Study: Many pay too much to gas up

Marisol Graniela of Orlando goes to a Citgo on Curry Ford Road because the price is more than 10 cents less than at the gas stations near her house.

“I always go to the cheapest one,” she said. “I don’t look for a specific one. I look for a specific cheap one.”

Graniela’s diligence isn’t typical of most American drivers, who regularly overpay at the pumps, according to research by the travel app GasBuddy. Its annual Pump Habits Study found that, even though a third of Americans claim to care more about saving money than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, many were overspending by as much as $300 per year on their gas.

GasBuddy identified four costly habits of most drivers.

Not paying attention: Unlike Graniela, 83% of drivers claim to purchase gas where it’s convenient, only to notice cheaper gas later. “Shopping around for gas is one of the most valuable ways to save money,” said GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan in a news release. “Gas prices commonly vary by over

10 cents but in larger cities can vary over $1 per gallon.”

Going to the same place: Four out of five drivers say they have a regular gas station. Nearly a third of them say they pick the station because it’s convenient to their commute. Of course, if it’s not the cheapest, that convenience can wind up with a hefty price tag over time.

“Going to a station because of location or convenience is a big money-waster, as drivers are missing out on the potential discounts from stations just around the corner,” De Haan said.

Not using loyalty programs: Many stations offer rewards programs that can bring down the gas bill. For example, members of the Shell program who fill up six times in three months get 5 cents off per gallon. Marathon, BP, ExxonMobil and more have similar loyalty offers.

But almost half of American drivers don’t have any rewards cards. De Haan says using these cards regularly at the brands you frequent most often can save up to $50 a year.

Using cards to pay: Credit cards are the most popular way to pay for gas, with 46% of drivers saying they use them at the pump. Yet 55% of Americans don’t pay off their balance regularly, meaning many are having their cashback incentives wiped out with interest.

The second most common payment method are debit cards, but some gas stations offer discounts when customers pay with cash. Debit cards wind up getting charged the credit card price.

GasBuddy found most people could save between $50 and $100 a year by switching their payment method and paying off their credit card every month.

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TREVOR FRASER/ORLANDO SENTINEL Marisol Graniela, of Orlando, said she always looks for the cheapest gas, a practice most Americans don’t do, according to a new study from travel app GasBuddy.