How to save 14% on your gas costs!

There is a strategy that can save you 4 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent or even 14 percent of your gas purchases. If you are a smart consumer you can save a lot of money.

There are a number of alternatives that will result in savings. Among the best is the use of credit cards that offer rebates. By using the right cards you can lower your costs without having to change your driving habits or do any special maintanance on your car.

Gas companies want your business. They don't compete on price so they compete in other ways. One commonly used strategy the gas companies use is credit cards with rebates. The normal gas company credit card will create a rebate of 10% on your purchases at their branded stations. Those purchases include your purchases for gas. The first two or three months that you have the card is when they offer the 10% rebate. After the initial period the rebate changes to 5%.

An example of a card currently being issued that has such a rebate program is the BP card. Their credit card will pay 10% for the first two billing periods for gas and other purchases at BP stations. The rate changes to 5% after the bonus period ends.

The example just listed are issued for a specific gas company. There are also general market credit cards that will provide you with a discounts off your gas costs.

Generally most credit card companies have gas rebate plans. One such company is Discover Card. They currently issue a Discover Gas Card. This credit card will provide a rebate of 5 per cent of your gasoline purchases. The Discover card generally gives you a 1 per cent rebate on other items you purchase.

Other companies that issue gas rebate cards are Chase and Citibank. Citibank has a gas credit card that provides a rebate of 6% for gasoline purchases for the first 2 months and then provides a 3% rebate thereafter. Chase has a program much like Citibank.

Both types of cards, the ones that provide savings only at specific company stores and the general market cards have advantages and disadvantages. The advantage to using a general market card is that you can use the general market card to buy fuel at any station and get the rebate. The card issued by the gas company only pays you the rebate at the gas company's branded gas stations.

The general market credit card only pays 6% even at it's highest rebate, but the gas company issued card provides 10 percent rebate for the initial period. In this instance the advantage on the size of the rebate is with the gas company card.

So far we have discussed how to get a discount of 3 percent up to 10 percent. Even though 3% is good and 10% is better, how can you get a 14% discount? There is a method you can use to do that.

Pre paid gas cards or gasoline gift cards are sold at most gas stations. Usually these prepaid cards are discounted. You may have to wait for certain promotions but in general you can find one that is discounted. For example by spending $48 on a $50 gift card, you can use the card for $50 worth of gas but it only cost you $48.00.

The card allows you to buy $50 worth of gas but you only pay $48 for it. That is equal to a 4% discount.

Now here is where the extra savings comes in. If you purchase the prepaid card using the gas company credit card during the initial period when you are getting a 10% rebate you will get a 10% rebate on the prepaid card.

Then if you are buying a prepaid card that gives you a 4% discount, the $50 dollar card for $48 cost, you are compounding your savings.

You are getting a 4% savings on the prepaid card and a 10% savings in the form of the rebate by purchasing the gift card with the rebate credit card. In total you are getting a 10% savings + a 4% savings. 4+10=14. So you are actually realizing a 14% savings!

Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/

Scott Siegel has written a 143 page book of automotive industry insider secrets on saving fuel and money at the gas pump. Visit us to learn how you can Increase fuel economy . Find out how to save fuel and money.
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