The 3 Best Business Gas Cards for Small Business Fleets

The 3 Best Gas Cards for Small Business Fleets

1. American Express SimplyCash Plus
2. Chase Ink Business Cash
3. American Express Business Gold

As you track just how much your small business spends on gas every month, you might be inclined to grab a branded business gas card from your local gas station. And this strategy could certainly provide relief at the pump.

But the best business gas card for your small business spending might be more than just a gas station store card. In fact, we’ve found that many small business credit cards with top-tier earnings on gas expenses far out-compete branded business gas cards.

We’ll break down the advantages of branded gas cards, tell you why you might want to steer clear of them, and give you a few business credit card alternatives. With any of the three top business gas cards, you can save on gas and benefit from broader rewards to upgrade your spending beyond the pump, too.

Why Business Gas Credit Cards Are Smart Moves

If you and your employees travel by car often, you’ll know that gas costs can weigh heavily on your balance sheet. Frequent flyers can get rewards for their journeys with a business credit card that’s loaded with travel perks—but those cards’ rewards typically focus on airfare and hotels. Not so useful if your team is usually in the car.

If your small business team consists of road warriors, then you’re better off with business credit cards that offer bonus rewards on gas.  With the average gas price at around $2.41 a gallon, the baseline 2% cash back on gas turns into around a $0.05 discount on every gallon pumped. And this is just that—a baseline. The best gas cards for small business will offer you higher rewards rates than 2%.

On top of that, business gas cards might reward spending in other categories, like restaurants and office supplies.

The Case for Avoiding Branded Business Gas Cards

But there’s a caveat: Branded gas credit cards typically can’t provide your business with the best value. For example, the Shell Fuel Rewards Card offers one of the best gas discounts for a branded business gas card—a discount of $0.10 per gallon. But even that discount only amounts to a rewards rate of about 4% using the national average price of gas. And—perhaps most importantly—it only applies to Shell gas purchases.

Meanwhile, branded business gas cards with the more standard discount of $0.05 per gallon will only offer a measly 2% rewards rate—and still limit your rewarded gas purchases to their specific brand. Plus, your rewards rate on branded business gas cards will decrease as the price of gas increases. And you probably won’t receive an introductory bonus offer, as you would with a standard business credit card, or bonus rewards in other categories.

All in all, you’re much better off with a general business card that offers bonus rewards on gas, rather than a branded business gas credit card that only rewards gas purchases from a specific brand.

Our 3 Favorite Business Gas Cards Offers of 2019

True, there are benefits to getting a branded business gas card. Branded business gas credit cards certainly offer more control over employee spending—the fact that branded business gas cards can only work at gas stations helps encourage employees to only use company money for gas expenses.

But if you trust your team—and you want a card whose value extends far beyond a specific brand of gas station—consider these three non-branded business gas cards instead.

Best 0% Intro APR Period Business Gas Card: American Express SimplyCash Plus

If you’re looking for a small business gas card with a long 0% intro APR period, check out the SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express. This card also features one of the best rewards rates you’ll find, especially if you’re looking to save on gas.

With this card, you’ll get:

• 5% cash back on every dollar you spend on the first $50,000 you spend annually on office supply stores and wireless telephone services.
• 3% on every dollar you spend on the first $50,000 you spend annually on the category of your choice, including gas stations, car rentals from certain agencies, airfare, restaurants, shipping, and other typical small business purchases.
• An unlimited 1% everywhere else.

This card doesn’t come with a cash back intro offer, but it does have one of the two longest 0% intro APR periods on the market to make up for it. You’ll get 0% APR on purchases for 15 months, after which your variable APR will vary with the market, so see the issuer’s terms and conditions for the latest APR information.

Earning 3% cash back on gas—equivalent to 7.5 cents off a $2.50 gallon, for those keeping score at home—makes the Amex SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card one of the best business gas cards on the market.

Best Business Gas Card With a Strong Signup Bonus: Chase Ink Business Cash

For an alternative gas business card, check out the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card. Like the Amex SimplyCash Plus card, the Chase Ink Business Cash card has no annual fee and a generous rewards system that earns you cash back on gas (as well as other spending categories).

With this business gas card, you’ll earn:

• 5% cash back on every dollar you spend on the first $25,000 you spend annually on office supplies and landline, cell phone, internet, and cable TV services.
• 2% cash back on every dollar you spend on the first $25,000 you spend annually on gas and restaurants.
• Unlimited 1% cash back everywhere else.

This card also comes with a strong bonus offer of $500 cash back when you spend $3,000 in the first three months of card ownership. In addition, you’ll benefit from the card’s 12-month 0% intro APR period, applicable to purchases and balance transfers, making this an attractive option for business owners who need time to pay off a big purchase. After the intro period, your variable APR will vary with the market, so see the issuer’s terms and conditions for the latest APR information.

Best Business Gas Card for Overall Rewards: American Express Business Gold

If you’re looking for even more spending power on your business gas credit card, you might want to consider a charge card instead. Card issuers don’t set a predetermined spending limit on charge cards, like they do with traditional credit cards. Be aware, though, that you’ll need to be able to pay off your charge card’s balance in full every month. Otherwise, you’ll be hit with steep fees and interest rates if you don’t pay in full.

So, if you don’t plan on carrying a balance every month, check out the Business Gold Card from American Express, which packs a punch on whichever spending category you spend the most in.

This charge card offers 4x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on the two of six rewards categories you spend the most on each month. So, if you spend the most on gas every month, then you’ll be earning 4x rewards points on those costs and your next biggest expense category. You’ll also earn an even 1x rewards points on everything else.

If you opt for the Business Gold Card, you’ll also take advantage of a generous signup bonus: No matter how much you spend with the card during your first months, you’ll gain access to a year’s worth of G Suite Basic and ZipRecruiter for free.

Be sure to note, though: This top-earning business gas card will come at a cost of $295 per year, which is pretty steep. Be sure to do the math and ensure that the Business Gold Card’s rewards are worth this annual fee.

The 3 Best Business Gas Cards: How to Choose for Your Small Business

If you’re looking for a business gas credit card that will provide you some relief at the pump, you can certainly opt for a branded card from your favorite gas station. These cards will help you save on gas, for sure. But they won’t provide you with nearly the same amount of rewards, benefits, and flexibility that a true business credit card can.

So, you might want to consider the following business credit cards instead. On top of gas savings opportunities, these cards can earn you cash back, points, and even long, interest-free introductory periods.

• If you’re looking for a long 0% intro APR period, consider the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express. At 15 months, this is one of the longest 0% intro APR periods you’ll find from a business credit card. You can also earn 3% on every dollar you spend on the first $50,000 you spend annually on the category of your choice, including gas stations.
• If you want a generous cash back signup bonus, take a look at the Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card. Throughout the life of your card, you’ll earn 2% cash back on every dollar you spend on the first $25,000 you spend annually on gas.
• If you’re a big spender, consider the Business Gold Card From American Express. There’s no preset spending limit, so you can really maximize your rewards potential. Frequents drivers will be happy to learn that you’ll earn 4 points per dollar on purchases at gas stations if it ends up being one of your two top-spend categories.

If you’re looking for the best business gas card, expand your search beyond branded business gas cards. Any of these three business credit cards will definitely ease the burden on your gas charges, but they’ll work hard for you in other spending categories, too.

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