In the modern world, one of the most important commodities around is fuel. Regardless if your car is petrol-powered, a diesel, or has a hybrid motor, you will still need fuel to power its operations. While these fuel stations have been around for quite a while, the use of fuel cards has become more popular over the past few years. This is because these cards provide unique advantages for both motorists and their employers. You’ll find out everything you need to know about fuel cards in this article.

1. Everything You Need to Know About Fuel Cards
In the modern world, one of the most important commodities around is fuel.
Regardless if your car is petrol-powered, a diesel, or has a hybrid motor, you
will still need fuel to power its operations. While these fuel stations have
been around for quite a while, the use of fuel cards has become more
popular over the past few years. This is because these cards provide unique
advantages for both motorists and their employers. You’ll find out
everything you need to know about fuel cards in this article.
Fuel cards are marketing tools used by gasoline stations. They are used to
pay for fuel and other services availed of at their locations. These cards are
also often referred to as fleet cards especially for those that are purchased
by companies for the use of their company cars and vehicles. There are
some cards that are limited to gassing up, while some cards include other
services such as lube jobs, tune ups, and other repairs. With improvements
in card technology, the use of these cards has likewise been improved.
The Fuel Card
The history of fuel cards is a relatively long one. According to records, these
cards were first used in the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, no electronic data
is stored in these cards. The cards were printed with the company name
and the vehicle registration. A signature strip is also included in the card for
identity validation purposes. Monitoring purchases were done by keeping
the receipts.
In the 1980s, the magnetic strip was added on to the back of these cards.
This gave the card a security feature to guard against unauthorized use.
The strip contained information about the cardholder’s account and the
transactions he has made using his card. Gas stations have machines that
can read the mag strips on their customers’ cards when they are swiped.
With new technology, the mag strip was later on replaced by smartchips.
This innovation in these cards provided increased security and better
durability.
Stations, Partners, and Consumers
During the early years of its usage, there were only a few stations that
issued and honored fuel cards. The first ones to make use of these cards
are companies with huge fleets such as trucking companies and cross
country movers. The stations where the fuel cards can be used are often
located on the major routes.
Gas companies and partner card issuers soon realized that expanding their
reach to smaller enterprises and even individual consumers would greatly

2. contribute to their bottom line. Nowadays, many of the major fuel
companies and financial institutions have partnered up to offer these fuel
cards to a bigger market.
Reasons Why You Should Take Advantage of Fuel Cards
There are numerous benefits that both motorists and fleet owners enjoy
when they choose to make use of fuel cards. Here is a list of some of the
most important advantages these fuel cards provide:
1. Better purchasing security - security is one of the best benefits you
can get from the use of fuel cards. For the fleet driver, the required
PIN prevents the unauthorized use of his account. For the fleet owner,
having his drivers use fuel cards will be a good way to monitor and
control the fuel expenses of his fleet.
2. Cashless transactions - this is one of the more compelling advantages
drivers enjoy when they use fuel cards. It allows them to purchase
products and services from participating gas stations even when they
don’t have cash at hand. This provides a very convenient means for
car owners to get fuel and non-fuel items anytime and anywhere.
3. Discounts - many businesses avail of fleet cards because it allows
them to gain various incentives from participating fuel companies. This
often comes in the form of cheaper fuel, products, and maintenance
services. While some of these discounts may seem to be of little value,
they can add up to a huge amount of savings over the long term.
4. Fraud prevention - fraud is one of the biggest fears of business owners
who provide incentives such as fuel allowances. The use of fuel cards
protects them from being overcharged or from any irregularities in the
expense liquidations. With improved card technology, these cards are
not better equipped to track transactions and prevent fraud.
5. 24/7 monitoring - responsible business owners would want to closely
monitor just about every aspect of their business operations. One of
the best things about the use of fleet cards is that it allows for 24/7
monitoring. All transactions are recorded in the card service’s
database, and can be accessed anytime by both driver and fleet
owner. Also, potentially questionable transactions are reported in real
time.