Gas prices are high, but there are still ways to pay less for gas in Minnesota! Try these rewards programs, coupons, discounts and other ideas to help you save.
It’s no secret that gas prices move up and down, stay higher than we’d like, and have been affecting the prices of goods around the world, not to mention our own personal budgets.
Unfortunately, gas is a necessary expense for many of us. Many of us drive gas-powered vehicles to school and to work, and not everyone has access to a robust public transit system that can easily take us where we want to go.
While gas prices are at a high level, there are still some ways to save on this expense and lessen the impact to your budget. Every bit helps!
How to Pay Less for Gas in Minnesota
You don’t have to settle for the price listed at the pump. Here are several ways to pay less for gas in Minnesota by utilizing grocery store and gas station rewards programs, cash back apps, and more to your advantage!
1. Grocery Store Gas Rewards
You already have to buy groceries…so why not utilize gas rewards programs at your local grocery store? These programs typically give you cents off per gallon at select gas stations for a certain dollar amount spent or certain items purchased at the grocery store.
Here are some grocery store gas rewards programs in Minnesota:
Cash Wise, Coborn’s – More Rewards
- Purchase specific products, get cents off per gallon of fuel (up to 20 gallons)
- Redeem at Holiday, Little Dukes, Coborn’s Express, or Cash Wise Express
- Sign up for an account online or in the store
Cub Foods – Fuel Rewards
- Spend $100, get 10¢ off per gallon of fuel (up to 20 gallons)
- Redeem at Holiday
- Sign up for a My Cub Rewards account online, via the Cub app, or in the store
Hornbacher’s – Gas Rewards
- Spend $10 or more, get cents off per gallon of fuel (up to 30 gallons)
- Redeem at Holiday
- Gas Rewards print on your grocery receipt
Hugo’s – Fuel Rewards
- Spend $30 – $200+, get 6¢ – 25¢ off per gallon of fuel (up to 12 gallons)
- Redeem at Holiday
- Can use two Fuel Rewards coupons together
Hy-Vee – Fuel Saver + Perks
- Purchase specific products, get cents off per gallon of fuel (up to 20 gallons)
- Redeem at Hy-Vee Gas, Casey’s, and participating Shell or Kwik Trip stations
- Local stores may have “spend xx, get xx off per gallon” promotions
2. Gas Station Rewards & Coupons
Many gas stations also have their own rewards programs where you’ll save money each time you fill up, just for choosing their store. And of course, you can almost always find coupons for cents off per gallon by browsing online, looking on the back of your receipts, or receiving text messages.
And don’t forget that gas stations really want you to fill up at their location, not somewhere else, so they may take competitors’ coupons. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
Here are some gas station rewards programs in Minnesota:
BP – BPme Rewards
- Save 5¢ per gallon with an active account (must spend $100 on fuel each calendar month)
- Download the app to pay, view receipts, and track rewards
- Bonus offers available in the app
Circle K – Circle K Easy Pay Debit Card
- Pick up an Easy Pay card at your participating store and link it to your checking account
- Save 30¢ per gallon on your first 100 gallons, save 10¢ per gallon after that
Circle K – Circle K Easy Rewards
- Earn 10 points per gallon and 20 points per dollar on snacks, food, and non-alcoholic beverages
- 2,000 points = $2 K Cash
Exxon Mobil – Exxon Mobil Rewards+
- Earn at least 3¢ per gallon and 2¢ per dollar spent on in-store purchases
- 100 points = $1 savings on gas and/or in-store purchases
- Earn double points on premium fuel when you fill up with 8+ gallons at least three times a month
Holiday – Holiday Rewards
- Save 5¢ per gallon, no limit
- Register here or via the app
- Also be sure to print any Holiday Gas Coupons
Kwik Trip – Kwik Rewards
- Earn cents off per gallon with purchase of select in-store items
- Earn a free item every 15th visit
- Sign up for Kwik Rewards Credit or Debit to save 3¢ per gallon and 5% on in-store purchases
Shell – Fuel Rewards
- Earn at least 5¢ off per gallon
- Also earn cents off per gallon for dining at restaurants, shopping online, and buying concert tickets
- Get exclusive limited-time offers with the app
Speedway – Speedy Rewards
- Earn 10 points per gallon and 20 points per dollar spent on in-store merchandise
- Monthly Bonus Points earning opportunities
- Redeem points for free items
3. Apps
In addition to grocery store and gas station rewards programs, there are several mobile apps available that either give you savings at the pump or cash back after you fill up.
And yes, you can usually use these apps along with the rewards programs listed above for even greater savings!
Here are some gas-saving apps to try out:
Upside
Upside gives cash back primarily at gas stations, but also at grocery stores and restaurants.
Browse the app to find cashback offers near you, then select the one you want. Click “Claim Offer” and fill up within 4 hours to receive cashback in your account. Depending on the location, you can either pay with a linked credit or debit card, or you can keep your receipt and upload it to the app.
One thing I like about Upside is that you can cash out at any time directly to your bank account – there is no minimum threshold necessary. You can also choose to receive your reward in the form of a gift card.
Fetch Rewards
With the Fetch Rewards app, you’ll earn points when you scan and upload any receipt from any restaurant or store, including gas stations. So while it’s not specifically targeted for gas savings, you can earn rewards each time you fill up!
Each time you scan a receipt, you’ll earn at least 25 points. When you have enough points saved up, you can redeem them for gift cards.
If you’re not yet a member, use code VVW5DW when you sign up and you’ll receive 2,000 bonus points when you snap your first receipt.
Checkout 51
Checkout 51 gives you cash back on your groceries, but now you can also use it to get cash back on gas!
Once you download the app and sign up for an account, click the “Extras” button to find gas stations near you that offer cents back per gallon of gas. Find the offer you want to use and click “Add Offer.”
Fill up and pay with a credit or debit card, and save your receipt! You’ll need to upload a picture of your receipt within 24 hours of adding the offer to get your cash back.
You can request a check when your account balance reaches $20.
GasBuddy
You may already use the GasBuddy app as a way to find the cheapest gas near you. With GasBuddy, registered users keep the app up-to-date by reporting gas prices. Search by price and distance to find the lowest price near you.
But to really maximize your savings potential with GasBuddy, you’ll want to sign up for the Pay with GasBuddy card. This is a free debit card that links to your bank’s checking account and gives you automatic savings per gallon at the pump!
Once you sign up and have your physical card and PIN, browse the app to find the cents off offer you want to use. Click the “Activate” button to claim the offer, then use your Pay with GasBuddy card to fill up. You won’t see the savings immediately at the pump, but you will get an emailed receipt of the actual total that was taken out of your account.
This is seriously a no-brainer…if you’re already using your debit card to pay for gas, why not get some extra savings by utilizing Pay with GasBuddy?!
4. Warehouse Clubs
Even if you don’t need to buy groceries or household supplies in bulk, you may want to take at getting a warehouse club membership just for the gas savings.
Getting a warehouse club membership gives you access to their on-site gas stations across the country with the potential to save a lot of money on gas each year. You may have to wait in some longer lines to fill up, but the savings could be worth it to you.
Costco
A Costco Gold Star membership is normally $60/year, but you can sometimes get a discounted membership or a gift card for signing up. (For example, this Costco Membership sale from May 2023 granted purchasers a $30 gift card at signup.)
Even without getting a discount on your membership, you can still save big on gas at Costco. For example, within a 5-mile radius of my house, Costco has the next-lowest station beat by 20 cents per gallon. Considering my tank holds 28 gallons (yes, I drive an SUV), I’ll save about $5 per fill-up by shopping at Costco.
That means a membership pays for itself even if I only fill up at Costco once a month!
There are currently 13 Costco locations in Minnesota: Baxter, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Duluth, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, and Woodbury.
Sam’s Club
One perk of signing up for a Sam’s Club membership is that you can almost always get a Sam’s Club membership discount. These offers are typically good for new or returning (lapsed) members and usually give a discount as well as food freebies and/or a gift card to use on a future purchase.
The lowest tier Sam’s Club membership is $50. So once again, doing the math, I’ll save about $5 per fill up by using Sam’s Club, which means my membership pays for itself after just TEN fillups. Nice!
There are currently 12 Sam’s Club locations in Minnesota: Apple Valley, Bloomington, Eagan, Fridley, Hermantown, Mankato, Maple Grove, Rochester, St. Cloud, Shakopee, White Bear Lake, and Woodbury.
5. Credit Card Cashback
I know that there are some financial experts that warn against the use of credit cards. But if you’re disciplined with your credit card use and can pay it off in full every month, utilizing credit card cashback rewards is a great way to pay less for gas.
You won’t actually see the savings at the pump, but you’ll earn a percentage of what you spend as cashback to your account. Offers depend on the card, but you can often apply the cashback toward your balance, set up a bank account transfer, or even redeem for a free gift card.
I actually pay off my credit card every week just to make sure I stay on top of things. Once you get in the habit of doing so, it’s not difficult to maintain and may help give you some peace of mind as you won’t be dreading a large credit card bill in the future.
Here are a few credit cards that offer cash back with no annual fee:
- Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card – $200 bonus plus 3% cash back in the category of your choice
- Discover It Cash Back Credit Card – 1-5% cash back (varies by quarter)
- U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card – 2% cash back on gas
Summary
Trust me, I know that it’s no fun to see gas prices as high as they are. And I think we’re all still hoping that prices will go down and stay there.
But in the meantime (and beyond), I hope this post gave you some ideas for saving on gas and helping out your budget. Remember that you can use many of these systems together to squeeze out the most cents off per gallon possible!
If you have any other ideas for how to pay less for gas in Minnesota, please leave a comment and share your tips with other readers!
- About the Author
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Laura is a former high school English teacher turned avid deal shopper following the birth of her first child. Now she’s a work-from-home mom of six which keeps her plenty busy!
Laura grew up in southern Minnesota and has called the Twin Cities home for over fifteen years. On the off chance she gets some free time you’ll find her with her nose in a book, spending time with family and friends, or enjoying a hot cup of coffee.
Becky says
With the Sam’s Club credit card you earn 5% cash back on all gas station puchases on up to $6,000 per year. That means you can get up to $300 per year just by paying for gas with your Sams Club Mastercard and it is good for all gas stations other than competeling wholesale club stations.