AMBEST Fuel Card Review: Is it the Right Fuel Card for Your Fleet?

If your fleet fuels at AMBEST truck stops, the AMBEST fuel card is built to help you maximize fuel savings at those locations. With 500 AMBEST locations offering strong per-gallon discounts and access to 16,000 fuel stations through the EFS network, it provides both savings and flexibility for trucking companies.

In this review, we break down where the AMBEST fuel card is accepted, how the discounts work, the fees to expect, and the controls and reporting tools included. We’ll also cover the key pros and cons and compare alternatives to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your fleet.

Table of Contents

• AMBEST fuel card: overview
• What is the AMBEST fuel card?
• Where is the AMBEST fuel card accepted?
• AMBEST fuel card discounts
• AMBEST fuel card fees
• AMBEST fuel card controls and reporting
• Pros and cons of the AMBEST fuel card
• AMBEST fuel card alternatives
  
  

AMBEST Fuel Card: Overview

What Is the AMBEST Fuel Card?

AMBEST is a network of independent, family-owned truck stops that offers a fleet fuel card designed for trucking companies looking to save on diesel while maintaining control over fuel spend. The card runs on the EFS network, giving you access to 16,000 fuel stations nationwide in addition to AMBEST locations, though the discounts are found at AMBEST truck stops.

AMBEST offers two card options with different pricing structures:

• AMBEST Preferred Card: Recommended for smaller fleets and owner-operators. It provides average discounts of around 51¢ per gallon at AMBEST locations, has a lower monthly fee, but includes transaction fees at AMBEST stations.
• AMBEST Direct Card: Is geared toward larger fleets and offers custom discounts based on the stations your fleet uses most. It has a higher monthly fee, but waives transaction fees at AMBEST locations.

Both AMBEST cards include controls and reporting tools through the EFS platform. Fleet managers can set purchase limits, restrict fueling locations, require driver prompts, and monitor transactions through detailed reports, helping improve visibility and reduce misuse.

Where Is the AMBEST Fuel Card Accepted?

The AMBEST fuel card runs on the EFS network and is accepted at 16,000 fuel stations nationwide. About 500 of those are AMBEST network locations, where you’ll get fuel discounts. Use the links below to find accepting locations.

• AMBEST stations
• EFS locations
  
  

AMBEST Fuel Card Discounts

The AMBEST Preferred card offers average discounts of 51¢ per gallon at 500 in-network locations. The AMBEST Direct card provides custom discounts based on the stations your fleet uses most.

AMBEST Fuel Card Fees

The AMBEST Direct card has a higher monthly fee, but no transaction fees at AMBEST locations, while the AMBEST Preferred card has a lower monthly fee but does charge a transaction fee at those locations. If your fleet is making more than 33 transactions per month at AMBEST locations, the Direct card is the better value since avoiding paying transaction fees outweighs that additional monthly fee.

AMBEST Fuel Card Controls and Reporting

Controls

• Dynamic Prompt: Requires the driver to log into the WEX CardControl App to generate a one-time authorization code that must be entered at the pump before fueling.
• Authorized fueling locations: Control where cards can be used by adding/removing approved locations.
• Purchase limits: Set purchase limits and customize limits at the individual card level.
• Product limits: Choose which non-fuel item categories a fuel card has access to.
• Custom policy prompts: Use card prompts such as driver ID, unit number, hubometer, and more that validate the sale at the point of purchase and capture additional data before fueling is authorized.
• One-time cash advance: Create a one-time cash advance or remove cash access when needed.
• Cash/ATM access: Employees can access cash through thousands of ATM and participating debit retailers.
• Overrides: Perform overrides when a legitimate purchase needs an exception.
• MoneyCodes: Fleet managers can issue MoneyCodes to pay for items and services drivers need.
• Telematics-based fraud controls (SecureFuel): Combine truck telematics and card transaction data to flag suspicious activity and report driver proximity and tank level after fueling.

Reporting

• Real-time alerts (SecureFuel): Triggers alerts when purchase irregularities are detected using telematics and transaction data.
• Transaction report: See detailed transactions by account, card, driver, vehicle, etc.
• Rejected transaction report: See declined authorizations and reasons why they were declined.
• Enhanced transaction report: Create a custom transaction report by choosing the data you want to include and how it’s organized in your report columns.
• Fuel Audit & Reconciliation: Discount reconciliation, individual transaction verification, driver compliance reporting, benchmarking/competitive analysis, and more.
• Fuel tax reporting: Capture and prepare IFTA, IRP, and individual state fuel tax reports.

Pros and Cons of the AMBEST Fuel Card

Pros

• Strong fuel discounts at 500 AMBEST stations
• Program options for owner-operators, small fleets, and large fleets
• Easy-to-use fuel card portal

Cons

• Transaction fees
  
  

AMBEST Fuel Card Alternatives

If you want to compare the AMBEST fuel card to other options, check out the best fuel cards for trucking companies.

One strong alternative is the Voyager fuel card, which offers:

• Accepted at 97% of fuel stations
• No monthly card fees, account setup fees, late fees, or transaction fees
• Trustpilot rating: 4.8/5
• Free fraud loss coverage