How your drivers pay at the pump is a big deal when you run a fleet operation.
When choosing between a fleet card or a credit card, it’s important to understand the differences between the two options to determine which one is best for your company.
Both options let you keep your fleet fueled; however, only fleet cards offer customized protection, in-depth financial reporting, and real-time monitoring of your fleet’s expenses.
Is it worth the hassle to set up fleet cards?
Fleet Cards vs Credit Card Comparison Table
There are many differences between fleet and credit cards; this table breaks down the main ones you should know.
Cost Effectiveness
Most credit cards and fleet cards offer reward programs providing points for purchases, cash back, or other incentives and rebates.
Fleet cards are more likely to feature relevant programs to your drivers and company and can qualify your company for bulk fuel discounts.
Promotions and rebates at the pump directly translate to business savings on top of spending controls, and real-time reporting are crucial cost-saving measures.
Plus, with everything natively digital with fleet cards, you can say goodbye to piles of paperwork and digging through a mountain of documents every month. Fleet cards save time by streamlining receipts, reimbursements and reporting.
Category Controls and Limits
Credit cards are more flexible as employees can purchase anything at any time, from anywhere and do not have spending limits.
But when operating a fleet of vehicles, you want to ensure your fleet cards have limitations to ensure drivers use the card for its specific and intended purposes - fuel and other fleet-related expenses.
You can set purchasing limits and category controls on your fleet cards so your operators effortlessly stay within budget. Some companies, including Fillip, offer prepaid card options to eliminate the risk of spending over the limit.
Analytics, reporting and accounting
Both fleet cards and credit cards give you access to granular level III data, which offers specific, more detailed information about each transaction on the card.
While you can spend hours poring over your credit card statements for information about your fleet’s fuel usage, fuel cards give you an inside look at your fleet’s expenses thanks to built-in reporting and analytic tools.
You’ll instantly know how much you’re spending on operating your fleet, where you’re spending your money, and how to optimize your fleet’s operations cost-effectively and efficiently.
Plus, the robust accounting features of fleet cards make day-to-day bookkeeping much less painful.
Security
Credit cards and fuel cards have security mechanisms for keeping your accounts and your money safe. Both types of cards can limit the amount of money drivers can spend within a specific timeframe.
However, fleet cards enhance security by requiring identification codes for purchases and enabling quicker disabling to prevent fraudulent activities.
Real-time transaction updates allow for swift detection of fraud or errors, with custom monitoring providing instant alerts for suspicious activity.
Ease of use
Both fleet cards and credit cards are extremely easy to use.
Just about everyone already knows how to use a credit card, they’re accepted everywhere and can be used for everything, so you don’t have to train your team to use them.
If you know how to use a credit card, learning how to use a digital fleet card is very intuitive. A few extra taps gives you all the extra security and control over a credit card, your team will adapt quite quickly.
See how Fillip stacks up against credit cards
We understand the challenges of managing fleet expenses.
That's why we developed our digital fleet card. We wanted to make things quick and easy, so you can issue driver cards on the go and keep track of all purchases in real time, right from your phone.
Our card works at any gas station that accepts Visa. Fillip also finds you the best deal on fuel based on your location, helping you save on every tank.
We've also put a lot of thought into security with built-in fraud prevention and real-time alerts.
Check us out and let's make managing your fleet a breeze together!
