Better deal for fuel fill-ups with AA Reward Plus card
The latest petrol price news has brought little cheer for hard-pressed families trying to manage their motoring costs, according to AA Financial Services. But drivers can make their fuel spending go further with the AA Reward Plus Visa card.
Despite a slight fall in average unleaded petrol prices from a high of 136.58p a litre on 8 August to 135.71p last week (19 August), this doesn't reflect a wholesale price drop that is the equivalent of at least 3p per litre.
According to Mark Huggins, director of AA Financial Services, motorists are not just shunning the most expensive fuel retailers but looking for other ways to save money.
"This is where a cashback credit card really can help make difference in the weekly cost of filling the tank," he says, pointing to the timeliness of the recent launch of the AA's new Reward Plus card. The card offers 3 per cent cashback on fuel and 0.5 per cent on all other card purchases, with a generous upper limit of £2,000 on fuel purchases every year. But after the fuel limit is reached, the card continues to earn 0.5 per cent on fuel spend.
"A typical 50-litre petrol refill now costs £67.85, up by £9.61 compared to a year ago. This has added £40.81 to the average monthly petrol spend of a two-car family. Potentially, buying your fuel over a year with the AA Reward Plus card could get you the equivalent of a free refill. And with 0.5% on all other purchases, users can add points by using the card for day-to-day spending."
The card works by earning points that can be redeemed for cash, retail vouchers or AA products and services including membership and insurance.
It earns points at all filling stations, including supermarkets which have recently started a fuel price war and are among the cheapest places to buy fuel, especially if money-off vouchers for spending in-store are used.
"We hope that lower wholesale prices will soon be reflected at the pumps too, which will help cash-strapped consumers get a few more miles for their pound," Mr Huggins added.
Meanwhile, canny buyers using a cashback card such as AA Reward Plus, as well as using other money-off opportunities often offered by supermarkets, can stretch their money even further."
The card is available to AA members applying online and quoting their membership number. And whilst the AA has around 15 million members, nearly half the motoring population, customers without membership can take out breakdown cover and immediately apply for the card to benefit from the generous cashback scheme.