Best Company Fuel Cards in the UK
- Discounts on fuel across the UK
- Save time with HMRC approved invoices
- Get deals in 30 seconds and apply online
Best Company Fuel Cards in the UK Review
A company fuel card is a type of payment card that employees can use to buy fuel. They make transactions easier for businesses, as there is no need to hand out cash for fuel or manage any receipts or fuel reimbursements.
The best company fuel cards in the UK, at a glance, are:
- Fleetone – best fuel card for LGV fleets
- fuelGenie – ideal for small businesses
- Esso National – competitive prices at Esso stations
- Shell Multi-network – ideal for motorway drivers
- Texaco Fastfuel – discounts at many stations
To help you find suitable fuel cards for your business, we cover all the details you need to know in our in-depth guide. Our fuel card comparison tool can give you quotes in seconds, showing you our top picks based on your business needs.
Fleetone
- Prices: discounts on pump prices
- Locations: over 4,100 stations
Fleetone fuel cards offer an extensive network of stations with lots of discount options. Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Jet and Texaco stations, along with a wide range of UK Fuels stations, all accept it. Fleetone is a fleet fuel card suitable for car and van fleets of all sizes, especially those operating in multiple regions.
Few fuel cards can match the amount of discounts offered here. Get up to 10p off a litre at over 4,100 stations nationwide with a Fleetone fuel card.
FuelGenie
- Prices: pump prices
- Locations: over 1,350 supermarket stations
Easy to use and ideal for small businesses, the fuelGenie is a supermarket fuel card accepted at Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. FuelGenie has no annual fees—you only need to pay for paper invoices or if you miss a payment.
But it’s only accepted at some supermarkets. Depending on what stations you already use, that might not be an issue. Regardless, it’s one of the cheapest fuel cards available and ideal if you’re on a budget.
Esso National
- Prices: weekly fixed prices or pump price discounts
- Locations: over 3,400 stations in the UK
Buy fuel at competitive prices at 1 in 4 stations in the UK. The Esso National can be used at all Esso, BP and Shell stations. If required, Esso company fuel cards can also be used to pay for specialist fuels, gasoil and AdBlue.
Drivers can also find a nearby filling station easily with the e-Route service station finder tools. So, even if your employees find themselves on an unfamiliar route, they can find a petrol station wherever they are.
Shell Multi-network
- Prices: weekly fixed prices or pump price discounts
- Locations: over 4,000 stations in the UK
If your business operates nationally, the Shell multi-network fuel card is an excellent option. This Shell company fuel card is accepted at over 4,000 stations across the country, including Shell, Esso and Texaco.
With this card, you can purchase Shell’s FuelSave diesel which helps improve vehicle efficiency. You can also benefit from competitive weekly fixed prices, which will help you save money in the long term.
Texaco Fastfuel
- Prices: choose fixed weekly or pump price discounts
- Locations: over 3,500 stations in the UK
Texaco Fastfuel is one of the most convenient and cost-effective company fuel cards available in the UK. The Texaco fuel card lets you choose from fixed prices every week or pump price discounts at a network of over 3,500 stations across the country, including Texaco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
Overall, Fastfuel is a flexible option with many features to help you save time and money. The easy-to-use card also comes with HMRC-approved invoices. You will also be given an extensive breakdown of fuel usage for monitoring purposes.
How to get a company fuel card
Any business, sole trader or organisation can buy fuel cards. Fuel cards aren’t suitable for personal use. Knowing the application process before you buy can help to speed things up. Here’s how it works:
- Do a fuel card comparison to determine which cards are most suitable for your business.
- Select your fuel card and apply online through iCompario.
- Fill in an application form with your company details, then submit.
- The application is then processed by the fuel card provided and a credit check is completed.
- Once these checks are finished, your fuel cards are sent to you in the post.
Fuel cards require a credit check as your company is purchasing the fuel on credit and paying for it later. If you have a new business with no credit rating or have a low rating, there are options available for you.
How long the application process takes does depend on the provider and the checks they need to complete. You can help things along by applying for fuel cards as soon as possible and checking your application details to ensure there are no mistakes to be corrected.
Is it worth having a company fuel card?
Yes, company fuel cards are worth it as they offer unlimited benefits that enable companies to pay for fuel on credit and pay later. To help you understand the fuss about company fuel cards, here are some of the biggest benefits that your company can enjoy:
Cost-effective fuel
One of the biggest advantages of investing in company fuel cards is that they can save your business a significant amount of money. Currently, you may be overspending on fuel, especially if you are paying workers on a rate-per-mile basis and they use the vehicle regularly.
With a fuel card, you can cut down your expenditure, as providers typically keep cardholders informed about the current fixed national rate per litre, which is typically 2-3 pence less than standard fuel prices or 10 pence on motorways. What prices you can get varies on the card and provider.
Use interest-free credit
Another great financial benefit of company fuel cards is that they can help you gain access to interest-free credit. This will help improve cash flow, as there is no immediate upfront cost. An invoice is typically sent at the end of each week, so you will always be prepared for payment.
Streamline your admin tasks
One of the main aims of company fuel cards is to simplify company processes, including admin, which is typically one of the most time-consuming tasks.
Admin work is thoroughly streamlined with a fuel card, as they come with a simple-to-use online management system. This means there’s no need to deal with continuous fuel expense forms and endless receipts, as it’s all stored in a digital form, so it’s much easier to sort through.
Improve security measures
In comparison to other payment methods, fuel cards are much safer in terms of security. When using a fuel card, a PIN will be required to ensure the person is authorised to use the card.
Some fuel cards use spending limits, which can be adjusted depending on the travel requirements of each employee. The payments can also be tracked in real-time, so if any fuel card fraud is detected (which is unlikely), it will be dealt with straight away.
Additional services
Aside from fuel payments, some company fuel cards can be used to pay for tolls, which is helpful for drivers who drive toll routes on a daily basis.
More fuel card providers are offering payment options for EV charging points to cater to the increase in companies investing in more eco-friendly electric vehicles.
Reporting options
One of the biggest advantages of company fuel cards is that organisations can monitor the fuel via fleet fuel management software. This can also help point out any inefficiencies, such as overspending on fuel or noticing an issue with a driving style that can be addressed with further training.
iCompario tip: Use vehicle trackers to keep an eye on company vehicles
Vehicle trackers are GPS devices that attach to a vehicle and can be used to monitor your company’s cars, vans and trucks. While fuel cards can offer you competitive prices for fuel, making sure your business is efficient about its usage is also important.
Use vehicle trackers to optimise your routes and minimise your usage to spend even less on fuel.
How does a company fuel card work
Companies give a fuel card to each driver, who use them to pay for fuel at the station on credit. The money then leaves the business account on the scheduled payment date, unlike credit or debit cards which release the money immediately. Fuel cards work in their network at specific stations in the UK.
Do you get taxed on a company fuel card?
Using fuel cards for business use only isn’t taxable. If fuel cards are used for personal and business trips, then they can be classed as a taxable benefit-in-kind. The tax implications of fuel cards can be complicated, but in short, you can use them to claim back VAT for business trips and help you save money.
To make things simple, company fuel cards include HMRC-approved invoices with all the details HMRC needs to understand your expenses and what VAT recovery you’re entitled to.
Company fuel cards explained for employees
One of the main worries companies have about fuel cards is how they will work for their drivers and if they will cause any disruption. But these cards are just as easy to use as debit and credit cards.
Company drivers simply go to a station in the fuel card network, then pay as usual and enter the PIN when prompted.
Compared to collecting paper receipts and needing to claim fuel expenses later, fuel cards greatly simplify the payment process for drivers. All receipts are handled by the fuel card system in the form of regular invoices, so they can spend less time worrying about paperwork and your fleet managers have less paperwork to file!
What are company fuel card rules?
Managers can set up any rules for purchases and employee fuel card use in the fuel card’s online account. Limits can be set for spending, fuel litre amounts and what can be purchased using the card.
Compare company fuel cards
The best company fuel cards help you save time on paperwork, money on fuel and can help you control your cash flow with interest-free credit. To see what fuel cards suit your business, use our comparison tool.
Our database of cards covers 95% of UK fuel stations, so no matter what stations you regularly use you can find a fuel card to suit your needs. Since 2017, we’ve been helping businesses like yours find cards to match your requirements.
