PHOENIX — Gas prices nationwide have hit their highest levels since 2022 this week, topping $4 a gallon on average according to AAA, but experts say drivers can ease the pain at the pump by changing how they pay.
In Arizona, prices are more than 60 cents above the national average at $4.68 a gallon. Since the start of the war with Iran, gas prices have jumped by $1.20, AAA reports, impacting drivers who rely on their cars daily.
"Crazy, absolutely crazy!" Basem Sabbara, Mesa, said. "I was just here with my with my fiancé, who has a truck. She just spent $175 to fill it up!"
Robert Stuart is a project manager in Mesa who drives all day and fills up at least twice a week.
"It's pretty tough on everybody," Robert Stuart said.
Many drivers are turning to rewards programs when they can.
"Right now, I'm going to save 25 cents a gallon," Stuart said.
Both Stuart and Sabbara say they use the Upside app at Circle K to save money.
"I use my Upside app. You can use it at any Circle K. It's anywhere up to like 25 to 30 cents a gallon, depending on what gas station you're at. So it's free money, really," Sabbara said.
Experts say that, along with those rewards programs, one of the simplest ways to save is how you pay.
"You have to find some creative ways to save gas, and the gas credit card is a very effective way to do that," Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, said.
A new report from WalletHub highlights credit cards that offer some of the biggest savings.
"You can earn anywhere from five to six percent cash back on gas purchases and over the course of a year, that can translate into hundreds of dollars of annual savings with the current prices of gas," Lupo said.
WalletHub's top three picks include the Citi Custom Cash Card, which gives five percent back in a top spending category, up to $500 a month, with no annual fee.
"What's cool about that, compared to a traditional gas card, is you can gas up anywhere," Lupo said.
Lupo said the Citi Custom Cash Card is his personal pick. Because users can pick their top spending category, if gas prices go down in the future, they could get points on other expenses like groceries instead.
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"The flexibility is what makes it head and shoulders, the best choice," Lupo said.
The BP Credit Card offers a rebate of 15 to 30 cents per gallon at BP stations and has no annual fee.
The HSBC Premier World Credit Card offers a $500 cash back bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months, then three points per $1 spent on gas.
With high prices here for the foreseeable future, drivers like Brian George of Anthem say saving anything helps.
"Well, I guess I'll give that a try," Brian George said. “Every nickel is important.”
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