How to Save Money by Using Wal-Mart Gas Stations

The price of gas has skyrocketed over the years, currently averaging at least $3 a gallon, about the same price as a gallon of milk. High prices not only hurt our wallets but also our travels. While it is not widely advertised, Wal-Mart gas stations offer a discount when gas is purchased with a Wal-Mart gift card. Currently, it is offering 3 cents off the gallon. While it may not be huge savings, it can help save a few dollars if you need to fill up frequently.

I estimate that if you purchase 20 gallons and use the gift card to pay, you will save 60 cents. If you fill up every week, that would leave you an extra $2.40 in your pocket per month. Now if you do that for a year you'll save about $31.20. You won't save a lot of money but that doesn't stop many consumers from filling up at Wal-Mart.

If you would like to take advantage of this offer, check your local Wal-Mart to see if it has a gas station on the premises. Some gas stations will have a large black banner advertising the discount with the use of a Wal-Mart shopping card. (A shopping card is the same thing as a gift card, the words are interchangeable.) If for whatever reason you do not see any such advertisement, simply check at the pump or ask a Wal-Mart associate.

Then simply purchase a gift card from a cashier inside your local Wal-Mart Supercenter or online through the Wal-Mart Web site and go to the pumps. Many customers will go up to a cashier and ask for a "gas card," which is just another way of asking for a gift card. Most cashiers will have a stack nearby, but if you need to find one, they are located throughout the store, at both entrances, as well as at the Customer Service desk. You will have to put at least five dollars on the gift card whether you are buying new or reloading the one you have. When you are at the pump, it doesn't matter how much is on it-you can have a dollar or so left after making a purchase and it will still work.

Once you're at the pumps with a gift card in hand, simply slide the gift card into the credit card slot and it will inform you of the amount on the card. On the pump, it should have an electronic display that shows the price of the gas with the discount. Gas pumps may vary; however, the steps should be very similar, if not the same. Select your gas type and fill up.

Please note that Wal-Mart has a Visa gift card which is totally different from the Wal-Mart gift card, so do not get them confused. One way to tell if it's the wrong card is if it has a Visa symbol on it-also these cards will charge you a fee. Wal-Mart gift cards DO NOT charge a fee; whatever money you put on it is equal to its value at the pumps and throughout the store.

After you purchase a gift card, please understand that it is not refundable. The reason for this is because customers that return items without a receipt will receive a gift card equal to the amount of the item, in other words, they get store credit. Associates will not have any way of knowing if your gift card is the result of an exchange or refund. There may also be other reasons that I do not know of; however, this seems the most logical.

If your gift card fails to work and you know there is money on the card, you can take it to a cashier or go to Customer Service and have them scratch the back of the card to reveal the card number and pin. You can also go online to check the balance by entering that number or just have the associate do that for you. When you know the balance, you can ask to purchase a new gift card and pay for it with the one that doesn't work. Some cashiers may not know of this procedure and you will have to see a Customer Service Manager (a CSM) or higher level manager to have this done.

Taking advantage of this offer is usually very easy, fast, and uncomplicated. You may encounter times where you will experience problems, but those are rare and vary by circumstance. So if you decide that saving a few cents is worth your trouble, Wal-Mart is one way to achieve it.