As the U.S.-Iran war continues, consumers at home have watched gas prices rise. On May 12, 2026, AAA reported a national average for regular-grade gas at $4.504 a gallon — more than a dollar over the national average a year prior. AAA also reported on May 7, 2026, that the national average had risen by $0.25 for a second consecutive week.
The Eastern Echo visited every gas station in Ypsilanti on May 12, 2026, to document how these prices have distributed across the community and found that the average across the 37 operating stations was $4.784, $0.28 above the national average.
Loyalty programs
While some customers looking to save money at the pump may opt for the cash discount offered at many of these stations, costs can also be cut by taking advantage of the various rewards programs offered by the companies.
| Loyalty program | Applicable gas stations | Cost | Rewards |
| Earnify | bp and Amoco | Free | The Earnify program offers a discount of $0.05 per gallon and purchase points that can be put towards fuel discounts. Additionally, bp offers a credit card with a 32.24% annual percentage rate that gives customers a $0.30 per-gallon discount for the first 30 days, and $0.15 off per gallon after that. |
| Exxon Mobil Rewards+ | Exxon and Mobil | Free | The Exxon Mobil Rewards+ program offers "3¢/gallon or more in points on gas and 2¢/dollar in points on every purchase of snacks, drinks, car washes and more," according to the program's website. A customer service representative for Exxon Mobil told The Echo that every 100 points can be redeemed as a dollar in savings on gas. The site also states that the program can also be combined with others, like an AARP membership, for savings up to $0.20 per gallon. |
| Inner Circle Rewards | Circle K | Free | The Inner Circle Rewards program offers members a discount of $0.25 per gallon for their first five fill-ups, and then $0.03 to $0.05 per gallon after that based on the annual amount spent per year. The company also offers a debit card that can be used to initially save $0.30 per gallon, and then a minimum of $0.10 per gallon after that. |
| Club CITGO | CITGO | Free | The Club CITGO program offers a first-time discount of $0.20 per gallon, or $0.50 per gallon if using mobile pay in the app, and a $0.03 to $0.09 per-gallon discount based on a recurring schedule. Frequent purchasers may receive conditional discounts between $0.06 and $0.18 per gallon. |
| Shell Fuel Rewards | Shell | Free | The Shell Fuel Rewards program offers a discount of at least $0.10 per gallon, and $0.30 per gallon on the third fill-up. Members can also link their credit card to save $0.10 per gallon for every $50 spent at participating restaurants. Gold and platinum member status can also be obtained for additional rewards. |
| Marathon ARCO Rewards | Marathon | Free | The Marathon ARCO Rewards program offers a discount of at least $0.05 per gallon and a first-time fill-up discount of $0.20 per gallon for up to 15 gallons. |
| Speedy Rewards | Speedway | Free | Speedway offers a point-based fuel rewards program, but a customer service representative for the company told The Echo that Michigan is ineligible due to legal restrictions in the state. |
| Sunoco Go Rewards | Sunoco | Free | The Sunoco Go Rewards program offers a discount of $0.03 per gallon, and a limited-time discount of $0.13 per gallon if a bank account is linked to the app. Members can also receive a discount of $0.10 per gallon by taking advantage of various partnership offers. |
| My Sheetz Rewardz | Sheetz | Free | The My Sheetz Rewardz program offers a discount of $0.03 per gallon. |
| Fuel Points Program | Kroger | Free, but a paid membership is also offered. | Kroger's Fuel Points Program offers a free membership that gives members one fuel point for every dollar spent at Kroger, and a paid Boost Membership that starts at $8.99 a month or $69 a year gives two fuel points for every dollar spent. A customer service representative for Kroger told The Echo that every 10 fuel points can be redeemed to save one cent on gas once certain point levels are reached. |
| mPerks | Meijer | Free | Meijer's free mPerks points can be used towards fuel discounts. Customer service representatives for Meijer told The Echo that mPerks members can earn 10 mPerks points for every dollar spent in store, and that every 100 points can be used toward one cent off per gallon once certain point levels are reached. |
| N/A | Sam's Club | N/A | Sam's Club gas stations require a broader paid membership plan to the store itself, and the company's website says that "members already receive exclusive discounts on fuel, and some promotions may include additional savings or rewards." |
| N/A | RP Fuel | N/A | A representative for RP Fuel told The Echo that no rewards program is currently offered. |
More information about the various loyalty programs listed above can be found on the companies' respective websites.
