When comparing fuel cards, most fleet managers and business owners zero in on discounts and rebates, since every dollar saved goes straight to the bottom line. But it’s easy to overlook the fuel card management system, the software you’ll rely on daily to manage cards, track spending, and keep your drivers on the road.
The right management system can make your job easier by giving you control of cards, purchase limits, and fuel reporting without needing to call customer support to make routine updates. The wrong system, though, can slow down your operations, leave drivers stranded at the pump, and make it a headache to access critical data for expenses, compliance, or tax reporting.
In this guide, we’ll explain what a fuel card management system is, why it matters when choosing a fuel card provider, key features to consider, and how you can test-drive systems before signing up. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to expect from the best fuel card management systems and how to choose one that puts control at your fingertips so you can easily manage your fuel card account.
Table of Contents
- What is a fuel card management system?
- Why fuel card management systems are often overlooked when comparing fuel cards
- What to look for in a fuel card management system
- How to demo a fuel card management system before signing up
- Fuel cards with interactive demos of their management systems
What is a Fuel Card Management System?
A fuel card management system is the online software platform that comes with your fleet fuel card. While the card itself is the tool drivers use at the pump, the management system—also called a customer portal, dashboard, or account login—is where you take control behind the scenes. Here, you can manage cards, monitor transactions, download invoices, and run reports to stay on top of fleet fuel expenses.
Why Fuel Card Management Systems are Often Overlooked when Comparing Fuel Cards
For most fleet managers and business owners, it’s common to focus on discounts and rebates when evaluating fuel cards, since fuel costs make up a major portion of fleet expenses. Often, the decision comes down to which card provider offers the biggest savings. But many only realize after signing up that the fuel card management system behind the card is either so limited they’re forced to call support for every small change, or so cluttered with unnecessary features that managing cards becomes frustrating and inefficient. This creates several challenges:
Challenges with Poor Fuel Card Management Systems
- You spend time contacting customer support for routine updates that you prefer to handle yourself.
- Drivers are left stranded at the pump after hours because you're unable to unlock fuel cards.
- There’s no immediate way to lock lost cards, increasing the risk of unauthorized use.
- Accessing fuel data for expense tracking, regulatory compliance, or tax purposes is cumbersome and inefficient.
- Limited data visibility makes it difficult to monitor transactions, detect potential fuel theft, or review usage trends to adjust spend controls effectively.
What to Look For in a Fuel Card Management System
A reliable fuel card management system puts you in control of your account. You should have the flexibility to increase purchase limits, issue new cards for drivers, or manage account details efficiently without having to contact customer support every time. The process of managing cards should be quick, intuitive, and convenient to keep your fleet running smoothly. When evaluating fuel card management systems, here's what to look for:
Essential Features of Your Fuel Card Management System
The best fuel card management systems enable you to do the following by simply logging into your fuel card account:
- Order, cancel or modify your fuel cards, including spend controls
- Configure fuel card alerts for account monitoring
- Access current transaction data to track company fueling
- Compare usage by card, driver, or vehicle
- Download transaction data for expense management
- Generate IFTA fuel reports to simplify IFTA filing
- Download invoices and review payment status
Fuel Card Management System User Experience
While a fuel card management system may offer a wide range of capabilities, what truly sets a system apart is how efficiently you can accomplish essential tasks. An intuitive user experience (UX) ensures that routine activities are straightforward, saving you valuable time and minimizing frustration. Look for these key attributes of a strong fuel card management system UX:
- Navigation should be intuitive, allowing new users to become proficient in under 15 minutes.
- Most tasks should require only a few steps to complete.
- Data can be easily exported as common file formats like PDF or CSV
Reliable Customer Support
Even with a robust fuel card management system that allows you to manage most tasks yourself, there will be occasions when customer support is needed. The best fuel card providers complement their systems with responsive, highly-rated customer service. You should expect:
- Short hold times to avoid unnecessary customer delays
- Knowledgeable representatives who can resolve issues quickly
- Live support to walk you through the fuel card management system when needed
How to Demo a Fuel Card Management System
Some fuel card providers give you the ability to preview their fuel card management system before you sign up for an account, helping you determine if it fits your needs. Here are some ways you can demo a fuel card management system:
- Self-guided interactive demo: You can explore the fuel card management system using clickable prompts at your own pace.
- Live demo with a representative: A company representative, often from the sales department, can walk you through the fuel management software via screen share over Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
- Access a test account: Some companies may offer a login to a test account, allowing you to view the system's features as a customer.
Fuel Cards With Interactive Demos
Here are fuel card providers that offer self-guided interactive demos of their management systems, giving you the chance to explore and compare platforms:
Take a Self-Guided Tour of P-Fleet's Fuel Card Management System
P-Fleet's interactive demo gives you a firsthand look at our fuel card management system, allowing you to navigate and explore its capabilities at your own pace. From a single, streamlined platform, you can manage your P-Fleet Voyager or CFN fuel cards, monitor transactions, download invoices, and generate detailed reports. Robust card controls enable you to set spending limits, restrict transaction times, and enforce your company fueling policy to keep expenses under control.
You’ll also have access to fuel reports for simplified reconciliation, plus free fraud protection and alerts to protect your account. Whether you’re evaluating options or verifying that the platform supports your requirements before submitting an application, the self-guided demo offers a transparent look at how useful fuel card management systems can be.
