The best no-fee card for both gas and transit in 2026 is the Wells Fargo Autograph Card: 3x points at gas stations, EV chargers and on transit, with no cap. If your household also spends heavily at supermarkets, the Blue Cash Preferred from American Express pays 3% on U.S. gas and transit plus 6% on groceries for a $95 fee after the first year. For the highest rate on one category, the Citi Custom Cash pays 5% on up to $500 a month.
Which one wins depends on whether you mostly drive, mostly ride, or do both. Here’s how they compare.
Which cards pay the most on gas and transit? #
| Card | Gas | Transit | Annual fee | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Autograph | 3x (incl. EV charging) | 3x | $0 | Points worth about 1 cent each |
| Blue Cash Preferred (Amex) | 3% U.S. gas stations | 3% | $0 first year, then $95 | 2.7% foreign transaction fee |
| Citi Custom Cash | 5% if gas is your top category | 5% if transit is your top category | $0 | $500 per billing cycle, one category only |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 3x (incl. EV charging) | 2x as “other travel” | $95 | Pays off only if you use Chase points |
| Costco Anywhere Visa | 4% (incl. Costco gas and EV) | 3% eligible travel | $0 with membership | 4% capped at $7,000 a year; rewards paid once a year |
| Bank of America Customized Cash | 3% if you pick gas | 1% | $0 | $2,500 quarterly cap shared with groceries |
Earn rates are from each issuer’s published terms as of September 2026. Check the current terms before you apply, because gas categories change more often than most.
Wells Fargo Autograph: best no-fee card for both #
The Autograph earns 3x on gas stations and EV charging stations, transit, restaurants, travel, popular streaming services and phone plans, and 1x on everything else. Wells Fargo’s transit definition is broad: parking, tolls, subways, rideshares, railways and ferries all count. There’s no cap and no annual fee.
It’s the wrong card if you want the absolute top rate at the pump. A 5% card beats it on gas, and the Autograph’s points are worth about a cent each unless you transfer them to Wells Fargo’s travel partners.
Blue Cash Preferred: best for families with a commute #
Amex pays 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (taxis and rideshares, parking, tolls, trains and buses), 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year, and 6% on select U.S. streaming services. The fee is $0 the first year, then $95. Spend about $132 a month at supermarkets and the grocery rate alone covers it.
It’s wrong for international driving (2.7% foreign transaction fee) and for people who buy groceries at Costco, Walmart or Target, which don’t code as supermarkets. Amex’s Blue Cash Preferred page lists the current categories.
Citi Custom Cash: best rate on a single category #
The Custom Cash pays 5% on your top eligible category each billing cycle, on up to $500 of spending, then 1%. Gas stations are one eligible category. “Select transit” is another, and Citi puts EV charging inside transit, alongside tolls, parking, commuter rail, subways and taxis.
The limit is that only one category earns 5% per cycle. A driver who spends $400 a month on gas gets 5% on all of it. Someone splitting $250 on gas and $250 on tolls and parking gets 5% on only one of those buckets. That makes it a great second card and a weak only card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: best if you collect Chase points #
The Sapphire Preferred now earns 3x at gas stations and EV charging, 3x on dining, 2x on other travel (which covers transit such as trains, tolls and parking), and 5x on Chase Travel. For a $95 fee you also get Chase’s transfer partners and primary rental car coverage. It only beats the Autograph if you’ll actually transfer points or book through Chase Travel at a better rate. See the best way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Costco Anywhere Visa: best for Costco gas #
Most cards pay only 1% at warehouse club pumps. The Costco Anywhere Visa pays 4% on gas and EV charging, Costco included, on up to $7,000 a year, then 1%. It has no fee beyond your Costco membership. The drawback is that rewards arrive once a year as a certificate you spend at Costco. Our best credit card for Costco guide covers it in detail.
What counts as “transit” and what counts as “gas”? #
Issuers sort purchases by the merchant category code the merchant’s bank assigns, not by what you bought. That’s why the same fill-up can earn 4% on one card and 1% on another.
Transit usually includes: subways, city buses, commuter and passenger rail, rideshares and taxis, tolls (including E-ZPass-style accounts), parking lots and garages, and ferries. Flights, hotels and rental cars are “travel,” not transit, on most cards.
Gas usually includes: stand-alone gas stations and the convenience store at the same register. It usually excludes pumps at Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s, Walmart and some grocery stores, which code differently.
EV charging is the inconsistent one. Wells Fargo, Chase and Bank of America group it with gas. Citi groups it with transit. Some cards don’t reward it at all. If you’re unsure how a merchant codes, how to find credit card merchant category codes walks through checking it.
Do rotating 5% cards cover gas? #
Often, for one quarter a year. From July 1 through September 30, 2026, the Chase Freedom Flex’s Q3 categories include gas stations and EV charging plus public transit, and Discover it Cash Back’s Q3 list includes gas stations, EV charging and transportation. Both pay 5% on up to $1,500 in the quarter and both require activation. Chase’s Q3 deadline is September 14, 2026.
Missing activation drops you to 1%. Credit Card Central sends a quarterly nudge to activate rotating 5% categories on the cards you flag, which is the step people forget. Our guide to maximizing 5% rotating category cards covers the rest.
What’s the best two-card setup for commuters? #
| Situation | Card for gas | Card for transit and the rest | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive a lot, no fees | Citi Custom Cash (5% up to $500/month) | Wells Fargo Autograph (3x transit, dining, phone) | 5% on fuel, 3% on everything commute-related |
| Suburban family | Costco Anywhere Visa (4% gas) | Blue Cash Preferred (6% groceries, 3% transit) | Covers Costco fuel and supermarket runs |
| City rider, no car | None needed | Wells Fargo Autograph | 3x on subway, rideshare, parking and tolls |
| Chase points collector | Sapphire Preferred (3x gas) | Freedom Flex in gas/transit quarters | Everything pools into Ultimate Rewards |
The hard part of any two-card setup isn’t choosing it. It’s remembering which card to tap at the pump and which at the turnstile. Credit Card Central’s Which Card? screen ranks the cards in your own wallet for a category like gas or transit, using rates it reads from text such as “3x on transit” or rates you set per category. It needs no bank login and keeps everything on your phone.
Frequently asked questions #
Does Costco gas count as a gas station purchase? #
Usually not. Most issuers code warehouse club fuel as a warehouse purchase, so gas cards pay their base 1% there. The Costco Anywhere Visa is the main exception, paying 4% on Costco gas on up to $7,000 a year.
Is EV charging gas or transit? #
It depends on the issuer. Wells Fargo, Chase and Bank of America group EV charging with gas stations, while Citi puts it under select transit on the Custom Cash. Check your card’s category definitions before relying on a bonus.
Are Uber and Lyft considered transit? #
On most cards, yes. The Blue Cash Preferred and Wells Fargo Autograph both count rideshares as transit. Some cards also run separate Lyft promotions, so a ride can occasionally earn more than the transit rate.
Does paying with Apple Pay change my gas or transit rewards? #
No. The purchase still carries the merchant’s category code, so a phone tap at a gas pump or subway gate earns the same rate as the physical card.
What’s the best no-annual-fee card for gas? #
For most people it’s the Wells Fargo Autograph at 3x with no cap. If your gas spending fits under $500 a month and you can dedicate a card to it, the Citi Custom Cash pays 5%.