I don't have it, but we have our fair share of Sinclairs in northern Colorado so I've been thinking about giving it a shot. I've held off out of concern for exactly what you've observed - the discount isn't all that universal (and if it's mostly $0.05/gallon, that's only ~2.1%), and as a result I'd be better off using my Ducks or Navy More Rewards cards. The direct debit Sinclair offers in the DinoPay app (Mobile Advantage?) is a bit more interesting, but it's still only $0.10 off and I'd be concerned the app wouldn't work consistently in rural areas with poor cell service.
Yeah that's what I was afraid of...sounds like I'll stick to my gas CC.
If I already had it one, I'd probably throw a charge on it every few months to keep it active just because it's a unique card (and some people here have a lot of nostalgia for Sinclair). It definitely can get annoying to track accounts in the sock drawer though, so if monitoring it is going to bother you go ahead and close it since it won't have any impact on your credit. I'm tracking enough accounts that one more wouldn't be much of a hassle.
If you're already meeting/exceeding the rewards from it using another card - there are 2%+ CB cards that don't have a min redemption - I don't see much reason to make a point of using it. For some people Amazon rewards are ultimately almost as good as cash.
It sounds like the card has served its' purpose for you, @rgd51. So barring the nostalgia factor or enjoying the card enough to use it occassionally to keep it open, I would either sock drawer or outright close it.
A few years ago, I got fed up with retail or store cards in general. They can be good for some people since they can offer high savings in-store or special financing offers at places where you frequently shop. And they can be easier to qualify for than major bank cards so they are a great tool for builders/rebuilders. But their limited and focused acceptance can add more complexity to a card lineup so everyone must decide for themselves if they are worth the hassles of carrying an extra card, keeping it alive with usage, and monitoring or paying another monthly balance. I can't tell you how many retail/store cards I've had closed over the years for non-usage and that often happens without warning. So if you want to keep it, do make sure to use it regularly.
@rgd51 wrote:... Not sure why sinclair came up with this card since it is a charge card so they don't have the ability to make money off of interest like typical retail cards can? ...
All of these types of cards and other retail incentive programs are designed to increase sales and brand loyalty. And one way they do that is to increase the convenience factor of paying electronically and deferring payment until the monthly statement, especially to those who might not have other credit cards. I would imagine they carefully balance the "rewards" programs with how much impact they see them improving sales. In the case of using the Sinclair card, that makes it very easy to see the impact of it since those sales are paid for with the card instead of with other methods.