Sole Trader Fuel Cards for the Self Employed in Ireland

Best sole trader fuel cards

A fuel card for self-employed workers helps to save money and time in many ways. Having the right card means spending less on fuel and spending more time on what matters, not paperwork!

The best fuel cards for self-employed workers in Ireland are the DCI One, DCI Pump Saver, and the Texaco Fastfuel. You can find which card best suits you by doing a fuel card comparison. Or keep reading for more details.

DCI One card: best for budget planning

• Accepted at: 1,675+ stations in IOI
• No minimum monthly spending requirements
• Weekly fixed prices to reign in your budget

Pump prices go up and down faster than kids on a seesaw these days. When prices are higher than usual, it makes planning your budget much harder no matter how many business vehicles you have.

Having weekly fixed prices keeps things simple. Every week, you get a fixed price for fuel across your accepted stations in Ireland.

So even if pump prices jump up on Wednesday for everyone else, you still get those exclusive prices from days before.

DCI Pump Saver: best for the self-employed

• Accepted at: 1,270+ in Ireland, 3,000+ in the UK
• Guaranteed discounts off petrol and diesel prices
• Email or push notifications for discount updates

DCI are one of the biggest fuel card providers in Ireland, so the DCI One isn’t your only choice. The fixed prices of the One are nice, but not always the best choice for sole traders.

For guaranteed discount on fuel prices in Ireland, the Pump Saver card is the best fuel card for sole traders.

Every week, get an update on what discounts you get on pump prices at the station. These notifications are sent straight to your inbox or phone, so you never miss out on savings.

The DCI Pump Saver is a great fuel card for self-employed workers travelling to the UK. There’s over 3,000+ stations waiting for you there too with discount prices.

Texaco Fastfuel: best for mixed fleets

• Accepted at: 400+ stations in IOI
• Fixed prices for petrol and diesel
• Good online account system for management

Some of you have a petrol and a diesel vehicle for your business. How do you juggle paying for different types of fuel when some cards work best for one or the other?

The Fastfuel is a sole trader fuel card with great, competitive prices for both petrol and diesel. You get weekly updates on both prices. Like the DCI One, but with the added bonus of fixed prices for petrol too.

It does have a smaller network compared to the DCI with around 424 stations in Ireland. But it has a surprising amount of flexibility for those that need it.

How do sole trader fuel cards help me?

Every business, including sole traders and the self-employed, can get fuel cards. They’re not just for big businesses or fleets! Fuel cards benefit you in a couple of ways:

1. Save time using self-employed fuel cards

Spend a lot of time driving? Paying with cash for fuel is one of the biggest time wasters you might not have even noticed.

Getting the money out, carrying it around, and planning how much your business needs is a hassle.

Going cashless means you just use your fuel card at checkout. Not digging through your wallet needed. This also improves your security because you’re not carrying cash around and the cards are PIN protected.

2. Shred wasted admin and paperwork

Paperwork is the worst part of being self-employed. Everyone dreads the yearly Self-Assessment. Everyone apart from the accountants, that is!

Getting a sole trader fuel card means you get your fuel invoice receipts straight to your email inbox. No more digging around to find them. These invoices are HMRC-approved too, so you can use them for accurate VAT reclaims.

3. Track exactly how much fuel you’re using

Unless you dig through your receipts or bank statements, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending on fuel sometimes.

If you’ve got multiple drivers or vehicles in your business, it’s even more complicated!

A fuel card for self-employed workers comes with a handy online account. All you have to do is log on to see exactly what you’re spending.

Where can I get fuel cards for the self-employed?

Many major petrol and diesel brands in Ireland are fuel card providers too. Bigger brands have a bigger number of stations in Ireland.

See our guide to each of these top providers to see what sole trader fuel cards you could get:

• DCI fuel cards
• Emo fuel cards
• Texaco fuel cards

How do self-employed fuel cards work?

Go to the station and pay for the fuel with your fuel card. You don’t need any cash or your debit card on hand. You’re then billed for the fuel via an invoice sent to your email monthly.

Keep in mind that cards can only be used at certain stations, usually the provider’s and any partner stations.

You’ll find out which ones when you apply or by looking at your online account for your fuel card. Self-employed and sole traders can apply for fuel cards online.

Where can I use sole trader fuel cards?

That depends on what card you’ve got! The DCI card is the most widely accepted card across IOI as well as the UK. In Ireland, it’s accepted at Circle K, EMO, Maxol, Texaco and more.