20 Best Fuel Cards for a Small Business (2024 Review)

Fleet cards are some of the most effective options for fueling a fleet of vehicles, especially if you have a lot of trucks and need to buy gas in bulk. Here are the things you should know about 20 of the most popular fleet cards currently on the market.

Our Top Fuel Cards for Small Businesses

There are a lot of fuel and fleet cards to choose from – we get it. Even as we compiled all of the data on each of the cards, we got a little overwhelmed! The good news is, we did the hard work so you don’t have to.

If you don’t want to read the whole article, check out the chart below to get a quick overview of each card and the savings you can earn. 

Below that, we’ve featured 3 cards that we recommend and stand out to us, followed by the other 17 in no particular order.

Fuel Card	Max Savings Per Gallon
Wex	3 cents (FlexCard only)
Coast	2 cents (all gas retailers)
Motive Card	Not stated
Shell	6 cents (Shell Fleet Plus only)
EFS	15 cents (Depends on location)
Fuelman	10 cents (Simple Saver Fleet Card)
Comdata	10 cents
Pilot Fleet Card	None (see card description)
Universal Premium Fleet Card	6 cents
TCS	42 cents
Fleet One	15 cents
Arco	None (see card description)
BP	6 cents
ExxonMobil	6 cents
Voyager Fleet Card	$1.06 (tax-exempt diesel)
RTS Fuel Card	25 cents
Multi Service Fuel Card	Varies (see card description)
Speedway Fleet Card	5 cents
Marathon Fleet Card	7 cents
Chevron & Texaco Fleet Card	6 cents

Disclaimer: Fleetlogging.com is a general business information website only. The material and information on this website should not be relied upon for making any business or legal decisions. We cannot recommend any company and/or product, nor assess your suitability for any product and/or company listed here. Companies are ranked in no particular order.

Featured: Coast*

The Coast Fuel Card is a fleet fuel card designed for businesses that own at least 5 vehicles and want to closely track gas spending without requiring a personal guarantee. The Visa card has a $4 monthly fee per active user and provides an online management platform for monitoring expenditures. 

The card gives total visibility and control over employee spending on fuel. Business owners can set detailed limits on transactions and spending amounts per driver, vehicle, day, week, or month. The real-time alerts and reporting dashboards make it simple to track costs and catch issues early. With no need for a personal guarantee, the Coast Fuel Card provides a flexible, transparent fuel payment solution for commercial fleets.

Some of the features of benefits of Coast:

• Can be used for fleet and fuel expenses wherever Visa is accepted
• 2¢ off per gallon on your statement
• 1% back on non-fuel purchases
• No personal guarantee
• Just $2 per active user, per month
• No inactive card fee
• No per-transaction fees in the US
• Create custom policies and rules for staff
• Assign cards to drivers, vehicles, or both
• Ability to also allow additional purchase categories such as car washes or maintenance
• Digital application, Apply in minutes

Click Here To Find Out More

Featured: Motive Card

The Motive Card helps trucking businesses maximize cost savings in a simple, no-fee card solution. Drivers can tap into significant fuel discounts wherever Mastercard is accepted.

As an added perk, real-time card monitoring makes it easy to track expenses so businesses know exactly where money is being spent. Ultimately, the Motive Card aims to save truckers money on their biggest costs, while simplifying spend management.

Some of the features of benefits of the Motive Card:

• Competitive fuel discounts for diesel everywhere Mastercard is accepted
• Greater discounts at Love’s and TA
• No activation fees. No membership fees. No hidden charges.
• Offers additional services and benefits like rental insurance, travel assistance
• Easily set up spend controls to restrict spend by card holder, amount, and transactions
• Real-time reporting
• No limit on disounts
• No Out-of-network station fee
• No ACH payment fee
• No Truck stop fee

Click Here To Find Out More

Featured: WEX

The WEX Fuel Card is one of the most widely accepted fleet cards in the United States, with just 5% of gas stations not accepting it. Automatic accounting systems are particularly useful because they capture relevant data from fuel grade to sales tax for every transaction. WEX also provides tax exemption reports for qualified fleets.

For further help, this card also offers access to the WEX EDGE savings network, which discounts small business-oriented things like tires, wireless internet, and more. This gives small businesses many benefits that major corporations enjoy, and nothing more complicated than using the card to fuel up.

• Accepted at 95% of US gas stations
• Provides customizable reports
• Includes online and mobile access options
• Provides extra discounts on fuel, hotels, and similar items
• Has driver IDs for every transaction

Website: https://www.wexinc.com/

Shell

As one of the nation’s most prominent gas companies, Shell is happy to offer its own fuel cards for companies. These come in two distinct forms. The best discounts and rewards come with Shell’s fleet cards, only usable at Shell locations. This is, unsurprisingly, their way of convincing people to shop at their stations.

However, they also offer a fleet card accepted at other gas locations, which is useful if you can’t always rely on having a Shell station nearby. Other notable features include customizable reports on purchasing behavior, access to training, and no card fees with most of their options.

• Can activate, suspend, or terminate cards through online and mobile tools
• Allows the choice between Shell-only, or fleet cards accepted at 95% of gas stations
• 24/7 customer support
• Enhanced purchase controls

Website: https://www.shell.us/business-customers/shell-commercial-cards.html

EFS

EFS, or Electric Funds Source, is a trucking-focused fleet card. This company splits its focus among three cards. The EFS Fleet One EDGE card is designed for companies of up to 25 trucks and provides additional discounts on many popular tire brands without charging fuel transaction fees.

Meanwhile, the EFS Fleet Card works for fleets of 26 or more trucks and is accepted at more locations. This card helpfully allows you to set purchase limits in real-time and provides card prompts at each point of sale. The EFS Mastercard Fleet Card functions anywhere that accepts Mastercard and is ideal for drivers who need to pay for other things as well.

• Available in several versions to meet the needs of different companies
• Captures data like odometer information and unit number
• Matches purchase data with truck telemetry to improve security
• Accepted at 3,600-16,000 locations
• Allows you to control non-fuel purchases

Website: https://www.efsllc.com/fleet/fleet-cards/

Fuelman

Fuelman cards are different from most fleet cards because they offer various subscription plans for each card. These plans include offers like real-time fraud alerts, annual loyalty bonuses, priority customer service access, and even late payment forgiveness up to twice per year.

Savings vary significantly with their card, though. The best discounts are on a relatively small set of owned locations, with lower savings at other Fuelman sites, or with the Deep Saver Fleet Card with a much more extensive network of accepted locations. In short, you’ll have to check the routes to determine which card will save you the most.

• Flexible plans for each card
• Offers business protection, including against identity theft
• 24/7 roadside assistance
• Variable reward offers

Website: https://www.fuelman.com/

Comdata

Comdata Fleet cards aren’t as well-known as other cards, mainly because they’re trucking-focused fleet cards. The highlight of their system is the FleetAdvance mobile app, which gives drivers information on the best places to fuel up in each area.

Other notable features of this card include preferred discounts and access to cash prices, which are often lower than card prices. This is a rare feature, and depending on where you go, it could lead to a lot of savings over time for your fleet.

• Provides access to cash prices
• Accepted mainly at truck stops
• Customized spending limits
• Real-time transaction data through the FleetAdvance app

Website: https://www.comdata.com/fleet-solutions/index

Pilot Fleet Card

Pilot’s Axle fleet card is an outlier in the industry because it doesn’t provide savings per gallon. Instead, this card offers up to 3% cashback and flexible payment terms to help meet your company’s needs.

However, this card is mainly limited to Pilot, Flying J, and One9 locations within the United States and Canada. That’s not necessarily a problem, but it does put some sharp limits on where you can travel while still getting the most from this card. Be sure to check your routes before considering this card, regardless of its other benefits.

• Provides extra loyalty points at some locations
• Gives money back, rather than discounts on fuel
• Offers special discounts on truck maintenance

Website: https://pilotflyingj.com/fleet/

Universal Premium Fleet Card

The Universal Premium Fleet Card is designed for high-volume use, with maximum savings available to those buying 30,000 gallons or more within each period. Like some other cards, this card comes in several subscription plans, offering different features and benefits based on your needs.

This card offers prioritized customer service, full-performance analytics, fraud loss coverage, and helps to create managed fuel programs at the premium level. In other words, this card asks customers to choose between the higher savings available with other cards and the widespread acceptance of the partnership with Mastercard.

• A combination of trucker fleet cards and Mastercard
• Works almost everywhere
• Provides a 5% discount at some maintenance locations
• Provides enhanced controls for non-gas payments

Website: https://www.universalpremiumcard.com/

TCS Fuel Cards

TCS, or TransConnect Services, focuses on the trucking industry with an average of 42 cents per gallon in savings. That adds up to incredible amounts of money over time. Unfortunately, no card is perfect, and these savings are limited by the comparatively low number of stations accepting the TCS Fleet Fuel Card program.

Other features of this card include personalized account management, dashboard snapshots, and a location finder to help you maximize your savings. This card is definitely worth looking at for the maximum savings alone, but route choices will impact whether it’s viable for you.

• Supports owner-operators, not just larger companies and fleets
• Available through both a mobile app and a website
• One of the highest savings of all fleet cards
• Available in both the United States and Canada

Website: https://www.tcsfuel.com/

Fleet One

The Fleet One Edge card is also offered under the EFS brand, as described above. As part of the WEX network, this card has access to several thousand in-network sites, plus additional savings on essential expenses like wireless internet and vehicle maintenance.

This card offers an excellent balance between savings per gallon and the number of participating gas stations. Even with the huge savings of the TCS card, the low number of stations holds it back. Fleet One is more viable for more companies, which means it will probably offer more savings than many of its competitors.

• Part of the WEX network
• No fuel transaction costs at most in-network sites
• Provides savings on wireless plans and maintenance
• Designed for companies with up to 50 vehicles

Website: https://www.fleetone.com/

ARCO

This ARCO fleet card is accepted at about 1500 participating ARCO stations. The Mastercard version, like similar cards, is also accepted at any fuel location that accepts Mastercard, which is easily most of them. Notable features include exception reporting, online statements, tracking options, and gallon limits.

The main reason to consider this card is if you expect to visit a lot of ARCO stations, rather than other gas sites. Unlike many other fleet cards, ARCO rarely provides discounts on each gallon of gas. Instead, they prefer to offer bonus points and other earned rewards for drivers. 

• Available in both Fleet Card and Fleet Card + Mastercard versions
• Able to report exceptions to regular purchases
• Can set gallon limits for individual cards
• Allows for ID and odometer prompts

Website: https://www.arcobusinesssolutions.com/

BP

As one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, BP has a lot of clout in the trucking industry. Notably, they offer their maximum discount (in the form of a rebate) for customers who purchase just 10,000 gallons, which is considerably lower than some other fleet cards require.

However, like most station-branded cards, BP’s Business Solutions cards are most effective when you buy fuel exclusively at their stations. They have a Mastercard version that allows you to fuel almost anywhere, but except significantly reduced rebates if you do this route.

• Offers volume-based savings
• Allows card controls by day, week, or month
• Helps combat fraud by requiring ID and odometer information
• Monitors after-hours purchasing and sends alerts as needed

Website: https://www.bpbusinesssolutions.com/

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil’s Business Fleet card is exceptionally competitive with the BP card detailed above, offering the same 6 cents per gallon savings when you buy 10,000 or more gallons from one of their branded fueling locations. Their Fleet National card is part of the Wex network and is accepted at over 95% of all retailers, but as usual, this offers fewer rewards and rebates.

Otherwise, this is a relatively standard card, and it’s clearly geared towards drivers who expect to visit a lot of Exxon or Mobil-branded locations along their routes. It also provides predictive updates about service and maintenance to help optimize long-term fuel economy, which can provide significant savings over time.

• Offers competitive savings
• Accepted at many locations
• Helps track driver spending habits
• Provides real-time spending alerts

Website: https://www.exxonmobilfleetcards.com/

Voyager Fleet Card

The Voyager Fleet Card is an outlier in the industry. Instead of being managed by a gas company or a fleet card company, this card is offered by US Bank and benefits from its robust payment network.

The most notable feature of this card is its inclusion of cardless payment options, which are still relatively rare in the industry. This focus on digital access improves centralization, supports fleet efficiency, and provides enhanced data and control for all accounts. It offers particularly good savings for tax-exempt diesel.

• Backed by US Bank
• Includes a comprehensive mobile app
• Allows for cardless payments
• Supports routine fleet maintenance through granular data

Website:  https://www.voyagercsifleet.com/

RTS Fuel Card

RTS offers one of the highest discounts in the industry. Like other high-discount providers, however, this means limited access to stations. In this case, they give discounts at about 2,400 fuel stations. RTS fuel cards are integrated closely to the Pilot Flying J and Speedway networks, but have more coverage than the Pilot card.

What sets this apart is each truck’s weekly line of credit. That gives additional flexibility for cash flow when you need it most, and that can make all the difference if some of your customers are behind on their payments.

• Higher savings than most other fleet cards
• Offers weekly credit lines to individual trucks
• Additional savings at some fuel stations
• No contract or annual fees

Website: https://www.rtsinc.com/product/fuel-discount-program

Multi Service Fuel Card

The Multi Service Fleet Fuel Card is another outlier in the industry. Rather than a predetermined or volume-based rate of discounts, their setup allows them to negotiate discounts based on the behavior of individual fleets. That makes it hard to evaluate potential savings unless you contact them and ask, which is an unfortunate downside for the company.

However, as their name implies, this card aims to be compatible with as many customers as possible. That means its reporting software is compatible with almost all major trucking software setups, and it provides granular real-time data with information like locations, fuel types, merchant numbers, and even the amount of additives in fuel.

• Flexible discounts compared to other fleet cards
• No transaction fees
• 24/7 customer support
• Compatible with many types of truck control software

Website: https://www.multiservicefuelcard.com/

Speedway Fleet Card

Speedway offers three types of cards for customers. Their basic card is designed for small and medium-sized businesses that travel near Speedway locations. The universal card is part of the WEX network and offers significantly expanded access at a higher price point, while the Mastercard version offers the most support.

With about 3,900 in-network locations across 35 states, their basic reach is decent, if not quite as large as some other providers. However, the other cards offer about 90% and 95% coverage in total, which is enough to support almost any company.

• Offers several types of fleet cards
• A reasonable number of locations
• Competitive savings per gallon
• Flexible account monitoring

Website: https://www.speedwayfleetcards.com/

Marathon Fleet Card

Marathon offers a slightly better discount than most other widely accepted fleet cards, with a maximum of 7 cents per gallon (in the form of rebates) when you buy enough gas from them each month. Like many other fleet cards, Marathon cards are supported by the WEX network and benefit from access to many other gas stations.

Marathon has more branded locations than most of its competitors, with about 5,800 branded locations offering the maximum savings. Between that and the higher-than-average savings per gallon, Marathon’s fleet card is extremely competitive and worth considering for your business.

• Slightly higher discount than most competitors
• Automatic accounting and expense tracking
• Allows limits by amount, time, and day
• Includes a free app

Website: https://www.marathonfleetcard.com/

Chevron & Texaco Fleet Card

Chevron & Texaco’s fleet card doesn’t offer as much of a discount as many of its competitors do, but their wide network of locations helps offset that. Notably, this card also starts providing its full savings of up to 6 cents per gallon right away, rather than offering lower savings until you buy enough gas at their stations.

Otherwise, this is a fairly standard card supported by the WEX network. It offers controls set by card or driver, options to limit spending, real-time monitoring, and everything else you expect from a viable fleet card.

• Provides immediate savings, rather than tiered discounts
• Supported by over 8,000 stations
• Allows you to set customized controls by driver or by card
• Has an out-of-network card

Website: https://www.chevrontexacobusinesscard.com/

What Is A Fleet Card?

A fleet card is a special type of payment card that can be used for vehicle-related expenses. This includes maintenance, emergency repairs, and fuel costs. Most companies use them mainly for gas payments, and fleet cards compete based on the types of savings they can provide to customers who visit participating gas stations.

Benefits can range from fuel discounts (either at the pump or in the form of rebates) to benefits regarding expenses like replacement tires or oil changes. Some people refer to fleet cards as fuel cards, fleet fuel cards, or gas cards.

How Fuel Cards Work

On the surface, fleet cards work similarly to any other type of payment card. You put the card into a payment terminal, type in any necessary information, and start fueling your vehicle.

However, unlike traditional payment cards, fuel cards also help gather useful information about vehicles and their performance. This can include details like the time between fuel stops, how much gas drivers are buying, and even when each transaction occurs. This information is useful for understanding drivers’ habits and maximizing overall fuel efficiency.

These details matter to transportation companies. If you’re managing dozens of trucks, even a slight increase in fuel economy can mean huge savings over time. Most fleet cards provide customized reports to help businesses make these types of money-saving changes.

Fuel Card Savings

The amount you’ll save varies based on factors like which card you use and how much of a discount each card offers. Every fleet card wants you to prioritize using their in-network gas stations, so that’s where you’ll see most of the savings. From there, however, things vary.

Some companies have several fleet fuel cards at the same time. This is particularly useful when there are no annual fees or other costs for having and using the card. Every company is different, so you’ll need to research gas stations yourself to determine which card offers the best savings for you.

Companies generally provide one of two basic formats for their rewards programs.

• Companies with high discounts (above 10 cents/gallon) tend to have a small number of locations you can visit. This is great if you operate mainly around their gas stations, but it’s not very helpful if you want to send your fleet around the whole country.
• Companies with low discounts (7 cents/gallon or less) typically have far more gas stations. While they may not offer as great of a discount, the fact that you can benefit from their discounts more reliably can mean that you’ll end up saving more money than you would with a high-discount card.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Having a Fuel Card

Here’s what you need to know to make informed decisions about getting your business a refueling card.

Advantages

• Fleet cards reduce the expenditure on fuel purchases by providing discounts and rewards. They also exclude the need for manual reimbursement and simplify accounting procedures. It decreases expenses further.
• Utilizing fleet cards facilitates expense tracking and guards against fraud. These cards generate detailed statements that provide businesses with transparent insights into expenditures. It might also help easy fraud detection.
• Most fleet cards extend beyond fuel expenses. They offer services like truck maintenance, tire changes, and even hotel lodging. These comprehensive options display various expenditures under a unified system.

Disadvantages

• Several fleet cards may have limited coverage when it comes to fuel station networks. So, businesses need to choose fleet fuel cards carefully to make sure they’ll be able to use it enough.
• Though fuel cards offer discounts, many come with accompanying fees. Transaction fees and account setup charges can impact the total cost per fill-up. Businesses should scrutinize fee structures to make informed decisions.
• Misplacing or misuse of fleet cards can incur significant costs. Businesses should go for secure card management to prevent unauthorized transactions or losses. Implementing stringent card control measures is crucial to mitigate potential financial risks.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re unfamiliar with fleet and fuel cards, here are answers to people’s most common questions about them.

What Are The Differences Between Credit Cards And Fuel Cards?

The main difference is that fleet fuel cards are limited to vehicle-related purchases and provide more information about each fuel purchase than companies usually receive.

However, some fleet fuel cards are also credit or debit cards and can be used for other expenses. This is designed to provide flexibility to companies, so the distinction between the types of cards isn’t as clear as it looks at first.

Are Fuel Cards Worth It for a Small Business?

Yes, fuel cards are worthwhile for small enterprises. These cards act as business credit cards, offering 24/7 flexibility and financial advantages without involving managers. Drivers can also conveniently purchase fuel and cover vehicle-related expenses on the go. It eliminates the need for cumbersome reimbursement forms and streamlining administrative processes.

Also, small businesses often operate on thin profit margins when managing supply chains. So, they benefit significantly from the cost-saving features of fuel cards. However, you have to be careful when selecting a gasoline card. Some only have perks at certain gas stations, which reduces their value for small businesses.

What Is the Most Widely Accepted Fuel Card?

The WEX Fleet Card is the most widely accepted fuel card. It provides a wide range of advantages and comprehensive coverage. Approximately 95% of the petrol stations in the nation are part of the WEX Fleet Card network. There are 45,000 service locations and more than 160,000 stations.

Final Words

Navigating the world of fleet cards requires careful consideration. The 20 best fuel cards for small businesses offer diverse benefits. Whether it’s the widespread acceptance, competitive fuel discounts, or specialized offerings, there’s a solution for various business needs.

Yet businesses must understand the intricacies of these cards. While fleet cards can have savings through fuel discounts, streamlined administration, and comprehensive expense tracking, they may have limitations in coverage and come with associated fees. Choosing the right card for a business’s operational needs and preferred refueling locations is paramount.

* please note we have an affiliate relationship with Coast and Motive Card