Americans stack fuel rewards to cut costs
Americans use fuel rewards programs to save money as diesel prices stay above $6 per gallon, offering one way to ease rising costs.
Fuel costs have remained raised since early 2024, with diesel prices recently surpassing $6 per gallon, as tracked by industry monitors. The spike in prices occurred after the U.S. conflict with Iran, and levels have remained raised through 2024 and 2025, according to GasBuddy. Since many Americans rely on vehicles for daily commutes, they have no choice but to absorb these higher costs, creating a prime opportunity for convenience retailers to attract customers through rewards programs. More consumers are combining multiple rewards programs during refueling, though the savings per gallon diminish when combining offers compared to using a single program.
Verifone examined 590 million fuel transactions from late May through mid-September, identifying 2.86 million instances where drivers used two or more rewards simultaneously. Although this represents less than 0.5% of total fill-ups, the practice accelerated over the summer, reaching its highest point during the July 4 holiday week. The findings illustrate how convenience chains are responding by streamlining reward integration—such as Walmart’s inclusion of Citgo stations in its Walmart+ fuel discount, allowing members to combine benefits from both services.
Drivers who participated in stacked rewards averaged $2.52 in savings per fill-up this summer, exceeding the $1.81 saved by those relying on a single program. Yet when broken down per gallon, the difference narrows: single-program users gained 15.7 cents per gallon, while those stacking rewards saw just 9.6 cents. The analysis indicates that while combining programs boosts total savings, standalone discounts remain more efficient on a per-gallon basis.
Across the summer, customers collectively saved $82.8 million through pump rewards. Verifone’s prior research found that only 25% of drivers linked a loyalty account during refueling in late June, and fewer than one-third of those actually redeemed fuel savings for their fill-up. This gap suggests retailers could expand participation by refining their incentive structures and simplifying redemption.
