Your smartphone can help you save on gas
For die-hard drivers obsessed with finding the lowest gasoline prices, new smartphone apps, branded credit cards and wholesale clubs are making it possible to stealthily beat the prices posted at the pump.
Whether drivers are paying to save or downloading apps, both ways show that marketers have discovered that there are few products in which price matters as much as gasoline — and concerns only grow as prices gradually rise across the country.
“There is no commodity that people are more price sensitive toward than gas prices,” said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores. “It goes beyond a couple cents a gallon. There’s a real emotional connection to gas prices.”
At $2.78, the national gas price average is 18 cents higher than a month ago and highest in nearly three years, according to AAA.
Saving with GasBuddy
GasBuddy, which directs drivers to the cheapest station on its website, has rolled out a feature offering discounts.
Called “Pay with GasBuddy,” the app’s new payment card offers additional savings through two cashback arrangements — automatic cents off for every gallon or discounts with Sears and Kmart’s Shop Your Way rewards program, company spokeswoman Allison Mac said.
The payment card connects to checking accounts and deducts purchases from bank accounts.
Drivers can choose to receive 10 cents off their first fill-up and then 5 cents off each gallon for subsequent purchases at
90% of the nation’s gas stations. There’s a limit of $75 in gas purchases a day and a $300 weekly limit.
“The pump price will be the same as what is advertised but when you look at your checking account, that’s where you’ll see the difference,” Mac said.
The savings are tripled for users who opt to earn for the Sears’ program, which doesn’t mean dollars in the bank but money to use on Sears and Kmart purchases. Users earn 30 cents in rewards points back per gallon for the first
60 days and then 15 cents a gallon after.
GetUpside offers more discounts
Another app for earning money back — up to 25 cents a gallon — is GetUpside. Currently available in Washington, D.C., parts of Virginia, Maryland, New York and Florida, GetUpside works directly with gas station owners to help steer business their way, said Wayne Lin, co-founder and chief operating officer.
The app directs users to participating stations, and then users follow a few steps to earn money back, such as selecting “claim” on the app before filling up, paying with a credit and debit card and then uploading a receipt.