9 Best Gas Apps That Pay You Back: Ranked & Reviewed [2023]

Gasoline prices continue to soar, increasing expenses every time you visit local gas stations.

As a result, you likely have done different ways to limit your fuel consumption and lower your gas expenses.

One solution includes using a gas app that pays you back.

These cash-back apps let you earn a few cents per gallon or a percentage of your purchase. Some apps also offer gas station deals to help you save more money.

If you’d like to reduce your fuel prices and start saving money, consider trying the following free gas money-back apps.

An Overview of Gas Apps That Pays You Back

If you don’t know about gas cash-back apps and loyalty programs, learn more about them before checking the list below.

What Is a Gas App That Pays You Back?

A gas app that pays back commonly refers to a cash-back app that lets you earn a small portion of your gas purchases to save money.

This free gas rewards app also offers the latest deals from nearby gas stations to help you save more.

Generally, you buy from a gas station or other participating businesses, upload your receipt, receive points, and claim rewards after collecting enough points.

Why Are Gas Apps That Pay You Back Important?

Gas money-back apps allow commuters and gig workers in the delivery and rideshare industries to maximize their purchases by getting cash back on gas.

As a result, they save money in the long run.

Besides this, many apps provide features to help users find the cheapest gas in their area for increased savings.

For businesses, partnering with a gas cash-back app helps increase their sales and improve customer loyalty.

Do I Need a Gas App That Pays You Back?

If you travel or commute frequently via car or motorcycle, a gas cash-back app will help you save money.

It gives you access to deals and discounts and allows you to find the best fuel prices in your city.

It’ll also be helpful for delivery riders, rideshare drivers, and anyone in the transportation industry since they can save on every gas mileage.

The Best Gas Apps That Pay You Back at a Glance

If you want the best of the best, try the following apps:

What Is the Best Gas App That Pays You Back?

Upside offers the best gas app on this list.

This free app provides decent cash-back rates and includes various retail partners in the gas and food industry, like Shell, Chevron, KFC, and Taco Bell.

The app also uses smart technology to personalize the offers you see, depending on your area and spending habits. As a result, you see more relevant offers.

What Is the Best Paid Gas App That Pays You Back?

GasBuddy offers one of the most ideal paid gas apps. 

This gas app offers a paid premium plan where users can save up to 40 cents per gallon for up to 50 gallons per month.

Users get up to 25 cents per gallon on savings without the paid plan.

Features to Look For in Gas Apps That Pay You Back

Using a gas savings app offers one of the best passive income ideas when commuting or traveling. Consider looking for the following features to find the best ones:

Rewards

What types of rewards does the app offer? Most gas money-back apps let you earn points every time you fill up your gas and shop from partner gas stations.

You can exchange these points for real cash, gift cards, and discounts.

Consider the reward you want, and look for a rewards app that offers them.

Payment Method

Check how to claim the rewards. Common payment channels include PayPal, bank transfer, and over-the-counter withdrawals at a partner gas station.

Also, research the app’s required minimum payout. Some apps, like Upside, have no minimum balance required, while others need you to reach up to $20 before withdrawing.

Accessibility

Can you use the app in your area, other states, or other countries? Does it have area restrictions?

Most of the apps listed below work in the United States and Canada. However, some don’t work in certain cities.

User-friendliness

As with other technology, these apps also encounter technical issues. Common issues users encounter include the app freezing and not reflecting their points after purchase.

Check the reviews to see if users experience glitches and other app concerns.

Other Features

Besides getting cash back on gas and other purchases, does the app include other features?

For example, some apps allow you to find cheap gas and compare fuel prices in your area. 

Some loyalty programs also give you a physical card to use whenever you make purchases to collect points easier.

You can then use the app to track your expenses, points, and rewards.

Best Gas Apps That Pay You Back: Our Top 3 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

1. Upside: Our Pick

Upside, formerly called GetUpside, offers a free app for finding deals and earning cash back on participating fuel stations, groceries, restaurants, and retailers.

Its process includes claiming offers from gas stations on the app, paying via credit or debit card, logging your purchase, and earning cash back.

You can get paid on PayPal, your bank account, or via a gift card.

Key Features of Upside

The Upside app includes the following features:

• Cash Back Reward: The app’s main reward includes its cash-back system. You receive a specific amount of cash back, depending on the offer.
• Business Partnership: Upside also allows businesses to join via the app. Upside claims they’re the only cash-back app delivering measurable profit and the best cash-back rates in the market.
• Personalized Offers: Although most apps on the list use your location to show personalized offers, Upside takes it a notch higher by also considering your spending habits and other factors. As a result, you get the most relevant promos for you.
• Various Retail Partners: Get offers from fuel, grocery, and restaurant shops. Some of their participating fuel stations include Shell, Valero, Chevron, Circle K, Speedway, and more.
• Upside Pay: This offer lets you earn cash back instantly when you purchase a gift card through the app. You can use the gift card for all of Upside’s partner retailers, online and offline.

Pros of Upside

Why should you use Upside? Discover some of its perks:

• No Cash Back Expiration: Unlike some apps, your cash back never expires and has no limit. You can keep it as long as your account remains active and has good standing.
• Free and Easy to Use: The app doesn’t need much information to sign up on the site or mobile app. You can connect with your Facebook account or Apple ID for faster registration.
• No Minimum Payout: You don’t need to wait to reach a specific amount to withdraw your rewards. Withdraw anytime since Upside has no minimum payout.

Cons of Upside

Like other apps, Upside also has flaws. Keep the following downsides in mind before using the app:

• Limited-Time Offers: When you claim an offer, remember to use it within its specified validity before it expires. 
• Long Processing Time: Processing an offer and receipt takes up to 10 days since the app needs time to verify the transaction. You’ll receive a notification via email or mobile after processing.
• Accepts Credit or Debit Card Purchases Only: You’ll only earn cash back if you pay via credit or debit card. The app doesn’t recognize payments for gas and grocery purchases made through cash, gift cards, prepaid debit or credit cards, or EBT.

Upside Income

Upside offers an average of 11 cents per gallon on gas purchases. However, gas stations offer different deals, with some offering gas deals of 25 cents for every gallon.

Meanwhile, you can save money on food and groceries, as restaurants offer an average of 10% cash back, and groceries offer around 7%.

Bottom Line

Upside offers an ideal way to earn extra via cash back and save money in the long run.

Consider getting this if you spend time on the road and want an easy way to earn money back for gas, food, and other items.

2. GasBuddy: Runner-Up

GasBuddy offers a gas-saving program by giving discounts or cash back on all your purchases.

This gas app has various partners you can earn rewards, including gas stations, restaurants, and retailers.

Also, it offers frequent travelers and gig earners like rideshare drivers a way to save money by helping them find the cheapest gas prices.

Key Features of GasBuddy

Explore the different features of this gas app:

• Gas Rewards: GasBuddy offers different rewards every time you make a gas purchase or shop through the app. Also, earn rewards at Home Depot, Walmart, and more.
• GasBuddy Fuel Card: Besides the app, you can also get a free gas card to help you save on every gallon whenever you fill up your car. You can also pay through GasBuddy by linking your debit card. 
• Gas Price Finder: GasBuddy also helps you find cheaper gas station prices. Search for a specific fuel type, sort the results by price, and find information like nearby restrooms or convenience stores.
• Driving Habits Tracker: This free app also includes a habit tracker that automatically logs your trips. Discover your driving habits and learn to be more efficient in fuel consumption.
• Gas Price Reporting: Users can report fuel prices and discounts on the app, allowing everyone to see real-time offers in their city.

Pros of GasBuddy

Consider the following perks of using GasBuddy:

• Wide Selection of Brands and Gas Stations: GasBuddy covers most gas stations and brands, unlike some fuel apps. These brands include Shell, Speedway, Mobil, Exxon, Chevron, Circle K, 7-Eleven, and more.
• Premium Plan: You can purchase the Plus or Premium plan to earn better gas rewards, cash-back rates, and other services.
• Other Gas Tools: Get tools for better fuel insights, including gas price charts, a gas price map, fuel demand, an outage tracker, a fuel logbook, and more. 

Cons of GasBuddy

Before getting GasBuddy, check out some of the downsides of this app:

• Need to Pay for Better Offers: Although the app’s free version has good perks, you’ll need to pay for the Plus or Premium plan to get better deals and savings. 
• Limited Countries: The app only works in the United States and Canada. If you’re traveling to other countries, you can’t check the area’s gas prices.
• Privacy Concerns: According to a report, GasBuddy collects and shares lots of user data, including your location. If you’re wary about your data, check their privacy policy to learn more about the data they collect.

GasBuddy Income

Using the free plan can save you up to 25 cents for every gallon.

Meanwhile, paying $7.99 monthly for the Plus plan provides a guaranteed 20 cents per gallon for up to 50 gallons monthly and five cents per gallon on every fill after that.

Lastly, the Premium plan costs $9.99 monthly, enabling you to save up to 40 cents per gallon on gas prices, get exclusive access to rewards, and receive 24-hour roadside assistance.

Bottom Line

Overall, GasBuddy offers an ideal gas rewards app with the best gas prices in your city. Its multiple features will help you save on gas and make your fuel consumption more efficient.

3. Trunow: Also Great

The Trunow app allows you to scan receipts for cash. It provides cash back on gas for every receipt you submit from participating gas stations.

Also, this cash-back app offers rewards for every in-store purchase you make from partner retailers.

Key Features of Trunow

Discover the various features of this app:

• Cash Back: Earn money for every gas purchase or grocery haul by photographing your receipt and uploading it on the app.
• Receipt Validation: You earn cash back when the app validates a photo of your receipt. The app only accepts receipt photos to earn cash.
• Finding Deals: Search for the best fuel prices, shop deals through the app, and earn cash back for everyday purchases.
• Various Partners: Users can earn money back from various gas stations and retailers in their area. Some of their partners include Shell, Chevron, Exxon, Costco, Arco, 7-Eleven, and more.
• Trunow App: You can only access this service via the app, which you can download on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Pros of Trunow

Explore the advantages of using Trunow:

• Free and Easy to Use: Users don’t need to pay anything to join, and the app features a simple interface, making it user-friendly for non-tech-savvy people.
• Established App: Trunow launched in 2017, making it one of the market’s most established and reliable apps.
• Available in Most Cities: Although some users claim the app doesn’t work in their city, it works in most major cities, including San Francisco, New York, Florida, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Baltimore, and more.

Cons of Trunow

As with other reward apps, Trunow has some cons you may need to know before signing up:

• Unupdated Gas Prices: According to user reviews, the app hasn’t updated its gas prices since the pandemic, resulting in inaccurate prices.
• App Issues: Users report that the app sometimes becomes unresponsive, and contacting customer service is difficult.
• Minimum Payout: You must have at least $10 in your balance to withdraw $5 via PayPal. The app has limited retailers that allow you to cash out your earnings.

Trunow Income

According to their site, Trunow commonly offers a 1% cash back on deals, with only a few offering 2% cash back.

Bottom Line

Trunow offers a promising app for its 1% to 2% cash-back deals. Consider using the app if you want an easy-to-use app you can access in most major cities in the United States.

Notable Mentions: Other Gas Apps That Pay You Back To Check Out

4. Shell Fuel Rewards: Best Gas Station Rewards Program

The Shell Fuel Rewards program lets members save on gas fills at any Shell station nationwide. It’s one of the most used loyalty programs because of the brand’s popularity.

Downloading the app lets you track your rewards and status, activate offers, find other rewards, and locate nearby gas stations.

Overall, it’s one of the apps that actually pay you cash back for purchasing gas, shopping, dining, and more.

Why is Shell Fuel Rewards a Great Option?

Joining the Shell Fuel Rewards program gives you instant Gold Status, allowing you to save up to 75 cents per gallon.

You can also earn points whenever you buy gas, food, items, and more.

Drawbacks to Shell Fuel Rewards

Their store card only works at Shell stations, and you only earn rebates on Shell purchases. Also, unlike some apps, you don’t receive a sign-up bonus.

Shell Fuel Rewards Income

Using the Shell Fuel Rewards app saves you 10 cents for every gallon. However,  you can only receive savings for up to 35 gallons every time you fill up your gas.

Members also get 10% rebates on a total fuel purchase of $1,200.

5. Murphy Drive Rewards: Best Gas App in the South and Midwest

The Murphy Drive Rewards app allows users to redeem offers on Murphy deals and get points for gas discounts.

If you do parcel, food, grocery, or alcohol delivery in the South or Midwest, consider trying the Murphy Drive Rewards to earn money back and save money on gas.

Why is Murphy Drive Rewards a Great Option?

Unlike some brands, this gas discount app lets you choose an exclusive welcome reward.

Also, you can cash in your point for a dollar off per gallon or free snacks at a Murphy gas station.

Plus, it has a gas finder and comparison feature for convenience and extra savings.

Drawbacks to Murphy Drive Rewards

Some reviews on Google Play Store say the app has a poor user experience, as it crashed, stopped working, or lost data.

Some members also claim that the app doesn’t reflect the points or they don’t receive the rewards.

Besides this, it generally takes time to earn points since the rewards yield few points.

Murphy Drive Rewards Income

You earn a point for every gallon of gas and two points for every dollar of Murphy item you purchase.

When cashing out, you need 100 points to get a 10-cent discount per gallon of gas.

You can receive withdrawals via credit or debit card.

6. Exxon Mobil Rewards+: Best for Paying Fuel With the App

The Exxon Mobil Rewards+ app helps you earn, track, and redeem the points you earn from fuel and convenience store purchases. 

It’s ideal for gig workers in car rental, rideshare, or delivery businesses since you can also use the app to pay for your fuel seamlessly.

Why is Exxon Mobil Rewards+ a Great Option?

Using this fuel rewards app, you can pay for fuel using your phone via Google Pay and other payment methods and look for the nearest gas stations of Exxon and Mobil.

You can also earn rewards for fuel convenience store purchases and monitor your purchases and rewards.

Drawbacks to Exxon Mobil Rewards+

As with other gas rewards apps of a specific fuel station, the app only works at Mobil™ or Exxon™ stations or convenience stores.

Also, bonus rewards on non-gas purchases have limited amounts.

Exxon Mobil Rewards+ Income

According to their site, members earn three points per gallon of fuel and two points for every dollar spent on convenience store items. Collecting 100 points equals a dollar in savings.

7. Ibotta: Best Cash-Back Rates

Ibotta offers one of the best cash-back apps since you get paid to shop in grocery stores, stay in hotels, dine in restaurants, and more.

To receive your payment or free gift cards, claim an offer on the app and make a purchase using the offer.

Then, upload the gas station receipt or link the Ibotta loyalty card to the app.

Why is Ibotta a Great Option?

Unlike other apps, Ibotta allows you to stack offers to increase your cash-back rewards or get higher discounts.

Also, completing specific offer redemptions gives extra bonuses.

Ultimately, the app offers up to 30% of cash back on various brands, making it one of the highest in the market.

Drawbacks to Ibotta

Ibotta currently has limited fuel-related offers. For example, the app teamed up with Hy-Vee to give users cash back when they link their Hy-Vee Fuel Saver + Perks® account to Ibotta.

Also, many offers tend to be store and brand-specific.

Ibotta Income

Most Ibotta offers a 10% to 20% cash back, but some can earn up to 30% in rebate.

Plus, the app provides welcome bonuses and referral bonuses of $25 per person and $50 on the 6th referral.

8. Checkout 51: Best for Gas and Shopping Cash Back

Checkout 51 provides one of the best passive income apps since it lets you receive regards and cash back on gas and groceries.

You only need to select offers and upload your gas station receipt after the transaction.

The app also allows you to search for nearby gas station offers.

Why is Checkout 51 a Great Option?

Checkout 51 offers one of the best smartphone apps whenever you fill up your car since you can link it to your loyalty cards.

You can also claim certain offers multiple times, and some offers for grocery stores don’t have store-specific requirements.

Drawbacks to Checkout 51

Like other cash-back apps, you must reach the minimum payout of $20 to withdraw your earnings. When withdrawing, Checkout 51 will mail a check to your address.

Checkout 51’s payout method may be inconvenient for some who prefer a faster way to receive their cash back. Also, the app only works in the United States.

Checkout 51 Income

Rewards vary per offer, but users can earn around $0.25 to a few dollars back. The app also allows you to earn $0.03 by watching ads on the app.

9. Receipt Hog: Best for Physical Receipts

Receipt Hog allows you to make extra money by uploading your gas receipt and other everyday purchases.

These receipts become points you can exchange for real cash and rewards. You can also get paid to take surveys within the app.

Why is Receipt Hog a Great Option?

This cash-back app takes any receipt, like making gas purchases, buying from grocery stores, and dining at restaurants.

Besides a rebate, you can also earn spins on the app’s virtual slot machine and an entry for its sweepstakes program.

Drawbacks to Receipt Hog

Unfortunately, you must collect hundreds of receipts before reaching the minimum payout. Avoid this app if you don’t want to wait long to cash out your earnings.

Receipt Hog Income

Earn coins for every amount you spend. According to their website, you earn five coins for receipts amounting to $10 and below.

Meanwhile, you earn 20 coins for a receipt of over $100. Redeem your rewards after collecting at least 1,000 coins.

Other Options Relevant to Gas Apps That Pay You Back

If you don’t want to earn extra by saving money on a gas app, consider trying the following apps:

• Best Survey Apps: Earn money, gift cards, vouchers, and other prizes when you answer surveys or share your opinions via your smartphone.
• Apps That Pay Instantly to PayPal: Discover the best apps that pay instantly to your PayPal by playing games, answering surveys, and shopping online.
• Package Delivery Apps: Consider becoming an independent delivery person in your free time by signing up for these legitimate and high-paying package delivery apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get the answers to the most common questions regarding gas apps that pay back. 

Wrapping Up

Using a gas app allows commuters and gig workers in the transportation and delivery industries to save money for every gas, food, and item they spend.

Upside offers one of the best gas apps thanks to its good cash-back rates, a wide range of partners, no minimum payout feature, and decent app interface.

Meanwhile, GasBuddy takes second place because of its various gas rewards, gas finder, and driving tracker features.

Overall, a gas app offers a quick and passive way to save money in the long run. Remember to always check and follow the app instructions to earn and claim your rewards.