Gasoline surges have affected everyone from average motorists to business owners and salespeople. For sellers, high gasoline prices would imply fewer trips-visits to homes and commercial establishments. For sellers, we all know that fewer trips means less chance of sales. If you are a seller then there is no need to worry. You can still go on your regular sales trips using gas cards, as using gas cards will save you money on gas.

Gas card savings come from rebates earned each time the card is used to pay for gas purchases. Gas cards generally come in two types: prepaid and credit. A prepaid card is a card that has been preloaded with a specific chosen amount. The good thing about using this type of card is that you usually get a discount when buying loads for the card. In addition, prepaid cards help you control spending money on gas, since there is a limit on the amount of the card. However, the downside is the unrecoverable balance on the card once the card is lost or misplaced.

Gas credit cards, on the other hand, work like typical credit cards. Only by using gas credit cards, you earn more for gas purchases. Every time you pump gas, you earn rebates that are currently between 3% and 5%. Rebates accumulate in the form of reward points and, depending on the type of card, can be redeemed for a cash back reward. However, there are some card companies that offer other non-cash rewards, such as airline tickets, merchandise, and gift certificates.

Reward redemption may also vary from card to card. Those that only offer cash back rewards typically automatically credit your existing gas credit card or issue a check or gas gift card in the amount equal to the reward points. However, there are some card companies that require an application to redeem rewards points. These card companies are usually the ones that offer various forms of rewards. Thus, the reward point redemption request also contains the preferred reward type.

As a dealer, you typically spend more miles on your car than the average motorist. When choosing gas cards, to really save money on gas, keep this in mind, as there are cards that have repayment limits. You may want to avoid cards that will limit your savings.

The two most important things to consider when choosing gas cards are the rebate percentage and the annual percentage rate, or APR. The card’s cashback percentage should be average to save you a lot of money on gas. The APR, on the other hand, should be the lower percentage if you plan to carry a balance on the card. Remember that fees and interest can easily wipe out your gas money savings.