If you're an employer or manager of a fleet, you're probably familiar with the main benefits of fuel cards. In this post, we will explain the benefits of fuel cards for employees and answer the question, 'how do fuel cards work for employees?'

For employees, it's good to know that once a company has successfully applied for fuel cards, they can be assigned to individuals within the business or particular vehicles, which is useful when multiple drivers use the same fleet vehicle.

How Do Fuel Cards Work for Employees?

There are many benefits of fuel cards for employees, as fuel cards eliminate the need to provide drivers with cash or a company credit card and have them return invoices to you with what they spent and where. For drivers, this means no more folders full of receipts – simply present the fuel card upon payment for fuel or fuel-related products (such as AdBlue), and the account will track the relevant information for you.

You can learn more about how fuel cards work in our recent blog post.

How to Use a Fuel Card

• • Arrive at a petrol filling station within the network covered by your fuel card.
  • Fill your vehicle with your required amount of petrol or diesel.
  • Pay with your fuel card – provide a relevant points card if using a supermarket fuel card.
  • Input your PIN.
  • Continue your journey knowing your spend has been logged and an itemised invoice has been recorded for expenses.

For more information on how to use a fuel card and the application process, please read our complete guide to fuel cards.

The Benefits of Fuel Cards as an Employee

Efficient payment

The only thing you require when paying for fuel is your fuel card. They are easy to use via chip-and-PIN; simply hand the card over once you've filled your tank. It's as easy as that!

Fuel cards for employees are a much more efficient option because you will no longer have to wait weeks and endure the hassle of reimbursing expenses. You will also no longer need to keep the receipts for VAT rebates for your employer. Real-time text and email receipts are available as part of the fuel card account manager service.

Furthermore, invoices are sent through based on activity, relieving employees of the responsibility of getting a physical receipt each time or worrying if the receipt should be misplaced.

Security

Depending on the fleet or company you work for, you may have to drive long distances or multiple journeys. This can require you to carry a lot of cash to keep on top of fuel. Carrying cash, particularly a larger amount, puts you at risk of attracting thieves, creating a risk to your security. However, a fuel card takes away all that risk, as cash isn't needed at all to pay for fuel.

In addition, owning an employee fuel card makes you secure in the knowledge that you can get the amount of fuel you need for your vehicle. You won’t have to worry about running out of cash or  being stranded in an unknown area.

Route Planning

When using fuel cards, drivers can see in advance which forecourts accept their fuel card, meaning that they can plan routes out in advance. It also means that should their route be interrupted, perhaps due to an accident or unforeseen diversion, they can quickly use the garage locator tool or app to find a nearby forecourt.

Rewards Points
Certain fuel cards can be used alongside rewards cards, meaning that drivers can collect points when they fill up and use them to save money or buy non-fuel items.

Account Management Services

Occasionally, hiccups can happen which may prevent you from using your employee fuel card. However, one of the great benefits of fuel cards is the account management service that runs alongside them. If your card does get declined, there's no need to panic. In fact, fuel card account managers help to solve common issues like these every day:

• • PIN being entered incorrectly
  • Filling up at a station that’s not within your network
  • Buying unrelated fuel products on the card

If any of these issues do occur, it's not usually a problem, and your fuel card provider should be able to fix it. Most reputable suppliers offer account management services and will sort any problems on the account regardless of whether you are the account holder. Furthermore, problems like filling up at the wrong station can be easily prevented in the future by using garage locator tools and apps.

Do Employees Face Any Risks When Using Fuel Cards?

As we have mentioned, fuel cards are designed to minimise risks wherever possible, meaning there are significantly fewer risks in using a fuel card than cash or a credit card. In addition, as the system is centrally controlled, if a card should be lost or stolen, it can be stopped almost immediately via your online account. If the employee fuel card is used in a non-contractual manner, such as committing fuel fraud, you’ll be able to track every transaction the employee has made through your online management system. Furthermore, if the employee were to use a fuel card for personal purposes, you have the receipts.

Overall, fuel cards for employees are an efficient and secure method for filling up company vehicles. If you are interested in finding out more about whether a fuel card would be suitable for the routes you take, then please get in touch with us today. Alternatively, check out our fuel card comparison tool to see whether we may be able to make your day-to-day working life much easier for you.

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