The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards
Monday, May 29, 2023

BP Credit Card Review (2023)

BP Credit Card Review ([current_year])
Brittney Mayer

Written by: Eric Bank

Eric Bank
Eric Bank

Eric Bank has been covering business and financial topics since 1985, specializing in taking complex subject matters and explaining them in simple terms for consumer audiences. In addition to his work on CardRates.com, Eric has appeared regularly on Credible.com, eHow, WiseBread, The Nest, Get.com, Zacks, Chron and dozens of other outlets. Eric holds an M.B.A. from New York University and an M.S. in finance from DePaul University.

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Edited by: Ashley Dull

Ashley Dull
Ashley Dull

Ashley Dull has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Her credit card commentary is often featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader's Digest, among many others.

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Reviewed by: Adam West

Adam West
Adam West

Adam corresponds with finance experts to publish industry news coverage related to helping consumers achieve greater financial literacy and improved credit. He has more than 12 years of storytelling, editing, and design experience in print and online journalism and is most knowledgeable in the areas of credit scores, financial products and services, and the banking industry.

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Advertiser Disclosure

Though originally short for British Petroleum, the multinational oil and gas company simply operates under its initials now, known as BP worldwide. BP can trace its roots back to 1908 and the original discovery of oil in what is now the country of Iran. Today's BP operates a large number of oilfields around the world, including in the US, as well as other similar drilling and mining operations, all in addition to the thousands of familiar BP consumer-focused gas stations.

For those who regularly fill up at one of those BP gas stations, the BP Credit Card offers a way to save at the pump on the occasional gas purchase, but the card's high APR, lackluster (and convoluted) rewards system, and lack of usability anywhere but BP all make the card a less-than-awesome option.

BP Card Overall Rating: 2.0/5.0

The most immediately noticeable aspect of the BP Credit Card is its astronomical 28.49% APR, which is high even in comparison to other store cards. An APR like that can make an already-costly fill up even more expensive.

And don't expect much help from the rewards. The BP Credit Card's rewards system is not only limited and convoluted, it's also not all that rewarding. According to the advertising, the BP Credit Card ostensibly earns 10¢ off per gallon for every $100 you spend with your card at BP gas stations, with new cardholders earning 25¢ off per gallon for every $100 during the first 90 days.

BP Credit Card

  • APR: 28.49% as of Jul 2019
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Rewards: Earn 10¢ off per gallon for every $100 spent
★★ 2.0/5.0

So, what does that really mean? In actuality, you earn a credit for 0.1¢ — or $0.001 — off per gallon on a future gas purchase for every $1 in qualifying purchases ($0.0025-per-dollar during the first 90 days).

Once you've earned at least 1¢ off per gallon worth of rewards, you'll get the option to redeem your rewards when you swipe your card at the pump. You can only redeem your rewards on up to 20 gallons per redemption.

Looking at the numbers, if you're earning 10¢ off per gallon on 20 gallons for every $100 you spend, you're effectively earning 2% cash back rewards with the BP Credit Card on BP-branded gas purchases (5% during the first 90 days).

Of course, that's assuming you pump 20 gallons every time you redeem your rewards. With a smaller car sporting a 10-gallon tank, you'll likely only get half the value.

You do have the option to skip the pump and redeem your rewards for a statement credit, but that's not exactly straight-forward, either. Essentially, if you choose to redeem for cash back, you'll get the cash equivalent of your cents-per-gallon for a 15-gallon fill up, which amounts to 1.5% cash back on BP gas purchases.

Furthermore, although there's no cap on how many rewards you can earn, there is a maximum cents-per-gallon you can redeem for a single transaction. In other words, no matter how many rewards you accumulate, you'll never get free gas at the pump. Instead, the minimum amount you can pay with rewards is 10.9¢ per gallon.

Approval Requirements & Application

The only thing that would really make this card worthwhile to anyone is if it was available to those with bad credit. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. You'll likely need at least fair credit to qualify.

While some gas stations may accept applications, the easiest way to apply for the BP Credit Card is through the online application found through the link below.

Better Cards to Use at BP

The BP Credit Card is a poor value for most people. Indeed, unless you exclusively purchase BP gas and have a vehicle with a gas tank large enough to utilize the full value of your redemption, you'll be unlikely to get even 1% cash back from your BP Credit Card.

This means nearly any other rewards card on the market will probably give you a better rewards rate. And that's before you consider the giant APR, which is barely competitive even in the subprime credit card market, let alone for anyone with a decent credit history. The vast majority of consumers are better off with a card that has more oomph — and less complexity — instead.

Cash Back

Not only will most rewards credit cards offer you at least the same 1% cash back you'd likely get from your BP Credit Card with a smaller vehicle, but many rewards cards will provide bonus cash back rewards for gas station purchases — any gas station, not just BP. So you can potentially earn up to 5% cash back anywhere you fill up.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card Review

at Bank Of America'ssecure website

CASH BACK RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
  • Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
  • If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
  • No annual fee and no expiration on rewards.
  • 0% Introductory APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 17.74% - 27.74% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
  • Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
  • This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases
0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
17.74% - 27.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
$0
Excellent/Good

Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.

0% APR

With an APR over 28%, the BP Credit Card isn't winning any low-interest-rate contests, except maybe with the worst of the subprime credit cards. And it certainly can't compete with the awesome 0% APR offers available from a number of quality credit cards.

BankAmericard® credit card Review

at Bank Of America'ssecure website

0% INTRO APR RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • 0% Introductory APR for 21 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 15.74% - 25.74% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
  • No annual fee.
  • No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply.
  • Access your FICO® Score for free within Online Banking or your Mobile Banking app.
  • Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
  • This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 21 billing cycles for purchases
0% Intro APR for 21 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
15.74% - 25.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
$0
Excellent/Good

Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.

Travel Rewards

Filling up your gas tank to carry on with the same old daily commute can make anyone yearn for a little vacation. Using a travel rewards credit card to make your gas purchases can turn a regular chore into a way to save on your next great trip.

Discover it® Miles Review

at Discover Card'ssecure website

AIR MILES RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
  • Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
  • Redeem Miles to pay any part of your monthly bill, including your minimum payment.
  • Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
  • 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 16.74% to 27.74% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
  • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 months
0% Intro APR for 15 months
16.74% - 27.74% Variable APR
$0
Excellent/Good

Pairing a sky-high APR with a sub-par rewards program, the BP Credit Card is unlikely to hold much appeal to many people. Especially in the face of the wide range of better credit cards that are out there. Instead of limiting yourself, choose a card with better rewards, a better APR, and more flexibility.

What Others Say About the BP Credit Card

Customer service seems to be at the heart of many complaints about BP's credit cards, though the so-so rewards are also a point of contention for many reviewers. And the card's high interest rate is definitely a topic of interest in a number of consumer reviews.

CreditKarma.com
A review from CreditKarma.com says:

I've had this card for years. Always paid it on time and have always used it. I get a credit update notifying me that Synchrony closed my account. Prior to this they constantly dropped the credit limit down to $230. I had not used the card in a month and soon as I get to the pump it's closed. I called and they will not reopen. I will never do business with Synchrony again. I have two other cards from them I am closing today. — CreditKarma.com

1.0/5.0
WalletHub.com
A review from WalletHub.com says:

This is the biggest rip off of a card I've seen in a while, My credit is good, I've never missed a payment. I had a small balance going forward through the winter that I just paid a huge chunk of. Why? Because, for absolutely NO reason, my interest rate went from 14% to 27%. I called customer service, they say "we are competitive and we don't have an annual fee." LOLL. Really? I've never missed a payment, and I'm paying 2% less than the MAXIMUM interest rate allowed by law. Put me in the same category as people that miss payments? I'm paying this card off this month and burning it in the wood pile. For the CEO of Synchrony bank, you obviously think we are too stupid to know what a high interest rate is. You may make a quick buck right now, jacking people around overnight, until they figure it out. And, when they do, they are going to leave this rip-off scam of a card as soon as possible. Take your greed and apply it to the lemonade stand you probably couldn't run after all the card holders are done here. — WalletHub.com

1.0/5.0
AskMrCreditCard.com
A review from AskMrCreditCard.com says:

The BP Credit Card is a pretty decent and good gas station card that will allow you to save money if you fill up your gasoline exclusively at BP stations. What I like about the card is that there are no spending tiers to meet to earn that 10¢ per gallon (unlike some other cards). Based on current gas prices, 10¢ per gallon is also pretty competitive with cards that give a rebate on a percentage basis. If you use BP exclusively, then this card will suit you. If you use other stations but mainly use BP, you might want to supplement this with another gas card that will allow you to earn cash back at all gas stations. — AskMrCreditCard.com

★★★★ 3.5/5.0

Is the BP Card Right for You?

Given the seemingly constant increase in gas prices, it makes perfect sense to use a good rewards credit card to take the edge off of the high cost of filling up your tank. Unfortunately, the BP Credit Card isn't the right choice for the vast majority of people.

Almost any cardholder should be able to find a better alternative for gas rewards among the all-purpose rewards credit cards on the market.

Advertiser Disclosure

CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.