Gas selling for nearly $5 a gallon can upset anyone's summer vacation plans, so it's no surprise that people are searching for ways to reduce the cost of filling their tanks.

One way is to download an app that promises savings every time you visit the gas station. Upon my editor's gentle suggestion, I tried one of those apps.

I chose the Upside app, commercials for which have run frequently on local radio stations. There are others, including Gas Buddy, Gas Guru and Waze.

The Upside commercials suggested that I could save hundreds of dollars a year, but I was interested to see if I would save anything at all.

It was easy to download the app onto my smartphone, and the only personal information I had to provide was an email address (a work one, of course) and my location, which I only share when I'm actively using the app.

Upside works by listing the gas stations, as well as restaurants and grocery stores, they partner with to offer discounts to the app's users. Technically, they are rebates instead of discounts because you get money back after the purchase.

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The rebates are kept in your Upside account until you "cash out" by buying an e-gift card, a PayPal payment or through your bank account (which would require you to give them your account number).

Before I used the app for the first time, I added a promo code that I found, Ride 35, which gave me an extra 35 cents off a gallon for my initial purchase.

Upside found 23 offers from participating local businesses: 22 gas stations and one restaurant. The gas rebates ranged from 36 cents to 43 cents a gallon — one cent to eight cents a gallon after the 35-cent promo deal.

One of the best deals was at a nearby convenience store, so I drove there and checked in on the app, as required, just before filling my tank.

That is when I made my mistake.

In my zeal to save money, I bought a gas card to save an extra five cents a gallon. I didn't read the fine print on the app that said I must purchase the gas with a debit or credit card.

I filled my tank, paid with my gas card and printed a receipt, because I had to send an image of it through the app to get the rebate.

Three days later, Upside is still "processing" my purchase, but I know what the answer will be. No rebate for me.

But it appears I still have that initial 35-cent rebate, so I will try again the next time I need a fill up.

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After I use my promo code, it appears that I will save around 5 cents a gallon on future fill-ups. That's the same amount I would save by purchasing a gas card, only I would get that money up front instead of through a rebate.

The restaurant rebate, for a popular Harborcreek eatery, is for 16% off the bill. However, the restaurant's monthly quota of offers had already been claimed when I checked.

My final thoughts about Upside is that it appears to be worth it, at least for the initial 35-cent promo rebate. That's $4.20 for someone filling up a 12-gallon gas tank.

After that, I'll probably monitor the app once in a while to see if there are any offers better than what I could get buying a gas card.

HERE to HELP: Have a consumer question you'd like us to help you with? Leave a message with David Bruce at 870-1736, send an email to david.bruce@timesnews.com or send mail to 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: David Bruce: Upside app helps save money on gas purchases