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Fuel Cards Buying Guide for Manufacturers & Shippers

Fuel Cards can help manufacturers & shippers control fuel purchasing and reconcile fleet-related spend. Evaluate each option against how your team manages suppliers, production, inventory, orders, facilities, carriers, and customer delivery commitments.

Why this category matters here

For manufacturers & shippers, the most relevant fit is fleet fuel cost control. Confirm that the product supports this workflow in practice and fits the people, systems, controls, and exceptions already in place.

Capabilities to evaluate

  • Savings tracking
  • Budget control
  • Card, driver, and vehicle controls
  • Merchant, product, and location restrictions
  • Transaction review and fuel reporting

Questions to ask vendors

  • Which network, fees, and acceptance limits apply?
  • How are cards secured when drivers or vehicles change?
  • Can transactions be matched to vehicles, trips, taxes, and accounting records?
  • How will this fit the way your team manages suppliers, production, inventory, orders, facilities, carriers, and customer delivery commitments?

4 marketplace profiles are listed for Fuel Cards and Manufacturers & Shippers. Compare their listed details with your requirements and confirm fit with each provider.

Options for Manufacturers & Shippers

  • Coast

    Fleet fuel card and corporate card with expense management — 3¢–9¢/gal savings at 30,000+ stations, fraud protection, and real-time spend controls.

    Listed features: Fuel Card, Corporate Card, Expense Management. Listed integrations: QuickBooks, NetSuite, Telematics Platforms.

  • Fuel Me

    AI-powered fuel marketplace and management platform for fleets and logistics companies.

    Listed features: FuelEvent fuel bidding, quote comparison & contract awards, FuelControl invoice verification, FuelIQ tank monitoring, inventory & reordering. Listed integrations: ERP Systems, ATG Systems, Fleet Management Platforms.

  • Fuelman

    Fleet fuel card with 50,000+ station acceptance including Exxon/Mobil network.

    Listed features: 50,000+ accepting stations, RaceTrac/RaceWay partnership, Exxon/Mobil 12,000+ locations. Listed integrations: RaceTrac Rewards, ExxonMobil Rewards+, Accounting Software.

  • WEX Fleet

    Universal fleet card accepted at 95% of U.S. stations with EV charging network.

    Listed features: 95% U.S. station acceptance, 45,000+ service locations, Up to 15¢/gallon savings. Listed integrations: Fleetio, Motive, ServiceTitan.

Explore the full interactive guide · Browse Fuel Cards listings

Fuel Cards for manufacturers shippers 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

Fit for manufacturers shippers (conditional)

A shipper with its own tractors, yard trucks, or field fleet can compare acceptance and reconciliation workflows; shippers paying a carrier's invoice are not thereby fuel-card buyers. Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Workflow: Identify internal fleets, fueling depots, fuel tax responsibilities, and whether vendor transactions can be matched to assets and departments. Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Ask in a demo: Request a sample reconciliation from card transaction through ERP or fleet-accounting export. Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Check before choosing: Carrier fuel expenses and shipper-owned fleet fuel should not be conflated. 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

Does a fuel card automatically make IFTA records compliant?

No. IFTA's 2026 Procedures Manual requires complete fuel records and records adequate for audit, along with separate distance records and retention. A card's reports may help, but the fleet must verify that its whole record set meets the applicable jurisdiction's requirements. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550

How long must IFTA records be kept?

The 2026 IFTA Procedures Manual section P510 states a four-year retention period following the later of the return due date or filing date, with additional periods for specified circumstances. Confirm the base jurisdiction's current rules and any audit, waiver, or assessment requirements. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550

Is a posted per-gallon discount the same as the lowest net price?

No. Compare the offer's stated reference price with the station's actual price at the same time, then include fees, rebates, eligibility limits, and payment terms. Neither IFTA nor IRS fuel-tax guidance verifies a commercial program's savings claim. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550; Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

What should a small fleet check before issuing driver cards?

Ask the issuer to demonstrate its actual controls, available transaction fields, exception alerts, account permissions, and lost-card process; obtain terms in writing. Program capabilities vary by issuer and plan and are not established by federal tax publications. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550

Can one card program cover diesel, gasoline, and off-road fuel purchases?

Acceptance and permitted fuel types are program-specific, while tax treatment depends on fuel use and facts. Verify eligible products and transaction reporting in the issuer agreement and consult IRS Publication 510 and the relevant state or jurisdictional tax authority for applicable fuel-tax rules. Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Does IRS Publication 510 determine whether a fleet should buy a fuel card?

No. Publication 510 describes federal excise-tax topics, including fuel taxes and heavy highway vehicle use tax; it is not a fuel-card comparison or endorsement. Compare current offers against the fleet's own use and accounting needs. Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes

Sources (2)
  1. IFTA Procedures Manual (effective January 2026), P510, P530, P540 and P550 — International Fuel Tax Association, Inc.
  2. Publication 510 (12/2025), Excise Taxes — Internal Revenue Service