Gas cards like the Shell Fuel Rewards Card only make sense if you’re relatively loyal to a particular gas station chain, in this case, Shell. And to get the maximum discount offered by this card, you’ll need to maintain your Gold Status in the Fuel Rewards program, which means buying five gallons of gas at Shell stations around twice a month. Before you apply, make sure you won’t have to drive miles out of the way to find a Shell station. Also, if you tend to need odds and ends or like to grab a snack or a coffee, consider doing it at a Shell station to get the 10% rebates.  

Beyond that, you’ll want to prove that you’re creditworthy, so you can eventually qualify for a more flexible rewards card that requires a good credit score. Do your best to keep your credit utilization ratio as low as possible. Your card balance should be less than 30% of your total credit line. (So if you have a $300 credit limit, try not to let your balance go above $100.) And make sure to pay your bill on time every single month. 

Also aim to pay your card balance in full each month so you won’t be hit with interest charges, which will be particularly expensive with the high APR.