Apex Fuel Card Review: Is it the Right Fuel Card for Your Business?

If your trucking fleet regularly fuels at truck stops, the Apex fuel card can help you save on diesel while giving you more control over driver spending. The card offers average fuel discounts of 59¢ per gallon at more than 2,300 in-network locations and is accepted at around 12,000 truck stops nationwide.

In this review, we break down where the Apex fuel card is accepted, how its fuel discounts work, the fees to expect, and the controls and reporting tools available through the TCS platform. We’ll also cover the key pros and cons and provide some alternatives to help you decide if the Apex fuel card makes sense for your business.

Apex Fuel Card: Overview

What Is the Apex Fuel Card?

Apex is a factoring company that offers a fuel card through the TCS platform. The Apex fuel card is primarily prepaid and is designed for trucking fleets that regularly fuel at truck stops. Businesses load funds onto the account, and drivers spend from the available balance. Apex factoring customers may also qualify for a credit line of up to $2,500 per truck, allowing them to pay for fuel without preloading funds. The TCS platform offers fuel cards that run on either the Comdata or EFS network. These cards provide strong diesel discounts at more than 2,300 in-network locations and are accepted at around 12,000 truck stops nationwide.

Apex also gives fleet managers access to fuel card controls through the TCS platform. Its Dynamic Prompt feature requires drivers to open the TCS app and generate a one-time code before fueling. Fleet managers can also set spending limits, restrict purchases to approved locations, and limit card use by state. For reporting, businesses get real-time transaction visibility, downloadable transaction reports, and IFTA reporting.

Where Is the Apex Fuel Card Accepted?

The Apex fuel card is accepted at around 12,000 truck stops nationwide. More than 2,300 of those are in-network locations where you can access fuel discounts without paying out-of-network transaction fees. After opening an account, you can use the TCS mobile app or online fuel card portal to find participating locations.

Apex Fuel Card Discounts

Apex offers average fuel discounts of 59¢ per gallon at more than 2,300 in-network locations. Cardholders can also save on non-fuel expenses, including maintenance, tires, roadside assistance, and DEF.

Fuel Discounts 

Here are the brands included in Apex's 2,300 discounted locations. You can use the TCS Fuel Finder to find nearby discount stations and see the average savings by state for the prior quarter.

Other Discounts

Here are the discounts Apex offers on non-fuel items.

Apex Fuel Card Fees

The only fee Apex charges is an out-of-network transaction fee at truck stops that aren’t part of its 2,300 in-network locations. Other than that, there are no monthly card fees or account setup fees. 

Apex Fuel Card Controls and Reporting

Controls

• Dynamic Prompt: Requires the driver to log into the TCS app to generate a one-time authorization code that must be entered at the pump before fueling.
  
• PIN: Custom number assigned to each driver. A valid PIN must be entered to enable fueling.
• Authorized fueling locations: Restrict the card to work only at specific locations. For example, you can require drivers to fuel only at in-network locations to get discounts and avoid transaction fees.
• Purchase limits: Set spending limits to control how much fuel drivers can buy.
• State restrictions: Restrict cards so they only work in certain states.
• Fuel vs. non-fuel purchase limits: Set/change limits on fuel products and non-fuel products to control what can be purchased.

Reports

• TCS Fuel Finder: View current fuel discounts and prices by site.
• E-receipts: Receive emailed receipts for each purchase.
  
• Real-time transaction visibility: Monitor transactions in real-time.
• Transaction reports: View transaction reports and filter by product, card, date, and state.
• IFTA fuel report: Access the fuel information you need for IFTA reporting.
• Driver settlement report: Generate driver settlement reports.
• Savings/discount reporting: Track fuel savings/discounts per day, month, or lifetime of the account.
  
  

Pros and Cons of the Apex Fuel Card

Pros

• Strong truck stop savings at in-network locations
• Good customer reviews on Trustpilot
• Credit lines available for Apex factoring customers

Cons

• Transaction fees at out-of-network locations
• Acceptance is truck-stop focused. It’s great for fleets that primarily fuel at truck stops, but it has limited gas station acceptance
  
  

Apex Alternatives

If you want to compare other fuel cards like Apex, check out the best fuel cards for trucking companies.

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

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