Best Fuel Cards For Van Drivers
- Discount fuel prices for diesel, petrol and electric vans
- Get an online account to track your usage
- Cut down on admin time and go paperless
We’ve made a list of the five best fuel cards for vans and explained the benefits of using them for your business. All you need to do is decide which of these van fuel cards is right one for you.
Best van fuel cards in the UK
Fuel card | Best feature | Where to use it |
Refuel your vans at over 3,200 service stations including all BP sites plus partners Esso, Gulf and Texaco | BP, Texaco, Gulf, Esso | |
Gives you access to 25% of all fuel stations in the UK | Esso, Shell | |
Lets you fill your van up at Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, & Tesco | Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco | |
Provides access to fuel stations in 21 European countries | EDC | |
Lets you fill your van up at Shell, Esso and Texaco stations | Shell, Esso, Texaco, Gulf, Gleaner |
BP Plus van fuel card
Excellent for all diesel vans, the BP Plus is accepted at over 60% of the UK’s motorway stations. Easy to use loyalty points for the BPMe reward scheme are up for grabs, plus potential fuel discounts if you refill at the right time.
Every week your fuel card provider lets you know how much you can pay for fuel with your card. Sometimes these prices can be way lower than what you get at the pump. If you want lower BP prices, this is a good card for you.
Esso National card
This card from Esso is a good choice for most van drivers who use Esso or Shell stations on their route. Over 3,400 stations accept the Esso National, so nationwide van drivers won’t have any issues.
Few fuel cards for business vans let you choose your price type. With the Esso National, you get to choose pump or fixed prices.
Weekly fixed prices help you avoid price fluctuations and can control your budget. But some drivers, including sole traders, may prefer plain old pump prices and just use their fuel card for handy digital invoices.
Either way, the Esso National is a flexible and widely accepted car for every type of driver.
FuelGenie card
Most van fuel cards are widely accepted. The fuelGenie is unique for its hyper focus on supermarkets. If you refill at your local supermarket, this is the van fuel card for you. The FuelGenie is only accepted at supermarkets, so if you want more choice get the Shell-Multinetwork instead.
But its supermarket limit is also its strength. Supermarket fuel is the cheapest kind around. If you want to keep costs down, this card can help. Collect reward points, get digital fuel invoices, and track your usage.
European Diesel Card for vans
Anyone driving across Europe needs a fuel card to manage the budget and track costs. But which one do you get? The EDC fuel card is a great option for vans because it’s accepted at 9,000 stations in Europe and there’s no minimum monthly spend.
Some European fuel cards penalise drivers who don’t buy a certain amount of fuel, usually more than a sole trader or small business needs. But the EDC card has good flexibility and lets you buy how much you need, not a number popped out of thin air.
Using your EDC card, you can also pay for Eurovignette charges. You get all fuel and Eurovignette charges all in one place for easy, fast admin.
Shell Multi-Network fuel card
Not every van driver is trekking across Europe! If you need a solid fuel card for vans in the UK, it doesn’t get much better than this one from Shell.
The van fuel card is accepted at a wide range of stations, not just Shell. It’s accepted at over 3,500 stations in the UK. Even more than the Esso National! But the best part of the Shell Multi-Network is its unique features.
You get petrol and diesel at fixed weekly prices, transaction limits to halt misuse as it happens, and you get to pay for the M6 toll road with it too. That’s a lot of handy features in one card. If that sounds useful for you, get yours now below.
Benefits of fuel cards for vans
If you’ve never had a van fuel card before, it can seem like a bit of a jump to grab one for your van. But there are plenty of reasons why it’s a great choice for van drivers.
With fuel card for business vans, you get HMRC-approved invoices, fuel at competitive prices, and faster VAT reclaims. Here’s everything you need to know.
HMRC approved invoices for fuel
The last thing one needs is a problem with VAT claims at the end of the month, so your van fuel card needs to give you detailed VAT compliant invoicing at the drop of a hat.
Using a fuel card takes away the pain of VAT invoicing. How? By creating HMRC-approved invoices automatically – you’ll never need to keep a fuel receipt again.
But that’s not the only tax benefit from fuel cards.
They can also help you with your VAT claims.
Fuel cards can help you save on tax. This is because the HMRC- approved invoices can be used to claim back the VAT on the fuel you use. Why? Because they show fuel cost as a taxable expense – something you don’t get from normal receipts.
Track and manage your account online
Whether you are transporting stock or people from one destination to another, your van is going to need fuel.
The problem is that refuelling your van can be costly and keeping hold of your invoices can be a nightmare.
But can this be made any easier for you?
Absolutely.
Van fuel cards give you access to cheap fuel and come with HMRC-approved accounting software – the best fuel cards for vans save you both time and money.
iCompario tip: electric fuel cards for electric vans
Many van drivers in the UK now have plug-in vehicles. But having an electric van doesn’t mean giving up fuel card benefits. These charge cards have all the benefits, but can be used at charging stations.
Fuel cards for vans make invoicing easier for your business
Do you face the tough task of chasing drivers down for their fuel receipts? Or get frustrated trying to find the receipts when you need to submit your tax return? Cut all of the nonsense out and go paperless.
Fuel cards for vans can be used in thousands of fuel stations
Do you use your van locally?
Maybe you travel regionally?
Do you have to drive across the UK?
Perhaps your business is spread throughout Europe? Check out our guide to Europe fuel cards.
Whichever of these things are true for you, there’s one fact that you can take as gospel – there’s a full card that will let you fill-up your van wherever and whenever you want to.
Why do we know this? Because the best fuel cards for vans give you access to thousands of fuel stations in the UK and Europe.
If you are in your vehicle for any length of time, you need van fuel cards that support you and understands your needs.
Little things like being able to access your account when it suits you or on your mobile, being able to see what stations are on your route and allowing your drivers to buy a cup of coffee are often ignored when it comes to making a decision on a fuel card.
Whatever your requirements, iCompario has you covered.
Fuel cards for vans make invoicing easier for your business
Do you face the arduous task of chasing drivers down for their fuel receipts? Or get frustrated trying to find the receipts when you need to submit your tax return?
The last thing one needs is a problem with VAT claims at the end of the month, so your card offering needs to allow easy and detailed VAT compliant invoicing at the drop of a hat.
Using a fuel card takes away the pain of VAT invoicing. How? By creating HMRC approved invoices automatically – you’ll never need to keep a fuel receipt again.
But that’s not the only tax benefit from fuel cards.
They can also help you with your VAT claims.
This is because the HMRC approved invoices they create can be used to claim back the VAT on the fuel you use. Why? Because they show fuel cost as a taxable expense – something you don’t get from normal receipts.
Fuel cards for vans can be used in thousands of fuel stations
Do you use your van locally?
Maybe you travel regionally?
Do you have to drive across the UK?
Perhaps your business is spread throughout Europe?
Whichever of these things are true for you, there’s one fact that you can take as gospel – there’s a full card that will let you fill-up your van wherever and whenever you want to.
Why do we know this? Because the best fuel cards for vans give you access to thousands of fuel stations in the UK and Europe.
If you are in your vehicle for any length of time, you need van fuel cards that support you and understands your needs.
Little things like being able to access your account when it suits you or on your mobile, being able to see what stations are on your route and allowing your drivers to buy a cup of coffee are often ignored when it comes to making a decision on a fuel card.
Whatever your requirements, iCompario has you covered.
Best fuel card for vans providers
Fuel card provider | Why it’s one of the 5 best fuel card providers for vans |
Shell fuel cards |
Gives your business the security of fixed weekly fuel prices |
Esso fuel cards |
Lets you fill your cars up at 14,000 European stations |
BP fuel cards |
Grants you access to the UK’s biggest motorway network |
Texaco fuel cards |
Allows you to fuel your car at the UK’s main supermarkets |
UK Fuel cards | Offers an enormous selection of fuel benefits for your cars |
If your business relies on a single van or van fleet, you might require the convenience of a large national network or price-competitive local network for your fuel requirements, and your card offering should meet that need.
It’s why the best providers of fuel card for business vans let you refill at stations across the UK and Europe.
How to find the best fuel card for business vans
With so many fuel card options for van drivers, it can be difficult to decide which one is best for your business. Indeed, it may be that you need more than one.
When deciding what the best fuel cards are for vans, look for ones that offer you:
- Competitive fuel prices
- A network of sites suited to your specific business requirements
- Easy and detailed HMRC VAT compliant invoices to facilitate claims
- The ability to allocate your fuel card to a driver or vehicle, or both
- Helpful client onboarding and ongoing account manager support
How to get a fuel card for your van
The UK has so many fuel cards and providers it can be hard to find the best one for your business. The best van fuel cards are BP Plus, Esso National, FuelGenie, EDC, and Shell Multi-Network. To find out which one is best for you, compare cards and get yours now.