Is it right that a gas station considers their gift card as a credit card?

Depends. Was it set up like a credit card? Some cards are actually visa cards, but called loosely gift cards because they are prepaid, but fees and interest are deducted from it. Total rip off in my opinion.

Does your gas station have a different price for gas for cash vs credit? I haven’t seen that in a long time.

Yes, most gas stations say “Cash Price”. The Gulf Card is still a card.

@JLeslie : 10 cents more per gallon for credit. Gift cards are pre-paid, so I don’t see that a cash card should equal a credit card, which is not pre-paid.

@jca Wow! 10¢?! I agree, prepaid should be cash. But, if it reads like a credit card, meaning it has 16 numbers starting with a 4 or 5, or 15 numbers starting with 3, then the computer would pick it up as credit maybe? Or, actually as I think about it, are debit cards the same price as cash for you? Debit cards have numbers like Visa and MC dn’t they? So, then my hypothesis would be wrong.

It’s not my gift card, it’s my coworker’s, but I think regardless of whatever number is on it, if it’s a prepaid card, it’s not credit. Yes, 10 cents per gallon is a lot to pay for something that’s already paid for!

@jca I guess it is around 2–3% which is what the gas station pays the credit card company. Do you know what gas station the gift card is for?

@JLeslie: Gulf.

The Gulf card looks to be a rip off to begin with. You have to pay $10.50 for a $10 card. If they are also charging you the credit card price at the pump it is really bad. What a racket. I can’t understand why anyone would give that card? What happened to good old fashioned cash? I guess sometimes there are reasons it makes sense. Although, the higher denominations cost the same as the value of the card.

It would be interesting to ask the 800 number if the card is charged cash prices at the pump.

The gas station will tell you that you don’t pay 10 cents more for using a card, you pay 10 cents less for cash. Their reasoning is that they are giving people who use cash a discount because using a card costs the station money. Handing them a card is not the same as handing them physical cash, and only physical cash saves them money. Therefore, they will argue, there is no reason to give people who use cards the discount meant for people who use cash. This is especially true if their gift cards are handled by an outside company (as many are). The Gulf card sounds like a terrible deal for the reasons @JLeslie already stated, but treating it as a non-cash payment is entirely standard.