Glossary of Terms: Fuel Cards

Acceptance: This refers to when a fuel card can be used at multiple sites or fuel can be purchased using the card from multiple fuel providers.

AdBlue: AdBlue is a special type of fuel that is better for the environment because it cuts emissions. When a fuel card is set up, a purchase option can be chosen so that AdBlue can be bought using the fuel card.

Bunker Price: The ‘bunker price’ is the cost of a litre of fuel. On some fuel cards, the bunker price can be set weekly so that, no matter what the fuel station boards say, your fuel will stay at that fixed price at participating forecourts.

Chip & PIN: You can set individual pin numbers to your fuel cards, improving their security should they fall into the wrong hands.

Cross-Acceptance: Cross acceptance is when branded fuel cards are authorised by the provider to be used at other branded fuel stations.

Drawings: ‘Drawings’ are the quantity of fuel that is despatched within a group of transactions.

Drawing Reports: Drawing reports are provided by a majority of fuel card providers, usually online. They can break down fuel card expenditure into different categories such as; which driver spends the most on fuel, the date of transaction and the amount of fuel dispensed.

Forecourt: This term can be referred to as different things such as petrol station, filling station and garage but they are all ultimately the same thing.

Fuel Card: A fuel card is a card that allows purchases of fuel and any products relating to fuel (depending on the fuel card). Fuel cards cannot be used to withdraw cash or make any purchases other than what they have been set up for.

Fuel Card Limits: These are the limits that are set on a fuel cards use. Common limits are; the amount of fuel that can be bought on a card in a certain amount of time and the amount of money that can be spent on fuel over a certain amount of time.

HGV Compatible: Not all forecourts are equipped to provide fuel to HGVs, due to their length and height. Therefore, HGV compatible forecourts are ones which can provide a HGV service.

LGV: ‘Large goods vehicles’ weight over 7.5 tonnes and have restrictions made upon the speed at which they can be driven.

Minimum Usage: This is the amount of fuel that needs to be purchased, using the fuel card, over a specified period as required by the fuel card provider.

Online Account Management: This is where the drawing reports can be viewed, as well as other statistical tools that help you to manage your fuel card expenditure. Most fuel card operators provide this facility.

Price Notification: Customers are usually notified by fax, text or email of the prices of their fuel for the next week.

Pump Price: Some fuel cards are ‘pump priced’, meaning that your driver will pay the price that is on the petrol stations boards for a litre of fuel.

Purchase Categories: These allow your business to control your expenditure by only allowing certain purchases to take place on your fuel cards.

Usage: Usage is the amount of fuel your drivers consume within a set amount of time (usually a week, month or year).