How much does it cost to fill up your tank with gas? If you drive your car as much as the average person, it’s likely too much. Fortunately, there are ways to get free gas and keep more cash in your pocket.
These options work for in-town driving and road trips. If you want to know how to save money at the pump, our guide shares the top ways to keep more cash in your budget.
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What Are the Best Ways to Get Free Gas?
The price of gas varies depending on where you live, so it impacts people differently. As of publication, the average national price for a gallon of gas is $3.52, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
If you have an 18-gallon tank, that equals $64.26. When you have a larger tank or pay more per gallon, the price will be higher. Regardless, fuel costs add up quickly.
Luckily, there are several ways for getting free gas. It’s possible all options won’t work for you, but most people can find at least one way to save money at the pump.
1. Get Free Gas Cards Online Through Swagbucks
One of the best ways to get free gas money is to earn it during your spare time. Swagbucks is a terrific choice since you can earn gas cards as a cash-out option.
This get-paid-to (GPT) pays you to perform various tasks online that take less than 20 minutes. You can accumulate rewards in numerous ways, including:
- Using their online shopping portal
- Playing games online
- Watching sponsored videos
- Taking surveys
- Using their search engine
For every 100 SB points you acquire, you can receive $1. You can trade in your points for gift cards, including gas cards.
Currently, you can get gas station gift cards for Exxon, Chevron, and Sunoco. However, these brands are not always available, so you may need to choose a cash redemption instead.
You can also redeem cash via PayPal or a Visa gift card and use it at any gas station of your choice. The minimum redemption is $5 or 500 points for PayPal rewards.
Read our Swagbucks review to learn more.
2. Join A Gas Station Loyalty Program
A gas station loyalty program is one of the best options for instantly saving money on gas. Fuel rewards programs allow you to earn cash back or points to redeem for a gift card to get free gas at the pump.
Furthermore, it’s common for gas apps to offer instant savings of up to $0.05 off per gallon in addition to earning rewards points.
Some of the loyalty programs available nationwide include:
- BPme Rewards: Instant savings of $0.05 per gallon plus special offers in the app.
- Exxon Mobil Rewards+: Earn at least $0.03 per gallon at Exxon or Mobil stations and $0.02 cents on in-store purchases. Earning 100 points lets you enjoy $1 off per gallon.
- Shell Fuel Rewards: Save at least $0.05 per gallon. Additional discounts are available by shopping online or visiting participating restaurants.
- Speedy Rewards: Earn points at Speedway gas stations when buying gas or snacks. Discounted gas of up to $0.05 per gallon is available when scanning your loyalty card before filling up.
As a personal example, I scan my gas loyalty card to save $0.05 per gallon. I also earn ten points per gallon that I accumulate and redeem for free gift cards to redeem at the pump.
If your local store doesn’t offer a rewards program, don’t worry. You can use the Upside app to receive a rebate of up to $0.25 per gallon of gas. Use the code FRUGALRULES25 to qualify.
Read our Upside review to learn more.
3. Buy Discounted Gift Cards
While this option isn’t necessarily free, discount gift cards help you receive a few free dollars worth of gas.
Gift Card Outlets is an online store that buys and sells gift cards, which they typically discount. This can save you up to ten percent. For example, if you buy $100 worth of gas cards, you spend just $90.
Common discounted gas cards available on this gift card exchange are BP, Shell, and Wawa. The selection and face value discount differ by gas station brand.
4. Take Online Surveys
Besides Swagbucks, there are a few other survey sites that can help you earn money to offset your fuel costs. Some platforms make it easier to qualify for higher-paying surveys or offer better redemption options.
Survey Junkie is a great way to get free gas because you can take multiple surveys per day. You can redeem your points for cash via PayPal or bank transfers, and the minimum redemption is $5 (500 points) for cash back.
It’s possible to earn points by taking surveys, receiving invites for focus groups, and anonymously sharing data with the SJ Pulse app or browser extension.
Read our Survey Junkie review to learn more about the platform.
While you may love filling out surveys, you might prefer choosing from various short tasks to maintain your motivation level. Our next recommendation can be a better fit for this situation.
InboxDollars is a survey site that provides multiple ways to make money beyond taking surveys. However, my favorite way to earn cash is to read the emails they send, play games, and sign up for free product offers.
While this micro-task site has a higher cash-out threshold of $30, the redemption minimum is $15 for your first cash-out. It’s a legitimate rewards site, and your payment options include PayPal or gift cards.
Read our InboxDollars review to learn more about the platform.
5. Use Credit Card Rewards
Do you use a rewards credit card for your daily spending? Redeeming your points or rewards for free gas money can help in a pinch.
If your credit card offers reward points for spending, purchase gas cards to earn rewards points and redeem the points for cash statement credits, Visa gift cards, or PayPal. Redemption options vary by rewards program.
You could also get cash back for paying for your gas with a credit card. This doesn’t automatically equal free gas, but it can mean a discount in the long run. For instance, you might receive two percent back on fuel purchases.
Another option is a gas credit card through a gas station loyalty program. In addition to getting discounted gas by scanning your loyalty card, this can offer extra savings per gallon.
While it’s an easy way to save money, these cards usually don’t save as much as rewards credit cards since percent-based purchase rewards are better when gas prices are high.
Only use this option if you pay off your credit cards each month. No rewards are worth the potential debt.
Here are some cards to consider if you want to use rewards to defray costs.
6. Ask Local Charities
If you’re struggling to make ends meet and need gas money, various charities offer free transportation and gas vouchers.
You can contact charities in your area, check around with churches, or see if you have a Community Action Partnership program near you.
For example, your local Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, or United Way may provide gas assistance to low-income families and medical patients.
Better yet, these organizations may offer financial assistance in other forms as well, so you can find it easier to cut costs on core living expenses.
Some charity programs help provide for transportation needs if you can’t afford it on your current budget. This is truly a free option, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for getting help if you need it.
7. Prepaid Gas Card Promotions
Do you have a specific station that you like to frequent? You can get free gas money by taking advantage of their promotions.
You must watch for the deals they offer, but some retailers offer a free fill-up, money off, or even a discounted gas card during certain promotions.
For example, Casey’s and QuikTrip are the most popular stations in my area. QuikTrip has a credit card/prepaid card option where you can get a percentage off your regular fill-ups.
They also have promotions where you can get money off when you get the card and pay for your first fill-up.
As a helpful tip, have your gas tank as empty as possible when you join because your first purchase can be eligible for the most savings per gallon of gas.
In some cases, you might even be able to use the promotions to take advantage of cheap oil change prices at local gas stations.
8. Cash in Grocery Store Rewards
Many grocery stores offer rewards programs to save on groceries and earn free gas. If you live near stores like Safeway, Price Chopper, Kroger, Winn-Dixie, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, and Fred Meyer, you can join for free.
After signing up, you receive a loyalty card to scan when buying groceries. You get discounts on select food items and earn fuel points to redeem at the grocery store fuel pump or participating gas stations off-site.
The Fuel Saver program Hy-Vee offers is one we love, and we often save $0.10 or $0.20 per gallon on gas. We can fuel up to 20 gallons at that discounted rate.
Best of all, we get these discounts just by doing our regular shopping at Hy-Vee.
Other programs offer fuel rewards that are similar. Here are a few others you could take advantage of:
- Safeway – Get $0.10 off per gallon of gas for every $100 you spend, up to 25 gallons.
- Kroger – Receive one point for every dollar you spend for up to $0.10 off per gallon with a 35-gallon maximum. You can stack deals and get extra points during promotional periods.
- Harris Teeter – Get $0.10 off per gallon of gas for every 100 points you earn, up to 35 gallons. You can earn one point for each dollar spent, two points for each dollar spent on gift cards, and 50 points for qualifying prescription fills.
- Price Chopper – Receive $0.10 off per gallon of gas for every $100 you spend, up to 20 gallons. You can also stack deals to get more money off gas prices.
- Fred Meyer – Get one point for every dollar spent and get $0.10 off per gallon of gas for every $100 you spend, up to 35 gallons.
Fuel point expirations differ by store but usually expire at the end of the next calendar month.
If you don’t have sufficient points for the minimum $0.10 savings, you can usually scan your grocery store loyalty card and save at least $0.03 per gallon.
9. Enter Free Gas Sweepstakes
A unique way to save money on fuel is to enter contests and sweepstakes offering free gas. Gas stations, auto parts stores, and food brands may provide a free gas voucher to the winner.
Scan the advertisements at the stores and stations you visit. You can also research “free gas sweepstakes” in your preferred search engine and look for news articles or promotional pages from brands you know.
Some recent examples of gas giveaways in 2023 include:
- Circle K: Instant win game with a potential $2,000 gift card prize
- Fix-A-Flat and O’Reilly Auto Parts: Free gas for a year
- One Brands: Win $2,000 or $250 gift cards for gas
- Sheetz: Free gas for life (one winner) or one year of free gas (500 winners)
These promotions are seasonal and typically don’t require making a purchase. However, buying participating items or completing other activities can earn additional entries.
While the competition is intense and winning isn’t guaranteed, it’s possible to enter for free within a few minutes.
Other Ways to Save Money on Gas
It’s not always possible to get free gas. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for ways to save money at the pump. Here are a few legit ways to reduce costs.
Drive Smarter
Speed and brake usage have a significant impact on fuel consumption. Avoid rapid acceleration and quick stops to conserve what’s in your tank. When possible, time your trips to avoid busy roads or stop-and-go traffic.
In addition to boosting your gas mileage, safe driving habits can reduce your car insurance premiums if you use telematics.
This means you can sync your phone with a portable device in your vehicle to qualify for discounts by being a cautious and courteous driver.
Use the Correct Fuel
Premium gas brings a higher cost but may not improve your vehicle’s performance. If your car says it’s required, then you need to buy premium.
If it simply says it’s recommended, try lower grades to see how your car operates. The lower the grade, the less you spend.
You can also buy a fuel-efficient car, but that may not always be an option.
Use Your Phone
Do you want to know how to find cheaper fuel? There are gas apps that help you locate the lowest gas prices. Find one you like and start looking for cheap gas near you.
If you have a AAA membership, don’t forget to use the app on your phone to make sure you identify all available opportunities to save.
Drive Less
This may not always be an option for you. However, you will save money if you can walk or bike for short trips. It’s also healthier.
Another option is using public transportation. While this method costs money, it can be more affordable in big cities where gas and parking expenses are high.
Avoid Free Gas Scams
These are less common today, but free gas card scams pop up from time to time.
They range from telemarketers saying you can get free petroleum to claims that scanning your driver’s license before using your credit card at the pump results in savings.
In most cases, they require you to provide your sensitive personal information or banking details.
If you suspect a scam, report the details to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at ReportFraud.FTC.gov or by calling toll-free at (877) 382-4357.
Bottom Line
Buying gas is necessary for most of us since we all depend on our cars for our livelihood and other needs. Saving money at the pump keeps more money in your budget to cover other expenses.
You may not see huge savings with each opportunity, but most add up over time. With a little work, it’s possible to get free gas at the pump and help relieve financial stress.
How much do you spend to fill up your car each month?
Kim Suazo has been a freelance writer and business owner for over four years. When she's not writing for Frugal Rules, you can find her on other publications like Chime, Discovery, and Due. She also owns her own websites The Entrepremomer and Part-Time Profit, where she teaches overworked moms how to streamline their new businesses so they can scale without a team.
