I was dumbfounded when Charles wrote to ask a question about GasBuddy. I knew I had written about that in the past. So, I looked in my files for the article so I could send it to him. I could not find one as I apparently have never talked about it before. So off we go.
GasBuddy has been a friend of mine for many years (gasbuddy.com). Of course, for the first few years, I only used the phone app. If you have not downloaded it to your phone yet you should consider doing so soon.
It has one very useful feature. It lets users of the app like you and me post gas prices wherever we may be. It shows the date, time and the user who posted the price(s). That way there is a current actual gas price listed for you. It uses the GPS signal from your smartphone to coordinate the closest gas stations while providing their prices. So, if you have several in the same vicinity you can go to the one with the best price. You can save time and money by driving directly to the best place without having to look around. You will usually get an advertisement for a local company in the area too.
This could be old news for those of you who have used the app for a while. However, if you have not tried it out you should. If you are at home you can try it before you download it to your phone. All you need to do is visit the website, gasbuddy.com, click in the text box, “Search gas price by city or zip,” enter the information requested, choose the correct grade of gas and click the Find Gas button. There you go, prices listed for you on a map with the station name.
But Charles asked about something else. He gets ads on the GasBuddy app about “Pay with GasBuddy.” He wanted to know if I had any information about that and of course, does it really work?
As a matter of fact, I do have information about it as I have been a member and have used it for the past couple of years. It performs as advertised. You sign up for the feature at the site or on your phone app. It asks all the pertinent information along with your debit/credit card info. This is a reputable company so I have no problem with that. If you do you may stop reading now.
You sign up for Pay with GasBuddy for free, yes, they do have paid versions but I have no experience with them. However, if you drive a lot of miles each month you may want to consider them to save more money. Signup with this link (bit.ly/Gas-Buddy) and I will get a small discount. 
When you sign up for the free version you will receive a GasBuddy “credit” card in the mail. You will use that card to pay for your fuel instead of your regular credit card. It will still be deducted from your personal account through the GasBuddy card; however, you will get a discount of $0.05 per gallon. As a reward for joining your first fill up will save you $0.10 a gallon. I use mine at stations where I already save 3¢ per gallon so when combined with GasBuddy card I get 8¢ per gallon off of the retail price. You get an email almost immediately showing you your savings and it is deducted from your account within three days.
Does it work at all gas stations? No, GasBuddy states, “The following brands do not accept pay with GasBuddy: Exxon Mobil, BJs, Costco, Sam’s Club, H-E-B, Select Walmart stations, Select Arco Stations.”
Consider this your first Christmas present for 2018.
