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Techron Advantage Credit Card Review: Earn Cents on the Gallon at Chevron and Texaco

Review Updated
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You can find a credit card for most occasions. For instance, the best gas rewards cards can save you big on each tankful of gas. But some gas cards are barely worth the trouble. If your local gas station is a Chevron or Texaco, you might be interested in the Techron Advantage Credit Card or the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card. However, the rewards you earn are low and you'll be limited in where you can fill up your tank. Learn more in our full Techron Advantage Credit Card review.

Ratings Methodology

Techron Advantage Credit Card

Techron Advantage 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

29.99% variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn $0.03 per gallon on regular or diesel. Earn $0.06 per gallon on PLUS. Earn $0.08 per gallon on Supreme and Premium. Earn an addition $0.02 to $0.10 per gallon based on spending during your billing period.

Earn $0.05 - $0.18 per gallon

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn $0.37 per gallon in fuel credit at Chevron and Texaco stations in the first 90 days of account opening. Earn $0.03 per gallon on regular or diesel.

Earn $0.37 per gallon

  • This card is a poor choice for gas rewards. You only earn rewards on gas purchased at Chevron or Texaco, and the rewards rate is very low compared to other options. Steer clear unless you can't qualify for a better option.

    • Fuel credits on purchases
    • Intro offer
    • No annual fee
    • Limited to Chevron/Texaco gas
    • Very low rewards rate
    • High APR
    • Earn $0.37 per gallon in fuel credit at Chevron and Texaco stations in the first 90 days of account opening.
    • Earn $0.03 per gallon on regular or diesel.
    • Earn $0.06 per gallon on PLUS.
    • Earn $0.08 per gallon on Supreme and Premium.
    • Earn an addition $0.02 to $0.10 per gallon based on spending during your billing period.

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: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

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, 18.49% - 28.49% 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: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Techron Advantage Credit Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Drivers who frequent Chevron or Texaco gas stations and who cannot qualify for a regular rewards card.

Top perks

This card has a few modest perks that may be of value to some cardholders.

Earn fuel credits on Chevron and Texaco gas purchases

The rewards you can earn with this card are called Fuel Credits. All cardholders can earn $0.03 per gallon in Fuel Credits for gas purchased with a Techron Advantage Credit Card at a Chevron or Texaco station. On top of this, under the limited-time app offer which runs until March 31, 2024, the Fuel Credits awarded on eligible gas purchases increase to $0.06/gallon on PLUS and $0.08/gallon on Supreme/Premium -- giving you more bang for your buck.

Fuel credits work similarly to cash back. You earn fuel credits on eligible purchases and they accrue during the billing cycle. At the end of your billing period, the credits are applied to your card account as a statement credit.

Boost your fuel credits with non-fuel purchases

If you qualify for the Visa version of the card, the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card, you can increase the fuel credits you earn by making purchases at non-fuel merchants. How much more you can earn depends on how much you spend during the billing period:

Spend Per Billing Period Visa Spend Fuel Credits
$100.00 to $199.99 $0.02 per gallon
$200.00 to $299.99 $0.04 per gallon
$300.00 to $399.99 $0.06 per gallon
$400.00 to $499.99 $0.08 per gallon
$500.00 or more $0.10 per gallon

You can earn a maximum of $300 in Visa Spend Fuel Credits each calendar year.

The Visa Spend Fuel Credits stack with the regular fuel credits you earn. For example, if you spend $150 on your Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card in a month, you'll earn $0.02 in Visa Spend Fuel Credits. This stacks with the $0.03 per gallon you earn in regular Fuel Credits. So, if you purchase 30 gallons of gas during that billing cycle, you'll earn $0.05 x 30 = $1.50 in statement credits.

Introductory offer for new cardholders

There is an introductory offer available to new cardholders. You can earn $0.37 per gallon in Fuel Credits on Chevron/Texaco gas purchases for the first 90 days after account opening. This stacks with the normal $0.03 per gallon Fuel Credits you always earn.

No annual card fee

Neither the Techron Advantage Credit Card nor the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card charges an annual card fee. This means you won't have to pay out of pocket every year just to keep your card account open, so there's no minimum threshold of rewards you need to earn to make up for the annual fee. If you don't drive as much during some months, you aren't losing money by paying a fee for a card you aren't using.

What could be improved

The downsides of this card will far outweigh the perks for the majority of people.

You only earn rewards on gas at Texaco or Chevron

The actual usefulness of this card is very limited. For one thing, the Techron Advantage Credit Card is closed-loop, meaning you can only use it for gas purchases at Texaco or Chevron. The Visa version, the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card, can be used anywhere Visa is accepted, but it won't earn rewards at any other gas stations. This means if you fill up at any gas station other than Chevron or Texaco, you won't earn any rewards on the purchase with either card.

Rewards rate is extremely low

At the $0.03 per gallon rate, the rewards you earn are pretty poor. A basic cash back card, with no gas bonus, earns 1% back on purchases. So, if gas is $3 a gallon, that 1% back would give you the same $0.03 per gallon. But, if gas prices go up -- say, to $5 a gallon -- you'll earn $0.05 per gallon back with the cash back card, making it the more valuable option.

And that's before you start looking at cards that offer bonus rewards on gas purchases. You can find rewards cards with up to 5% cash back on gas. That could be $0.15 per gallon with a price of $3 per gallon, and up to $0.25 in cash back if you're paying $5 a gallon.

Even if you get the Visa version and stack Visa Spend Fuel Credits, you'd need to put a lot of money on your card to get the rewards rate up to a competitive level.

Extremely high APR

One major drawback to watch out for is the sky-high interest rate on both the Techron Advantage Credit Card and the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card. The APR (annual percentage rate) is higher than most regular credit cards. In fact, it's on par with some of the worst store credit cards. If you carry a balance past the due date, you could be facing some pretty big interest fees. And those fees can add up fast, making it hard to catch up again if you fall behind.

Suggested credit score

It's recommended to have a FICO® Score of around 670 or higher for the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card. If you have fair credit or no credit, the Techron Advantage Credit Card may be easier to get.

When you apply for a Techron Advantage Credit Card, you'll be considered for the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card first. If you don't qualify for the Visa version, you'll automatically be considered for the Techron Advantage Credit Card.

The Techron Advantage Credit Card is right for you if:

  • You're in the process of establishing or rebuilding credit and can't qualify for a better gas card.
  • You fill up your tank almost exclusively at Chevron or Texaco, and you're planning on spending lots of time on the road in the first three months of account opening to take advantage of the souped-up Fuel Credits offer.

With low rewards and limits on where you can get your gas, the Techron Advantage Credit Card won't be right for most people. The majority of the rewards cards we've reviewed will offer a better return for your gas purchases.

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

  • The regular Techron Advantage Credit Card can only be used to make gas purchases at Chevron or Texaco stations. The Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card can be used to make purchases anywhere that Visa is accepted. However, you'll only earn rewards on gas purchases made at Chevron or Texaco.

  • It's recommended to have at least good credit -- a FICO® Score of 670 or higher -- to get the Techron Advantage® Visa® Credit Card. The Techron Advantage Credit Card has more flexible credit requirements and you may be approved with fair or no credit.

  • The Techron Advantage Credit Card is issued by Synchrony Bank.