Few things frustrate drivers more than their fuel card not working at the pump. Whether it’s a simple mistake like entering the wrong PIN or a bigger issue like hitting the account credit limit, fuel card declines can leave drivers stranded at the station. The good news is that most declines are easy to diagnose and quickly fix once you understand the cause.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common reasons fleet fuel cards get declined, from card controls and account limits to station-related issues. You’ll also learn how to resolve problems on the spot and what preventative steps fleet managers can take to reduce declines in the future.
Table of Contents
- Fleet fuel card declined due to card controls
- Account issues that cause fleet fuel card declines
- Fleet fuel card declined due to station issues
Fleet Fuel Card Declined Due to Card Controls
Here are the most common fuel card declines caused by card control settings:
Entering the Wrong PIN Number
Entering the wrong PIN is the most common reason a fuel card gets declined. Each failed attempt counts toward the card’s daily transaction limit. For example, if a card is set to allow three transactions per day and the driver enters the wrong PIN three times, the card will be locked resulting in the fuel card not working for the rest of the day.
How to fix: Remind your driver of the correct PIN and have them try to fuel again. If the card is locked you'll need to log in to your fuel card portal or call customer support to reset the card for the day.
How to prevent: To help drivers remember their PINs, choose pin numbers that correlate to a number they already know such as birthdate, employee number, etc.
Fuel Card Has Reached the Spend Limits
A fuel card will decline if it reaches spending limits such as:
- Transactions per day
- Gallons per transaction
- Dollars per day, week, or month
How to fix: Log in to your fuel card portal or contact customer support to raise the spend limit the driver has reached, or simply reset the card for the day.
How to prevent: Set spend limits according to vehicle tank size, and allow at least two transactions per day to meet most drivers’ fueling needs. Review transaction history by vehicle or driver each month to determine whether spend limits should be adjusted up or down based on actual usage.
Attempting to Use Fuel Card Outside of Authorized Fueling Hours
A fuel card will be declined if a driver attempts to use it outside the fueling times and days set by the fleet manager. For example, if a card is authorized for Monday–Friday between 8 AM and 5 PM, any attempt to fuel outside those hours will be denied.
How to fix: Log in to your fuel card portal or contact customer support to adjust fueling times and hours or instruct the driver to purchase fuel during the authorized hours.
How to prevent: Set fueling times and days based on your drivers’ schedules. If schedules vary greatly, consider using alerts instead of strict time controls to monitor fueling activity. For example, most drivers may work between 8 AM and 5 PM, but some may start earlier or finish later. In that case, you can set alerts to notify you when fueling occurs outside normal hours, allowing drivers to still purchase fuel while you monitor transactions that fall outside the usual schedule.
Trying to Use Fuel Card at Restricted Stations
Limiting access to specific fuel stations can help prevent employee fuel theft and reduce fraud. Here are a few ways fleet managers can set station restrictions:
- Restrict sites by state
- Restrict sites by zip code
- Lock out retail stations (Certain cardlock fuel cards like the CFN card allow you to do this.)
For example, if your fleet operates entirely in California, restricting driver fueling to in-state locations can help deter out-of-state fraud and fuel theft. You can authorize multiple states if needed. But if a driver tries to fuel outside of authorized states, this restriction prevents them from purchasing fuel.
How to fix: Log in to your fuel card portal or contact customer support to remove the station restriction preventing your driver from fueling.
How to prevent: Check station restrictions when sending a driver on a route outside of their normal service area.
Fuel Card Fraud Monitoring System is Blocking a Purchase
Most fuel cards include a fraud monitoring system that uses algorithms to detect and block potentially fraudulent transactions. These systems look for authorization attempts that fall outside a driver’s usual purchasing patterns. As a result, if a driver takes an unusual route or works outside their normal hours, the system may occasionally decline a legitimate transaction.
How to fix: Contact your fuel card customer support team to have the card unflagged. In most cases, you’ll also receive a fraud alert for the flagged attempts. Simply verify the attempts were not fraudulent and respond to the email or text so your fuel card provider can reopen the card.
How to prevent: You can notify your fuel card provider in advance when a driver’s fueling activity will significantly deviate from their typical pattern. Minor changes usually will not trigger a fraud alert. However, if a driver who usually fuels locally is traveling cross-country, making more frequent purchases in multiple states, it’s best to alert your provider beforehand to help avoid unnecessary declines.
Account Issues That Cause Fleet Fuel Card Declines
Here are common account-related issues that can cause declines across all your fuel cards:
Account Reached the Credit Limit
After you apply for a fuel card, your provider will assign a weekly or monthly credit limit. Once that limit is reached, some fuel card companies lock the account until a payment is made and the billing period resets, causing all cards on the account to be declined. Others may allow customers to exceed the approved limit within reason without immediately locking the cards.
When you apply for a fuel card, your provider will establish a credit limit for your account. If this credit limit is reached, some providers will temporarily lock the account until a payment is made or the billing period resets, resulting in cards being declined. Some providers may offer flexibility, allowing fleets to exceed the limit within reason before restricting account activity.
How to fix: If your account is locked for reaching its credit limit, contact customer support to find out how to unlock it. In some cases, you may need to submit a payment to reduce the balance on your account.
How to prevent: When you apply for a fuel card, make sure the approved credit limit is high enough to cover your fleet’s typical fueling needs.
Account Credit Hold for Non-Payment
Every fuel card company has a set timeframe for locking an account if an invoice goes unpaid. Once the account is locked, all fuel cards will be declined at the pump.
How to fix: Contact your fuel card provider to pay your outstanding invoices so that the account is reinstated.
How to prevent: Sign up for autopay to make sure you never miss an invoice.
Fleet Fuel Card Declined Due to Station Issues
In some cases, a decline is not related to your fuel card account status but instead comes from an issue at the fuel station where your driver is attempting to fill up.
Fuel Card has Reached the Fuel Station's Authorization Limits
Fuel stations often set authorization limits in their point-of-sale (POS) systems to help prevent fraud. These limits may be based on dollar amounts or the number of authorization attempts. If you exceed them, your card will be declined at that station until the POS limits reset.
How to fix: Go to a different station for fuel, as only the station itself can change its authorization limits.
How to prevent: Keep note of stations that have overly restrictive settings and use other locations that can accommodate your fueling needs.
Driver Is at a Station That Doesn't Accept the Fuel Card
If your driver swipes their card and receives either no response from the pump or a message such as "unknown card," the location does not accept the fuel card. Not all fuel cards are accepted at every site within a given brand, so it’s possible for acceptance to vary between stations.
How to fix: Use your fuel card's site locator to find a station near your driver and redirect them to that location to get fuel.
How to prevent: Most fuel cards offer a mobile app with a site locator that drivers can use to get step-by-step directions to the nearest accepting fuel stations. The other option is to sign up for a universal fuel card like the Voyager card, which is widely accepted at over 320,000 fueling locations nationwide and minimizes acceptance concerns for your drivers.
Fuel Station Technical Difficulties
Sometimes fuel stations experience technical difficulties that will result in fuel card declines. For example, an internet outage will not allow the POS to authorize the card because it can't communicate with the fuel card network for authorization. Or a keypad at the pump may be broken which may cause the driver to enter the incorrect PIN.
How to fix: Let the gas station attendant know so they can address the issue for future visits. In the meantime, head to another nearby location that accepts your fuel card to fill up.
How to prevent: Avoid stations that consistently have damaged or malfunctioning pumps. Your card issuer will not be able to troubleshoot this because the problem is with the station, not the card.
Easily Manage Declined Fleet Fuel Cards with P-Fleet
P-Fleet’s online customer portal gives you access to card controls, spending limits, and transaction alerts so you can identify why a P-Fleet fuel card was declined and quickly resolve the issue. By monitoring your account regularly and using the portal’s reporting features, you can stay ahead of potential issues and reduce the risk of future declines.
You can also contact our highly-rated customer service team to resolve card declines quickly. Customers rate us 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot because our support team resolves most tickets within a few minutes by phone or email. No chatbots or overseas call centers, just real people ready to help you.
