Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ Review: Is It Worth It?

Gas prices aren’t the only cost of owning a car, but it’s the one that occurs regularly and can be budgeted for. And with the national average gallon of gas coming in around $3.50, who doesn’t want a discount on it?

The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ helps reduce the cost of filling up the tank by offering an instant discount on every gallon of gas that you purchase at an Exxon or Mobil station. Additionally, you can use the card in the store to receive cash back on most purchases.

These are good perks for someone who regularly goes to either of these two gas stations. The main drawback is that the card cannot be used at other retailers. If you don’t live or work near an Exxon or Mobil station or don’t want to stick with a particular gas company, a general cash back card like the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express may work better for you.

• Intro purchase APR: N/A
• Regular purchase APR: 34.24% variable
• Intro balance transfer: N/A
• Regular BT APR: N/A
• Foreign transaction fee: N/A
• Sign-up bonus: Get 30 cents off every gallon of fuel for the first 2 months after account open date.
• Rewards: Get 12¢/gal* in instant savings on every gallon of Synergy Supreme+™ premium gasoline or 10¢/gal* on other grades of Synergy™ fuel every time you fill up.
• Other benefits: $0 fraud liability, Online account management
• Credit needed: Good / Excellent

• Sign-up bonus

  Cardholders earn 40 cents per gallon or more for the first month after account opening. This bonus is 30 cents per gallon plus the 10-cent (for regular, mid-grade and diesel fuel) or 12-cent discount (on Synergy Supreme+ premium gas) that cardholders receive. A 40-cent per gallon discount is more than 11% savings on a $3.50 gallon of gas. For a household that uses 50 gallons of gas per month, this sign-up bonus is worth $15 in addition to the card’s regular rebate.

• Instant savings on gas purchases

  With the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ you will instantly save 12 cents per gallon on premium gasoline and 10 cents per gallon on other Synergy fuel grades. This gas discount is applied at the time of purchase, saving you the effort of having to redeem rewards later. For households that use 50 gallons per month, this savings is $5 to $6 per month. This discount is comparable to the 10 cent discount offered by the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard®. However, the BPme Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers a better 15-cent per gallon discount.

  Additionally, you can use your card with participating Albertsons, Safeway, ACME, Shaw’s and Star Market grocery store loyalty programs to save more.

  Since these discounts are a flat-rate amount and not a percentage, this card is a good deal if gas prices are low in your area. With higher gas prices, however, you can save more money with a cash back credit card because the actual amount of cash back you receive increases with the gas price. Using the same 50 gallons of gas scenario, if gas is $3.50 per gallon, you’ll save $8.75 per month with a 5% cash back card.

• Rewards on convenience store purchases

  Filling up your coffee cup or lunch box after you fill up your fuel tank? You can earn 5% cash back rewards on convenience store purchases. You’ll receive the cash back as a statement credit at the end of the billing cycle. Do note that there’s a $1,200 a year limit. This means that if your spending averages $100 a month, and you max out the benefit, it’s worth $60 per year.

  Also keep in mind that lottery tickets, money orders and gift cards are not eligible for rewards.

• No cap on fuel rewards

  Unlike the Citi Custom Cash^® Card, which is an excellent credit card to use for fuel purchases but has an upper limit on rewards, the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ does not limit your fuel rebate. Your discount applies to every purchase made with your card, while the Citi Custom Cash^® Card caps the higher rate of cash back at $500 in monthly spending.

  Note, however, that there is a cap on rewards earned for convenience store purchases.

• Limited to Exxon or Mobil stations

  Possibly the main reason to pass over the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ is if you don’t have a Mobil or Exxon station near you or you prefer a different store. The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ is a closed-loop credit card, which means it can only be used within a particular brand. For a general credit card that does offer good fuel rewards, consider the Citi Custom Cash^® Card, which is the best credit card for gas purchases. The Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express is great for U.S. gas station and U.S. supermarket purchases.

  Prefer another gas station? You can get a similar rebate with the Shell | Fuel Rewards® Mastercard® and the BPme Rewards Visa Signature® Card.

• High APR

  The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ has a very high APR of 34.24% variable. The high APR isn’t an issue if you pay your balance in full each month, but could land you in debt if you end up carrying a balance on this card. Before you apply, consider whether you can responsibly manage a credit card. Setting up online payments or reminders to pay your credit card can help you stay on top of your payments.

  If you do tend to carry a balance from month-to-month, consider a credit card with an intro 0% APR.

  Avoid overspending at the gas station by purchasing overpriced gas-station snacks. Even though the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ lets you earn rewards on convenience store purchases, you’re not getting a good deal if you’re paying twice the price that you’d pay at a grocery store.

  See the best cards for groceries.

The Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ offers a “cents off per gallon” discount, while the credit cards listed above use a percentage discount. Here’s a table that gives you a true comparison of how the values work out at a few different price points.

Since the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ gives a discount of 10 to 12 cents off per gallon, it may be a better option than a cash back rewards card if gas prices are below average. But if you live in an area with higher gas prices, a cash back card saves you the most. Note that you should take into consideration the benefits you’ll receive from your credit card — like using it at any retailer or elevated cash back on a variety of purchases — as well as the price of fuel in your area.

Gas discount vs. cash back card savings (15 gallons of gas)

Savings per gallon of gas	10-cent/gallon discount on gas	12-cent discount on gas	3% cash back	5% card back
$2.50/gallon	$1.50	$1.80	$1.13	$1.88
$3/gallon	$1.50	$1.80	$1.35	$2.25
$3.50/gallon	$1.50	$1.80	$1.58	$2.63
$4/gallon	$1.50	$1.80	$1.80	$3.00

Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ vs. Citi Custom Cash^® Card

The Citi Custom Cash^® Card lets you earn 5% cash back on your first $500 in purchases in your top eligible spend category each month — including gas. This is one of the highest cash back rates you can get on gas. Its 5% cash back rate beats the discount on the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ if you pay more than $2 per gallon.

Unlike the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™, this credit card can be used anywhere and earns rewards on all purchases. It also comes with an easy-to-earn welcome offer and a solid intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.

Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ vs. Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

With generous rewards for fuel, transportation, food and streaming purchases, the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express is a solid option if you spend heavily in those areas. You’ll 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.*

The card’s annual fee is a drawback (see rates & fees). However, by using it as your primary credit card, you can recover the cost just by making your usual everyday purchases. If you max out the U.S. supermarket category, (which equates to $500 per month on groceries), you will receive $360 cash back, more than three times the cost of the annual fee.* The savings are even greater if you factor in the elevated cash back on U.S. gas stations plus all your other purchases.

Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ vs. Citi Strata Premier^℠ Card

The Citi Strata Premier^℠ Card is a travel rewards credit card with elevated points for many popular spending categories including gas stations. You’ll earn 10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking. Travel insurance protection: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption (Common Carrier), Trip Delay, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (Car Rental).

In addition to a valuable welcome offer, other benefits include an annual hotel benefit, travel protections and the ability to transfer Citi ThankYou® points to airline loyalty programs.

Although there is a $95 annual fee, it could be offset quickly if you use this as your primary credit card for all of your spending.

If you want simple savings on your fuel purchases, the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ could be right for you. You’ll receive a strong cash discount at the point of purchase, rather than having to redeem for cash back at a later date. If you live in an area where fuel prices are low, it may save you more on gas than some cash back credit cards.

The main drawback is that you can only use the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™ at Exxon and Mobil stations. So, if you don’t live or work near an Exxon or Mobil gas station, you probably have few opportunities to use it.

If you want a card that you can use at any gas station, or you pay more than $3.50 per gallon of gas, a general cash back card like the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express or the Citi Custom Cash^® Card may be better for you.