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Filling up your car with fuel is always going to be the least exciting part of a road trip – it interrupts your journey, slows you down, and it’s expensive. If you’re looking for a way to save time, money, and stress on your next road trip then it’s worth considering a fuel card.
What is a fuel card?
A fuel card is a credit card that is restricted to fuel-related payments only. They can be used at a wide network of service stations and fuel pumps, depending on which card you have, and they offer a number of benefits and even discounts. As a driver, you use your fuel card when you’re filling up your car and then you’ll receive a weekly invoice to pay for all your fuel purchases at once.
How to choose a fuel card
Thinking of using a fuel card to save money on your next road trip? It’s worthwhile doing some research to find the best one. If you haven’t heard
about iCompario, it’s a fuel card comparison site put together by industry experts that takes you through all the different options available. One of the best things about iCompario is that they give a comprehensive overview of the benefits of each fuel card and whether it will meet your specific requirements.
What are the benefits of fuel cards?
Fuel cards save you money
In recent years the price of fuel has been all over the place, it’s cheap one week and then extortionate the next. And if you’re on the road then you often have no choice but to pay the price they’re asking – you can’t afford to wait until the cost of fuel dips again before you move on.
Fuel cards aren’t just a different payment method, they also have a range of money-saving benefits. In some cases, they can give you access to a fixed weekly rate or even provide fuel discounts. You’ll also have a clear picture of just how much you’re spending and be in a better position to stabilize your fuel-related spending.
Make travel budgeting easier
When you’re on the road, taking in amazing views and moving on to a new place every couple of days, it’s sometimes hard to stay on top of the practical side of things. Taking the time to sit down and sort through all your receipts and work out how much money you’ve got left is important, but often gets neglected. If you’re on a tight travel budget and you need to keep a record of every single outgoing, these travel tips
from Lonely Planet are a good start, but a fuel card is going to be a lifesaver.
All your fuel transactions are recorded, and many fuel cards will provide an online system where you can get an overview of what you’ve spent. It’ll help reduce your travel budget admin and show you ways in which you can optimise your travel plans and reduce road trip costs.
Fuel cards are secure
As cases of fraud and identity theft increase, it’s a good idea to take all the precautions you can to protect your money and
stay safe when you’re travelling. If you’re making frequent road trips, especially in other countries, you might be concerned about paying with your credit card or carrying around big sums of cash to pay for fuel. But fuel cards are a safe and secure way to make large fuel payments.
They are restricted to fuel-related purchases, so if anyone else tried to use them they wouldn’t have access to your money or your bank accounts. Fuel cards all use a PIN system and can even be assigned to a particular vehicle so no one else can use it to fill up their car. Plus you can review where and when fuel has been paid for via account management software and it’s quick and easy to cancel a fuel card if it’s been lost or stolen.
They can be used anywhere
Fuel cards are very common and will be accepted at fuel stations all over the country. While the fuel card you are using might restrict you to particular stations, this is actually a huge network of places you can fill up and will make life easier. You don’t have to keep an eye out for the best price or take an hour detour off the main road to find a cheaper petrol station. When you’re
planning your next road trip you’ll be able to see all the stations that your fuel card is accepted and add these stops into your route.
A fuel card is the best way to save time and money when you fill up your car on long road trips. You don’t need to carry cash or pay with your credit card, and you don’t have to keep receipts or write down how much you’re spending. Without all that to worry about you’ve be able to relax and enjoy the drive on your next adventure.
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