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[C963]Conoco Gas Credit Card

by Mario Churchill, Mar

It was Edward Bellamy who introduced the concept of the card usage to make purchases. The words "Credit Card" had been mentioned in his novel "Looking Backward" eleven times, and in the book's sequel named "Equality" three times.

During the 1950's, Ralph Schneider and Frank Mcnamara invented the notion of making payments to merchants using a card. This gave rise to the foundation and opening of the Diner Club, which is still in existence and operation today.

This had been followed by the opening of Carte Blanche, American Express, and Bank of America's introduction of the Visa Card.

It continuously evolved until it reached its recent form of using the plastic card that is most commonly known as the Credit Card.

The use of credit cards has its own pros and cons.

Below are some of the advantages:

1. Minimizes risk of loosing cash.

The consumers need only to bring and present the plastic card to make transactions or purchases.

2. Convenience

Purchases that immediately needs to be made may be possible with the use of credit cards even if the individual is low in cash since all that would be looked at is the credit limit available.

Some of the disadvantages are:

1. This could result to accumulation of debt if the main and interest charges are not settled until its due dates.

2. It could be very tempting to make purchases that are really not quite necessary.

It had always been noted that the rampant use of the credit card system had resulted to the Great Depression of the 1920's.

With the sudden rise of automobiles available for purchase by the consumers during the said period, there had been an equal increase in the demand for fuel.

So as not to loose consumers, most fuel companies extended credit to their consumers to attract more buyers to increase sales.

This gave birth to the introduction and use of Gas Credit Cards.

Gas Credit Cards are somewhat similar with credit cards, but is limited to the use of purchasing of gasoline.

Cardholders of said cards are usually given rebates in the form of cash back check or by giving them a credit for their existing balance.

The following are some of the best offers by some gas credit cards:

1. Awarding of 5% Cashback Bonus upon purchase of gas or 1% for any other purchase

2. 3-9% rebate on all gas purchases that are made on any gas station during the first 90 days.

3. Free gas offers when a certain amount had been charged on the card.

4. Gas credit cards that have annual fees usually offer a lower interest rate for purchases that are charged to it.

A consumer may want to choose these types of cards if they have limited means to immediately pay the card balance so as to minimize interest accumulation.

5. Some gas stations offer discounts to consumers using their particular card

6. As compared to regular credit cards, gas credit cards offer a much lower interest rate for gas purchases, thus making it a wise decision to have one of this if the consumer is usually traveling using his or her own vehicle.

Still, it all depends on the consumer to use his or her card wisely for his or her own benefit.

Americans still have not recovered from the summer of 2008. What seemed like an overnight phenomenon, gas prices reached $4 per gallon and even higher in some areas of the country. This forced consumers, businesses, and federal, state, and local governments to rethink their energy needs.

Consumers became much more conscious of their gasoline consumption and because of this, they considered trading in their gas guzzling SUVs for more efficient hybrid vehicles and in extreme cases, Americans quit their jobs where commuting was eating away at the money they were earning.

For most, quitting their job or finding a workplace closer to home is not a practical option but there may be ways to save money on gas without resigning or purchasing a smaller car. First, consider carpooling or driving less when possible but an even easier way is to apply for a gas rebates credit card.

Most gas stations have their version of a credit card that may pay rebates or rewards but often cards from the general credit card companies pay much better. Often, rewards are between 2% and 5% of all gas purchases and 1% on all other purchases. Depending on the card issuer, sometimes rebates are credited to the card balance and other times a rebate check is sent.

Depending on current gas prices, a 5% rebate could represent a 20 cent discount on a gallon of gas. For the commuter who drives sometimes hundreds of miles per week, even a 10% discount can represent large amounts of annual savings.

With all things in business, a risk/reward analysis must be done. Do the goods outweigh the bads? First, gas rebates credit cards normally have a higher interest rate than other cards so thoughtful research on all offers is important. Next, like all rewards credit cards, the consumer doesn't gain any financial benefit unless they pay the full balance at the end of month. Finance charges cancel out rewards or rebates that are earned.

Watch for annual fees. For the family who doesn't drive long distances or has a highly fuel efficient vehicle, annual fees can take a large percentage of the rewards earned but remember that just because a card has an annual fee doesn't mean that it should not be considered. Last, watch for annual limits. Some cards will only pay rebates on a certain amount gas purchases per month or year. One of the ways to get around this is to enroll in more than one rewards card.

In a nation that is much more energy conscious than in the past, one can find no absence of advice, tips, and tricks for cutting energy costs. Many of them, however, require sometimes drastic lifestyle changes. Gas rebates credit cards require no lifestyle changes and offer sometimes significant annual savings making driving much less financially painful but be careful. Sometimes general rewards cards offer the same or better rewards points so careful research has to be done.

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Both Mario Churchill & Tim Parker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Mario Churchill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Anger Control and Credit Cards. Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on a credit card or to . Mario Churchill's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.

Tim Parker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Airline Credit Cards, Bad Credit Loans and Sales and Negotiation. Start saving money on your gas expenses with a today! If you'd rather earn cash with all credit card purchases, a. Tim Parker's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.