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What are Canada's best credit cards to save on gas?
The best credit cards that can help you save on gas depend on where and when you fill up, and how you combine or stack reward programs such as Journie, Petro-Points, Shell+, or CAA. Gas credit cards we’ve shortlisted can save you hundreds of dollars a year with little effort.
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard
RBC ION+ Visa
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
How much are Canadians paying for gas?
As of May 2026, Statistics Canada data showed that monthly regular unleaded gas prices averaged +$1.20/litre since February 2021. For 21 months over the past five years or about 35% of months, the national monthly avg. was +$1.60/litre. In some parts of the country, drivers consistently paid more than $1.60/litre. In Vancouver, for instance, prices of $1.80–2.00/litre no longer raise eyebrows.
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to be volatile with another breakdown in ceasefire negotiations, elevated petrol costs are likely for the foreseeable future. According to a June forecast from a government agency, retail gas prices in the U.S. are expected to fall substantially in 2027, but are likely to still be 14.5% higher than 2025 levels. Expect a similar trend north of the border.
How to reduce your gas costs
Whether you drive long distances daily, or use your car less frequently, fundamentally, there are three ways to cut your fuel expenses.
- Drive less. That doesn’t mean you have to walk, cycle, or take the bus more. You can cut the kilometres you travel without sacrificing the comfort of your car by combining multiple trips into one outing with several stops.
- Improve your car's fuel efficiency. Accelerating gradually, driving at the speed limit on highways, and keeping your car well maintained are some proven ways to go farther between fill-ups.
- Fill-up when and where demand drops. Generally, you can save several cents per litre by filling up between 6 pm and midnight, when gas is in lower demand. Consult gas price-forecasting websites like GasWizard, which can tell you whether to buy today or wait for a much better price tomorrow. Location can make a big difference, too. Use an app like GasBuddy or the gas price feature of Waze or Google Maps to find the lowest priced petrol pumps along your route.
But you have other practical and easy options to save money on gas:
- Pay for fuel purchases with a gas credit card.
- Stack your credit card with third-party loyalty and rewards programs to avail of even more savings per litre.
How gas credit cards help you save on fuel
A gas credit card is a specialized rewards card designed with drivers in mind. Like other rewards cards, a gas credit card can earn cash back or rewards points on purchases in any category, such as dining, entertainment, and groceries. But a gas credit card earns those rewards at a higher rate on purchases made at gas stations, including fuel, car washes, and in-store merchandise. Some even unlock an immediate discount at the pump when used either on their own or in combination with gas retailer loyalty programs, such as Petro-Points, Shell+, and Journie Rewards.
What is stacking, and how much can it help you save?
To unlock even bigger opportunities when you fill up, stack all the offers you can. Stacking is the practice of applying more than one discount or rewards program to the same gas purchase. At a gas station, stacking could be as simple as swiping the station’s rewards card to earn points you can redeem for future purchases and paying with a credit card that offers cash back on gas purchases.
Some gas retailers, however, have partnerships with specific credit card issuers and rewards programs that let you combine several offers to receive exclusive discounts and bonus points valued at up to 12¢/litre [assumes all points earned are exchanged at their maximum value and gas is priced at $1.50/litre].
Instead of swiping multiple cards each time you visit the gas station, you can do a one-time set-up of the stack within a gas retailer’s own loyalty program app with the following steps:
- Join the gas retailer’s loyalty program and download its mobile app.
- Within the app (or online), link your credit card account to the loyalty program and set it as your payment method. Use an eligible card from the gas retailer’s credit-card partner to get an immediate discount or additional rewards points.
- Link your account of whichever third-party rewards program is used by the gas retailer.
- Link any other rewards programs or memberships that partner with the gas retailer. At Shell stations, for instance, CAA members get a discount of 3¢ per litre on top of any other special offers.
Just remember that the most valuable combination of rewards programs varies from one gas retailer to another. If you want to earn maximum rewards no matter where you buy gas, you’ll need several apps, credit cards, and rewards program memberships.
Top five credit cards for gas savings in Canada
Here are five gas credit cards that offer the best combination of value at the pump and other fuel-related perks.
You won’t find a higher cashback rate on gas purchases (or EV charging) than the 4% offered by the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card [includes 6¢/litre in savings when gas is $1.50/litre]. The same 4% rate applies to groceries, making the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card especially appealing to users in larger households with more mouths to feed and events to drive to, from dental appointments to soccer practices. Indeed, these family-friendly features helped the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card earn Rates.ca’s award for 2026 Best Family Card for Gas and Groceries.
But the gas savings don’t end with 4% cash back. The CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card generates additional savings of 3¢/litre when used in combination with the Journie Rewards program at participating Pioneer, Fas Gas Plus, Ultramar, and Chevron gas stations. You can also cash in 300 Journie Rewards points for another 7¢/litre discount, no matter what payment method you use. Journie Rewards are earned at a rate of 1 point/litre of gas and 2 points/$1 spent in-store.
Other regular features and benefits of the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card include:
- 2% cash back on transportation, dining, recurring payments, and eligible travel purchases made through CIBC and booked on Expedia
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- 12-month Skip+ free trial and other exclusive benefits if you link the card to Skip
- Mobile device insurance: $1,000
- Emergency medical insurance: $5 million
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card returns up to 12¢/litre in value when you stack it with the Scene+ and Shell Go+ reward programs at participating Shell gas stations. Here’s the math: immediate savings of 3¢/litre on any grade of fuel; another 4¢/litre off Shell V-Power grade fuel; 3 Scene+ points/$1 of gas; and up to 2 Scene+ points/litre of gas [each Scene+ point is worth up to 1¢].
If your idea of a great vacation includes long road trips, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also gives you 4x Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do through Scene+ Travel. Travelling outside of Canada? The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has no foreign-exchange fees.
Other regular features and benefits of the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card include:
- 6x Scene+ points at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, and Foodland
- 5x on eligible entertainment purchases
- 3x on eligible gas purchases and daily transit options, such as rideshares, buses, and subways
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: $1,500 per eligible individual
- Emergency medical insurance: $1 million per eligible person
The first thing to know about the BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard is that Blue Rewards is the new name of the AIR MILES rewards program. The next thing to know is that gas purchases made with this card earns 2 Blue Rewards points/$1 spent anywhere on gas and EV charging, which is double the standard rate. But if you fill up at an Irving Oil station, you’ll earn 10 points on the dollar.
If you drive a lot—especially on rough roads or in hazardous conditions—you’ll appreciate the BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard’s roadside assistance benefit, which includes free battery boosts, flat-tire changes, lockout service, and towing anywhere in Canada and the mainland U.S.
Other regular features and benefits of the BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard include:
- 1 Blue Rewards point/$1 spent
- Four DragonPass passes annually for free use of 1,300 participating airport lounges worldwide
- Emergency medical insurance: $5 million for the cardholder
- Trip cancellation insurance: $1,500 per covered person, up to $5,000
- Trip interruption/delay insurance: $2,000 per covered person, up to $10,000
The RBC ION+ Visa Card is an attractive option for people with places to go, and multiple options for getting there. That’s because the card earns 3 Avion Rewards points/$1 spent on gas, EV charging, daily transit, and rideshare services. Note that 1 Avion Rewards point can be worth more than 2¢, depending on how it’s redeemed.
You can also stack the RBC ION+ Visa Card with Petro-Points rewards to save 3¢/litre while earning 20% more points at Petro-Canada gas stations, for a total value of 4.2¢. Petro-Points are awarded at 10 points/litre and 1,000 points can be redeemed for $1 of fuel or in-store purchases.
Other regular features and benefits of the RBC ION+ Visa Card include:
- No annual fee for additional cardholders
- 3x Avion points/$1 spent on groceries, dining, food delivery, rideshare, and streaming services, among other categories
- 1x Avion points/$1 spent on all other qualifying purchases
- Complimentary 6-month DoorDash subscription with linked card
- Mobile device insurance: 2 years, up to $1,000
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is an attractive option for anyone looking to save money on gas while avoiding annual fees.
Gas savings start with 2% cash back on gas purchases when you select gas as one of your two accelerated cash-back spending categories, which can include parking and hotels, among others. Other categories earn 0.5% cash back, but you can add a third 2% cash back category if you direct the funds into a Tangerine savings account.
Assuming a gas price of $1.50/litre, your 2% cash back equals 3¢/litre in savings. But you can increase that to 8¢/litre by filling up at participating Shell stations. If you stack the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card with the Shell Go+ and Scene+ rewards programs you can get 3¢/litre in immediate savings and up to 2 Scene+ points/litre, which are worth up to 1¢ each.
Other regular features and benefits of the Tangerine Cash-Back Credit Card include:
- No annual fee for primary cardholder and up to five authorized users
- Extended warranty protection: up to double the warranty on items purchased with the card
- Purchase assurance: 90-day protection against loss, theft, or damage to items purchased with the card
- Low annual income requirement: $12,000
Whichever direction gas prices trend, you could save hundreds of dollars a year with little effort. Look to pay substantially less for every fill-up of your car by leveraging stacking options available on credit cards with gas reward programs.
Compare the best credit cards on Rates.ca
Find the best credit card for your lifestyle today!
Ian Portsmouth, Freelance writer
Ian Portsmouth is an award-winning writer, editor and media executive. He is a former editor-in-chief of PROFIT and Engineering.com, and past publisher of Canadian Business, MoneySense and Canadian Underwriter. His editorial work has been recognized for excellence by the National Magazine Awards Foundation, Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, Canadian Business Press and American Society of Business Publication Editors.
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