The following is a guest post from my friend Kevin over at CreditShout. CreditShout has a complete review of the best gas credit cards, as well as a roundup of the best cash back credit cards. I have my own opinion of which cards are good. But different people have different opinions and I thought that it would be a great idea for Kevin to share his ideas.

Gas credit cards are one of the most popular rewards credit cards available today because they give you an easy way to save money everyday on gasoline purchases, offsetting rises in prices and putting more money in your pocket. There are a number of types of gas credit cards to pick from, including those that give you cash back or rewards at any gasoline station and those that give rewards on other purchases. When trying to find the best gas credit card for you, keep your lifestyle and spending habits in mind. If you aren’t loyal to one store, a general gas card that works at many fill-up stations is probably ideal. These general cards usually give you up to 5% back at gas stations and 1% rewards on other purchases. Also take a look at the interest rate and annual fee of any gas card you’re considering to make sure fees aren’t going to eat up your savings.

When looking for a gas credit card keep these things in mind:

Discover Open Road Card
One of the most popular gasoline credit cards is the Discover Open Road Card, which is a great option for those that don’t want to be locked into a specific gasoline brand. When you open a Discover Open Road account you’ll enjoy a 0% APR until January 2010, after which your APR will be between 11.99% and 18.99% variable. You earn unlimited rewards on all purchases and 5% cash back on your first $100 in auto maintenance and gasoline purchases each billing period, or $1,200 each year. You also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases after your annual spending reaches $3,000 and 0.25% cash back on purchases that are part of the first $3,000 annually. Rewards never expire and you can begin redeeming points starting at $20. This credit card is by far one of the most versatile gas rewards card because it earns you points on everything you buy.

TrueEarnings from Costco and American Express
The TrueEarnings card from Costco and American Express is another great option for anyone that wants an easy-to-use gas card that can earn rewards on other purchases. Your first $3,000 in spending annually earns 3% rebates on gasoline at Costco and stand-alone gas stations, 3% back from restaurant purchases, 2% back on travel purchases from cruise lines, travel agencies, car rentals, lodging and airlines and 1% back on all other purchases. The APR for the TrueEarnings card is 0% for your first three months, then 13.24%. There’s no annual fee associated with the TrueEarnings credit card, although you must remain a Costco member in good standing. The TrueEarnings card is flexible and powerful and works best for people that don’t shop at a single gasoline station.
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BP Card & BP Visa
There are also a number of great gas credit cards offered by gasoline companies, including the BP card and the BP Visa. The BP Visa credit card is for customers of BP Gas and has no annual fee.For the first 60 days you can enjoy double rebates: a whopping 10% rebate on BP purchases, 4% rebates on eligible travel and dining purchases and 2% on everything else. After the introductory earning period you get 5% rebates on BP purchases, 2% on eligible travel and dining and 1% everywhere else. For every $25 you earn in rebates you can choose between a BP gift card, a check or donations to the Conservation Fund. Your APR with the BP Visa card will be either 15.24% variable or 19.24% variable. If you don’t qualify for the BP Visa you may get the BP Card, which can only be used at BP stations and earns 2% rebates on Amoco Ultimate fuel purchases and has no annual fee.
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Shell Mastercard
The Shell Mastercard is another good pick for brand-specific gas cards. You can earn 5% rebates on all Shell gas purchases along with 1% on other purchases. The card comes with an 11.24% variable APR and no annual fee for the first year. After the first year the $20 annual fee will be waived if at least 9 Shell gasoline transactions were made in the previous year. Rebates you receive with your Shell Mastercard can be redeemed as a credit on your account and expire if not used in 12 consecutive months. While the Shell Mastercard is a good option for customers of Shell, it doesn’t have the open rebate system that many other gas cards do.

As you can see, choosing a gas credit card that’s right for you means looking at a number of things. Consider whether you want the flexibility to choose your gas station, the APR you can qualify for and how versatile you’d like the rebate system to be. The best pick for most people is a credit card that combines the best features, like the Discover Open Road card. Remember that no matter which credit card you choose, read the terms and conditions to make sure you understand what may affect your rebate rate, rebate redeem terms and APR.