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I just returned from Safeway. Once again, they’re out of the variable value Amazon gift cards, so I had to hand enter a series of smaller denominations.
Here in Hawaii Kai, where we have both a Chevron gas station (Koko Marina) and a Safeway (Hawaii Kai Shopping Center) — not to mention a Costco that doesn’t sell gasoline — buying gift cards at Safeway is an easy way to save up to 20 cents a gallon on fuel.
Pretty clearly, given the amount of times I couldn’t find the right card or amount, it’s not much of a secret. All you have to do is buy your gift cards at Safeway and use your Safeway Club Card when checking out; you’ll be given a discount on your gasoline price at Chevron. The standard amount is a discount of ten cents a gallon per $50 spent on gift cards.
There is a maximum of 20 cents a gallon per gas station purchase, but your credits accumulate so you can use them on your next visit. They do expire two calendar months after being earned.
In addition to buying gift cards, you can also earn credits with your grocery purchase; it takes $100 in regular grocery purchases to earn a ten cent gas credit.
Gift cards are more convenient, however. You also earn credits faster. There are number of cards that fall into the category of purchases one makes on a routine basis, for instance, Amazon gift cards. Safeway Hawaii Kai also carries Petco, Lowes, Home Depot, McDonalds, Burger King and Bed, Bath and Beyond, just to name a few of the stores one might visit regardless.
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Note: Just got a comment/observation from a reader. Tesoro is usually at least ten cents cheaper than Chevron to begin with. That’s true. Aloha Petroleum can also be cheaper to begin with. Here’s a link to http://gasbuddy.com, a site that tracks prices reported by readers.
