As a New Jersey native, I find Wawa’s lure unmatched. This gas station, quick-service slash quasi-convenience store has over 1,000 locations, mostly in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. It’s the place you can grab a hoagie (some may refer to it as a sub or hero, depending on where you are from), chips, an Icee and even over-the-counter meds or household items 24/7 at many locations.

Whether Wawa is a weekly staple en route to work or the place you grab snacks before a beach day, its rewards program is easy to use and offers members exclusive discounts, birthday perks and a way to earn and redeem points for free food items or discounts on fuel.

If you don’t have the Wawa Rewards app on your phone, here’s why you should get it before your next Wawa purchase.

What is Wawa Rewards?

Downloading the app was a no-brainer for me, since I frequent Wawa weekly. Aside from being able to order ahead, which is a total game changer when you want to run in and grab a hoagie without waiting in line, being a Wawa Rewards member gives me access to discounts and bonus offers. For example, I currently have a reward for $1 off a Wawa donut or $5 for a personal pizza.

But discounts aren’t the only perk of this program. For every purchase I make, whether it’s for fuel or food items, I earn points. These points can then be redeemed at different tiers for free beverages, hoagies, discounts on gas and more. Basically, since I’m already spending money at Wawa, it’s great to see my hard-earned points add up and help me save on future purchases.

How I earn Wawa Rewards points from my gas and snack purchases

Like many retail loyalty programs, the more you spend with Wawa Rewards, the more points you’ll earn. Therefore, there is not necessarily a strategy for earning points. Instead, I try to bank as many points as possible to redeem at my next visit.

If you fuel up at Wawa, you will earn 5 points per gallon at participating locations when you use the Wawa App to activate the fuel pump and pay.

So, if you purchase seven gallons of gas at $3.89 per gallon, and earn 5 Wawa Rewards points per gallon, you will earn 35 points at an earning rate of 1.29 points per dollar spent.

While you are earning more than a base rate of 1 point per dollar spent on fuel purchases, it’s not a standout earning rate. Plus, with the fluctuation of gas prices and the earning rate remaining the same (5 points per gallon), the higher the price of gas, the lower the points-per-dollar rate will be. This means that even if you spend more money at the pump, you don’t necessarily earn more when it comes to gas purchases.

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On other Wawa items, such as drinks, hoagies and chips, you earn 10 points per dollar spent when you place an order on the mobile app or scan the app in-store. A go-to order for me is a six-inch Italian hoagie, a bag of Takis and a medium Dr. Pepper, totaling $11.49. Since I’d earn 10 points per dollar spent, I’d earn 115 points for this order.

Redemptions on the app start at 250 points, so if I purchased this same order three times, I’d have enough points to redeem on a selection of items. However, I like to save my points for a higher-tier item. Below are some redemption examples on the Wawa Rewards app (in the South Florida area).

*Note that exclusions apply to each redemption item.

The best value items to maximize your points are a 24-ounce coffee, a chicken sandwich/burger, a 14-inch cheese pizza, or a medium soup or side. The items with the lowest cents-per-point would be the banana, 16-ounce tea or lemonade and the extra espresso add-on.

While you can also redeem points for fuel discounts, the value you’ll get when doing so will vary depending on how much fuel you buy during a single fill-up.

Related: Say ‘queso’: Why Chipotle is my go-to restaurant rewards program

Wawa Rewards has a “use it or lose it” points system

If you’re not a frequent Wawa visitor, it may take you some time to stack up enough points for higher-tiered rewards. But you don’t want to hoard your points for too long with this program. Unfortunately, Wawa Rewards points expire on the first of the month, six months after you earn them. There are no actions to take to extend your points; you either use them or you’ll lose them.

Is Wawa Rewards worth it?

Whether you’re an avid Wawa visitor or stop at a location occasionally, being a part of this loyalty program can help you score exclusive discounts, a birthday reward, like a free hot coffee, fountain drink or Icee, plus the opportunity to earn and redeem your points for free menu items.

It’s free to enroll in the program, and new members will earn 350 points on their first purchase, enough to redeem for any size hot coffee or hash brown.

There is a Wawa less than 2 miles from my house, so I regularly stop there to fill up my tank and/or grab some food. If you’re not located near a Wawa or don’t frequent one, you may find it harder to earn enough points to redeem for a high-tiered rewards item or realize your points have expired in the six-month window.

Bottom line

Wawa Rewards is a free loyalty program that lets you easily rack up points on your everyday gas and snack purchases. Whether you’re stopping for your morning coffee on the way to work or craving a late-night personal pizza at 1 a.m., you’ll be earning points for every dollar you spend.

I like that it’s a simple program, and sometimes when I open my app, I find I have just enough points to get a free Classic hoagie. Seriously, who doesn’t love a “free” lunch?

Overall, if you stop at Wawa, this app should be on your phone, even if it’s just for the birthday rewards alone.