Get bonus fuel points in gift card promotion

HOUSTON – Buying gift cards this holiday season may help you save big on fuel.

Kroger is running a holiday promotion that will give you 4 times the fuel points on gift card purchases.

Normally, you earn one fuel point for every dollar you spend at Kroger and 100 points saves you 10 cents for every gallon of gas you buy at participating Kroger and Shell gas stations, but with gift card purchases made through Dec. 11, you get 4 times the points.

"If you were to come in right now and buy this $50 iTunes gift card … that would give you 200 fuel points, which would translate to 20 cents off per gallon at the pump," said Kristal Howard, a Kroger spokeswoman.

Howard said you can earn up to $2 off per gallon for up to 30 gallons.

Terry Stracke cashed in on the deal last year and said she is buying gift cards to save this year, too.

"We probably bought about $200 in gift cards last year for nieces and nephews," said Stracke.

Kroger sells gift cards for dozens of restaurants, airlines and stores.

"If you know you really want that plasma for Christmas, come here, buy that Best Buy gift card and when you are buying that Best Buy gift card for $500, that automatically equals 2,000 fuel points on your Kroger Plus card, which equals that $2 off savings," said Howard.

Most of the gift cards included in this promotion have no activation fee. Visa, Master Card, American Express and Kroger gift cards are exempt from this promotions deal.