Amazon Prime members can now save on gas

Amazon Prime members are getting a new perk: extra savings at the pump. By linking your Amazon account with BP’s loyalty program, you’ll be able to save 10 cents a gallon whenever you fuel up at a participating BP or Amoco station. Incidentally, it’s a discount much like the one Walmart offers at Exxon stations through its Prime competitor program, Walmart Plus.

Naturally, you need to agree to let BP collect information about you to get your discount. But what’s the harm in joining just one more loyalty program? And so what if BP is walking back its carbon emission goals to maximize profits while the planet burns? Because there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, and also because everything is so god damn expensive lately, I went ahead and signed up for the discount. You link your Amazon Prime account with BP’s cringingly named Earnify rewards program by supplying your phone number. Agree to some terms and conditions and you’re all set.

It doesn’t appear that you necessarily need to download BP’s Earnify app to cash in on the discount, but I did, and by doing so I was rewarded yet again with enough points to earn a free BBQ Rib Sandwich at ampm. What a time to be alive.

Amazon says that in 2025, the discount program will expand to include savings for EV charging. For now, it looks like a move to help boost Prime’s appeal as subscription and streaming service prices keep climbing higher. The company also added free food delivery through Grubhub this summer. The strategy seems to be working — analysts at CIRP estimate that about three quarters of Amazon shoppers are Prime members, up from 50 percent in 2016.