Fuel Cards How They Work

How do you use a fuel card?

Q: How do you use a fuel card?

Fill up at an accepted station, then present your fuel card at the till or pump reader and enter your PIN and vehicle mileage when prompted. The cost is billed to your account on a weekly or monthly invoice rather than paid on the spot, and the invoice serves as an HMRC-accepted VAT receipt.

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Using a fuel card is straightforward: fill up at an accepted station, present the card at the till or pump, and enter your PIN or vehicle mileage when prompted. The cost is billed directly to your account rather than paid on the spot, making it a cashless, receipt-free way to manage fuel spending.

Step-by-Step: Using a Fuel Card at the Pump

Check the accepted network: Before filling up, confirm the station is on your card's accepted network — Allstar, Shell, BP and others each have their own lists of participating forecourts. 2

Fill up as normal: Select your fuel grade and fill the tank exactly as you would with any other payment method. There is nothing special to do at the pump before fuelling.

Present the card at the till or reader: Hand the card to the cashier or insert it into the card reader. Some modern forecourts support pay-at-pump with fuel cards; others require you to go inside. 3

Enter your PIN or mileage: Most cards require a PIN for security. Many fleet cards also ask for the vehicle's current mileage so the account holder can track consumption per vehicle. 2

What Happens After You Fill Up

No cash changes hands: The transaction is logged against your fuel card account. You receive a consolidated invoice — typically weekly or monthly — covering all transactions across your fleet or vehicles. 2

Itemised billing for VAT reclaim: Fuel card invoices are HMRC-accepted VAT receipts, which means businesses can reclaim the VAT on fuel purchases without keeping individual paper receipts. 4

Driver and vehicle data captured: Each transaction records the driver ID, mileage (if entered), litres purchased, and station location — giving fleet managers a clear audit trail. 4

Common Rules and Restrictions

Fuel-only or multi-product cards: Some cards are restricted to fuel purchases only; others allow car washes, AdBlue, or forecourt shop purchases. Check your card's terms before using it for anything beyond fuel. 3

Daily spend or volume limits: Fleet managers can set per-card limits on daily spend or litres, which helps prevent misuse. Report a lost or stolen card immediately to avoid liability. 2

Network coverage matters: A BP fleet card works best near BP stations; a multi-network card like Allstar covers thousands of independent and branded sites. Match the card to the routes your drivers actually travel. 2

Getting the Best Value from a Fuel Card

Compare pump prices before you fill: Fuel card pricing varies — some offer fixed weekly rates, others charge the pump price on the day. Knowing the live pump price at nearby stations helps you judge whether your card rate is competitive. 1

Use CheckFuelPrices to plan fill-up stops: CheckFuelPrices shows live prices at 4,000+ UK stations, so drivers can identify the cheapest accepted station on their route before they pull in. 1