The U.S. is experiencing a sharp increase in gas prices across the country as the country begins the second month of its war with Iran, with the national average for a gallon of regular being $4.08 as of April 2, up $1.08 from the previous month, compared to $3.24 a year ago. Gas prices have risen across nearly every region of the country, with drivers in California and Washington state seeing prices as high as $5.89 a gallon. Bank of America data shows that consumers are using their credit and debit cards more to pay for a wider range of goods, not just gas, since the start of the Iran war. Total card spending increased by 4.7% year over year in the week ending March 28, driven by gas spending of more than 20% and online shopping by more than 11%. Higher-income households are using more on card spending than households in other income brackets due to higher income levels. Consumer sentiment fell nearly 6% in March to its lowest level since December 2025, with middle- and higher-income consumers seeing large drops in sentiment due to the conflict.