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Wawa Credit Card Review: Meager Rewards on Gas Past the First Month

Review Updated
Brittney Myers
Author: Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers
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Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
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Nathan Alderman has been a full-time Motley Fool employee since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As Motley Fool Money's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.

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Offer status

The Wawa Credit Card is unavailable on Motley Fool Money. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.

Like most gas stations, Wawa offers its own credit card. But, like most gas station cards, it's hardly the best gas rewards card on the market. Once you get past the intro offer, the Wawa Credit Card has a low rewards rate that looks even worse as gas prices go up. And while you won't pay an annual fee, the interest fees can be huge. See all the details and learn if the card is worth considering in our full Wawa Credit Card review.

Ratings Methodology

Wawa Credit Card

Wawa Credit Card
Rating image, 2.00 out of 5 stars.
2.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 2.00 out of 5 stars.
2.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Fair/New to Credit Under(669)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

34.24% variable

Rewards

$0.05 per gallon discount

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn $0.50 per gallon of gas purchased at Wawa for the first month, up to 100 gallons.

Earn $0.50 per gallon of gas for the first month

  • This card has a low rewards rate that doesn't stack up to the competition. Plus, it can only be used at Wawa gas stations. Unless you can't qualify for a better gas rewards card, give this one a pass.

    • Rewards on gas
    • Intro offer
    • No annual fee
    • Closed-loop card
    • Low rewards rate
    • High APR
    • Save $0.50 per gallon for the first month after your account open date. After that, save $0.05 per gallon everyday.
    • $0 liability for unauthorized charges
    • Offers identity theft protection
    • Report to multiple credit scoring bureaus

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Wawa Credit Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Wawa regulars who have a big road trip on the near horizon.

Features and benefits

The perks are thin with this card, the most notable being its welcome offer. It does also offer regular rewards, however uninspiring they may be.

Short-lived greatness: Earn $0.50 a gallon for the first month

The main incentive I can see for getting a Wawa Credit Card is the welcome offer: Earn $0.50 per gallon of gas for the first month.

If you have a long commute, this could add up to some significant savings through regular driving. But I'd save it for right before a large move or road trip where you'll be filling an extra-large tank and/or covering a lot of mileage.

As an example of how much this could be worth, let's say you're moving from one state to another one about 1,000 miles away. Your moving truck gets a generous 10 miles per gallon (it's usually worse, FYI). If you fill the tank exclusively at Wawa stations along the way, you could get: 100 gallons x $0.50 per gallon = $50 in rewards.

It's worth noting that a typical welcome bonus on regular rewards cards is around $200. It may be worth looking into other options if you're after this card for the welcome offer.

LEARN MORE: Best sign-up bonus credit cards

Moderate longevity: Earn a $0.05 per gallon discount on regular Wawa gas purchases

Once your welcome offer runs out, your rewards rate drops down to a $0.05 per gallon discount. This can still add up to some savings if you go through enough gas. You'll essentially earn $5 for every 100 gallons you purchase with your card.

The Wawa Credit Card earns a sort of cash back rewards, though you have no control over how they're redeemed. What rebates you earn over the course of the month are automatically paid out as a statement credit on your card within one to two billing cycles.

(While any rewards are a perk for cardholders, these ones don't really stack up well to other cards. We'll explore that more below.)

The least it can do: No annual card fee

Given how little this card actually has to offer, an annual fee would be downright insulting. Thankfully, we don't have to deal with that, as the Wawa Credit Card has no annual card fee.

Perhaps the best part of the card having no annual fee is that you could potentially use the card for its welcome offer, pay it off in full, then put it in a sock drawer and never touch it again. With no fee, you don't have to worry that it's costing you money every year when you're not even using it.

LEARN MORE: Best no annual fee credit cards

Drawbacks to consider

Even for a store card, the Wawa Credit Card has a lot of drawbacks. Consider its poor rewards, high APR, and limited functionality.

Left in the dust: Rewards aren't competitive

If you were reading about the regular rewards and thinking, "Gee, a $0.05 per gallon discount doesn't sound like a lot…" Well, you're right. It isn't.

Let's work it out in percentages. Say gas is $3.50 a gallon. That $0.05 in rewards is just 1.4% back. If gas prices go up? You're getting even less. At $4 a gallon, you're only getting a 1.25% return.

Comparing this to other gas cards, it's easy to see how you can double, if not triple, you return. The best gas rewards cards offer 4% or more on gas purchases. Plus, you won't be limited to a specific gas station or brand. You can earn the same high rewards rate at any gas station that accepts the card network.

Even better, a lot of great gas rewards cards also have bonus rewards for other useful categories. You could double up with bonus rewards on dining or groceries, too.

LEARN MORE: Best gas and grocery rewards cards

Junk in the trunk: Watch out for the huge interest rate

This card has honestly one of the highest APRs I have ever seen, and I've been at this a long time. The 34.24% variable APR is higher even than that charge by most cards for people with bad credit.

You absolutely, positively never want to carry a balance on this card. It will be some of the most expensive credit card debt you can have.

If you're at all prone to carrying a balance, don't even apply for this card. Pick something with a lower interest rate. Or, even better, a card with an intro 0% APR offer so you won't pay any interest at all for a while.

LEARN MORE: Best 0% intro APR credit cards

A long road to nowhere: Closed-loop card can only be used at Wawa

Given the high interest rate, this might actually be a good thing. The Wawa Credit Card is a closed-loop card. This means it can't be used to make purchases anywhere except Wawa.

This is common with store cards, but it's definitely not convenient. If you need to gas up and aren't near a Wawa, you'll have to use a different credit card.

If you're unsure about whether your credit card is open- or closed-loop, look for a network logo. If it doesn't say Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express, it's probably a closed-loop credit card.

LEARN MORE: Credit card companies

Suggested credit score

We recommend you have a FICO® Score of 640 or higher when you apply for the Wawa Credit Card. That said, closed-loop cards like this one tend to be more flexible in their approval requirements. So, a lower score or more limited credit history may still get approved.

The Wawa Credit Card is right for you if:

If you're working on building credit and don't want a secured card, the Wawa Credit Card offers at least a few gas rewards. You also have the convenience of paying at the pump. However, if you can qualify for a different credit card type, even a secured rewards card, you'll probably earn more elsewhere once the introductory offer expires. Our list of credit card reviews is full of options that will offer a much higher return on your gas purchases than the Wawa Credit Card.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • No, the Wawa Credit Card is a closed-loop card that can only be used to make gas purchases at Wawa pumps.

  • It's recommended that you have a credit score of 640 or higher when you apply for a Wawa Credit Card. However, as it is a closed-loop card, you may qualify with a lower or no score.

  • No, the Wawa Credit Card has no annual fee.