Looking for a fleet fuel card for your company can be overwhelming. There are so many different types that all seem to offer the same thing which makes your choice even more difficult.
In this fleet fuel card guide we’ll show you how to differentiate between different fuel card types to help you choose what works best for your fleet.
Let’s get started with what to look for in a fleet fuel card.
What To Look For When Signing Up For A Fuel Card
- Fuel station convenience – does the card give you access to locations your drivers can easily use?
- Level of control – how much control does this card give you? Can it restrict gallons, dollars, purchase times, etc.?
- Reporting capabilities – Do you get online reporting? Does your card collect level 3 fleet data (odometer, driver, vehicle, job#, etc.)?
- Fuel card price structure – Do you get wholesale or retail pricing? Do you get a discount? Rebate?
- Fleet Fuel Card Fees – Will you be charged account maintenance fees, card replacement fees, custom reporting fees, invoice fees, etc.
- Customer support – Do you get an assigned account representative? Do you have to wait on long hold times? Is there after hours support?
Types of Fuel Cards
The easiest way to choose between cards is to first categorize all fleet fuel cards by fuel card type. There are three major fleet fuel card types universal retail fuel cards, wholesale cardlock fuel cards, and branded fuel cards.
To save you some reading, here’s a breakdown of which type of fleet fuel card works for which type of fleet.
Universal Fleet Fuel Cards– works for medium to large fleets (10-1000+ vehicles) vehicles that want to purchase fuel almost anywhere and need the highest level of control at retail gas stations and truck stops.
Wholesale Cardlock Fuel Cards – works for any fleet that wants the highest level of control a fleet card can provide at cardlock locations. Most cardlock locations are located in the Western United States and provide competitive wholesale pricing.
Branded Fuel Cards – work for small to medium fleets (1-20 vehicles) that use one specific brand only. For example if your drivers can only use Sinclair stations to receive a discount.
Now take a look at the fleet fuel card categories that you think best fit your fleet.
Universal Retail Fuel Cards
Popular Universal Retail Fleet Fuel Cards
Universal Fleet Fuel Cards – Pros:
Universal acceptance
As the name implies universal retail fuel cards can be used at almost any gas station or truck stop that accepts credit card payments. These fuel cards are accepted at 57,000 to 230,000 locations depending on the card. So you won’t have to worry about your drivers finding a station no matter where they go.
Highest level of retail purchase controls
The fuel cards mentioned above except for the Comdata Mastercard are on closed looped networks which means they have the top level of fuel card controls at retail gas stations and truck stops.
Level III data collection
The data these cards collect at the pump will give you everything you need for fleet reporting. You can track odometer, vehicle number, driver id, job number, etc. on every purchase. This makes it easy to calculate mpg, allocate fuel cost, track job cost, etc.. There’s so much you can do.
Universal Fleet Fuel Card Cons:
No real discounts
The margins are small the the merchant (gas station) reimburses the fuel card company. You are talking pennies, so it’s hard for many universal fleet card companies to offer major discounts.
Wholesale Cardlock Fuel Cards
Popular Cardlock Fleet Fuel Cards
Wholesale Cardlock Fuel Card Pros:
Best Controls
Cardlock fuel cards have the highest level of fleet card controls in the industry. Cardlock fuel cards offer all the controls retail fuel cards have plus product controls (gas only, diesel only, etc.). This is another tool to keep diesel truck drivers from purchasing gasoline for their personal vehicles and it also prevents drivers from putting the wrong type of fuel in a vehicle which is a costly mistake.
Wholesale Fuel Prices
All cardlock stations in a given area base their pricing on the wholesale price set at the rack (place where gas stations purchase fuel). As a result, cardlocks are almost always cheaper than a retail station because the cost of your fill-up is set at the bulk price.
Wholesale Cardlock Fuel Card Cons:
Limited Network
Wholesale fuel cards have a much smaller network than universal fleet fuel cards. However both the Pacific Pride and CFN fuel cards are still accepted at over 57,000 locations nationwide so your drivers will still be able to find stations. But when compared to 230,000 locations that the Voyager fuel card provides, cardlock fuel cards have a much smaller network.
Branded Cards
Branded Fuel Card Pros:
Discounts at Select Brand Locations
In contrast to retail fuel cards, branded cards are the only ones that will offer any true discounts, meaning a discount that will last throughout the card’s ownership. When you use a 76 card at a 76 station, you’ll receive a small cash-back incentive.
Branded Fuel Card Cons:
Limited Controls
Unfortunately, the same assurance that a retail or wholesale card can offer in terms of allowing the who, when, when and for what to be controlled for is not a feature of branded cards.
Limited Customer Support
Typically, branded fuel cards are distributed directly from the brands themselves. As a result, a branded card user is unlikely to receive the same amount of attention that a user of a card distributed by a small intermediary would. Which, in the event that the card is declined or malfunctions a distributor who is close at hand becomes an invaluable resource.
Fees at other Stations
Similar to a bank ATM charging you a fee for pulling money with a card that isn’t theirs, so too will a gas station charge fees when a branded card that isn’t theirs is used at their station.
Now It’s Time To Start Contacting Fleet Card Companies
The next step is to start contacting the fleet card companies that you think will work best for your fleet. Ask about the items mentioned on the checklist of what to look for in a fleet card and go from there.
You’ll see quickly how the fleet card company operates by how quickly and thoroughly they help you in the sales process.
We’d also be glad to help in your search. We can email you with a comprehensive fuel card proposal and you call us at 866.462.6729 or chat with us at the bottom right corner of the screen.
