You can get a Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® upon a successful online application.
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Our take: The Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® can help you save if you primarily fill up at Shell stations and spend a lot on gas and Shell gas station purchases. However, you’re likely to save more with a more flexible cash back card.
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The Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® is worth it for individuals who spend a lot of money at Shell stations each year. This card also offers a generous rate of return on dining and grocery purchases, theoretically on par with top cash back credit cards.
However, the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® isn’t as flexible as other rewards credit cards when it comes to redeeming rewards. All of the rebates you earn on spending are automatically applied as statement credits toward Shell fuel purchases. This means redemption is very easy, but you can’t choose how your rewards are redeemed.
This rewards credit card is mostly for people who want savings on fuel, specifically at Shell gas stations. But if you’re after a rewards card that lets you earn points for redeeming gift cards or travel, you’ll want to look at other rewards credit card options.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
34.24% variable
Intro BT APR
N/A
Regular BT APR
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Advance Fee
Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fee
3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars.
Balance Transfer Fee
N/A
While the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® doesn’t offer a more traditional sign-up bonus, you do get an initial boost in savings on fuel purchases.
With this limited time offer, you Save 30¢/gal (up to 35 gallons*) on your first five Shell fuel purchases made within the offer timeframe.
Since all Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® cardholders receive 10¢/gal on Shell fuel purchases, this sign-up bonus really gets you an extra 20¢/gallon.
If you’re able to make five purchases of 35 gallons each, that amounts to a sign-up bonus with a value of $35. However, this is just a fraction of the average sign-up bonus for a cash back credit card, which is currently just over $157.
Note that this bonus is only good on the first five Shell fuel purchases you make before the offer’s deadline. If you’re able to max out this benefit, this promotion is worth up to $30 (including the $5 you would already earn as a Gold Status member).
Many rewards credit cards let you earn points or cash back that you can redeem for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise or travel, among other options. However, the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® only offers rewards in the form of “rebates” on your fuel spending, which are applied instantly and decrease the price of gas.
These rebates are automatically applied as statement credits to your account when you buy fuel at Shell and pay with your credit card.
Earn at Shell
As part of their ongoing rewards, cardholders save 10 cents per gallon (up to 20 gallons each time) on Shell fuel purchases.
However, half of this savings comes from being a Shell Fuel Rewards Gold member. You get instant Gold status as a card member, but consumers can earn this status for six months without having a co-branded Shell credit card just by signing up for the free loyalty program. From there, they can maintain Gold status by filling up at least six times during the final three months of their initial trial period.
Cardholders also get 10% back in Shell rebates on up to $1,200 in non-fuel purchases each year at Shell, which includes items like snacks and drinks. Consumers may struggle to truly maximize this benefit unless they spend considerable amounts on coffee, snacks on the go or other convenience items at Shell most days of the week.
Earnings difference between Shell Fuel Rewards Gold Members and Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® cardholders
| Rebate per gallon | Rebate on a 35 gallon purchase | Rebate on four 35 gallon purchases (1/week) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Fuel Rewards Gold Members | 5 cents | $1.75 | $7 |
| Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® cardholders | 10 cents | $3.50 | $14 |
Earn on dining and groceries
The card also offers 2% in Shell rebates on dining and grocery store purchases each year. However, the 2% rebate is only good for the first $10,000 you spend in those categories each year — after you hit the cap, your dining and grocery store purchases will only earn the 1% general purchase rebate.
If you ultimately max out this earning rate with $10,000 in combined spending per year (or $833 per spending per month), you can earn $200 in rebates toward fuel purchases each year.
Earn on all other spending
On all other purchases you make with the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard®, you’ll receive a 1% rebate. The 1% rebate also applies to purchases made in Shell stores and on dining and grocery purchases once you meet the cap for the elevated rewards.
Here’s an example of how much someone might earn in Shell Fuel rewards if they used this card as their primary credit card for common household expenses.
| Shell fuel | Shell store purchases | Dining and groceries | All other spending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebate amount | 10 cents/gallon | 10% | 2% | 1% |
| Annual purchases | 474 gallons* | $500 | $3,000 dining and $5,000 groceries | $10,000 |
| Value | $47.4 | $50 | $160 | $100 |
| Total value of rewards | $357.40 | |||
*According to U.S. Department of Energy statistics, the average car uses 474 gallons of gasoline per year
Rebates earned with the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® are automatically applied as statement credits toward Shell fuel purchases made with your card. This makes redeeming extremely simple — you won’t have to wait until you reach a certain dollar threshold to redeem your rewards and you won’t have to do any work to redeem them.
However, you don’t have any available redemption options other than fuel rebates. Most other cash back credit cards let you redeem rewards for a variety of options, including statement credits against any purchase, gift cards and more.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Recommended Credit Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard®*
|
$0 | You can Save 10 cents per gallon on up to 35 gallons of gas. Plus, earn 10% in Shell rebates on your first $1,200 in non-fuel purchases per year, 2% in Shell rebates on dining and grocery store purchases each year (up to $10,000 in combined spending per year) and 1% in Shell rebates on all other purchases. | N/A | ||
Citi Custom Cash® Card*
|
$0 | Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026. | Good / Excellent | ||
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express*
|
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. | Earn 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more), 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Terms apply. | Good / Excellent | ||
Citi Double Cash® Card*
|
$0 | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. | Fair / Good / Excellent |
The Citi Custom Cash® Card offers a generous 5% rewards rate on purchases that fall within your biggest spending category each month, on up to $500 in purchases. Gas is one of the many categories that qualify, which makes it the best gas credit card and ideal if you want a card that you use exclusively for fuel purchases. Plus, its versatility is nice for those whose spending categories fluctuate month-to-month.
Rewards are issued as ThankYou Points which are flexible and can be redeemed for cash, travel, statement credit and more. This card can help offset high fuel prices for commuting cardholders.
Consumers will find the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express to be a far more flexible and rewarding card — even when considering its annual fee. You can earn 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more), 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Terms apply. Rewards are easily redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout.
There’s a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. However, if you spend at least $1,584 on groceries, or $3,180 on gas, in the year, you’ll recoup the annual fee. Just note that there is an annual cap on grocery spending.
Along with a $0 annual fee and a long balance transfer intro APR, the Citi Double Cash® Card lets you Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. There are no caps, no categories and you’ll earn a flat-rate on every purchase — this makes it a great all-around card, especially if you value simplicity in your financial life.
Rewards are paid as ThankYou points that you can redeem for statement credit, direct deposit, travel, merchandise, gift cards and more.
When you consider all the limitations on the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard®, it’s hard to see this card as the best option for everyday spending. You may want to consider signing up in order to score discounts on fuel, but then again, you can earn $0.05 cents off per gallon just for having Gold status with Shell Fuel rewards loyalty program — and you don’t need a Shell credit card for that.
The 10% rebate offered on up to $1,200 in non-fuel Shell purchases each year seems good in theory, but do you really spend $100 per month on gas station drinks and snacks? Perhaps you do, but that’s still worth considering before you choose this card.
At the end of the day, you’re probably better off with a different cash back credit card or gas credit card for fuel purchases and everything else you buy.
You can get a Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® upon a successful online application.
The Shell Fuel Rewards program requires you to sign up for a Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® or the Shell Fuel Rewards card. When you use the card for qualifying purchases, you can earn rebates that are automatically applied to future Shell fuel purchases.
You can use the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® anywhere Mastercard is accepted around the world. Keep in mind, however, that foreign transaction fees apply: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars.
The Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® doesn’t charge an annual fee of any kind.
The Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® is offered by Citibank, which doesn’t list a minimum credit score for card applicants. However, the terms and conditions for this card do say that applicants who don’t qualify based on their creditworthiness can be approved for the Shell’s store card instead.
You can use your Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® for all your spending and bills in order to earn rebates toward Shell fuel purchases. However, make sure you pay your bill in full each month to avoid paying this card’s high variable APR for purchases.
The information related to the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard®, Citi Custom Cash® Card, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Citi Double Cash® Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.