Do fuel cards save companies money?
Fleet managers looking to reduce the running costs of their vehicles need to ask themselves two questions when contemplating the use of fuel cards:
Question 1: Will it offer a discount on pump prices?
If you have to pay the same price for fuel as you would without a fuel card, there is little point in having one.
“You should be offered a discount of 3p to 4p per litre compared to national average pump prices. If you are not offered a discount, ask yourself why not,” says said Steve Clarke, general manager of The Fuelcard People.
Question 2: Will it offer a choice covering all of the ‘Big Five’ fuel suppliers?
“Fuel cards are not all the same, so no single fuel card can be perfect for all users. The only sure way to find the best one for your own specific needs is to be able to choose from the widest possible range. This means that BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco and Total all have to be included in the choice on offer. A fuel card company offering three or four of the ‘Big Five’ may look good, particularly as most suppliers only offer one or two different fuel cards. If a supplier does not offer BP or Total, however, and one of these would best suit your specific needs, it can only provide a second-best alternative. There are other major brands and any good supplier also has both the UK Fuels and Diesel Direct (Keyfuels) fuel cards, for example, in its portfolio. Steve Clarke said, “A line has to be drawn somewhere when narrowing down supplier options and insisting on being able to select from all of the ‘Big Five’ is a sensible place to start,” adds Clarke in conclusion.
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