Canadians have options when it comes to fuel rewards, but rather than signing up for all of them, choosing the most valuable ones can save you time and effort. The PC Optimum program at Esso is the best gas rewards program in Canada, making it a wise place to start.
Here, you'll find a comprehensive review of the best gas rewards programs in the country, as well as a comparison of the top credit cards for buying gas.
Key Takeaways
- The best gas station rewards program is Esso, giving you up to 0.5% back in PC Optimum Points, which can go up to 1.05% with affiliated credit cards.
- The best gas credit card is the American Express Cobalt, which can get you up to 4% back in points.
- You can use your Cobalt at Esso and scan your PC Optimum card to earn the highest-possible return of 4.5% on your gas purchases.
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What's the best gas station rewards program?
Each of the three main gas stations in Canada have rewards programs that you can participate in to earn points on every transaction.
To find the best program, we looked at how many points you’d earn for buying 20 L of regular fuel (assuming it cost $40) and divided that by the rate of return to find a program’s point value.
We found Esso and PC Optimum give you 0.5% return on every dollar you spend, making these the best gas rewards programs.
| Gas Station | Rewards Program | Earn Rate | Point Value | Rate Of Return | With Affiliated Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esso | PC Optimum | 10 points per litre | 0.1 cents | 0.5% | 1.05% (With the PC Financial Mastercards, you get 420 points – 20 points per litre + 10 points per $) |
| Petro-Canada | Petro-Points | 10 points per litre | 0.1 cents | 0.5% | 2.1% + credit card rewards (Earn 20% more points and save 3 cents per litre when using an RBC card) |
| Shell | Air Miles | 1 mile for every 20 L | 10.5 cents | 0.26% | 1.05% (BMO Air Miles cards will get you 3 miles per $25, giving you 4 total miles) |
Note: All comparisons assume a price of $2 per litre, with 20 litres purchased for $40.
PC Optimum and Esso
You can earn PC Optimum points on your Esso purchases at the following rates:
- 10 points per litre of fuel purchased, regardless of fuel grade, as well as an additional 1 point per litre if you buy premium gasoline
- 10 points per $1 on any other purchase at Esso stations, including eligible convenience store purchases and car washes.
For even more points, you'll get at least 30 points per litre when you complete the purchases with the PC Mastercard or earn 70 points per litre with a PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard.
Once you have your points padding your wallet, you have three options to redeem them:
| Redemption Option | Redemption Rules | Point Value | Return On $40 Of Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loblaws purchase | 10,000 points = $10 off | 0.1 cents per point | 0.5% |
| Esso fuel discount | 4,000 points = 10 cents saved per litre, up to 40 litres | 0.1 cents per point max (if you get 40 litres) | 0.5% |
| Free car wash | 10,000 points = any car wash | 0.15 cents per point max (depending on which car wash you get) | 0.75% |
Petro-Canada and the Petro-Points program
Out of the three gas stations on our list, Petro-Canada is the only one that has its own specialized rewards program: Petro-Points. Similar to Esso, you'll earn 10 points for every litre of fuel you purchase. You'll also get 10 points for every $1 you spend in the convenience store.
Petro-Canada also lets you earn even more rewards if you use a linked RBC credit card, letting you save three cents per litre and earn 20% bonus points.
There are several things you can do with your Petro-Points, which ends up with almost identical return as what you would get with Esso.
| Redemption | Redemption Rules | Point Value | Return On $40 Of Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redeem at Petro-Canada | 10,000 points = $10 off | 0.1 cents per point | 0.5% |
| Redeem for iTravel2000.com | 10,000 points = $10 off | 0.1 cents per point | 0.5% |
| Redeem for fuel savings card | 10,000 points = 5 cents saved per litre, up to 200 litres | 0.1 cents per point | 0.5% |
| Redeem for car washes | 10,000 points = any car wash | 0.15 cents per point max (depending on which car wash you get) | 0.75% |
If you want to increase your earn rates, here are some of the best RBC credit cards to look at.
×1 Award winner 
$100 GeniusCash + 55,000 points + Up to 2.33% return on purchases.*
GC: $100
1x Award winner 
Shell and Air Miles
Shell is one of the last major partners of the Air Miles program, earning you 1 mile per 20 litres of Bronze, Silver, and Diesel fuel. This goes up to 1 mile per 10 litres if you're buying V-Power grade, plus you get 1 mile per $5 spent in the convenience store.
A major downside to Shell is that you only earn rewards in increments of 20 litres. So, say you get 50 litres in your latest fillup, you're essentially not earning rewards on those excess 10 litres you purchased.
But there is an upside too – BMO Air Miles Mastercards earn 3x the miles at participating Air Miles partners, including Shell. This will bring your regular rate of return up to 1.05% instead of just 0.5%.
When it comes to redeeming your miles, you have four different ways:
| Redemption | Point Value | Return On $40 Of Fuel |
|---|---|---|
| Air Miles travel | 10 to 20 cents | 0.25% to 0.5% |
| Personal shopper, eVouchers, in-store discounts | 10.53 cents | 0.26% |
| Merchandise | 5 to 20 cents | 0.13% to 0.5% |
| Charitable donations | 10 cents | 0.25% |
If you want to get even more back on your purchases, here are the personal credit cards that offer the 3x the miles bonus – the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard is the standout here, offering 3 miles per $12 spent at participating Air Miles partners:
×1 Award winner GC: $150
1x Award winner Save on fuel at Shell with any BMO credit card
BMO has another partnership with Shell; with any registered BMO credit card, you can save two cents per litre on all grades of fuel and seven cents per litre on V-Power fuel.
Here are some of the BMO cards that can get this, on top of the Air Miles cards listed above:
GC: $150
GC: $125
GC: $150
Save on gas with the best credit cards for gas
If you want to boost your rewards no matter what gas station you visit, you'll want a credit card that offers bonus rewards on gas.
Here are five of your best options.
| Credit Card | Return On Gas | Annual Fee, Income Requirements | Apply Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Cobalt | Up to 4% (2 points per $1 spent) | * $155.88 * None |
Apply Now |
| BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite | Up to 3.35% (5 points per $1 spent) | * $120 * $60K personal/$100K household |
Apply Now |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | Up to 3% (3 points per $1 spent) | * $120 * $12K personal |
Apply Now |
| TD Cash Back Visa Infinite | Up to 3% cash back | * $139 * $60K personal/$100K household |
Apply Now |
| Tangerine Mastercard | Up to 2% cash back | * $0 * $12K personal |
Apply Now |
1. Best credit card for gas
Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.* Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.* ×8 Award winner 
8x Award winner
What you earn on gas: Up to 4% (2 points per $1)
For one of the best returns on gas you can get, look no further than the
We love this card for many reasons, especially since the Amex Membership Rewards point is worth up to 2 cents each, giving you a return of up to 2% on gas.
2. Best flexible rewards credit card for gas
GC: $150What you earn on gas: Up to 3.35% (5 points per $1 spent)
In the non-Amex category, the
If you want even more points, add an authorized user to the account (for $50) to earn a 10% points bonus. On top of that, you can also save $50 on your first purchase of over $50 as part of the annual lifestyle credit.
3. Best no foreign exchange fee credit card for gas
×1 Award winner GC: $60
1x Award winner What you earn on gas: Up to 3% (3 points per $1 spent)
The
When you redeem points for either travel or groceries at Sobeys or Safeway through Scene+, you're looking at a return of 3% on gas purchases.
4. Earn plenty of rewards and get free roadside assistance
GC: $100
What you earn on gas: Up to 3% cash back
Roadside assistance is a nice plus when you own a vehicle. It's a rare credit card perk, but the
It's also a terrific card for earning rewards on gas:
- 3% cash back on gas, groceries, EV charging, public transit, digital gaming, and recurring bills
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Although the base earn rate is a little low, the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card card would make a great companion card alongside the other helpful options in your wallet.
5. Best no annual fee credit card for gas
×1 Award winner GC: $125
1x Award winner What you earn on gas: Up to 2% cash back
If you want a no fee credit card for getting gas, look no further than the
You can choose two categories in which to earn unlimited 2% cash, including gas, and all other purchases earn you 0.5%. If you decide to deposit your cash back into a Tangerine Savings Account, you can get another boosted earning category.
Here's the list of category choices:
FAQ
Which gas station has the best rewards in Canada?
Esso and Petro-Canada programs have the highest rewards, offering up to 0.5% cash back. However, using the right credit card can mean you earn even more, up to 1.05% at Esso or 2.1% at Petro-Canada.
Which card gives the most points for gas?
The American Express Cobalt Card gives up to 4% cash back on gas. Plus, if you use the card at Esso and scan your PC Optimum card, you’ll get a total of 4.5% back on your purchase.
Does Costco give rewards on gas?
Yes, if you have a CIBC Costco Mastercard, you’ll earn 3% cash back when you fill up at Costco gas stations. You can use other credit cards for Costco gas as well, but you still need a Costco membership.
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