The Cheapest Gas in the U.S. Isn’t at Costco! How to Stack Discounts for Cheap or Even Free Gas

Long Story Short

With gas prices so high, Costco gas stations still have long lines every day. In reality, many Costco locations are only a few cents per gallon cheaper than nearby gas stations. Personally, I do not have much patience for waiting in a long line just to save that small amount.

I recently found a gas-saving method that is better suited for people willing to do a little setup: stack OnePay, Chevron’s new-member discount, and credit card rewards. On Wednesdays, you may be able to save around $2.50 per gallon. If you also have a Chase Offer, the discount can be even better.

The real example in this article is filling up with 93-octane gas at a Chevron in California, where the regular price was about $6.50 per gallon. After stacking the different offers, the final effective cost was under $3.70 per gallon. When I saw that price, my first reaction was: I really do not need to line up at Costco anymore just to save a few cents!

What Do You Need?

• A free OnePay account;
• A free Chevron Texaco Rewards account;
• A credit card with strong gas rewards;
• If you have an Offer for Chevron in your account, remember to add it in advance.

How to Do It

Step 1: Sign Up for OnePay

First, sign up for OnePay through the link below, then download the OnePay App.

• OnePay sign-up link

After signing up, go to Rewards in the App and select Gas to view nearby participating gas stations. Using Chevron as an example, different stations usually offer around $0.48–$0.49 per gallon in rewards.

Every Wednesday, OnePay also offers an extra $1 per gallon back. If you include the regular gas station reward of nearly $0.50 per gallon, using OnePay to fill up on Wednesday can earn you close to $1.50 per gallon back in total.

Do not wait until you arrive at the gas station to figure this out. You need to find the specific station in the App and activate the Offer first. Based on my experience, it is best to activate it within four hours before filling up, then go get gas. The offer page says the rewards usually post as OnePay Points within 2–10 days.

Step 2: Sign Up for Chevron Rewards

Next, sign up for a free Chevron Texaco Rewards account. After new members complete registration, the first five qualifying fill-ups each get a $1 per gallon discount.

• Chevron Texaco Rewards sign-up link

My referral code is UL22O1G6. Make sure to enter it in all capital letters; the O is the letter O, not the number 0. This gives you $1 off per gallon for each of your first five fill-ups at Chevron stations when you enter your phone number, up to 35 gallons. If there is no Chevron near you, you can also check Shell; the method is similar.

Step 3: Link a High-Rewards Credit Card

You can add your own credit cards to OnePay Wallet. Go to Wallet, link the credit card you plan to use for gas, activate the gas station Offer, and then pay with the linked physical credit card. Eligible purchases may still track properly through OnePay.

Right now, the Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex 5x categories for Q3 2026 include gas stations. The promotion runs through September 30, but you need to activate it by September 14.

If you value UR points at 1.6 cents each, 5x is roughly equivalent to an 8% return. Some Chase accounts may also have a Chase Offer such as Chevron 3% off. If you happen to have one on your card, you can stack it as well.

How Much Can You Actually Save?

Using Chevron as an example, these layers of discounts can theoretically stack like this:

• Regular OnePay gas station rewards: about $0.50/gal;
• Extra OnePay Wednesday rewards: $1/gal;
• Chevron new-member discount: $1/gal;
• Chase Freedom 5x: roughly an 8% return if valuing UR points at 1.6 cpp;
• Chase Offer: some accounts also have a targeted Chevron 3% off offer.

Counting only the OnePay and Chevron offers, you can already save about $2.50 per gallon; credit card rewards and Chase Offers stack on top of that.

Here is one real data point from my own test:

• Gas purchase amount: over $70;
• OnePay posted: 1,531 points, equivalent to $15.31;
• Chevron new-member discount: another $1 off per gallon;
• Chase Freedom 5x: roughly an 8% return if valuing UR points at 1.6 cpp;
• Final result: 93-octane gas in California with a regular price of about $6.50/gal dropped to an effective cost under $3.70/gal.

Getting California gas down to this level already feels pretty good to me. If you are in a state with lower gas prices and can stack more credit card or gas station promotions, the theoretical cost could be extremely low.

Rococo’s Reminders

First, the gas station rewards in OnePay are not the same at every location. I can see $0.48–$0.49 per gallon at Chevron near me, but the stations near you may be higher or lower. Always check in the App before you head out.

Second, activate the OnePay Offer first, then get gas. Do not reverse the order. Otherwise, you may finish filling up only to find that the purchase did not track, and missing out on more than $10 would really hurt. After activating, it is also a good idea to save a screenshot and delete it after the rewards post.

Third, Chevron’s $1 per gallon discount is a limited-time new-member offer. It only applies to the first five fill-ups, and it expires. Since the number of uses is limited, I would try to wait until the tank is fairly empty so I can make fuller use of the discount each time.

Fourth, Freedom 5x requires separate activation, and Chase Offers are targeted, so not everyone will have them. When paying with a third-party credit card, also make sure that card has been added correctly to OnePay Wallet, and read the offer terms in your own account carefully.

Finally, if there is no Chevron near you, you can also check Shell, Exxon, or other gas stations in the OnePay App. The basic method is similar: first look for OnePay rewards, then check the gas station’s own new-member rewards, and finally stack credit card rewards. You have to spend this money every week anyway, so you might as well save it when you can.

Of course, we have also summarized cards that earn bonus rewards on gas. You can read more here:

Credit Card	Cash Back	Annual Fee	Notes	Apply
AMEX Business Gold	About 6% (4x MR, excluding EV)	$375	U.S. gas stations need to be one of the top two spending categories in each Billing Cycle to earn 4x; up to $150,000 in combined spending in designated categories per year earns 4x	Apply
Sam's Club Mastercard	5% (including EV)	$0	Gas and EV Charging earn 5% on the first $6,000 in combined purchases per year, then 1%; requires an active Sam's Club membership and the Mastercard version	Apply
US Bank Altitude Connect	4% (including EV)	$0	Gas and EV Charging earn 4x on the first $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1x	Apply
Citi Costco	Costco gas 5%; other gas and EV 4%	$0	Costco Gas 5%; other eligible gas and EV Charging 4%; combined spending in both categories earns 1% after the first $7,000 per year; requires an active Costco membership	Apply
Citi Strata Premier	About 4.5% (3x TYP, including EV)	$95	Gas and EV Charging are both 3x, with no spending cap; dining, supermarkets, airfare, and hotels are also 3x	Apply
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa (formerly Alaska Visa)	About 3.2% (2x, including EV)	$95	Gas, EV Charging, Cable, Streaming, and Local Transit are all 2x; a qualifying BofA account also gets an extra 10% Points Bonus	Apply
BofA Customized Cash Rewards	6% in year one, then 3%-5.25% (including EV)	$0	Select the Gas & EV Charging category; 6% in year one, then back to 3%. Combined spending in your chosen category and supermarkets/Wholesale Club is capped at $2,500 per quarter; BofA Rewards can be boosted to as much as 5.25% long term	Apply
Wells Fargo Autograph	About 3.6% (3x, including EV)	$0	Gas and EV Charging earn 3x, with no annual fee; dining, travel, transit, streaming, and phone bills are also 3x	Apply
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday	3% (excluding EV)	$0	U.S. gas stations earn 3% on the first $6,000 in spending per year, then 1%; supermarkets and U.S. online shopping each also have separate $6,000 annual caps	Apply
AMEX Blue Cash Preferred	3% (excluding EV)	First year $0, then $95	U.S. gas stations earn 3%, and Transit is also 3%; gas 3% has no separate $6,000 annual cap	Apply
Barclays AARP Essential	3% (excluding EV)	$0	Gas stations and drugstores earn 3% with no cap; eligible medical spending earns 2%	Apply
Detailed analysis: Best Credit Cards for Gas Stations and EV Charging

About Luokeke

Hi, I’m Luokeke, and I’ve been living in the U.S. for more than ten years. I love researching credit card offers and also enjoy sharing everyday deals. I handle the finances at home and have quite a bit of insight into investing and personal finance. Below are the articles I’ve contributed!

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