Fuel Card Guide Overview
Fuel cards have many advantages for all types of business, both small and large across all industry sectors. Any business can benefit from a fuel card including, businesses that use fuel directly as a service offering e.g. Delivery or logistics companies or businesses where fuel spend is small cost associated with commercial operations.
Understanding how fuel cards work and the best fuel card for your business sector and size can be confusing. To help companies navigate the world of fuel cards we’ve put together, Fuel Cards: A Complete Guide. In this guide we cover everything you need to know about fuel cards, the topics are listed below, select the link to skip to that section of the guide.
How to Use the fuelGenie Petrol Prices App
The fuelGenie app helps drivers easily locate the best deal on fuel, we've created a guide below which takes you through the main features and how it works.
Business Fuel Cards
Business fuel cards can be beneficial to a range of businesses, in this section of the guide we take a look specifically at how different types of business benefit from a fuel card.
The businesses included in this section are:
- Fuel cards for farmers
- Fuel cards for taxi drivers
- Fuel cards for driving instructors
- Fuel cards for self employed
- Fuel cards for small fleets
- Fuel cards for charities
- Fuel cards for builders
- Fuel cards for small businesses
- Fuel cards for carers
- Fuel cards for electricians
- Fuel cards for plumbers
- Fuel cards for housing associations
How Do Fuel Cards Work?
Business fuel cards streamline the administration of company fuel costs whilst also saving businesses money on the fuel itself. Using a fuel card is really simple, drivers pay for the fuel using the fuel card instead of cash or a debit / credit card. The amount spent on fuel then gets recorded on the fuel card account and charged back to the company, within the credit period specified.
Get more information on How Fuel Cards Work and How to Use Your Fuel Card.
Compare Fuel Cards
Comparing fuel cards to other methods to pay for business fuel is important so as a business you can select the right method for paying for your fuel. Compared to the pay and reclaim method, fuel cards reduce the amount of time spent on collecting receipts and admin time spent reimbursing employees for fuel spend. This section of the guide also compares fuelGenie fuel cards against other fuel cards on the market.
Fuel Card Types
There are a number of types of fuel card available in the market, these fuel cards differ based on price, the petrol stations they can be used at and the services they offer. The best fuel card for your business will depend on your location, fleet size and business requirements.
Some fuel cards charge fees fee for having the service and others are completely free. fuelGenie has two fuel card solutions, fuelGenie and fuelGenie+. The fuelGenie fuel card is completely free and can be used at Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's petrol stations. fuelGenie+ fuel card has a small monthly fee but offers additional petrol station coverage, it can be used at all fuelGenie locations, plus most Shell petrol stations. Drivers can use the fuelGenie app to locate their nearest forecourt. Both fuelGenie fuel cards have no hidden card fees or surcharges.
Some of the most common fuel card charges to look out for when selecting a fuel card include:
- Annual card charge
- Network service fee
- Replacement card
- Convenience charge
- Change of details
- Invoicing
- Direct debit admin
- Risk-based fee
For more information read our article on fuel cards with no fees.
Read more in the Compare Fuel Cards section of the guide.
Fuel Cards and Tax
Tax can be a complex subject when it comes to businesses and what is and what isn’t taxable. To make things easier we have a whole section of the fuel card guide dedicated to Fuel Cards and Tax. This section of the guide discusses the tax implications of a fuel card and how to avoid these complexities. Stopping employees using business fuel cards for personal use is the easiest way to avoid having to pay taxable benefits to employees. If this isn't possible our guide explains the tax your business will need to pay and how this can be calculated.
Fuel cards can also be beneficial in terms of VAT reclaim, fuelGenie fuel cards have an online account management system which collates all of the transaction into one single, monthly HMRC approved invoice. This makes managing VAT reclaim for business fuel easy.
Take a look at our Fuel Cards and Tax section of the guide for more information.
Your fleet size and the areas your business needs to cover will become a deciding factor in the selection of the most suitable fuel card for your business needs. Most fuel cards can only be used at petrol stations where they are accepted so it is important to check the coverage of a fuel card before signing up. fuelGenie has two fuel card options, fuelGenie and fuelGenie+. The fuelGenie fuel card is completely free and can be used at over 1,370 Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s petrol stations. fuelGenie+ can be used at over 2,200 petrol stations, it can be used everywhere the fuelGenie fuel card can be used with the addition of most Shell petrol stations. Drivers can use the fuelGenie app to find their nearest participating station.
For more information on network coverage read our article on choosing a fleet fuel card.
Business Fuel Management
Reducing money spent on fuel by switching fuel card supplier is one of the easiest ways to cut business fuel costs. There are other simple ways businesses can cut costs and manage fuel and expenses more effectively, this section of the guide looks at how this can be achieved.
Advising drivers on the most fuel-efficient way to drive a vehicle can save hundreds of pounds on business fuel costs over the course of a year. Managing other business expenses effectively by following the recommendations in our article How to Manage Small Business Expenses can also help to manage cash flow and cut unnecessary costs.
Other costs associated with the running and maintenance of business vehicles must be carefully managed. This includes the purchase and replacement of vehicles and vehicle running costs. Getting a good deal on the cost of vehicles and their maintenance contracts can have a significant impact on business finances.
Other travel costs including train tickets, hotel stays etc can also mount up. Take a look at the Business Fuel Management section of the guide for more information on how to save money and manage business fuel.
Fuel Cards and Employees
Employees at different levels of the business may have questions around the use of fuel cards and how it impacts on their role and the business operations. This section of the guide is dedicated to answering all the questions you might have around fuel cards and the impact on employees and the business.
Questions include:
Should a fuel card be in the handbook?
Do fuel cards impact on health and safety?
Do fuel cards impact on pensions?
Read more from this section of the guide: Fuel Cards and Employees
Choosing a fuel card that is suitable for your business can be a complex decision, our guide aims to make this as simple as possible. If you have decided fuelGenie is the right fuel card for your business, you can apply online using our simple form.