Guide
Fuel card vs cash price: measure the gap before you decide
A few cents a gallon looks like nothing. Multiply it by every gallon your trucks burn and it becomes a line on the P&L.
In short
- Compare the price you actually paid per gallon, after discounts and fees, not the sign price.
- Gap per gallon x gallons per month = monthly gap. Add any fee per fill.
- A card may bring records, spending controls and IFTA data. Count what you use, in dollars if you can.
- We quote no card prices. All numbers here are example data.
Two prices for the same gallon
The same stop can show two prices: what you pay with a card and what you pay another way. The difference is the gap. It can run in either direction. Cards can win with network discounts, and cash can win where the card adds a fee or a markup.
The figure shows the gap as the shaded block. To see your real number, take a month of fuel receipts, find the price per gallon for each fill and compare it to the pump price printed on the receipt or the card statement. Our diesel price tool shows what each cent is worth on your monthly gallons. The IFTA guide explains why card records help at quarter end.
Measure it in five steps
Pull one month
Collect the card statement and the receipts for every fill.
Find the real price per gallon
Total paid for the fill, fees included, divided by gallons.
Find the comparison price
The pump price on the receipt, or the price you would have paid at that stop another way.
Multiply by gallons
Gap per gallon times total gallons for the month.
Add per fill fees
Fee per fill times the number of fills.
What goes into the comparison
| Item | Card | Cash or other |
|---|---|---|
| Price per gallon | Net of discount and markup | Pump price |
| Fee per fill | Transaction or monthly fee, if any | Often none, but cash advance fees may apply |
| Records | Automatic by fill | Receipts you must keep and enter |
| Spending control | Limits per driver or per day | Driver judgment |
| IFTA support | Gallons and location on statement | Receipt photos and manual entry |
| Cash needed before payday | None until the statement | Driver or company cash on the spot |
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
Example data. A small fleet buys 8,400 gallons a month in 120 fills. Card price $4.38, other price $4.22, card fee $1.50 a fill.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gap per gallon ($4.38 - $4.22) | $0.16 |
| Gap x 8,400 gallons | $1,344 |
| Fees (120 x $1.50) | $180 |
| Card costs more by | $1,524 |
| Per year | $18,288 |
In this invented case the card costs $1,524 a month more, or $18,288 a year. Flip the prices and the card saves $1,344 a month before fees. What the card gives back in records and control is real but not in this table. Put your own value on it. If you cannot, the math above is the whole story.
Traps in the comparison
- Comparing sign prices. Signs show a price before discounts, taxes shown separately and fees.
- Comparing one stop. One fill proves little. Use a full month across your normal routes.
- Ignoring who fuels where. If drivers fill outside the network, the discount may not apply. Check where gallons were bought.
- Counting only the price. Records and controls matter too. Value them or leave them out openly.
Copy and fill in
Keep it factual and short. Save the reply with the load file.
Do not compare the sign to the statement
A sign price and a statement price differ by discounts, taxes shown separately and fees. Always compare what left your account to the gallons you got.
We do not give legal, tax or financial advice. Your contracts come first.
Questions
Is the cheaper price always the better deal?
Not always. Records, controls and the cash you do not have to front matter too. Compare the whole month, not one fill.
Does a fuel card help with IFTA?
Statements can list gallons and locations, which saves manual entry. See the IFTA record-keeping guide.
How much does one cent matter?
Multiply it by your monthly gallons. The diesel price tool does it for a 25 cent or 50 cent move.
Should I call the card issuer?
Ask for the fee schedule in writing and compare it to your own receipts.
Related: fuel surcharge, IFTA records, cost per mile, diesel prices, diesel seasonality, all guides.
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