• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

It’s pretty much a given that people will spend plenty of time this Fourth of July weekend griping about the heat, traffic and sky-high gas prices. Amazon and JCPenney both want to be part of those conversations.

JCPenney will reward anyone bringing in a gasoline receipt with a $10 off coupon, only redeemable in its (nicely air-conditioned) stores.

The one-day event is scheduled for July 3. The Plano, Texas-based retailer says the effort stems from its appreciation of the many ways consumers are trying to get more mileage out of their shopping trips this season.

 “You’re already heading to the gas pump, so why not use the opportunity to put some money back in your pocket?” said Michelle Wlazlo, brand CEO of JCPenney, in the announcement. “Fuel Up and Save is a fun way to take an everyday expense and turn it into something rewarding at JCPenney, so you can spend the holiday weekend making memories with the people you love—not worrying about every dollar spent getting there.”

The retailer, which has been working hard to rebuild its reputation as Middle America’s favorite department store, says the idea was to create a seasonal promotion that rewarded people for something they were already spending money on, rather than the typical “spend more to save more” discount programs.

The event precedes what is expected to be a record travel week, with the American Automobile Association estimating that 72.2 million people are likely to travel over the nine-day period, up slightly from last year’s 71.8 million.

Of those, 61.4 million, or about 85% of all travelers, will be driving, despite gas prices at a four-year high.

Amazon is looking for a little fuel-friendly attention too, offering 50¢ off per gallon from July 2 through July 5. The deal requires people to open a BP Earnify loyalty account (free), which automatically applies 5¢ savings as a baseline offer, 5¢ savings for Prime members, and an additional 40¢ savings during the promotional period.

After the sale, Prime members will still get 10¢ off a gallon at participating stations.