Gas Station Charge Cards: You've Come a Long Way Baby
Forget About Your Parents' Gas Station Charge Cards
A few short years ago (okay, maybe it was a bit longer than that) gas station charge cards were something that people applied for when they couldn't get any other credit. If, however, you think today's gas credit cards are for those who have been down on their luck your thinking is a bit antiquated. Here's what today's gas station charge cards have to offer.
It's Not Just For Gas
Used to be that all you could buy with a gas station credit card was gas. Thanks to more recent cards sporting Visa and MasterCard logos, that's no longer the case. While there still are gas station charge cards that you can use only in gas stations, many of them can be used anywhere Visa or MasterCard are accepted.
Kick Those Gas Price Problems To The Curb
Another great thing about gas station charge cards is the savings they offer, and in today's price-crazy gas world that's nothing to laugh at. Some cards offer as much as 5-percent back on your gas purchases, which means if it costs $80 to fill your tank, you're saving $4 on each fill-up. Over the course of the year, that can add up.
A Word To The Wise
Now that you know why more and more people are putting gas station charge cards to good use, there are a few things to watch out for. First, only charge what you can pay off at the end of the month. You don't want to be carrying a balance on these cards since many of them tend to carry high interest rates. Also make sure you still try to conserve on gas usage. Just because you get discounts on gas, rebates or cash back doesn't mean you should forgo other methods of trying to save gas money.
When you use gas station charge cards responsibly and wisely, they're a great way to counter today's ever-increasing gas prices.
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