How to get the most of your fuel cards
Are you a fleet professional who is aiming at maximizing the benefits of your UK fuel card?
With cases of fraud and theft associated with UK fuel card, one can never be sure of the safety of their fuel cards.
It is safe to say that fuel cards are the future of automobiles because when you have a UK fuel card, you can obtain UK fuel at wholesale prices, compared to buying at pump price.
This comprehensive article tells you all you need to know concerning fuel cards and what you can do to ensure that your fuel card is safe so that you can make the most of it for as long as you wish to use it.
Benefits of fleet fuel cards
- Having a fuel card allows you to save. With a UK fuel card, you get to purchase UK fuel at wholesale prices, as compared to having only a credit card, or paying cash, which would require you to pay pump price, which in the long run, is way higher than the wholesale price.
- Easy access to fuel card reports. It is much easier to monitor the use of UK fuel in your car when you have a fuel card since you can do it online. Compared to using cash or credit cards which require you to collect and analyse past receipts, which by the way can be easily misplaced, a UK fuel card allows you to access these fuel reports anywhere, anytime via your phone or any electronics.
- Fuel cards allow employers to limit the amount of fuel that employees can buy, per transaction, per day, per week and even every month. This allows you, as the owner to take full control of whatever happens under your watch, since it is only you that can dictate what the card can be used for and what it cannot be used to purchase.
Fuel card best practices for fleet managers
1. Conducting regular follow-ups on your fleet transactions
This is the surest way of ensuring your fuel card is safe from fraud. When you have a UK fuel card, you can log into your fleet’s website which is secured with a password only known to you, and monitor the fleet activities, while being on the lookout for any activity or transaction that may be out of the ordinary.
This enhances your fuel card’s safety because in case of anything you will be the first to notice, and take the necessary action if need be.
2. Adjusting fuel card limits from time to time
The price of UK fuel are ever going up, and this makes it very important to ensure that your fuel limits are adjusted according to your needs, desires and capabilities.
In a case where your drivers’ spending rates are ever below the limits that you have set, you are advised to consider lowering your limit, so that it aligns with your drivers’ spendings. By doing this, you will close a window of fraud, that opens up when there is an amount of fuel that is not accounted for when your limit is higher than the amount your drivers use on UK fuel.
3. Ensuring that your fuel provider has the most up-to-date fuel IDs for customers.
An up-to-date fuel ID allows you, as the customer, to monitor the use of UK fuel by your fleet more easily. A fuel ID that is up-to-date also gives you accurate information on your fuel card activity.
4. Having fewer spare fuel cards, that are stored in a secure location.
Spare fuel cards have a tendency of being compromised, as being used as loopholes to commit fraud. Therefore it would be safer if you have only one UK fuel card.
However, if you do have spare fuel cards, you should keep them in a secure location, where they cannot fall into the wrong hands.
5. Cancelling a fuel card in case of termination of a driver or sale/disposal of a vehicle
By doing this, you will be sure that your fuel cards are being used by members of your fleet only. Therefore, as a fleet manager, you should cancel a fuel card as soon as the driver is terminated or the vehicle is disposed of or sold.
6. Reporting any activity that is out of the ordinary
Another reason to always be checking your fleet’s transactions, and how your fleet personnel use UK fuel. This will allow you to be able to report any suspicious activity as soon as you notice it. As a fleet manager, you ought to report anything that does not feel right, even the slightest one because it may be a fraud that you can put a stop to.
7. Fuel PUSH emails to drivers
With a UK fuel card, you can send PUSH emails to your fleet drivers, hence putting an end to overspending. Your drivers are notified on MPG deviation, purchases that are beyond tank capacity, limits of UK fuel and other purchase limits.
Fuel card best practices for fleet drivers
Fleet drivers also have a role to play in keeping the fuel cards safe. They can do so in the following ways:
1. Storing the fuel cards in secure locations, not their cars
As a fleet driver, it is not advisable to store your UK fuel card in the car, because anything can happen to it in the vehicle. You are advised to keep it somewhere else, that is safer.
2. Keeping their Driver ID/fuel PIN confidential
Drivers should not share their driver ID or fuel pin with anyone, neither should they write it down because anyone can lay hands on it then. This reduces the risk of someone accessing your fuel card and making purchases or committing any other kind of fraud.
3. Using fuel pumps that are located closest to gas station attendants
Make it a tradition to use fuel pumps that are close to the gas station attendant each time you purchase UK fuel. Gas pumps that are closest to the attendants are less likely to be used by fraudsters to install their credit card skimmers.
4. Checking the pump’s card reader, which should be a solid piece of the casing.
Before you place your fuel card on the card reader, please make sure it is firmly and permanently removed from the pump casing. This will allow you to confirm that there is no fraud going on because a skimmer can be easily removed from the pump. Also, make sure that the card reader is similar to other card readers at that fuel station.
Conclusion
The security of a fleet fuel card depends on the fleet manager and the fleet drivers as well. Having a UK fuel card gives you many benefits as a fleet manager, as compared to when you use a credit card or cash to buy UK fuel.
A fuel card allows you to save more, so you get fuel at wholesale prices. It also enables you to monitor the use of fuel among your drivers and to set fuel limits according to the fleet’s needs. A fuel card comes with a whole lot of benefits, given that you use it well and keep it safe.
