Fuel Cards for private motorists

MUDGUTS

Every now and again I have a look on the web for a fuel card that is available for the private motorist but cannot seem to find one.

I would have thought that this would work on the same principle as company fuel cards and there would be some savings for the private motorist while the company providing the card would be able to negotiate discounts from suppliers.

If anyone knows of such a card, could they point me in the right direction, I am thinking of petrol and in our household we use about 3000 litres per annum.

bordercars

great idea iv'e looked to , the only one type i came across other than credit cards was put cash up front, i propped my local garage with an annual useage of 10000 lt's or about £180 per week guess what they could offer me ZERO thats right "0" i even tried getting the other cab drivers involved, in our town pop about 10000 1 garage and 7 cabs we offered an account of over £1000 per week again "0" so unless you can come up with a huge group i dont think you have much chance.
I go back to my idea for a MSE car buying group card to get discount on a new car could this not work for fuel, i know csma get huge discounts on new cars could we not get the same.

MUDGUTS

I think there will, one day, be a market for these cards, it just takes one company to offer a card to the gen. public and it should get going. The thing is when you look at how much fuel you use in each houshold, even at 1 pence below the pump price you are looking at some saving.

What a fuel card would do is encourage brand loyalty in away that points cards do not.

The only thing I think, as you have said is to get a credit card with cashback, use this for fuel only and pay this when the bill arrives as you would with a fuel card. If you are getting points then that is an additional saving.

vansboy

Other than making accounting easier, for business & preventing misuse of non fuel purchases, the cards don't always save anything.

Better is, as mentioned, a credit card with reward schemes.

If you get a Shell credit card, you'll get £10 of free fuel, (points value) the first time you use it. Then a point / litre, which is worth around .7p.

Not the highest earning card, but if you use the Optimax petrol you'll double the points, plus get an extra bonus, depending on the amount of fuel you buy, each 3month period.

Sounds a bit weird, I know, but well worth thinking on, especially if you've a Shell station that price matches local supermarket - the Shell fuel IS different, to what Asda / Tesco etc sell ( plenty of posts about this all over the www!!) You can check/claim your points as vouchers to spend in Shell, or lots other stores, too!VB

nstaples

As a Managing Director of an independent fuel card company with a number of fuel card brands at our disposal, I was interested to read the problems encountered in attempting to open a fuel card account. We are happy to deal with individuals looking to open a fuel card account. Our only criteria is that you're spending at least £100 a month.

If you'd like to find out more, check out our website https://www.forecourtfuels.com or call Sue Silcock on 0845 241 7100

MUDGUTS

vansboy wrote:

If you get a Shell credit card, you'll get £10 of free fuel, (points value) the first time you use it. Then a point / litre, which is worth around .7p.

Not the highest earning card, but if you use the Optimax petrol you'll double the points, plus get an extra bonus, depending on the amount of fuel you buy, each 3month period.

I am using Shell Optimax quite a bit and do get the points but I didn't know about the double points for Optimax or is that if you use the Shell card for buying it? I have also worked the points to be worth about .7 pence per litre.

Bearing in mind how many people like to be brand loyal and specific when it comes to buying fuel, I cannot see why a competitive market for fuel cards has not opened up for non business users. Like I say above we use at least 3000 litres per annum.

One thing for you to think about when you hear truckers complaining about the price of fuel: I filled a truck the other day at Rugby Truckstop on the A5. The fuelling there is by automated cards systems. While the fuel was going in I noticed the price on the pump, now I'm not sure if this is accurate or not and bear in mind the fuel was going into a truck owned by a large distribution and haulage company but it was...


... .81 per litre ...

vansboy

Mudguts, the DoublePoins offer has finished, but you do get the points on your credit card & Optimax card @ .7p ish on each, as you calculated.

There is another new offer, which gives you substantially more 'Bonus' poins, depending how many litres you buy, in a 3month period.

Best check your statement & try & work out the best time to fill up, as you near the end of each period - if you've got tiome & inclination!!!

VB

MUDGUTS

vansboy wrote:

Mudguts, the DoublePoins offer has finished, but you do get the points on your credit card & Optimax card @ .7p ish on each, as you calculated.

There is another new offer, which gives you substantially more 'Bonus' poins, depending how many litres you buy, in a 3month period.

Best check your statement & try & work out the best time to fill up, as you near the end of each period - if you've got tiome & inclination!!!

VB

I do a bit of driving for an agency from time to time and can, if I'm working for the right people, get 1000-2000 Pluspoints per month, not currently though but this is how I came to learn about fuel cards, etc. I am trying to get one (if the terms are any good) from the company above.

Sometimes I think the best theory is to use Optimax most of the time and then switch to Tesco (who now offer 99 RON) for a while. there is no doubt about it super unleaded fuel is better and Tesco is a lot cheaper.

One thing I have noticed is that Sainsburys super unleaded (98 RON) is good and usually the cheapest in the area. What is more you get 2 points per pound spent, so their points are worth about .9 per litre (based on redeeming Nectar Points in Sainsburys.)

One thing I cannot get my head around is that if provided with a fuel card for private use you would stop 'shopping around' for fuel but instead 'shop around' for a fuel card. Even if a card isssuer promoted cards for a limited period and cut their profits down on these, they could still gain from the increased turnover, leading to greater purchasing power, etc. What I am talking about is a 'loss leader' of sorts.

One other spin off is that people could monitor thier monthly fuel spend more easily, lots of people do this now with spreadsheets or whatever, Ok it's not everybodys cup of tea but as fuel prices rise over the next decade or three before alternative fuels come into being for every day use, monitoring this sort of expense will become more commonplace.

MUDGUTS

nstaples wrote:

As a Managing Director of an independent fuel card company with a number of fuel card brands at our disposal, I was interested to read the problems encountered in attempting to open a fuel card account. We are happy to deal with individuals looking to open a fuel card account. Our only criteria is that you're spending at least £100 a month.

If you'd like to find out more, check out our website https://www.forecourtfuels.com or call Sue Silcock on 0845 241 7100

Interesting, so can you offer a Fuel Cards for private motorists?

I have been in touch with staff at you company but am still waiting to hear...

NickCouchman

Have a look at https://www.pipeline.org. The guy behind that is setting up a discount scheme for individual motorists.

MUDGUTS

Yup, I have already registered with them.

Bit disappointed with https://www.forecourtfuels.com. I haven’t heard anything at all.

I have come to the conclusion that a Fuel Cards for private motorists just doesn't exist.