Best Gas Credit Cards
| Card | Gas Rate | Annual Fee | Brand Lock | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite | 4% (combined with groceries) | $120 | None | General gas |
| Scotiabank Gold Amex | 3x (~3%), plus a Shell-specific fuel discount | $120 | None | Scotia customers |
| TD Cash Back Visa Infinite | 3% (combined with groceries/transit, capped $450/yr) | $139 | None | TD customers |
| Triangle World Elite | 7 cents/L premium, 5 cents/L other grades | $0 | Canadian Tire Gas+ | CT Gas shoppers |
| Petro-Canada Mastercard | Check petro-canada.ca for current rate | $0 | Petro-Canada | Petro loyalists |
| Esso Mobil Mastercard | Check esso.ca for current rate | $0 | Esso/Mobil | Esso loyalists |
| RBC ION Visa | 1.5x Avion points (~1.5% equivalent) | $0 | None | RBC customers |
| Tangerine Money-Back MC | 2% (chosen category) | $0 | None | No-fee option |
Annual Savings Comparison
Based on $3,000/year gas spending (~$250/month):
| Card | Rate | Annual Rewards | Annual Fee | Net Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIBC Dividend VI | 4% | $120 | $120 | $0 |
| Petro-Canada MC | Check petro-canada.ca | Check petro-canada.ca | $0 | Check petro-canada.ca |
| Triangle WE | ~3.3%* | $100 | $0 | $100 |
| Scotia Gold Amex | 3% | $90 | $120 | -$30 |
| Tangerine Money-Back | 2% | $60 | $0 | $60 |
| RBC ION Visa | 1.5% | $45 | $0 | $45 |
| Basic 1% card | 1% | $30 | $0 | $30 |
*Cents/litre converted assuming $1.50/litre average
Best overall value: Co-branded cards at their specific stations
Top Gas Card Picks
Best Flexible: CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 (verify current fee directly at cibc.com) |
| Gas + grocery rate | 4% cash back (COMBINED category, not separate 2%/4% tiers) |
| Other | 1% |
| Cap | Roughly $20,000/year on the combined gas+grocery category |
Best for: Those who want one card for gas + groceries at any station.
Best No Annual Fee: Triangle World Elite Mastercard
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| CT Gas rate | 7 cents/L premium fuel, 5 cents/L all other grades |
| Canadian Tire | 4% CT Money |
| Groceries | 3% (excludes Costco/Walmart) |
| Other | 1% |
| Income requirement | $80,000 personal or $150,000 household |
Redemption: CT Money redeemable at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Mark’s, Atmosphere.
Best for: Canadian Tire Gas+ users and Canadian Tire shoppers.
Best Petro-Canada: Petro-Canada Mastercard
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Gas rate | Check petro-canada.ca for current per-litre discount tiers |
| Other purchases | Check petro-canada.ca for current rate |
Best for: Loyal Petro-Canada customers – confirm current per-litre savings directly with Petro-Canada before applying.
Best Esso/Mobil: Esso Mobil Mastercard
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Gas rate | Check esso.ca for current per-litre discount tiers |
| Esso Extra | Stackable loyalty |
Best for: Loyal Esso/Mobil customers – confirm current per-litre savings directly with Esso before applying.
Co-Branded vs Flexible Cards
| Factor | Co-Branded | Flexible |
|---|---|---|
| Gas rate at specific brand | 5-10 cents/L | 3-4% |
| Gas rate elsewhere | Bad (0-1%) | 3-4% |
| Flexibility | Low | High |
| Annual fee | Usually $0 | $0-139 |
| Other rewards | Limited | Full category bonuses |
Choose co-branded if: You always fill up at one brand Choose flexible if: You fill up wherever is convenient/cheapest
Stacking Gas Savings
Maximize savings by combining:
| Layer | Savings |
|---|---|
| Credit card rewards | 3-5% |
| Loyalty program | 1-3 cents/L |
| GasBuddy | Find cheapest station |
| Costco gas | 8-15 cents/L cheaper |
| Gift cards | Buy discounted gas cards |
Example Stack
| Component | Savings on $50 Fill |
|---|---|
| Fill at Costco (10 cents/L cheaper) | $3.30 |
| Use Rogers WE (1.5%) | $0.75 |
| Total savings | $4.05 (8%) |
Gas Card by Station
| Station | Best Card | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Tire Gas+ | Triangle WE | 5-7 cents/L |
| Petro-Canada | Petro-Canada MC | 3-10 cents/L |
| Esso/Mobil | Esso Mobil MC | 3-10 cents/L |
| Shell | Scotia Gold Amex | Up to 12 cents/L (Shell Go+ linked) |
| Costco | Costco Mastercard | 2% |
| Any station | CIBC Dividend VI | 4% (combined with groceries) |
Costco Gas Strategy
Costco only accepts Mastercard:
| Card | Rate at Costco Gas |
|---|---|
| CIBC Costco Mastercard (the real Canadian Costco co-brand – not “Capital One Costco”, which does not exist in Canada) | 3% |
| Rogers World Elite MC | 1.5% |
| Tangerine Money-Back MC | 2% (if gas selected) |
| Triangle WE | 1% |
Best combo: Costco gas (cheapest price) + CIBC Costco Mastercard (3% at Costco Gas) = maximum savings.
Understanding Gas Pricing Categories
| Merchant Code | What Counts |
|---|---|
| Gas stations | Yes |
| Gas at Costco | Sometimes (check card) |
| Gas at Superstore | Usually yes |
| Car wash at gas station | Sometimes |
| Convenience store at gas station | Usually no |
Tip: Pay at pump (gas code) vs inside (convenience code).
When Premium Gas Cards Aren’t Worth It
| Scenario | Better Option |
|---|---|
| Drive hybrid/electric | Skip gas bonuses |
| Low annual gas spend | Use flat-rate card |
| Prices vary wildly | Chase cheapest station |
| Often pay cash | Gas loyalty programs |
Break-even for a $120 annual fee card like CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite at its 4% combined gas+grocery rate:
- Achievable at $3,000/year (~$250/month) in combined gas+grocery spending: see Annual Savings Comparison above, where this exact spend level nets $0
- Below that, a no-fee card comes out ahead; the value here comes from combining gas AND grocery spend under one rate, not from gas alone
Electric Vehicle Charging Cards
For EV drivers:
| Card | Charging Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most cards | Codes as “auto services” | Usually 1% |
| CIBC Dividend | 4% | EV charging is explicitly included in the same bonus category as gas and groceries |
| TD Cash Back Visa Infinite | 3% | EV charging is explicitly included in the same bonus category as gas/grocery/transit |
Most cards don’t have a dedicated EV-charging bonus, but a few gas-category cards (CIBC Dividend, TD Cash Back Visa Infinite) explicitly list EV charging alongside gas in their bonus category: check the card’s terms before assuming it defaults to 1%. The grocery and dining roundups sit alongside this one on our credit card reviews hub.