Articles by steve clarkeRecent publicity about BP?s place in Allstars portfolio has revealed the changing face of the fuel card market, according to The Fuelcard People. Customer needs have evolved and are now too sophisticated to be satisfied by the older style of fuel card, with its minimal benefits. At the same time, the benefit-laden fuel cards formerly limited to such major users as hauliers and coach operators have become generally available to any firm spending ?500 or more monthly on diesel or petrol and able to pass a routine credit check.
?Originally, companies wanted merely to cut down on the paperwork associated with drivers reclaiming fuel costs,? said Steve Clarke, general manager of The Fuelcard People. ?Later, those with larger fleets hoped to save a fraction of a penny per litre, although this was not universally available. Now, customers of all sizes and types demand a full package of fuel card benefits. If a company can only say that its fuel card is widely accepted, it is out of touch with what the market wants. We know that users now expect savings, service and security because our new customers increasingly cite this as their reason for replacing old cards.?
The recent publicity has prompted a number of concerned fleet managers to call The Fuelcard People about its BP fuel card, one of a wide range the company offers.
?Some just want the convenience of knowing that drivers can use all of BP?s 1,200-plus filling stations,? said Steve Clarke, ?and are then surprised to learn of the additional benefits provided as standard.?
Chief among these is the weekly notification of a fixed nationwide price, typically 2p to 3p per litre below the national average pump price, with even greater savings when drivers refuel on the motorway. This contrasts sharply with old-style cards, which offer no discount at all. In addition, new customers appreciate having dedicated account managers, 24/7 online access to account information, free credit, no set-up or management fees and a variety of report options.
Steve Clarke expects a shake-up in the market. ?It is simple economics,? he said. ?No fleet manager wants an HGV driver filling up at a random service station if a saving of up to ?30 per tank is available a couple of miles further on. Why spend an unnecessary extra ?1,000 per truck on diesel every year? At the other end of the scale, try telling the independent driving instructor, using just 100 litres of petrol weekly, that an annual saving of up to ?150 is not worth having. All sorts of companies are now comparing their old fuel cards with the latest generation and deciding that the supposed convenience of ?universal? acceptability is hardly a benefit at all and certainly not worth the price.?
www.TheFuelcardPeople.co.uk is one of the few fuel card companies able to offer truly impartial, independent advice, offering a broad choice of cards from leading brands including BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco, Diesel Direct (Keyfuels) and ReD. Any company