BP Gas Cards Compared

By Allison Martin

BP offers gas cards to individuals and businesses who want to get a handle on fuel expenditures while cutting costs at the pump.

BP Visa by Chase

Offered through its financial partner Chase, the BP Visa grants cardholders the opportunity to accumulate rebates through purchases to save on fill-ups. Within the first 60 days, cardholders can earn a rebate of $0.25 per gallon on every $100 in purchases made using this card. Other available rebates include:

$0.05 per gallon for every $100 spent on qualifying purchases
$0.15 per gallon for every $10 spent on BP purchases

Cardholders are also free to use the card anywhere VISA is accepted.

However, reviewers from Credit Karma feel that the card is not be worth having considering the high APR of 19.24% that you have to pay in order to reap the benefits that the card offers. In addition, since the rebate is only valid for up to 20 gallons and must be redeemed all at once, the most a regular cardholder can earn on a fill-up is $3.00. This is hardly a benefit if you drive a gas guzzler. It is also important to note that purchases at non-BP stations do not qualify for rebates.

BP Consumer Credit Card

The BP Consumer Credit Card is offered by BP and includes a simple rebate program. The cardholder receives a $0.05 per gallon rebate for every $100 spent on BP purchases.

Considering the unimpressive rewards system, reviewers from the Credit Card Forum do not think it is a credit card worth possessing. You must also take the gas station's pricing system into consideration as the credit price is typically higher, and shopping around may enable you to save just as much as what the rebate offers.

BP Gift Card

The BP Gift Card is a good item to give as a token of appreciation or as a gift for a special occasion. The balance can be used for gasoline and other in-store purchases. The card can be loaded in increments of $5 for up to $1,000 and must be activated at a participating BP location in order to use for purchases. Other benefits include:

No dormancy fee
No expiration date for cards that are not used over an extended period of time
Online balance inquiry system available 24/7

Consumers who purchased a BP Gift Card from eBay were satisfied because of the ease of use and added convenience of swiping at the pump.

Consumers should be aware that BP does not replace lost or stolen gift cards since they function like cash. BP Gift Cards can be purchased at any participating BP Service Station or by calling 1-800-750-3064.

BP Fleet Cards

BP has three gasoline cards available for businesses, depending on the size of their operation.

These include:

BP Business Solutions Fuel Program is for companies with a small number of vehicles and can be used at participating BP stations.
BP Business Solutions Fuel Plus Program is for companies with mid-size to large fleets and can be used at participating BP stations.
BP Business Solutions Universal Fuel Program is for large fleets and can be used wherever Master Card is accepted.

Pros

The three gasoline cards allow business owners to carefully analyze fuel spending and take the actions necessary to maximize efficiency. This is made possible by the detailed fuel reporting system and individual card controls. Businesses can also cut costs at the gas pump with the tiered rebate system that offers a discount of up to 4.5 cents per gallon. Other perks member of the fleet program enjoy include:

Protection against fraud with Driver Identification Numbers that are used to access account information
Online account management to activate or deactivate cards and change spending limits
Tax-exempt reporting
Online bill pay
24/7 customer service

Cons

With the exception of the BP Business Solutions Fuel Program participants, companies could incur losses on gasoline expenditures if a BP station is not within close proximity or on their routes.