Benefits of Credit Cards for Gas & Airline Miles
4 Min Read | Last updated: July 10, 2026
If you drive or fly regularly, you may want to explore gas or airline miles credit cards. Here are the benefits of each.
At-A-Glance
- If you drive or fly frequently, gas and airline miles credit cards can reward your spending and may give you other handy perks.
- If you usually get gas from the same company or fly with the same airline, you may choose to get a card that rewards spending with specific brands.
- Some people may prefer cards that offer rewards on general fuel and air travel purchases, rather than those with exclusive rewards tied to specific brands.
Do you drive a lot, fly frequently, or do both? If so, then gas credit cards and airline miles credit cards may reward you for your travels—and could give you other useful perks as well.
Gas credit cards and airline miles credit cards are types of rewards cards, meaning that, as you make eligible purchases, you earn rewards, such as cash back or miles. But they can offer very different benefits. With gas credit cards, the rewards are usually gas discounts or cash back. With airline credit cards, the most common rewards are air miles redeemable for flights.
But once you start examining the options, the picture gets more complicated. Within both broad categories, there is a variety of options with different rewards and fee structures. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of gas rewards and airline miles cards so that you can choose cards that work best for you.
Benefits of Gas Credit Cards
Gas credit cards may help you cut your monthly gas spending by providing discounts or cash back on gas purchases.
Broadly speaking, there are two main types of gas credit cards:
- Gas station credit cards
- General rewards credit cards
There are also gas station loyalty cards or programs, which aren’t exactly credit cards, but can help you save money at the pump. These cards are a bit like store loyalty cards: You can only use them to make purchases at a specific gas station brand.
Gas station credit cards are co-branded by a gas station brand and a credit card issuer. Purchases that are made at the branded gas station earn you cash back and sometimes other rewards on gas from the gas station brand.1
General rewards credit cards may offer more flexibility because they aren’t associated with any gas station brand. You can sometimes earn cash back or points on all eligible purchases, not just gas. Depending on the credit card, you may earn higher rewards for spending in specific categories such as travel, supermarkets, or purchases at any gas station.
Why Consider a Gas Credit Card?
There are several reasons why you may want to consider getting a gas credit card:
- You drive a lot and want to cut your gas spending. Gas credit cards may offer bigger discounts on gas purchases than other credit cards.
- You prefer a specific brand of gas.
- Some branded gas station credit cards may have no annual fees.
Benefits of Airline Miles Credit Cards
Airline rewards credit cards are co-branded by an airline and a credit card company. You can use them to make purchases anywhere the credit card network is accepted. When you make eligible purchases with the card, you’ll usually earn miles. You can then redeem the air miles for flights, seat upgrades, or other benefits, depending on the rewards program the card offers. Airline cards may come with fees, but there are some fee-free options.2 As with any credit card, it’s important to weigh the benefits and costs when deciding which one meets your needs.
Airline miles credit cards allow you to earn miles for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Usually, you can earn more miles when you purchase in specific bonus categories, but this will depend on the card in question. Your miles may be redeemable for purchases made with the partner airline or in specific categories, and you may also have options to redeem them in other ways. Some cards offer valuable introductory bonuses if you spend a certain amount in the first few months of having the card.3
Perhaps the biggest attraction of airline miles credit cards is the ability to earn air miles that you can redeem for flights with the airline or its partners. Different flights may be worth different numbers of miles, depending on their value. Depending on the card, you may also be able to use airline miles to buy upgrades and vacation packages from the airline.4 There are a number of ways that you can maximize the value of your miles or points.
Some airline miles cards come with a set of other built-in benefits, such as:5
- Free checked bags (though there may be some limitations)
- Priority boarding
- Discounts on in-flight purchases
- Low-priced or free access to airport lounges offering snacks, drinks and Wi-Fi
- A free or low-cost companion ticket for a domestic round-trip flight
- Additional bonus miles when you sign up or renew
- Access to airport lounges
Why Consider an Airline Miles Credit Card?
You may want to consider getting an airline miles credit card if you:
- Fly frequently
- Tend to fly with the same airline or its partners
- Want perks such as airport lounge access and priority boarding
- Feel the benefits outweigh a potential annual fee
A branded airline credit card may make sense if you tend to travel with one airline. However, if you tend to travel with different airlines, then a more general rewards card could be a better option to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gas credit cards and airline credit cards aren’t mutually exclusive, and you may benefit from having both if you drive and fly frequently. If you fly a lot and don’t drive as often, you may prefer to just get an airline miles card. If you’re considering both, you may want to apply for one and wait a bit before applying for the other to avoid multiple hard credit checks at once.
Before deciding on a new rewards credit card, consider the annual fees and your spending habits. If you think a fee isn’t worth the benefits of the card, then you can shop for another card that offers you more value or that has a lower fee. Likewise, if you’re considering a card that’s associated with a specific airline or fuel provider, you may want to make sure that the gas brand or airline fits within your regular spending habits.
The Takeaway
Gas credit cards and airline miles credit cards tend to offer very different benefits. If you drive a lot, a gas credit card may make sense. If you like to fly, you might think about an airline miles credit card. There are various credit card options within each category, so it makes sense to look closely at your travel patterns and see which card best suits your needs. You may benefit from having both types of credit cards, or in some cases, choosing a general rewards card that offers rewards for both gas and airline purchases.
1 “19 Ways to Save Money on Gas,” Experian
2,3,5 “Are Airline Credit Cards Worth It?,” Experian
4 “6 Ways to Use Your Airline Miles (Other Than Flights),” Experian
Mike Faden has covered business and technology issues for more than 30 years as a writer, consultant, and analyst for media brands, market-research firms, startups and established corporations.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
Related Articles
Choosing the Best Travel or Hotel Credit Card For You
General travel cards offer flexibility, while hotel cards reward loyalty. Learn how travel credit cards work and how they can help you earn bonus travel, upgrades, and more.
How Do Travel Credit Cards Work?
How do travel credit cards work, and what is a good travel credit card for you? Get answers and learn how your travel card earns miles, points, and bonus perks.
How to Choose a Travel Rewards Card
Looking to maximize your travel experiences? Choose the best travel rewards credit card and start redeeming points towards hotel stays, flights, and other perks.
The material made available for you on this website, Credit Intel, is for informational purposes only and intended for U.S. residents and is not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. If you have questions, please consult your own professional legal, tax and financial advisors.
