topic Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex in Credit Cards

Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

digitek — Thu, 04 May 2017 18:03:45 GMT

I am about to get a gas card and have narrowed it to the PenFed, Fort Knox, and USAA Amex that all give 5% cash back for gas. PenFed seems to be only at the pump, Fort Knox seems to be for the whole gas station, and the USAA one I'm not really sure and am wondering about.

Does anyone know if the USAA 5% gas card gives 5% off for the whole gas station or just if paid at pump? And more importantly, can anyone tell me if they get 5% off at Kroger fuel stations with the USAA 5% gas card? I just realized that my wife's Amex BCP only gives her 1% at the Kroger pumps instead of 3% like it should for gas. For that matter, does anyone know if the Fort Knox or PenFed cards care about Kroger gas pumps?

The USAA documentation says this about the gas category:

"What are Qualifying Purchases of Gas?

"Qualifying Purchases of Gas" are Qualifying Purchases of gasoline at businesses that are included in a merchant category identified as primarily selling automobile gasoline to consumers (such as Shell and Exxon stations)."

I'm thinking that supermarket gas stations might be different somehow for Amex?

Thanks for any input you can provide

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

UncleB — Fri, 05 May 2017 02:14:05 GMT

@digitek wrote:
I am about to get a gas card and have narrowed it to the PenFed, Fort Knox, and USAA Amex that all give 5% cash back for gas. PenFed seems to be only at the pump, Fort Knox seems to be for the whole gas station, and the USAA one I'm not really sure and am wondering about.

Does anyone know if the USAA 5% gas card gives 5% off for the whole gas station or just if paid at pump? And more importantly, can anyone tell me if they get 5% off at Kroger fuel stations with the USAA 5% gas card? I just realized that my wife's Amex BCP only gives her 1% at the Kroger pumps instead of 3% like it should for gas. For that matter, does anyone know if the Fort Knox or PenFed cards care about Kroger gas pumps?

The USAA documentation says this about the gas category:
"What are Qualifying Purchases of Gas?
"Qualifying Purchases of Gas" are Qualifying Purchases of gasoline at businesses that are included in a merchant category identified as primarily selling automobile gasoline to consumers (such as Shell and Exxon stations)."

I'm thinking that supermarket gas stations might be different somehow for Amex?

Thanks for any input you can provide

I can't give you a direct answer to your USAA question, but I do have a 'workaround' to your Kroger/BCP problem... I actually dealt with that myself before I got my Sam's Club MasterCard.

Inside the grocery store, buy yourself a Kroger gift card... there's no fee, and you can put any amount on it. It will count as a grocery purchase (so you'll get 6% cash back with the BCP) and you can use it at the Kroger pump - since it's their own gift card the usual caveats about using a prepaid product at the pump don't apply - it actually works quite well (and even prints your remaining balance on the pump receipt). Note that you won't get fuelpoints on the purchase of the GC itself.

It's not the perfect solution, but until you select a dedicated gas card it will effectively give you 6% cash back on fuel purchases.

Hopefully somebody with USAA Amex experience will come along and answer your question soon.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Anonymous — Fri, 05 May 2017 05:19:02 GMT

I get 5% at Kroger with Usaa Amex. I just checked to make sure. I don't get it inside stores. Only at the pump.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

digitek — Fri, 05 May 2017 11:46:09 GMT

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it.

That's a pretty sweet trick UncleB, I hadn't thought about that! I thought of getting the Sam's card for gas, but closest Sam's is almost an hour from me. I might have to check it out before I pull the trigger, I've never been to one so might like it ☺️.

And thanks for the clarification joshuatree, I guess the BCP language is pretty specific whereas the Amex one is a little more open.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Aprile421 — Fri, 05 May 2017 16:22:42 GMT

Can't answer your question about using the USAA card at Kroger but I can tell you, you get the %5 in the store and at the pump.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

OmarR — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 00:28:02 GMT

I definitely do NOT get the 5% at my Kroger gas. Just the 1%.

So I am assuming that their coding may vary from store to store. You think it would be all the same.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Appleman — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 02:38:26 GMT

I have two USAA cards and they get me 5% CB for gas. However, they pay that out once a year. And sorry, not sure about Kroger.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Aprile421 — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 23:39:05 GMT

USAA gas card works at the pump and in the store. My son buys cigerettes at the gas station with my card pays me the money and I get the 5% on his purchase. I use it a lot at Wawa they have good food and stuff that is easy to grab and I get 5% on that too.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Aprile421 — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 23:40:53 GMT

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

‎09-22-2017 07:38 PM

I have two USAA cards and they get me 5% CB for gas. However, they pay that out once a year. And sorry, not sure about Kroger.

Mine pays out everytime the transaction posts. I can cash out whenever I want.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

OmarR — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 00:26:47 GMT

Ok, I just found something out!

I am the primary on my account, and I asked for a secondary card for my wife.

The secondary card does NOT get the 5% cashback. Those were the transactions I was looking at when I made my earlier post.

I have now tested both my (primary) card and her (secondary) card at the same pump.

Primary = 5%

Secondary = 1%

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Aprile421 — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 01:27:39 GMT

I get the 5% from my sons card and I am primary. That's strange.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Gregory1776 — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 16:45:10 GMT

PenFed is 5x points for each dollar.., so not exactly 5%, depending on the point value. IDK how valuable they are...

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 16:58:47 GMT

I use my PenFed for $150/month on gas = 9,000/yearh. I can then redeem those for 3 gift cards at $25 each for a total of $75.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

OmarR — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 20:11:29 GMT

I did an online chat, and the USAA rep told me that when "An offer is sent out, it's good for only the one card."

So she at least verified that I wasn't crazy and reading my reward statement incorrectly.

And granted, I do realize that within ANY corporation, you can get a different answer from different reps.

So Aprile421, if you truly get 5% from both primary & secondary cards, I am jealous. I really only ordered the 2nd car to keep it in my 2nd truck, and I only use the AMEX for gas and nothing else.

Oh well.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Gregory1776 — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 20:11:45 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I use my PenFed for $150/month on gas = 9,000/yearh. I can then redeem those for 3 gift cards at $25 each for a total of $75.

That's every month? Or every year? 9000 points in a year?

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

IncrsCreditScore1 — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 20:38:18 GMT

@UncleB wrote:
@digitek wrote:
I am about to get a gas card and have narrowed it to the PenFed, Fort Knox, and USAA Amex that all give 5% cash back for gas. PenFed seems to be only at the pump, Fort Knox seems to be for the whole gas station, and the USAA one I'm not really sure and am wondering about.

Does anyone know if the USAA 5% gas card gives 5% off for the whole gas station or just if paid at pump? And more importantly, can anyone tell me if they get 5% off at Kroger fuel stations with the USAA 5% gas card? I just realized that my wife's Amex BCP only gives her 1% at the Kroger pumps instead of 3% like it should for gas. For that matter, does anyone know if the Fort Knox or PenFed cards care about Kroger gas pumps?

The USAA documentation says this about the gas category:
"What are Qualifying Purchases of Gas?
"Qualifying Purchases of Gas" are Qualifying Purchases of gasoline at businesses that are included in a merchant category identified as primarily selling automobile gasoline to consumers (such as Shell and Exxon stations)."

I'm thinking that supermarket gas stations might be different somehow for Amex?

Thanks for any input you can provide
I can't give you a direct answer to your USAA question, but I do have a 'workaround' to your Kroger/BCP problem... I actually dealt with that myself before I got my Sam's Club MasterCard.

Inside the grocery store, buy yourself a Kroger gift card... there's no fee, and you can put any amount on it. It will count as a grocery purchase (so you'll get 6% cash back with the BCP) and you can use it at the Kroger pump - since it's their own gift card the usual caveats about using a prepaid product at the pump don't apply - it actually works quite well (and even prints your remaining balance on the pump receipt). Note that you won't get fuelpoints on the purchase of the GC itself.

It's not the perfect solution, but until you select a dedicated gas card it will effectively give you 6% cash back on fuel purchases.

Hopefully somebody with USAA Amex experience will come along and answer your question soon.

I followed UncleB's advice and buy the Tom Thumb gift card at the Tom Thumb grocery stores and use the card to pay for my gas at their pumps. Get the 5% without any problem. Works like a charm. Kroger would be exactly the same. Or probably any grocery store that honors the BCP had has their own gift cards and gas pumps. Of course, we all know this doesn't work at WalMart or KMart or Target.

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 21:37:01 GMT

@Gregory1776 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I use my PenFed for $150/month on gas = 9,000/yearh. I can then redeem those for 3 gift cards at $25 each for a total of $75.
That's every month? Or every year? 9000 points in a year?

9,000 per year

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Gregory1776 — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 23:06:00 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Gregory1776 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I use my PenFed for $150/month on gas = 9,000/yearh. I can then redeem those for 3 gift cards at $25 each for a total of $75.
That's every month? Or every year? 9000 points in a year?

9,000 per year

And every year you can get 75 bucks in gift cards?

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 14:38:27 GMT

@Gregory1776 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Gregory1776 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I use my PenFed for $150/month on gas = 9,000/yearh. I can then redeem those for 3 gift cards at $25 each for a total of $75.
That's every month? Or every year? 9000 points in a year?

9,000 per year
And every year you can get 75 bucks in gift cards?

Yup

Re: Question about USAA 5% Gas Amex

Aprile421 — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 15:41:16 GMT

Does your extra card have a separate account number? In looking at my sons card his shares my number exactly down to tbe 4 digits on the front. So for our cards other than the name there is no way to tell which card is primary or secondary. We have had the account over a year now. Something else I found out is if you have the limetless the cash back goes righr into the same rewards account so I don't have to watch 2 rewards accounts. I can break it down by card to see hiw much I earned on one or both cards. I really like that feature.