8 Best Fuel Card Benefits: Comprehensive Guide (2025)

Every day at the pump, your drivers are swiping cards or handing over cash, and your business could be missing out on serious savings and perks. Many fleet owners report wishing they'd made the switch to fuel cards years earlier.

Fleet fuel cards offer much more than just another payment method—they're comprehensive tools that can transform how your business handles fuel expenses and vehicle-related purchases. With fuel making up nearly 30% of most fleet operating costs, even small improvements in how you manage fuel spending can significantly boost your bottom line.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of fuel card benefits and what they actually do (they're much more than just a credit card with a different logo).

Key Takeaways:

• Fleet fuel cards can save up to 25¢ per gallon, significantly reducing fuel spending
• Beat cash and credit cards for tracking fuel expenses and vehicle-related purchases
• Give you powerful tools for fleet management, including purchase controls and real-time data
• Cut costs through transaction limits and stopping unauthorized spending
• Make tax reporting simple and eliminate paperwork headaches
• Show you exactly how your fleet is performing with detailed reports
• Keep your accounts safe with fraud protection and security features
• Work great for both small businesses and companies with large fleets

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What is a Fleet Fuel Card?

Professional drivers use fleet fuel cards (also called fuel cards) to access fuel discounts, track and limit their fuel spending, and fund other trucking-related expenses like:

• Repairs and maintenance
• Parts
• Tools
• Consumables, such as:
  • Windshield washer fluid
  • Motor oil
  • Antifreeze
  • Windshield wiper blades
  • Diesel or gas fuel purchases
  • Oil changes and other services

To maximize their fuel card benefits, fleet owners should look for a card company that offers:

• Low or zero operating fees, such as:
  • ACH fees
  • Transaction fees
  • Overdraft fees
  • Out-of-network fees
  • Setup fees
  • Per-card and card replacement fees
• Widespread access to truck stops and gas stations
• Credit bureau reporting
• Enhanced tools for trucking businesses, like:
  • Spending reports generation and analysis
  • Paperless billing and payment options
  • Accounting software integration
  • Built-in regulatory reporting

A fleet card is so much more than a credit card for fuel purchases—the ideal card will streamline your administrative tasks, improve your profit margin, and protect you from overspending and fraud with better security and real-time alerts.

Top 8 Advantages of Fuel Fleet Cards Over Traditional Methods

#1 Savings

Despite supply chain challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and other international concerns, the professional driving industry is alive and well. In January 2025, American Trucking Associations reported that truck volumes are expected to grow 1.6% in 2025, and ultimately rise to nearly 14 billion tons by 2035.

However, inflation has drastically increased the costs of goods and services like vehicle parts, maintenance, and consumable goods. This makes finding fleet discounts more important than ever.

Fuel card companies, like AtoB, offer up to 25¢ off per gallon, which helps to keep costs down with features to optimize and save on fuel spending. These exclusive discounts can make a significant difference for small companies managing tight margins.

#2 Convenience

Fleet cards aren't just useful for fuel tracking and discounts—they also provide additional convenience benefits. Some examples of enhanced convenience tools include:

• Live spending tracking for fleet managers and their drivers
• Spending limits to control costs
• Automated, paperless report generation and analysis
• Fraud protection and monitoring
• Integration with bookkeeping software for easy invoicing

Plus, some cards offer additional, exclusive perks that make refueling and saving easier than ever. Some examples include:

• No-network refueling – While some fleet card companies require their users to refuel at specific gas stations, others provide access to fueling stations anywhere. Be sure to watch out for out-of-network fuel fees before choosing a card.
• One-click payroll – Some fuel cards offer enhanced driver payment options that streamline and simplify the payroll process.
• Credit bureau reporting – Fleet owners can get approved for the AtoB Unlimited prefunded fuel card regardless of credit score. Additionally, timely monthly payments are reported to Experian to help small businesses build their credit.

#3 Credit Access

Instead of applying for a new card and undergoing an additional credit check each time you want to increase your limit, fleet cards give you faster access to your credit as you spend and pay responsibly.

What does that process look like? Let's explore an example:

• You own a C-corp trucking business with two drivers. You apply for a fleet card, and you're approved for a $5,000 fuel spending limit with Net 7 terms (meaning you have seven days after the closing date to pay your balance).
• You use the card for five pay periods, spending most of your limit each time and paying in full and on-time.
• In return for your healthy payment and loyal spending, your fleet card company increases your credit limit and authorizes non-fuel spending on repairs, parts, consumables, insurance, and more.

#4 Financial Safety Net

Fuel cards can provide a financial safety net for fleet owners who are still building their cash flow and savings. What does that look like?

• If you're still awaiting payment from a customer, you can use your available cash to pay your drivers, vehicle loans, or insurance premiums and use your fleet card to temporarily finance your fuel.
• Some fleet cards offer same-day driver payments, using your available credit to cover payroll if you're waiting on a client payment.
• When you need a significant repair or service but don't have the cash to get it done, you can use your fleet card to pay your mechanic while you wait for your next client payment—all without interrupting your everyday fleet operations.

With select fuel cards, you can say goodbye to financial stress and overdrafted checking accounts.

#5 Fraud Protection

Fraud is a serious concern for fleet managers. Fraud incidents can decimate your credit score, drain your cash, and lead to increased insurance premiums.

Fleet card providers help fleet owners protect themselves from fraud in two ways:

• Enhanced authentication techniques to prevent unauthorized spending and unauthorized access to your card, such as PIN entry or driver ID verification.
• Spending monitoring and real-time alerts for potential fraudulent transactions increases your peace of mind and decreases your response time if you're defrauded.

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#6 Purchase Controls

Fleet managers can limit spending in a variety of ways:

• Restrict drivers to fuel-only purchases even if they're eligible to spend on other purchases.
• Create individual purchase limits even if the driver's available credit is higher than the chosen limit.
• Create purchase-specific spending limits. For example, a driver with a $5,000 weekly limit can allocate $4,000 to fuel expenses and $1,000 to non-fuel purchases (or any ratio desired by the fleet manager).
• Set transaction limits based on fuel type, location, or time of day.

These purchase controls help identify areas where you can save money and prevent misuse.

#7 Access to Spending Reports

Fuel card companies often provide detailed reporting functions to help managers analyze, monitor, and submit expense reports.

Fleet owners in International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) jurisdictions, for example, must report information quarterly, including:

• Number of gallons purchased
• Average fuel economy
• Miles driven
• Overall fuel spending
• Vehicle-related expenses

Report generation can also help you streamline other tasks, like:

• Client invoicing and accounts receivable
• Tracking repairs and maintenance costs
• Financial planning
• Employee oversight
• Spending analysis
• Tax reporting

With the power of convenient, accessible, and useful reporting tools, you can build benchmarks and track progress, which can positively impact your bottom line. Your fleet card dashboard will provide valuable insights into your company's performance.

#8 Paperless Operations

Fuel card companies, like AtoB, help owners reduce their paper consumption, printing needs, and postage costs:

• Instead of printing and mailing paper invoices, professional drivers can track their Driver Pay history, view pay stubs, and get paid faster with the AtoB driver portal.
• Instead of keeping a separate spreadsheet or paper notebook to track costs, you can generate spending reports and MPG calculations from a mobile app or desktop site.
• Instead of collecting and organizing paper receipts for manual entry into an accounting system, the AtoB easy-to-use dashboard automatically tracks all fuel transactions data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do fleet fuel cards differ from regular credit cards?

Fleet fuel cards are specifically designed for vehicle-related purchases with specialized fuel management tools, purchase controls, and detailed tracking capabilities that regular credit cards don't offer.

Can small businesses benefit from fleet cards?

Yes, small businesses with even a few vehicles can significantly benefit from fleet cards through fuel savings, simplified expense management, and valuable reporting tools to identify areas to control costs.

What information do fleet fuel cards track?

Fleet cards track driver ID, vehicle information, odometer readings, fuel type, gallons purchased, price per gallon, location, and date/time of transactions, providing real-time data for better fuel management.

How much can companies save with fleet cards?

Companies typically save 10-15% on their overall fuel spending through discounts, rebates, prevention of unauthorized spending, and optimization of routes and fuel purchases.

Are fleet fuel cards secure?

Yes, fleet cards offer better security than cash and credit cards through real-time alerts, purchase limits, driver authentication, and fraud protection systems.

How do fleet cards help with tax reporting?

Fleet cards automatically categorize and track all vehicle-related expenses, making quarterly and annual tax reporting a simpler, less labor-intensive process while ensuring accurate documentation.

Can drivers use fleet cards at any gas station?

Depending on the fleet card program, drivers can either use their cards at specific partner locations for maximum discounts or at virtually any fueling location for greater flexibility.

How do fleet cards improve fleet management?

Fleet cards provide comprehensive data on vehicles, drivers, and fuel consumption patterns, allowing managers to optimize routes, identify maintenance needs, and control costs more effectively.

AtoB: Taking Your Fleet Operations to the Next Level

With the trucking industry continuing to grow and fuel costs remaining a significant expense, implementing a fleet fuel card program isn't just smart—it's becoming essential for competitive operations in 2025 and beyond. It's hard to argue against integrating a universal fuel card into your trucking business's financial plan.

AtoB stands out as the premier fleet card solution in today's market, offering an unmatched combination of all eight benefits detailed in this article. Unlike traditional fleet cards that come with hidden fees and limited networks, AtoB provides transparent pricing, nationwide acceptance, and cutting-edge technology that adapts to your specific business needs.

Fleet owners who switch to AtoB typically report:

• Saving 15-20% on their total fuel spending
• Cutting administrative work by 75%
• Dramatically simplified tax reporting and compliance
• Enhanced cash flow management
• Improved driver satisfaction with faster reimbursements

AtoB customers can link their accounts with QuickBooks for fast and easy invoicing, pay employees and subcontractors in one click, and purchase fuel anywhere without network restrictions. The intuitive fleet card dashboard gives you complete visibility into every aspect of your fleet's fuel consumption and spending patterns, helping you identify opportunities for additional savings.

Ready to transform how your trucking business handles fuel management? The application process takes less than 10 minutes, and you can have cards in your drivers' hands within days. Get started today! Your bottom line will thank you.

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