Drivers seek ways to save at the pump

For American drivers, penny-pinching is becoming a high art. With gasoline prices rising, cost-conscious drivers are trying everything from gas-station loyalty programs, carpooling, and credit-card rebates to stepped-up maintenance and gentler driving habits in order to pay less at the pump.

Liane Adduci, a public relations consultant, lives 50 miles from her office in Chicago. She and her husband carpool to work and leave at 3:30 a.m. to beat rush-hour traffic. Still, she estimates they pay from $800 to $1,000 a month for gas.

They now have signed up for a free Speedway SuperAmerica loyalty card that saves them 5 cents per gallon. With gasoline currently at $2.79 a gallon at her neighborhood station, Ms. Adduci pays $50 to fill her SUV. Her husband pays $70 to fill his truck. She estimates the card saves her family hundreds of dollars a year. "I had never been brand loyal when it comes to gas, but I'm loyal to Speedway because of the card," she says. "We feel like we're getting at least some break."

Most gasoline stations and many retailers have instituted loyalty programs. Ameranda Hess Corporation's Hess Visa Platinum, for example, saves drivers 10 percent on Hess gasoline and 5 percent on everything else for the first 90 days. The rebate then drops to 5 percent at Hess and 1 percent elsewhere. Savings are applied automatically to a user's next balance. Conoco's credit card provides a 3 percent rebate on purchases at Phillips 66, Conoco, and 76.

Credit-card programs have been popping up for years. Most offer a 5 percent bonus for gasoline purchases. Discover's Platinum Gas Card saves customers up to 5 percent on gasoline with the savings going toward cash or doubled for gift certificates at participating retailers and travel companies.

Citi Card offers a 3 to 5 percent discount on gas through partners Shell Oil Co., ConocoPhillips Co., Sunoco Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., and CITGO Petroleum Corp. Rebates can be redeemed toward purchases at the partner location via a credit on the monthly statement. JP Morgan Chase has partnership cards with BP, Hess, Irving Oil, and Speedway. (Consumers should weigh these savings against finance charges on unpaid balances.)

If a credit-card company offers a higher discount for gasoline than for, say, bagels, drivers might want to fill up at a dedicated gas station rather than just a business that sells gasoline and a myriad of other products. Sometimes gas purchases at those stores come across as general merchandise rather than gasoline, thereby trimming savings.

Many grocery-store chains offer discounts linked to spending in the store. Gas stations at Kroger supermarkets in the mid-Atlantic region, Southeast, and Midwest offer a 10 cent per gallon discount on a fill-up for every $100 that customers spend in the grocery store.

Sibling brands like King Soopers in Colorado and Dillons in Kansas offer the same deal. Some stores also have separate discounts, including a 3 cent per gallon discount when drivers use the pertinent store card.

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