The right fuel card saves thousands per year in discounts, simplifies GST reporting, and gives you real-time visibility into fleet fuel spending.
Fuel is typically the largest ongoing cost after finance repayments for truck operators and fleet businesses. A dedicated business fuel card offers three key advantages over paying by personal card or cash:
| Card | Network | Best For | Discount | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BP Plus | ~1,400 BP sites | Long-haul, regional | Up to 6c/L | $0 (min spend may apply) |
| Shell Card | ~1,200 Shell/Coles Express | Metro fleets | Up to 4c/L | $2.50/card/month |
| Ampol Card | ~1,900 Ampol sites | Largest network | Up to 4c/L | $0 |
| Motorpass | Multi-brand (~5,500 sites) | Mixed fleets, best coverage | Variable | $3.50/card/month |
| Fleet Card | Multi-brand (~3,500 sites) | Regional/rural operators | Variable | Quote-based |
| WEX Motorpass | Multi-brand | Enterprise fleets | Volume-tiered | Quote-based |
If your vehicles travel fixed routes, check which brand has stations along those routes. For diverse or regional routes, a multi-brand card like Motorpass or Fleet Card provides the widest coverage.
Most cards offer tiered discounts based on monthly litres. If you burn 5,000+ litres per month, you're in a strong negotiating position even with branded cards like BP Plus.
Check whether the card integrates with your accounting software (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks). Most major cards offer CSV/API exports that streamline reconciliation.
For fleet operators, the ability to set per-card limits, restrict purchase types (fuel only vs. fuel + maintenance), and receive real-time transaction alerts is critical for preventing misuse.
Business fuel cards automatically generate GST-compliant tax invoices, which means:
If you operate heavy vehicles (over 4.5t GVM) on public roads, or use fuel in off-road equipment, you may be eligible for Fuel Tax Credits from the ATO. This can return 17–48 cents per litre depending on the use case. A fuel card simplifies the record-keeping required to claim.
| Monthly Litres | 4c/L Saving | Annual Saving |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 L | $80/month | $960 |
| 5,000 L | $200/month | $2,400 |
| 10,000 L | $400/month | $4,800 |
| 20,000 L | $800/month | $9,600 |
For a single long-haul truck burning ~8,000 litres per month, even a modest 4c/L discount saves over $3,800 per year — likely exceeding any card fees.
Yes. Most fuel cards are available for businesses with a single vehicle. There's no minimum fleet size for BP Plus, Shell Card, or Ampol. You may not get the best volume discounts, but you'll still benefit from GST-compliant invoicing and basic discounts.
Yes. All business fuel cards require a valid ABN. Some also require a minimum trading history (typically 6–12 months) for credit applications.
Most business fuel cards operate on credit terms (typically 14–30 day billing cycle). This means a credit check may be required. Prepaid fuel cards are available for businesses that prefer not to use credit.
Depending on the card and your settings, purchases can be restricted to fuel only, or expanded to include car washes, oil, AdBlue, and other maintenance items. Fleet managers can configure these restrictions per card.
Factor fuel costs into your total cost of ownership when choosing between Chattel Mortgage, Finance Lease, and Operating Lease.
Open Calculator →