Fuel Cards buying guidance

At a glance: Fleet fuel cards are payment programs used to pay for business-vehicle fuel and, depending on issuer and contract, to record or control transactions. Programs differ in acceptance locations, payment network, price calculation, transaction controls, fees, account terms, and reporting. A card's label or advertised discount does not establish acceptance, net cost, tax treatment, or compliance suitability. IFTA's 2026 Procedures Manual requires covered licensees to maintain auditable distance and fuel records; it does not say that any card automatically supplies adequate records. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550; Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Common workflows

• Route and acceptance planning: Map actual vehicle routes, fuel stops, vehicle classes, and hours before comparing card networks. Ask for a current acceptance/location list and determine whether acceptance is direct, through a payment network, or limited by site or transaction rules. A published network count alone does not establish that a card works on a fleet's routes. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550
• Net-cost and contract comparison: Use representative, same-date purchases to compare the actual pricing basis, pump-price reference, rebates, transaction and account fees, payment terms, credit conditions, and any minimums. Request a sample statement and a written settlement example; do not treat an advertised discount as a guaranteed saving against another station's price. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550
• Controls, reconciliation, and tax records: Test how the program identifies vehicle, driver, date, location, fuel type, quantity, and transaction exceptions, then reconcile exported transactions against source receipts and dispatch/odometer records. For IFTA-covered operations, assess the whole recordkeeping process against the applicable base-jurisdiction requirements; a card report is one record source, not a compliance determination. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550; Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Questions to ask providers

• Which locations and fuel types can each vehicle use on its actual routes, and how is the live acceptance list maintained?
• Is price calculated as pump discount, cost-plus, fixed price, or another method, and what dated example shows the net transaction total?
• Which fees, minimums, payment terms, credit checks, deposits, or early-termination conditions apply?
• What transaction controls can the account owner configure by driver, vehicle, product, time, geography, and dollar or quantity limit?
• Can the fleet export original transaction details and exception records in a format that its accountant and tax preparer can reconcile?
• For an IFTA-covered operation, what additional distance, fuel, receipt, and retention records remain necessary outside the card report?

Frequently asked questions