Aussies have rated Shell as the top brand in Canstar Blue’s latest fuel card ratings, with the brand rated five stars across all ratings categories, including client service, loyalty program, fees & charges, petrol station facilities, petrol station availability, account management, fuel discounts and overall satisfaction.
Our review compares fuel cards on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which fuel card they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 453 Australians for their feedback on the fuel card(s) they’ve purchased and used for business purposes in the last two years.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Shell was rated five stars for client service, loyalty program, fees & charges, petrol station facilities, petrol station availability, account management, fuel discounts and overall satisfaction.
Giving motorists access to more than 1,300 sites around Australia, including 150 truck-friendly locations, the Shell Fuel Card provides a number of fuel discounts in addition to an easy way to keep track of those receipts and invoices. Costing $2.50 per month per card, you can apply for a Shell Fuel Card online.
With discounts on fuels such as Shell V-Power, Shell Premium 98, Shell Unleaded 95, Shell Unleaded 91 and Shell Diesel Extra, you can even score Flybuys points at Shell Coles Express sites, allowing you to make the most of when you need to fill up. Some of the big advantages of the Shell Fuel Card come from the business administration side, allowing account holders to personalise each card to specific fuel types and purchases, along with offering access to previous invoices and receipts, in addition to Business Activity Statements. Shell also offers Shell Card Online to help you keep track of your account and cards, with tutorials available for those who are new to the system.
Caltex was rated four stars across all categories, including fuel discounts, account management, petrol station availability, petrol station facilities, fees & charges, loyalty program, client service and overall satisfaction.
Offering two types of fuel cards, the Caltex StarCard is available as an Open Loop or Closed Loop card, with the Open Loop providing a wider coverage at over 6,000 Caltex, Puma Energy and other station locations around Australia, while the Closed Loop card can help you avoid paying transaction fees, ideal for those looking to cut down on expenses. The Caltex StarCard can also be configured into a Driver & Vehicle Card, Driver Card or Vehicle Card, each of which can be tailored to allow you control your fleet expenditure, with the Open Loop card enabling you to pick up some discounts on non-fuel purchases. Sign up for a Caltex StarCard is available online, with a card costing $2.50 per month.
For the financial manager, you can also assign the types of products and services applicable to each card, with pre-set limits also available to be placed on cards. You can also use StarCard Online to track expenses, with a Quarterly and Annual Activity Report available to help you keep an eye on the ins and outs of the financial year.
BP was rated four stars for client service, loyalty program, petrol station facilities, account management and overall satisfaction, with three stars for fuel discounts, petrol station availability and fees & charges.
A prominent service station retailer, BP offers the BP Plus fuel card, which includes a number of discounts at over 1,400 service stations around Australia, as well as access to the BP Specialist Discount Network, with Qantas Points able to be earned on fuel and shop transactions.
Costing between $2.95 and $4.95 per card per month (depending on how many fuel cards you sign up for), the BP Plus comes with up to 51 days of interest-free credit, with the majority of discounts coming from the extended BP range and affiliates, such as BP Connect, Wild Bean Cafés, and the BP Truck Plus network. The BP Plus card also comes with Care Plus security measures, such as a purchasing limit or a PIN to ensure that your fuel cards are used correctly, with online support also available.
For those in charge of the business account, BP Plus Online allows you to manage all your fuel cards, as well as access Business Activity Statements and transaction records for when it comes time to sort out your taxes, with an auto feed function with Xero accounting software.
Ampol was rated four stars for account management, petrol station facilities, client service and overall satisfaction, with three stars for loyalty program, fees & charges, petrol station availability and fuel discounts.
The AmpolCard is available for use at over 1,900 locations around Australia, including Woolworths Metro and Foodary outlets for when you’re looking for more than just fuel. Its fuel discounts include 4c per litre off Amplify Premium petrol, 3c per litre off Amplify Premium diesel, as well as 2c per litre on regular petrol and diesel. Costing just $2.95 a month per vehicle, AmpolCard also allows you to score discounts on parking, as well as score Qantas Points and Everyday Rewards on certain purchases.
In addition to fuel and various other savings, extras such as Roadside Assistance and Services & Repairs can be added to help keep your workforce moving. For those managing the account, AmpolCard offers full PIN security and transactions can easily be tracked and managed online, with a full record of all transactions available for you to keep track of. If you’re looking to keep all your finances in one spot, you can even link your card’s account to Xero or MYOB accounting software, with an EOFY statement also available to help when tax season rolls around.
7-Eleven was rated three stars across all ratings categories, including client service, loyalty program, fees & charges, petrol station facilities, petrol station availability, account management, fuel discounts and overall satisfaction.
The only place where you can grab a Slurpee while filling up your car, 7-Eleven has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the convenience store a handy option for many. You can use the 7-Eleven Fuel Pass Card at one of the 600-plus 7-Eleven locations, with the card also accepted across the Motorpass network.
With no joining or transaction fee, the 7-Eleven Fuel Pass Card costs $2.50 per card per month, with an 8c saving per litre available for the first six months your business is signed up with 7-Eleven Fuel Pass. There’s also no lock-in contracts, and 44 payment free days for flexible payments. You also have a few card options to choose from in regards to who or what you allocate the card to. There’s the ‘Driver and Vehicle’ card, ‘Drivers Only’ card or the ‘Vehicle Detailed’ card to help you track expenses and keep your cards secured. The 7-Eleven fuel card also provides quarterly Business Activity Statements (BAS), an annual tax summary and other reporting documents.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
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The main selling point of a fuel card is to help you save money when you go to pay for fuel, or for when you run into a bit of trouble out on the road. While some fuel cards offer discounts on fuel itself, other fuel cards offer discounts on services through affiliates in case something breaks or you need a service. With surveyed businesses spending close to $900 a month on fuel, finding a suitable fuel card can help you save money on fuel, as well as other products and services.
While the amount of options available may be daunting, over a third (37%) of survey respondents said that the cost of fuel is a major concern to their business, with 41% of respondents stating that they closely monitor its fuel usage and the cost of fuel, indicating that many are watching their wallets, and looking into a fuel card may be well worth the effort for some businesses.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s fuel card ratings:
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4WD Reviews Australia - March 15th
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Best-Rated Fuel Cards - October 27th
Petrol isn’t exactly cheap, so a loyalty program from a fuel station may be able to save you a few bucks. Compare them with Canstar Blue.
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4WD Reviews Australia - February 15th
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