Consumers that spend a lot of time on the road – and a lot of money on fuel for their vehicles – could now benefit from a new rewards based credit card that will enable them to save money on the cost of their fuel by simply spending on their credit card in the normal way. The credit card could prove valuable for those that tend to fill up quite regularly state experts, although in order to gain maximum benefits from the card consumers will need to get used to paying off the balance in full on their card.

The Shell MasterCard is a joint venture between Shell and CitiBank, and enables consumers to earn fuel rebates through their credit card spending. For the first sixty days, by way of an introductory offer, the card enables consumer to earn a 6% rebate on the cost of petrol and diesel when it is purchased from Shell petrol stations. Furthermore a 2% rebate is available on other purchases made on the card. However, all rebates must be applied against purchases of fuel from Shell forecourts.

According to one industry official: “The new scheme should appeal to those looking to get something back from their card provider. With a more than fair conversion rate based on your spending, it should reap a healthy reward for many users. But, as with any reward card, they only make real financial sense for users who don’t carry over a balance to the next month. An incentive can soon be wiped out if you are paying over the odds in interest. Make sure the total deal works for you.”

In addition to enabling consumers to earn rebates on their fuel, the credit card offers a number of other benefits, and this includes nine months interest free credit on balance transfers, subject to a 3% fee on the total amount being transferred.