Fuel cards are a great way to manage fuel expenses, simplify reporting, and keep fuel spending under control, but not all cards are the same when it comes to fees. From monthly card fees and out-of-network transaction charges to surprise late payment penalties, these costs can quietly add up and chip away at your savings. For fleet managers and business owners, understanding the full cost of a fuel card is just as important as comparing discounts and station access.
In this guide, we’ll compare fleet fuel card fees for some of the most popular fuel cards on the market, highlight cards with no fees by fee type, identify common fuel card fees and how to avoid them, and help you find the best fit for your fleet so you can avoid unnecessary costs and get the most value out of your fuel card program.
Table of Contents
- Fleet fuel card fee comparison
- Fleet fuel cards with no fees by fee type
- Common fleet fuel card fees and how to avoid them
- How to find out how much fuel card fees are costing you
- Choose the right fuel card to minimize fuel card fees
Fleet Fuel Card Fee Comparison
Here's a comparison of fleet fuel card fees for some of the top fuel cards on the market. This data was collected from their websites to show differences in fees.
| Card | Monthly Fees | Account Set-Up Fee |
Out-Of-Network Transaction Fee |
Late Payment Fees |
| Voyager | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| CFN | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| WEX | Up to $2 per card | $40 | $3 | Greater of $75 or 7.99% of the balance |
| Fuelman | $39-99 for the account | $0 | $3 | Greater of $75 or 12.25% of the balance |
| Comdata | Up to $8 per card | $50 | $3 | Greater of $150 or 13.99% of the balance |
| Coast | $4 per card | $0 | $0 | $35 and 2.5% of the past due balance |
| AtoB | $3-6 per card | $35 | $0 | Greater of $99 or 9% of the balance |
| Fleet One Edge | $8 per card and $7.95 for the account | $75 | $2 | Greater of $150 or 6.99% of the balance |
| Mudflap | $0 | $0 | $0 | Greater of $10 or 3% of the 7-day violation amount |
| RoadFlex | $3 per card | $25 | $0 | 3% of the balance |
Fleet Fuel Cards with No Fees by Fee Type
Let's take a look at which fuel cards don't charge fees by fee type.
Fuel Cards with No Monthly Fees
Most fuel cards charge monthly fees per card as this is one of the main revenue sources for fuel card companies. Here are some fuel cards that don't charge monthly fees.
Fuel Cards with No Out-Of-Network Fees
These fuel cards don't charge out-of-network fees which means every station that accepts the card is in-network. These fuel cards work well for fleets that want the flexibility to fuel almost anywhere without worrying about paying out-of-network fees.
- CFN
- Voyager
- Coast
- AtoB
- Mudflap
- RoadFlex
Fuel Cards with No Late Payment Fees
If you never make a late payment, you don't have to worry about this category. However, for most small businesses, missing a payment or two throughout the year is inevitable. Your accounts payable person goes on vacation, a customer doesn't pay you, or the bill is simply overlooked. If you're one day late you'll automatically get charged a hefty late payment fee. Here are fuel cards that don't charge late payment fees.
- CFN
- Voyager
Common Fleet Fuel Card Fees and How to Avoid Them
Here's a list of some of the most common fuel card fees and tips to avoid them:
Monthly Fees
Monthly fees are usually charged per card, per month. If you have 20 fuel cards and your fuel card company charges $4 per card, you'll pay $80 a month in monthly fuel card fees. Some fuel card companies only charge this fee per active card which is measured by cards that have an active status on your account or cards that have transactions during the month.
✅How to avoid monthly fees: Do a fuel card audit to identify any active cards that aren't being used. Deactivate or delete them to avoid paying unnecessary monthly fees. To avoid monthly fees altogether, choose a fuel card with no monthly fees.
Out-Of-Network Transaction Fees
This fee applies to stations that accept the fuel card, but are outside of the fuel card's preferred network. For example, an over-the-road (OTR) truck stop fuel card may consider all truck stops as in-network and regular gas stations as out-of-network. Or some fuel cards may consider certain brands as in-network and all other brands as out-of-network.
✅How to avoid out-of-network fuel card fees: Choose a fuel card that considers the stations you use as in-network. Or choose a fuel card with no out-of-network fees.
Late Payment Fees
Late payment fees are typically applied as soon as an invoice becomes past due. As shown in the fuel card fee comparison table, these charges are usually calculated as the greater of a flat fee or a percentage of the unpaid balance. Fuel card late payment fees can take the biggest toll on your bottom line. For example, a single late payment on a $5,000 bill with a 9% interest rate would cost you $450.
✅How to avoid late payment fees: Sign up for auto-pay so that payments are automatically made on the due date and set reminders in your calendar that alerts you when a payment is due, so you can ensure the autopayment went through. You can also get a fuel card with no late payment fees.
Returned Payment Fees
Returned payment fees are charged when an autopayment or check bounces. These fees are charged per occurrence and range from $25-75 depending on the fuel card.
✅How to avoid returned payment fees: Make sure the checking account that you use to pay your fuel bill always has enough funds to cover the transaction.
Replacement Card Fees
Some fuel card companies charge a card replacement fee every time you replace a fuel card.
✅How to avoid replacement card fees: If you have a high driver turnover rate, assign your fuel cards to vehicles instead of drivers so you don't have to replace a fuel card every time a driver quits.
Other Miscellaneous Fleet Fuel Card Fees
Here are some other miscellaneous fuel card fees to be aware of:
- Program maintenance fees
- Account reactivation fee
- Paper delivery fees
- Reproduced reports fee
- Research fee
- Transaction fees
- High credit risk fees
How to Find Out How Much Fuel Card Fees are Costing You
Many people don’t realize they’re being charged fuel card fees because they’re easy to overlook on a fuel invoice. With multiple transactions listed and several invoices arriving each month depending on your billing cycle, it’s easy for one or two line-item fees, often tucked away at the bottom, to go unnoticed. Here's how you can find how much fuel card fees you are paying:
- Collect fuel invoices for the last three months. It's best to evaluate for at least 90 days as fuel card fees may fluctuate with your account activity.
- Look for fuel card fees which are often listed on the bottom of your fuel invoices. These fees may only be accessed on one invoice per month and not the others.
- Total the fuel card card fees for three months and divide by three to get your average monthly fuel card fee cost.
Choose the Right Fuel Card to Minimize Fuel Card Fees
Since fuel card fees are only applicable if you meet the conditions in which they apply, choosing the right fuel card for your business is the most important tip to minimize fuel card fees or skip them altogether. Here are some things you should consider:
- Make sure the stations and brands you use are considered in-network.
- Compare the discounts a fuel card provides with the monthly fees they charge. If the discounts don't at least cover the monthly fees, consider a fuel card that charges no monthly fees.
- Consider a fuel card with no late payment fees if you might accidentally pay a bill late.
- Read the fine print on the fuel card application to see if there are any other miscellaneous fees to be aware of.
Check out this article, 10 Best Fleet Fuel Cards for Business [2025], to compare fees, discounts, accepting locations, and more for some of the top fleet fuel cards. If you're looking for a fuel card with no hidden fees, check out P-Fleet's Voyager and CFN fuel cards. You can also apply online to get fuel card account started.
