6 Best Apps That Help You Find Cheap Gas
Written by
Karen Doyle
Edited by
Caitlyn Moorhead
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With national gas prices now averaging over $3, consumers are spending a significant amount of their paychecks on fuel. Fortunately, you can make your trips to the pump less painful by downloading certain apps. Some are just for gas, others are more general travel apps and some help you save on many purchases, not just gas. Here are the six best apps for finding cheap gas.
GasBuddy
- Best for Gas Rewards
GasBuddy helps you find the cheapest gas in your area by relying on users to post the cost of gas at stations where they fill up. When you’re running low, just check the app and it will point you to the cheapest gas near you.
GasBuddy can also save you money when you pay with your GasBuddy card. This isn’t a debit or credit card, per se, but it links to your debit card. When you pay for purchases or dine with the GasBuddy card, your linked card is debited, and you earn points that you can use for free gas. Similar to using a gift card, you get “GasBack” offers from major retailers like Home Depot, Old Navy, Petco and more.
The card works at 95% of gas stations, according to GasBuddy. Just pay with your GasBuddy card to fill up, and your cash back will automatically be redeemed.
One thing to keep in mind is that GasBuddy relies on crowdsourcing for its prices, so rapidly fluctuating prices may only be as accurate as the last customer who posted the price.
Gas Guru
- Best for filters
Gas Guru is a directory of gas stations. You can search for gas near you, filtering for locations that also offer repairs, have ATMs, are open 24 hours a day or have a car wash. You don’t have to create an account, although you can save your favorite stations so you can see crowdsourced prices at a glance.
As another app with crowdsourced pricing, Gas Guru might not be completely accurate in the prices it displays. Some of the less positive reviews mention accuracy and dependability getting worse as you travel farther from home.
Fuelio
- Best for business expenses
Fuelio is a vehicle management app that is particularly useful for those who use their car for business purposes. You can track your business miles and other expenses like gas and repairs, as well as miles per gallon, and you can use it for multiple vehicles.
It also has a gas price tracking feature that uses crowdsourcing, so users post gas prices to keep them up to date and give you the best deal alerts. As Fuelio relies on crowdsourcing for its price tracking, keep in mind you might see some variation.
Waze
- Best for hybrids and electric vehicles
Waze provides driving directions, including suggesting alternate routes depending on traffic or construction delays. The app relies on crowdsourcing too, so it needs users to report disabled vehicles, police cars and other potential hazards.
It includes a directory of gas stations that sorts them by distance and provides the current prices as updated by users. The lowest prices are highlighted in green so you can easily see where the bargains are. When you tap on the station you want to go to, you get driving directions to get you there.
AAA TripTik
- Best for overall benefits
Being a member of AAA does have its benefits. Though you may already have the free mobile app for roadside assistance, it will also show you the cheapest gas within two miles of where you are and will let you know where you can get additional discounts through AAA.
Upside
- Best for cash back on gas
Upside pays you cash back on purchases at lots of different merchants, including many national gas retailers. In fact, there are more than 45,000 gas stations across the country that will give you cash back when you fill up with Upside.
From the app, look for the offers nearby. Then use your credit or debit card at the pump and follow the instructions on the app to get cash back. Keep in mind, some reviews mention difficulty getting receipts to qualify and accumulating enough cash back to cash out.
Caitlyn Moorhead, Cynthia Measom and Daria Uhlig contributed to the reporting for this article.
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