The price of gas (petrol) has gone up over the years, but there is nothing we can do about it. If there is at least a small degree of comfort, it is that with strategic use, you could get something back from the gas stations or companies, and this is in the form of the now-favourite points.

The series of essays will consider some of the benefits offered by the gas stations. We will only consider the status in Ontario, and also only the following four majors – Petro-Canada, Shell, Esso and Sunoco.

Obviously, there is one big question: which is the most beneficial card.

In Part 5, we try to get to that, even though it is no easy task.

First, this is NOT a scientific analysis; rather a very basic analysis with some simple and basic presumptions.

The Input Method

I tank about five times a month, each time about 40 litres.

I have also assumed that I pump only regular gas which, again I have assumed, to be a dollar a litre.

Calculation

Let’s say, I have tanked for 2000 dollars and want to know the rough monetary value of having used the various stations.

Petro Points: 10,000 Petro Points. According to their website, 10,000 Petro Points would earn a gas gift certificate to the value of $5.00.

Sunoco: 6000 Sunoco Performance Points. 20,000 Sunoco Points equals $20.00. Based on this, 6000 Points would equal $6.00

Esso: 2000 Esso Extra Points. 1800 Points equals $10.00. Therefore, 2000 Points would equal $11.11

Shell: 80 Air Miles. It is a little bit tough to calculate the value for this, but 175 Air Miles can get a $20.00 fuel certificate. Therefore, 80 Miles would have a value of just over $9.00

So, a rough translation of the value of the various cards would mean the following:

$2000.00 spent=$5.00 @ Petro Points, $ 6.00 @ Sunoco, $11.11 @ Esso and $9.14 @ Shell.

Again, I wish to stress this is a very simple calculation, and one might be able to get more out of the cards by being a strategist – for example, linking HBC to the various cards would bring more points. But that is for another day.