must be received before December 31, 2020.
PC's offer, not unlike many other minimal-qualification low-balance-transfer cards, reserves eligibility of this APR promo for new customers of PC financial. However, upon approval, this Mastercard can markedly assist those trying to recoup otherwise high-interest lender fees. This is acheived by offloading a portion of your balance onto your new PC financial card.
