Fuel is probably one of your biggest variable costs if you’re running any kind of business with vehicles. Whether it’s a couple of vans for a trades business or a proper fleet for deliveries, getting your fuel card choice wrong means you’re either overpaying at the pump or drowning in administrative hassle. The best fuel card for business isn’t necessarily the one with the biggest advertised discount—it’s the one that matches how your business actually operates, gives you the control and visibility you need, and doesn’t create more work than it saves. Making this decision requires looking past the marketing and understanding what actually matters for your specific situation.
Assessing Your Actual Fuel Usage Patterns
Before even looking at cards, you need to know how much fuel your business burns through monthly and where vehicles are typically filling up. Are we talking $2,000 a month or $20,000? Are your vehicles concentrated in one city or spread across regions?
These numbers directly determine which cards will even consider you and what rates you’ll qualify for. A business spending $1,500 monthly on fuel won’t get the same terms as one spending $15,000. Some premium fleet cards have minimum spend requirements or monthly fees that don’t make sense unless your volume justifies them. Track your current fuel spending for at least a couple months before making any decisions.
Station Network Coverage That Matches Your Routes
This seems obvious but it’s where plenty of businesses mess up. They grab a card with great discounts only to realize their drivers can’t actually find participating stations on their regular routes. Your drivers end up either going out of their way to find approved stations or paying out-of-pocket and claiming reimbursement, which defeats the entire point.
Map out where your vehicles actually operate—not where you think they operate. If half your business is in areas where only BP stations exist, getting a Shell-only card creates problems. Multi-brand cards cost a bit more sometimes but the flexibility might be worth it if your operational area is diverse.
Administrative Features You’ll Actually Use
Some fuel cards come with elaborate online portals offering detailed analytics, carbon emission tracking, vehicle assignment features, and real-time spending alerts. Others are basically just discount cards with basic monthly statements. Neither is inherently better—it depends what you need.
If you’re a sole trader with two vehicles, you probably don’t need enterprise-level analytics. But if you’ve got 15+ vehicles and multiple drivers, not having proper reporting and controls means you’re managing everything in spreadsheets, which is a nightmare. Be honest about whether you’ll use advanced features or if they’re just adding cost and complexity you don’t need.
Understanding the True Cost Beyond Discounts
That 6 cents per litre discount looks great until you realize there’s a monthly account fee, per-card fees, transaction fees, or minimum spend requirements. Some cards charge you if you don’t hit a certain monthly volume. Others have annual fees that eat into your savings if your usage is moderate.
Calculate the total cost of ownership including all fees, then work out your actual savings based on your realistic fuel consumption. A card with 4 cents discount and no fees might save you more money than a card with 7 cents discount and $50 monthly fees if your usage is relatively low. The math matters more than the headline number.
Control Features to Prevent Misuse
Fuel card fraud or misuse is more common than people think. Drivers buying personal fuel, unauthorized purchases at convenience stores, or cards being “borrowed” by family members—it happens. The right card gives you controls to limit this risk without treating your employees like criminals.
Look for cards that let you restrict purchase types, set daily spending limits, require odometer readings, or lock cards to specific vehicles. These features create natural boundaries that prevent problems while keeping things professional. You’re not necessarily distrusting your staff, you’re just setting up systems that remove temptation and prevent honest mistakes from becoming expensive ones.
Tax Reporting and GST Compliance
Every fuel purchase is a tax-deductible expense and includes GST you can claim back. Fuel cards that provide detailed tax-ready reports save your accountant hours of work, which saves you money come tax time.
The best cards automatically separate GST, categorize expenses properly, and export data in formats accountants actually use. If you’re currently collecting paper receipts and manually entering data, switching to a card with good reporting features will feel like a miracle.