Fleet Fuel Cards: The Ultimate Guide

A fleet card, also referred to as a fuel card, is a payment card that can be used for fuel at gas stations along with some vehicle maintenance costs. This is not to be confused with gas station rewards programs. Fleet cards function similarly to that of a charge card or credit card, but can often provide comprehensive reports in real-time.

Fleet cards are commonly issued by either an oil-brand company, such as Shell, or companies that specialize in providing cards, such as WEX. We will discuss both types, weighing their benefits and drawbacks.

A fleet fuel card works similarly to using a business credit card for gas. While it could be as simple as inserting your card and filling the tank, there may be additional information needed during the card authorization. This information could include the input of a unit number, current vehicle mileage or a driver number, all of which may be set by the fleet owner as a means of generating additional reporting metrics or general tracking purposes.

There are two major benefits of fuel cards:

• Savings at the pump. These cards typically offer a base number of cents off per gallon and may increase your discount as you purchase more gallons per billing cycle.
• Real-time reports. Fleet fuel cards also allow limits to be set on employee cards such as the amount of fuel that can be purchased per transaction, per day and per week, giving the card owner full control over how the card can be used.

Fleet fuel cards are designed for businesses of all sizes. This includes:

• Small companies with a few trucks. Examples include plumbing, electrical or roofing companies.
• Full-scale national operations. Large companies or even government entities with hundreds or thousands of vans can benefit from fleet fuel cards.

Fleet fuel cards are generally advised for companies that purchase in excess of 1,000 gallons of fuel per month. This is typically when discounts and rebates will start to kick in or accelerate. If purchasing less than this, business credit cards with bonuses on fuel may be a better option.

Selecting a fuel card may seem as simple as knowing what you’ll save at the pump, but having sufficient network coverage should be a key consideration as well. It wouldn’t be practical to get a fuel card that offers high savings if you struggle to find locations where you can use it.

While there are plenty of options when it comes to deciding on a card, we’ll be covering some of the popular high-benefit cards that could be considered for use within the U.S. It’s worthwhile to invest some time into researching cards that are along your typical driving routes, but this is a good place to start.

WEX

We start at WEX due to their large network, covering 95% of U.S. fuel stations and 45,000 service stations. While WEX offers more than 50 different fleet cards for both small businesses and large fleets, the simplest is the WEX FlexCard*. With a $0.03 per gallon rebate and no annual fee or setup fee, this card is an appealing option. Brands associated within the WEX network include 76, Kroger, ExxonMobil, Pilot, Sunoco and many more.

Automatic accounting, customizable report options and spending controls from either online or mobile via the WEX Connect app (available on Android and iOS) make WEX a popular choice among business owners. Also worth mentioning is the ability to carry a balance month to month. While this will come at the cost of having to pay interest on a balance like a traditional credit card, it can provide flexibility when cash flow is tight.

Fuelman

Another nearly universal card comes from Fuelman which boasts a network of 50,000+ stations nationwide. While offering a couple of fleet cards, we’ll cover the recommended Fuelman Mixed Fleet Card. This card offers $0.08 off per gallon on diesel and unleaded fuel at any location in its discount network. This could allow for substantial savings.

The downside is a monthly fee of $39 for the Basic version, $59 for the Pro version and $99 for the Enterprise version. These fees cover all the fuel cards your business uses. Each tier includes things like detailed fuel and tax reporting, but the Pro plan adds customizable dashboards and data visualization. The major addition to the Enterprise plan is that it comes with a dedicated account management team. You will also earn 1 point per eligible gallon with the Basic and Pro cards and 2 points per eligible gallon with the Enterprise card.

Comdata

While Comdata offers a smaller network of 8,000+ locations, the Comdata® Card* does offer up to $0.25 off per gallon at TA Petro locations, $0.10 per gallon discount at Pilot Flying J locations and $.08 off per gallon at Love’s and AMBEST. The Comdata program also offers FleetAdvance, a tool displaying the retail fuel prices for all TA and Petro locations, which can help improve purchasing decisions. Comdata OneLook offers a powerful analytics tool for more effective management.

There is an $8 per card monthly fee after incurring a one-time $50 account setup fee. The Comdata Fleet Card is a part of a national tire discount program, offering hundreds of options for new and retread tires from some of the top commercial tire manufacturers. These discounts could easily cover the card fees.

ExxonMobil

Our first brand-specific card comes from ExxonMobil: the ExxonMobil™ BusinessPro™ card*. This card has a tiered rebate program, earning up to $0.06 per gallon back when purchasing fuel from Exxon or Mobil.

The card offers real-time alerts and the ability to set spending limits to combat budget-busting. Reports offer insights into items such as which drivers are refueling and where they’re refueling, confirming mileage at each fill-up and miles-per-gallon reporting.

The ExxonMobil BusinessPro program does come with a one-time $40 setup fee and a monthly card fee of $2. However, with over 12,000 Exxon and Mobil locations, this is one of the largest brand-specific networks. The card can also be extended to be accepted at 95% of U.S. retail fuel locations outside of the ExxonMobil network for an additional fee.

Sunoco

The Sunoco Business Fleet Card* offers a fueling option within the 5,000-strong Sunoco network. With no setup, card or annual fees, this card offers rebates up to $0.06 per gallon based on the number of gallons purchased. This card often comes with a short promotional offer, netting a $0.15 per gallon rebate for the first six months.

The Sunoco Card includes what you’d expect with a fleet card, like employee spend limits, real-time alerts, reporting and access to your account both online and mobile. The Sunoco Fleet Universal Card* is accepted at 95% of U.S gas stations, although discounts at the pump will only apply to Sunoco stations.

Shell

With acceptance at over 13,000 Shell stations, the Shell Fleet Plus Card* makes it easy to save up to $0.06 per gallon based on the amount purchased. This card comes with no monthly, annual or card fees. It offers insights into when purchases were made, what was bought and by whom. The card is also accepted at participating Jiffy Lube locations.

BP

With savings up to $0.07 per gallon on fuel purchases at BP or Amoco branded locations, it’s easy to understand the appeal of both the BP® Business Solutions Fuel Plus card* and the BP Business Solutions Mastercard®*. The former is designed for the small to medium-sized fleet and is accepted exclusively at more than 6,800 BP and Amoco locations. The Mastercard version can be used at any fueling location that accepts Mastercard cards.

Controls come in the form of set spending guidelines per card. Other security measures include requiring driver ID and odometer promptings along with the ease of deactivating lost or stolen cards online or via phone.

Both options charge a $12 monthly account fee. Since this is not a revolving credit account, the total amount due includes all current purchases and any associated fees. If the total amount due is not received, a late fee of either $75 or 12.25% (whichever is greater) will apply.

The biggest takeaway in choosing a fleet fuel card is to place a primary focus on the region in which your fleet is operating. While it may be easy to jump for the highest discount, it serves little value if you cannot take advantage of it.

When comparing two or more cards that are available along your route map, there are many factors to consider. Fuel discounts, fee structure, controls and back-end reporting should all be part of deciding what ultimately best fits your needs.